A Spurs rampage in the 4th; (and just like in real life) clinch West with win over Kings
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SAN ANTONIO, April 6 -- Manu Ginobili expects to rest during this Saturday game against Utah, a well-earned reward for leading the Spurs to home-court advantage throughout the playoffs in the West. Manu continued his good form scoring 21 points and five rebounds, as the Spurs defeated a non-surrender Sacramento Kings team, 115-98. “It's a big step,” said Ginobili. “When you consider all the great teams, all the great players in the conference, for us to finish with the best record is a tremendous milestone. Something the franchise should be proud of.” With his squad having clinched the top record in the West with three games left in the schedule, coach Gregg Popovich will likely make the Argentinian and perhaps another key player spectators against the Jazz. Popovich already rested Tim Duncan the last three games, and will return against Deron Williams and company. “We've got to do what's best for the ring,” said Duncan, who was on street clothes watching the game. “We're not fighting for breaking a record anymore. We're fighting for a new trophy.” The Spurs shot 57 percent from the field, had 31 assists on 42 field goals and also won the rebounding (40-28).
“The team to beat? The Lakers,” said Tony Parker, who earned POTG honors with 13 points. “Until you knock off the NBA champs, that's the team to defeat.” Tonight's performance likely was one of Parker's last chances to impress the organization for a contract extension. He shot 5-for-9 from the field and also had twelve assists, for his second double-double in a row. Sacramento's Rodney Stuckey, who had a game-high 26 points for the Kings, believes San Antonio's Big 3 makes San Antonio the team to beat, despite the Miami Heat's recent explosion. “I think Manu and Tony separate the Spurs from other teams,” he said. Other Spurs were strong as well -- the match was a thriller, a back-and-forth affair, until George Hill appeared. Wisely, Popovich chose to play Chris Quinn when Parker needed to rest, and leave Hill for the most-important quarter of all, the fourth. Hill played the last minute of the third and the entire last period, posting a plus-minus of +25, with 6 points and four assists; his defense on Stuckey was flawless in a 15-2 run for the Spurs that essentially gave them the victory. Tiago Splitter, battling foul trouble, only had four points, but Drew Gooden came up for him -- he and Corey Maggette added 18 points each for San Antonio, which won its seven straight game.
Sacramento had already been eliminated from the playoff race before tonight, but had been playing particularly well on offense and surprised the Spurs in the first half, even with Tyreke Evans suffering a strained achilles in the second quarter and not returning to the court; Evans had 15 points before leaving. But Popovich said his team simply gave its usual effort. “This group for the most part has been very focused. They've been in tune to what the task was at hand, and no matter who the opponent was, they just tried to bring it, and with good results.” Sacramento led 53-50 at halftime, before San Antonio closed the third quarter with a 10-2 run during which Ginobili and Maggette scored four points apiece to take a 80-78 lead; Hill made the buzzer-beater. A baseline tomahawk dunk by Maggette got the fans out of their seats and gave the Spurs a 100-86 lead. Francisco Garcia (14 points for the Kings) stepped back to drain a 3 from the left wing, but Gooden made a 3-point play for a 110-91 score, and put the game out of reach for Sac-Town. Maggette said he doesn't think the team needs to change anything to have similar success in the playoffs. “If you ask me, we have to sacrifice our bodies and rely on our bread and butter, which is defense. The finish line is just right there.” San Antonio can still get it throughout the entire playoffs if the Miami Heat suffer a setback or two in the last week of the season; the Heat have four games left and are only 0.5 games ahead with a 60-18 record.
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I might post, like badreligionau does, a couple of playoff games together or something.
(It IS San Antonio....)
this has been on of my fav associations to follow, can't wait to see how the Spurs dominate in the playoffs....
