River Walk Chronicles ♦ ///

[Martti.]

D-Wade keeps posting 53-6-7, Bosh's absence won't have an effect.

Also congrats on the milestones with 8.

[Pistol]

Maggette 10-10? Just when the spurs couldn't get any better Maggette decides to dominate.

[kibaxx7]

there goes all-star game for Bosh

Yeah, a bummer. He was averaging nice stats. I guess that gives Amar'e a sure spot in the ASG lineup.

D-Wade keeps posting 53-6-7, Bosh's absence won't have an effect.

Also congrats on the milestones with 8.

Wade's exploding... he really is leading the Heat... and the thing is, Bron will end up winning MVP

Maggette 10-10? Just when the spurs couldn't get any better Maggette decides to dominate.

The perfect game for Maggs. Shame that Clutch didn't see it.

Tomorrow -- game against the Warriors.

[Kubik]

Awesome night by Maggette! Also love game from Parker. Spurs are really strong!

[Justine.]

800 replies and halfway through the season! Keep it up man.

[The X]

Keep it rolling. Looking forward to playoffs. That's when I'll start to lock in on this a bit more

[kibaxx7]

George Hill explodes as San Antonio extends Warriors' losing streak to 4 in a row
Preview | Recap | Game Info | Full Play-by-Play | Boxscores (SAS :: GSW)
OAKLAND, January 24 -- Tiago Splitter did the damage inside and George Hill attacked from outside. Splitter scored 15 points and Hill made six 3-pointers as the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 123-98 blowout of the Golden State Warriors. Leading the way were Splitter and Hill, whose effectiveness opened up the offense for all their teammates -- Splitter also had 11 rebounds, making 6-of-10 shots. He scored 9 points in the second quarter, when San Antonio took the lead for good, while Hill finished with a team-high 24 points, shooting 9-of-10 from the field and 6/6 3-point bombs, to go with 9 assists, in only 21 minutes. The Spurs shot 53 percent (44-of-82) from the field, including 13-of-23 from 3-point land. “We were able to get out in transition because we were able to get stops,” Spurs head Gregg Popovich said. “George's accuracy didn't surprise me. That's what he does. He was just spectacular.” Ginobili was the usual contributor, making 6-of-8 shots and 3-of-3 free throws in just 24 minutes. “I was frustrated with the way I played against New York last week,” said Hill. “I really didn't have patience with that performance. I told them this week would be different, I stepped up a little more against the Hornets, but this game was special. It's hard to believe.”

“I believe they would have beaten us by at least 50 points if they would have left everybody out there,” Warriors coach Keith Smart said. Tony Parker scored 14 points and Tim Duncan added 12 for the Spurs, who beat the Warriors for 3-of-3 meetings so far this season. “We knew they would come out with a different plan, considering Stephen Curry was out," Duncan said. “We wanted to get out and attack and get easy buckets. In the second quarter, we got stops, and in the third George caught fire and we were able to execute, and got a big lead.” Corey Maggette, who was coming from a perfect game against New Orleans (10/10 FGs, 2/2 3s, 2/2 FTs), struggled against Dorell Wright's defense and shot 4-of-13 for 11 points and five assists. “Corey drove the bus for them tonight,” Wright said. “I tried to pay more attention to him, he settled with some tough shots, but then he also was able to create some open shots for other guys. That is what a great player does.” Wright scored 23 and 3 assists for the Warriors. Hill, Splitter and Maggette combined for 50 points, 15 assists and a plus-minus of +71 for San Antonio, as their bench killed Golden State's, 64-14.

A layup by Manu Ginobili gave the Spurs the lead for good at 39-32 with 7:15 remaining in the first half and started a 16-2 closing surge -- the Spurs were up by as many as 40 points in the fourth, and yet again Ginobili was a key, scoring 18 points and two rebounds and overcoming a slow start to outscore the Warriors, 67-41, in the middle two quarters. “It's very repetitive, isn't it?” Popovich asked. “I hope we never take it for granted. Manu is an unbelievable competitor.” Monta Ellis notched in a game-best 31 points for Golden State, who showed very little fight after the first quarter -- the Warriors committed 13 turnovers (4 in the second quarter, 4 in the third) and were outrebounded 46-38. In the first quarter, they shot 52 percent (12-of-23), but its offense disappeared thereafter. “We executed well at the start of the game. But I started making some substitutions and we didn't execute and couldn't even begin to guard them,” Smart said. “I've got so many guys hurt, (my bench players) no longer become spectators with a free ticket to the game. They've got to come ready to play. That's as plain as I can put it.” Andris Biedrins, who is having the worst year of his career (2.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG), contributed with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 5 steals, while guard Jeremy Lin -- starting in place of Curry -- had a great night with 11 points, four rebounds and nine assists. Curry, Charlie Bell, Reggie Williams, Rodney Carney and Jeff Adrien all are battling through injuries in Golden State.

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Video Music :: Miki Litvak & Ido Ophir • “Shnorkel”

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[kibaxx7]

Awesome night by Maggette! Also love game from Parker. Spurs are really strong!

He struggled this time, but thank God, Hill stepped up!

800 replies and halfway through the season! Keep it up man.

It's kind of surprising Thanks man!

Keep it rolling. Looking forward to playoffs. That's when I'll start to lock in on this a bit more

I know you will Thanks a lot X!

Preparing a small article on Hill's explosive night. Tomorrow, a new game (at Utah!)

[maksie]

big win here,i love the maggette photo

[Houndy]

Raped

[Martti.]

Jeremy Lin did quite well, if you disregard the turnovers and his woeful shooting.

[kibaxx7]

Let's rewind a little -- to consider George Hill
nba.com/spurs/beat | January 25th, 2011

SAN ANTONIO -- Last night, a couple of hours before he is to take the floor against the Golden State Warriors, George Hill talks in press conference about how happy he is living his life in San Antonio. “Of course, I want to start for this team,” he says. “But I'm not at the level of Tony (Parker), I don't even reach his ankles. I want to play every minute of every game, but as a 3rd year player, I'm still learning.” Imagine his feelings after playing his best game of the season that night, knocking the socks off the Golden State Warriors with a 24-point, 9-assist masterpiece in San Antonio’s 123-98 victory over the Warriors. Disregard the turnovers -- 5, but all in the first half, when the Spurs were tied at 29 in the start of the second quarter. As the Spurs outscored the Warriors 67-41 in the second and third quarters, Hill scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half, with 7 assists, and no turnovers. That makes 4 points, 2 assists, 5 turnovers in the first half -- not flashy numbers at all.

But in the third quarter, the 24-year-old point guard from IUPUI was the best player on the floor, collecting 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go with five assists. That brilliant 12-minute burst turned a 13-point lead into a 27-point advantage. Throughout the game, the 6-2, 180-pound Hill created open shots for himself and teammates. He hit 9-of-10 shots from the field, including 6-of-6 3-pointers, to go with nine dimes in an All-Star-like 21-minute performance (yes, 21 minutes) that was duly noted by the Warriors. “He was off the charts. This one will do a lot for his confidence. It’s a game that can make him feel good about himself and know that he can play and be successful in this league,” said Warriors superstar Monta Ellis, who scored a game-high 31 points. “If you can judge him off of tonight’s game, I mean, wow. It’s a long, grueling season, but if he stays with it, the sky’s the limit for him.” Keith Smart knew very little about Hill going into the game -- the Warriors head coach knows more now. “He was dominating. He controlled their offense and our defense in the third quarter. He looks like he’s going to be a huge player,” he said. “We wanted him to go to the rim more than shoot a jump shot, but he’s clever -- he had an And-1 in the fourth quarter, and also a huge dunk.”

Spurs offseason addition Tiago Splitter was also busy having a great contribution, going for his 7th double-double of the season, including a 22-point, 10-rebound game at Los Angeles against the Clippers, and a streak of 4 games in a row with double-doubles, from January 20 - January 26. But he also took notice of the guy wearing No. 3 for the team from Texas. “I was impressed with his court vision,” Splitter said. “He obviously understands the game, and he was knocking down shots, which made it easier for him to find open teammates like me.” SportsCenter aired a mini special about Hill, showing every offensive possession (make, miss, or assist) by him. What it made clear is that, if you want to run an up-tempo offense (much like Mike D'Antoni's Suns), he's ready to be your PG. In this game he was running it with Antonio McDyess and Tim Duncan. He got them 10-footers and layups all night, most by Duncan.

Of course, McDyess is one of the last players I'd want to use on a fast-breaking team -- he had one of his worst games of the season with Hill running the show: 4 points, 4 rebounds in only 10 minutes. Coach Gregg Popovich wants Hill to play better defense to earn more minutes, which is fair enough -- Hill is the first backup to Parker, but Manu Ginobili also spends time at the point if Hill or Parker struggle. But soon enough, both Hill and Splitter are going to have to be out there, learning from their flaws and leading the team. When it is Hill's time to get even more burn, I'm certain that shooters like Gary Neal and James Anderson will blossom -- and Splitter will be there as well.

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[kibaxx7]

big win here,i love the maggette photo

What makes it even better of a pic, is that Jeremy Lin is there!

Raped

Well, they have 5 players injured. Coach Smart ain't happy at all.

Jeremy Lin did quite well, if you disregard the turnovers and his woeful shooting.

Hill also had his turnovers, but I guess I'm OK with that if he shoots like that every game

[Houndy]

Injury bug again? Fail

George Hill? Win

[Valor]

Keep it rolling. Looking forward to playoffs. That's when I'll start to lock in on this a bit more

Yup, me too

[Mandich]

Crazy 2nd half from Hill in the game against Warriors , he could easily replace TP in a short time

[hova-]

Dominating performance vs the Warriors. It will be interesting to see wether or not George Hill can take in the footsteps of TP in the future. I like him

[Fresh8]

Made me happy to see G Hill... then realised it's not Grant.

[George7]

Wow!George Hill is really rolling!Nice dominant win

[Lamrock]

Glad to see George Hill doing well. I'm a fan. Hoping you can keep this up. Will be interesting to see whether you or the real Spurs finish with more wins.

[Kubik]

Oh man Hill was unstoppable! He will be great pg starter when TP will retire.

[megarover]

Made me happy to see G Hill... then realised it's not Grant.

Ditto

[Houndy]

Made me happy to see G Hill... then realised it's not Grant.

Ditto

Double Ditto

[kibaxx7]

Jefferson, Williams helps Jazz outlast struggling Ginobili, Spurs
Preview | Recap | Game Info | Full Play-by-Play | Boxscores (SAS :: UTAH)
SALT LAKE CITY, January 26 -- Al Jefferson is making a habit of saving his best basketball for the second half. The former Timberwolf scored 14 of his 19 points in the third quarter to help Utah pull away, as the Utah Jazz made a statement to the West after beating the San Antonio Spurs, 112-94. The bigman scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday. “Regardless of that, I'm going to keep shooting,” he said. “If I miss four in a row and I'm open, I'm going to shoot it.” After falling behind 12-4 to start the game, Utah began to take control. Andrei Kirilenko made all four field goals in the period for a 8-0 run and be ahead after the first twelve minutes, 24-23. “He's just playing his game,” said San Antonio's DeJuan Blair, who suffered Jefferson's defense and only contributed with 3 points and 5 rebounds. “He's pretty much a threat in every level now -- scoring, defense, rebounds, blocks, you name it.” Deron Williams finished with 16 points, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals, earning POTG honors, and Kirilenko added 15 points for the Jazz (25-21), who won two of their last three games.

Allen Iverson seems to have rejuvenated since joining the Jazz. “We're starting to play well together,” Iverson said. “We have a fine mix of everything. If teams try to stack up on one thing, we come back with a different punch.” Iverson, after his fiasco with the Memphis Grizzlies and a second chance with Philadelphia last season, is making a strong case starting at shooting guard for Jerry Sloan's squad: 10 points and 7 assists, and also averaging 14.5 points per game, his best since 2008-09. The Jazz, who finished 7-of-14 from beyond the arc, opened an 92-69 lead, following consecutive 3-pointers by Mehmet Okur and C.J. Miles to close the third quarter. “We wanted to force them to shoot the 3, and they made them,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “If you ask me, it was a disappointing loss.” Okur and Miles scored 13 and 11 points, respectively, for Utah. “I think we ran out of gas a little bit,” said Tony Parker, who scored team-highs in 17 points and 7 assists. “But those aren't excuses.” Following a 24-point, 9-assist in 21 minutes effort against Golden State, George Hill again had a solid contribution. “The more minutes you play, the more comfortable you're going to feel,” Hill said. “Each and every game I'll get better.” The Spurs had 15 turnovers -- 10 in the second half, and Utah outscored San Antonio in the paint, 60-36.

Raja Bell made his long-awaited return after suffering a torn meniscus in mid-December, scoring 3 points and three assists in 12 minutes. “To be able to go out there and compete and help us get a win, that was great,” Bell said. “It was the best comeback.” Bell didn't shy away from being aggressive, even if he was anxious on his first shot and barely drew iron. His first basket came with 7:44 left in third quarter, hitting a 3-pointer from the right corner, his only field goal of the game. He attempted three other treys but missed them, and also a shot just from inside the arc that Tim Duncan blocked. Duncan added 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, and rookie James Anderson had 11 points and three assists for San Antonio, which was outscored 37-20 in the third frame. Manu Ginobili said the Spurs surrendered in the third quarter, although Popovich didn't empty his bench until the fourth quarter. “You could just sense it,” the Argentinian said. “I'm saying 'we,' because I'm part of this, too. I'm saying I quit. We all just gave up.” At least one teammate concurred. “That's the way it seemed,” said Corey Maggette, who only had 8 points. “Everybody came out of the game. Tim came out, and he leads the team in minutes. It was frustrating. It was one of those nights when nothing happens for you.”

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Video Music :: Thomas Schwartz • “Jupiter Calling”

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[kibaxx7]

Injury bug again? Fail

George Hill? Win

Yep, the Warriors have had a huge injury bug in recent seasons

Keep it rolling. Looking forward to playoffs. That's when I'll start to lock in on this a bit more

Yup, me too

Nice Already past halfway of the season.

Crazy 2nd half from Hill in the game against Warriors , he could easily replace TP in a short time

Dominating performance vs the Warriors. It will be interesting to see wether or not George Hill can take in the footsteps of TP in the future. I like him

Oh man Hill was unstoppable! He will be great pg starter when TP will retire.

Wow!George Hill is really rolling!Nice dominant win

I would say I'm 60/40 against trading Parker. Hill would replace him, but I see this 24/9 game as something sporadical. He wouldn't post stats like Parker night in, night out. So, not sure.

Made me happy to see G Hill... then realised it's not Grant.

Ditto

Double Ditto

Suns: 21-23, 12th in the West... Grant: 13.3 points, 5.8 boards, 1.3 steals. Solid.

Glad to see George Hill doing well. I'm a fan. Hoping you can keep this up. Will be interesting to see whether you or the real Spurs finish with more wins.

Thanks L-Train. Real Spurs will finish with more wins, no doubt.