By Shawn Kirsch | May 15, 2008 | No Comments | Print Print

With their backs against the wall, the Spurs brought their trademark game to the court, and even had some help from the bench. New Orleans didn’t make it easy though.

1Q Both teams came out of the gate and took it to each other, keeping the score even for quite some time. Udoka would be inserted in the first, and from the time his foot stepped on the court, he played like he belonged there. San Antonio would finish the quarter strong with a 12 point lead.

2Q Duncan was doing a good job drawing fouls, even as Paul did everything he could to keep his team in the game. The Spurs defensive rotations would appear to be a bit slow for awhile, and New Orleans slowly chipped away at the lead. However, Manu would hit back to back 3s to stretch the lead, and the rest of the team would resume their hot shooting to take a 7 point lead into halftime.

3Q That the Hornets were so close, with the Spurs shooting so well, is a testament to just how well Chris Paul runs his team. However, he is still young, and Bowen was able to draw a foul on him on back to back plays, giving him 4. Byron Scott would leave him in the game, but it wouldn’t seem to matter. Soon after, West was called for two quick fouls, and his fourth came not long after, leading to the frustration that also yielded a technical for him. Paul would show leadership of a player years older though, as he gathered the Hornets up and settled them down. This would be approximately the same time that San Antonio decided to take control though, with Parker getting a LONG time to shoot a corner 3, which he made, and Manu continuing to shoot lights out from long range. Udoka would come off the bench, continuing to PRODUCE, hitting another 3, as well as a big block on a fast break attempt.

4Q Up by 15, San Antonio would continue to roll, as Ginobili hit yet another 3. New Orleans problems would just be starting though, as David West went down in severe pain. Aggravating his pinched nerve, he would leave the game, but his status is worrisome going into the decisive game. Udoka would continue his help off the bench, hitting another 3, and the Spurs would cruise to a 99-80 victory.

Review This game was much closer than the final score indicates. San Antonio didn’t grab control until the third quarter was well underway. They fed off of some extremely hot shooting throughout the first half, approaching 70%, which is why they would hold a 7 point margin at the half. They would cool off in the second half, but Ginobili and Udoka would hit big shots to help maintain the lead, and some mistakes on the part of the Hornets helped to keep the Spurs in possession of the ball. Oberto was able to help out in several plays with some great passing, although his rebounding is still a bit weak. With each team winning their home games, the decision maker in New Orleans should be interesting.

Win Or Go Home Winner takes all is now the name of the game, there are no more games to use as a crutch to extend it. This series has been taken to the limit, and it’s sure to be the best battle of all. Chandler’s foot didn’t appear to be a problem for him tonight, but West’s back is an issue, which is great for San Antonio, but it diminishes the series somewhat if San Antonio can win it. Udoka came out tonight and did everything we want from the bench, efficient offense, solid defense, and lots of energy, hopefully he, and a few others, can take that effort to another level in game 7, because this series is far from over. The Spurs will need more hot shooting, even better defense, and a whole lot more rebounding to advance to the next round. A little bit of luck wouldn’t hurt either.

Highlights

Duncan: 20 pts, 15 boards, 6 assists Ginobili: 25 pts, 4 boards, 6-9 3 pointers Parker: 15 pts, 4 boards, 4 assists Udoka: 13 pts, 100% shooting, hustle

Paul: 21 pts, 6 boards, 8 assists, 3 steals Chandler: 14 pts, 6 boards Stojakovic: 13 pts, 6 boards

Closing Thought

Our thoughts are with David West. While it’s a different type of injury than the foot problem Duncan had just a couple seasons ago, we understand how the dynamic of the team changes when a star player is hurt.

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Still Feel Confident Spurs Fans?

By Jeff | May 14, 2008 | 4 Comments | Print Print

After last night’s ass kicking by the Hornets on the Spurs, should Spurs fans feel confident going into game 6? F%*K NO!

The Spurs looked uninspired all game long. This should sum it up for you if you didn’t see the game. . . 11 points in the 3rd quarter! 11 freaking points by your defending NBA Champs! More like NBA Chumps!

The Hornets played like they had a gun to their head and it showed. They played awesome D, showed a killer instinct, and David freaking West just annihilated the Spurs even with a bad back! Chris Paul only diced up the Spurs D in the second half and the Spurs again fell into their 3 quarter meltdowns. This team can’t even weather the Hornet storm in the 3 quarters!

So who is to blame? Tim Duncan and his piss poor performance? Tony Parker for letting the refs get to him? The supposed “best bench the Spurs ever had”? Coach Pop? I say every friggin’ one of them! Pop shoulders this one more in my opinion. He knows they have the second-half blues in New Orleans and he didn’t prep this team and draw up some plan to fix this. This 3rd quarter meltdown by the Spurs is not just a one time thing. This is an epidemic! And Pop did not do anything to fix this problem. Case in point, last night’s game. . . for the 3 quarter, they were 5-for-18 from the floor with four turnovers. Way to go Spurs.

There is no excuse for this team to lose like that to New Orleans! Even if they win tomorrow and force a game 7 guess what?!? Game 7 is in New Orleans or like those NBA commericals go “New Orleans, where the Spurs get ass-raped in the third quarter.”

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Home Team Wins Again

By Shawn Kirsch | May 13, 2008 | 3 Comments | Print Print

There was hope that a healthy Tim Duncan would be the difference, and San Antonio would grab home court advantage tonight, but it was not to be. New Orleans once again won on their home court.

1Q Early in the game, Thomas was called for a foul, and soon after Chandler was whistled for a hard foul on Parker, and with that, the tone for this game was set. Oberto seemed a bit sluggish on defense tonight, but it didn’t matter who was guarding West, he hit everything. With Parker, unable to get a call all night, getting roughed up every time he entered the lane, Bowen caught the bugs by surprise and attacked the rim for 2. Soon after, Chandler would pick up his second foul and head for the bench. Before the period would end, the refs would get whistle happy, calling a double personal AND double technical on Oberto and Ely, and not long after call a double delay of game. After the quarter’s end, San Antonio’s ‘favorite’ ref, Joey Crawford, would T up Popovich, but later on they’d be found laughing with each other.

2Q Neither team was playing tremendously well, but San Antonio’s role players would be shooting a bit better than their counterparts from New Orleans. Chandler being in foul trouble, West did as good a defensive job on Duncan as you could ask him. With Horry in the game, we were surprised to see him get up the court in time to disrupt a CP3 fast break. San Antonio would extend their lead one more point, to 47-44 at the break.

3Q West picked up right where he left off in the first half, continuing to be an unstoppable force on offense. The Spurs still don’t hit the offensive glass the way they should, leaving multiple Hornets to fight for the ball several times. Perhaps it was because of the treatment Parker received throughout the first half, but San Antonio played passively throughout the third, settling for jump shots and hot potato passing as opposed to attacking the rim. With about 8 minutes to play, the game morphed into the Chris Paul show, as he nailed a 3, attacked the rim, saved the ball, and grabbed a big rebound. New Orleans would once again have a huge third quarter at home, racking up a 14 point lead before the fourth.

4Q With Parker and Duncan on the bench, New Orleans continued to roll. Oberto would soon pick up his fifth, indicative of many of the silly fouls San Antonio committed earlier in the game. Early on, Chandler would get a bruised foot, and need to be helped to the bench. Popovich would soon stick Duncan and Parker back in the game, and Barry would finally show some gusto and attack the rim for a 3 point play. This would prompt more Spurs to attack, but it was too little too late, as New Orleans reclaimed the series lead with a 101-79 lead.

Review Duncan had a monster game on the boards, grabbing 23 of the team’s 41. What everyone else on the team is doing, I don’t know, but I can tell you they sure aren’t putting a body on anybody, as New Orleans claimed 50. When Paul rises up and grabs a board with a BIG black jersey on either side of him, something is wrong. There isn’t much to say here except to repeat what I say every game, the bench needs to PRODUCE. Udoka had 9 points, the rest of them had 10. The big 3 will do what they can, but they still need help from somewhere. That being said, David west was a monster tonight, posting 38/14/5/5 from 64% shooting, with a pinched nerve in his back. Pure heart right there. Kudos.

Do Or Die I have no doubts that the big 3 will play better at home again, but they’ll need to return to Louisiana regardless. Over the next two games, in addition to the 3 stars, the San Antonio bench will need to step it up. They’ll need to hit their shots, stop the silly fouls, REBOUND, and frustrate anybody who didn’t ride on their bus to the game. The two San Antonio wins have been off the backs of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, who make up 25% of the roster. If the other 75% make a steal here, a shot there, a rebound here, and consistently get a body on somebody when a shot goes up, San Antonio will win this series. If they don’t, Olympic preparation will start for some of them.

Highlights

Duncan: 10 pts, 23 boards Ginobili: 20 pts, 7 assists Parker: 18 pts, 4 assists

West: 38 pts, 14 boards, 5 assists, 5 blocks, 2 steals, 64% shooting, heart Paul: 22 pts, 14 assists Peterson: 12 pts, 4 boards, 4-6 3 pt

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Congrats Bruce and Tim!

By Jeff | May 12, 2008 | No Comments | Print Print

The NBA announced it’s defensive teams and San Antonio Spurs Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan made the All-Defensive First Team. Manu did get some votes.

Here are the full results:

2007-08 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM Position Player, Team 1st 2nd Points
Forward Kevin Garnett, Boston
Guard Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
Center Marcus Camby, Denver
Guard/Forward Bruce Bowen, San Antonio
Forward Tim Duncan, San Antonio

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Spurs Make Mom Proud

By Shawn Kirsch | May 11, 2008 | 3 Comments | Print Print

Many of us thought that this would be another close game, however, with the reappearance of King Fundamental, that would not be the case. San Antonio would quickly take the lead in this game, and never look back.

1Q New Orleans put the first points on the board, however, despite both teams adding to their scores, neither looked all that good. Enter Tim Duncan. After playing 3 games either with, or having the lingering effects of the flu, he came alive. Duncan started getting his traditional bank shot, hitting all the right guys out of the double team, and San Antonio started clicking. Meanwhile, on the other side, Chris Paul seemed to have slippery hands, as he lost the handle several times.

2Q The Spurs would quickly build their lead, with Manu hitting timely shots, Udoka stepping on the floor to make a 3, and several other role players hitting long range daggers as well. As West had a turnover, it was apparent that New Orleans was out of sync, likely from a stepped up team defense that could have brought a tear to Pop’s eye, were he not so busy looking for something to improve upon. The French Flash continued to hit Js and look unstoppable, and Tim would put a beautiful spin move on Chandler, hitting a very difficult shot as he was fouled.

3Q With a 55-42 lead, San Antonio would not let off the gas. They continued to take it right at them, as Chandler would pick up fouls 3, 4 and 5 before the 8:30 mark. Continuing on, everything was working for San Antonio, as nothing worked for New Orleans. West would dance a fine line with the refs, as he would push Bowen late in the third. San Antonio would still show cause for worry though, as this period finished up with plenty of sloppy passing.

4Q Scott would place his bench on the court to kick off the final quarter, and Popovich soon responded with an impromptu scrimmage/shooting practice for his bench. The rest of the game basically went with the reserves running up and down the court, shooting 3s, with an occasional move towards the basket. San Antonio would come out by 20, with a 100-80 victory. Heading back to New Orleans, the series is tied at 2 a piece.

Review With Duncan finally healthy, everything simply went better for the Spurs. However, with Chandler’s rapid fouling, many stats are inflated, particularly those of the bench, so they still aren’t going to get a free pass from me. Fab-O definitely played his best game of the series, as his defense frustrated West throughout the game. His rebounding totals of ZERO still leave a lot to be desired though. Despite the extra minutes, San Antonio’s bench still didn’t do much. Udoka put up 15 points, but he should be doing that off the bench every game. Chris Paul still got his points, but his assists were way down, and it reflected upon every Hornet throughout the game.

Return To The Big Easy Chandler will definitely be well rested, but so will everyone else. The Hornets rested their starters for the 4th quarter, and Duncan closed on 35 minutes, while Parker and Ginobili each had under 32. That is definitely in San Antonio’s favor, as they’ve been playing some huge minute games. As demoralizing as this game may have been though, perhaps no team is as attached to their town as the Hornets are. They will be rejuvenated and looking to make amends after a terrible game 4. San Antonio, again healthy and with renewed confidence, will put up a better challenge this go ’round. The Spurs bench still needs to step up and grab more rebounds. I know there are more available, because the opponents found 36 of them tonight.

Highlights

Duncan: 22 pts, 15 boards, 4 blocks Parker: 21 pts, 6 boards, 8 assists, 67% shooting Ginobili: 15 pts, 8 assists

Paul: 23 pts, 6 boards, 5 assists, 3 steals West: 10 pts, 5 boards, 3 blocks Armstrong: 9 pts, 6 boards

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Happy Mother’s Day From Projectspurs and The Spurscast

By Jeff | May 11, 2008 | No Comments | Print Print

From all of us at proejctspurs and The Spurscast, we wish all mothers in Spurs nation a Happy Mother’s Day. Let’s hope the Spurs bring all Mothers who are big fans of the Spurs, a victory tonight.

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Does The Spurs Playoff Roster Only Show 5 Players?

By Jeff | May 9, 2008 | 2 Comments | Print Print

Last time I checked, the Spurs had more than 5 players on the playoff roster right? Since games 1-3, I’ve seen Duncan, Bowen, Parker, Manu and Finely play and contribute, so where is the rest of the team? I will tell you where. . . not showing up and playing like they got a pair!

Oberto, now coming off the bench, is a non-factor. This fools rebounding stats for game 1 was 6, game 2 was 3, and game 3 he had 9. Oh but he needs a new catagory for how many times he “volley balls” the ball to the half court hoping it goes to a Spur. This guy needs to go after this season. He hasn’t contributed crap and seems to only have gotten worse since last year. Hell in game 2 freaking Bowen, Parker, and Peja outboarded this poor excuse for an NBA Center. This team doesn’t need him to be a scorer. They need him to rebound, play some D, and block shots.

Ime Udoka. This guy has yet to unwrap his balls and play like he has a pair. Sure he hasn’t gotten any run on the floor but when he is out there what has he given this squad? JACK S*%T! I thought he was here for defense and can put the ball in the bucket? He he hasn’t done either. In Game 2 he got 25 mins on the floor and produced very little. This team needs more out of him.

Horry. Am I the only one who cringes when he is at the scorers table ready to check in? Clearly he has lost a step or two or three or four or five and does not need to be out there. Better yet, when he starts chucking up 3-point shots I feel like it’s time for Pop to yank him.

Matt Bonner. Man I would love to be in his position right now. Chilling on the bench, not breaking a sweat, and getting paid from a new 3 year deal. Play him Pop! He might actually help out in this series. Spurs front office paid him some nice scratch and you don’t use him? If anything he will give you hustle, 3 point shooting and is 6 fouls on Chandler and West.

About the only bright spot has been Brent Barry. In 18 mins in game 2 he gave SA 18 points and did his damage from 3 point land. Pop needs to play him more seeing how the Bugs are double-teaming Tim everytime he touches the ball.

Memo to Spurs bench – This team needs you now. I’m looking at you Ime, Oberto, Horry, Barry. The Hornets way have lost game 3 but they were playing with house money. They are up 2-1 and if history is any lesson, the Mavs got game 3 on their court and ended up losing the series. This team can’t be riding Tim, Tony and Manu’s coat-tails. Show up! It’s the freaking playoffs and this team’s title is on the line!

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