River Walk Chronicles ♦ ///

[Valor]

The title sounds a bit....gay but nice report

[kibaxx7]

Manu, Parker, Spurs pull away from Nowitzki, Mavericks with big third quarter surge
Preview | Recap | Game Info | Full Play-by-Play | Boxscores (SAS :: DAL)
DALLAS, March 17 -- The San Antonio Spurs didn't need Manu Ginobili's crunch time heroics: they had Tony Parker. Parker scored 18 points -- 10 in the third quarter -- and Ginobili added 18 points and four boards to help the Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks, 104-89 for their eighth consecutive victory. The Spurs finished a small three-game road trip with a perfect 3-0 record, that also included wins against Houston and Miami. “The run couldn't appear on a better time. We were kind of at a low offensively when Tony started getting some shots and started knocking them down,” Ginobili said. “He got going a little bit. If you hit like two, then you start feeling good. I'd say he didn't feel like I needed to and he just was playing. That's Tony.” The Frenchman capped a 14-2 run with a pair of jumpers in the third, that essentially clinched the win for his team. “We are a team of spurts,” Parker said. “I came in for the team and got us going. In the third period we really locked down on defense and Manu and Tim played one of their usual great performances.” Tim Duncan contributed with 14 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks for the Spurs.

After scoring 11 points in the first half, Manu virtually disappeared in the third, hitting two free throws but not connecting the three field-goals he attempted. He didn't make a shot until the fourth quarter, a jumper with 5:34 left in the game, but the Spurs didn't need him. Parker scored 10 points in the third, eight of them during the aformentioned 14-2 run, and Corey Maggette nailed two consecutive dunks to give San Antonio a 82-65 lead. “We just ran our offense thru Tony,” said Maggette, who also scored 14 points. “We all got open looks for that run.” For San Antonio, it was a huge step to finally clinch home-court advantage. “We are getting better. It's just a matter of us growing,” said Tiago Splitter, who posted a double-double with ten points and ten boards. Dallas cut a 8-point lead by the Spurs to only two by halftime, using a 10-2 run in the mid of the second quarter sparked by a DeJuan Blair's foul on Rodrigue Beaubois. Despite having 14 turnovers against Dallas' only five, the Spurs' big key for the triumph was their paint domination (62-22) and their rebounding (56-38).

“We can't be giving the point guards of the league quarters like that,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “With shooting guards like Manu or Kobe it's different.” Jason Terry had a game-best 19 points for the Mavericks, while Dirk Nowitzki added 16 points and six rebounds. “It's frustrating. It's getting hard for us to get a win at home lately,” Terry said. Beaubois and Caron Butler had 14 points apiece for Dallas, which despite losing four in a row at home, still have one of the best records in the West at 41-28. The home-court sellout wasn't very helpful: a big part of Texas' transplant population turned out for the visiting Spurs. It wasn't as if they didn't have anything to applaud: Beaubois consistently made free throws in the crowded paint and surprised San Antonio, and also fed Nowitzki behind the back for a great shot over Duncan, but the Mavericks couldn't sustain the runs the Spurs had. Jason Kidd had 12 points, four boards and ten assists, and Tyson Chandler had three points and four rebounds in his first game back since suffering a torn ACL in November.

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Video Music :: Zoot Woman • “Saturation”

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[kibaxx7]

Like the D-League report

Thanks man, happy with how Gist and Cousin are playing.

this as always going along nicely... almost near those 82 games lol

Closer and closer!

You've said that before too.

Maybe... but this is my favorite of all I've done.

Always impressed to see personality injected into the players , especially at the D-League level. It really adds to your story and will start to emulate it in All For One.

Thanks man. The plan is having them crack the Spurs rotation next year.

Cousin has some nice stats. I put all my D-leaguers to the age of 45 and hope that they retire after the season so that the FAs join the D-league, but you do a good job of adding some generic players via D-league

I like some other players like Ryan, Myers, Banks, they are also posting some really nice games and may call them next year.

Very nice presentation! Gist and Cousin(s) playing some good basketball

Yes they are, and they're gonna lead the Toros to the championship!

The title sounds a bit....gay but nice report

Hey, Gnarls Barkley used it for one of their albums.

Trying to post more prospects updates for all of the 12 NLSCers so stay tuned, also the NCAA Sweet Sixteen starting soon.

[Houndy]

Bullshit, how much did you pay the refs?

[Kubik]

Great win in Texas battle! Your team is looking great before playoffs

[kibaxx7]

[kibaxx7]

Bullshit, how much did you pay the refs?

Check that I almost had THRICE the turnovers they had, but in fastbreak I was able to block them with Duncan.

Great win in Texas battle! Your team is looking great before playoffs

Thanks man. Now a game against the Bobcats, an easy battle on paper, but S-Jax is exploding for them.

[dare]

I believe I'm a lottery pick, your scouts underestimated me

[Justine.]

Do I have a player in this? Or I am a prospect for the next year? Playoffs is near man, can't wait!

[George7]

Nice win there Thierry!Really dominant!
If i'm not mistaken i have a prospect for the next year too, right?

[kibaxx7]

Parker, Duncan help Spurs recover from 11-point deficit, pull away from Bobcats in fourth period
Preview | Recap | Game Info | Full Play-by-Play | Boxscores (CHA :: SAS)
SAN ANTONIO, March 18 -- Everything was working so well for Tony Parker that his teammates just kept getting him the ball. Parker scored all of his 14 points in the first half and then had 9 of his 13 dimes in the second half, to lead the San Antonio Spurs to their ninth victory in a row, a 104-83 decision over the Charlotte Bobcats in a new Hardwood Classics night. “We were just taking advantage of the matchups the Bobcats took on us,” Parker said. “We saw something that we could do and we just kept going to it. My teammates did a good job of setting me up and in the second half I did the same for them.” Parker carried the Spurs from an 11-point edge in the middle of the second period to a 12-point lead in the mid of the third period. Isolating against Shaun Livingston on a number of trips, and also playing the pick-and-roll a lot with DeJuan Blair, Parker assisted six of the first eight baskets of the third period for San Antonio, as the Spurs pulled ahead 65-53. When the Frenchman was contained driving the lane, he would fire a pass to Manu Ginobili for a long-range dagger or to Tim Duncan for an up-and-under. After Parker scored easily against Livingston, Charlotte tried Gerald Henderson against TP, with only a little better success. “He did what he's been doing all this years,” Livingston said.

Ginobili and Corey Maggette added 17 points each for San Antonio, and Duncan had 15 points with 14 rebounds. “Mr. Fundamental” also rejected four shots and had three dimes of his own. There were six technicals whistled in the game, with the referees calling three each half. “It was an interesting contest with all the technicals,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. In the opening minutes of the second period, Charlotte broke ahead by 11 points, with a 30-19 score, controlling the tempo and it looked like they would run whatever they wanted on offense. But the Spurs held them to only 34 percent shooting in that quarter, for a 45-40 lead at intermission. A 3-pointer by Ginobili made it 80-67 in the fourth quarter and then San Antonio cruised the rest of the way with a mix of starters and reserves. “This has been a great month for us so far,” said Maggette. “There's only 13 games left so we want to keep playing well and prepare for the playoffs.” Parker also had eight rebounds, flirting with a triple-double the last 12 minutes of the night. “He had a rhythm and we continued to call plays for him, and then he returned the favor for us,” added Duncan. The referees whistled technicals on Parker, George Hill and Matt Bonner for the Spurs, who shot 16-of-17 free throws and won 62-40 in the paint.

Playing shorthanded and without composure at times in the second half, Charlotte was paced by Gerald Wallace, with a game-best 21 points. Stephen Jackson posted 17 and Tyrus Thomas had 11 points, nine rebounds and a season-high six blocks. “We didn't do a very good job in the second half,” Bobcats coach Larry Brown said. “I think more than anything it was a problem with our defense. We had an 11-point advantage, and in the second half they were a bulldozer.” With this loss, Charlotte has lost five of their last six games. “A lot of teams go through things like this. We just have to get through it,” said Wallace. “When things go well, they go really well. We just haven't fared too well on the road this year, and that's a bummer.” Coach Brown, Jackson, guard Patrick Mills were whistled for techs by the refs for the Bobcats.

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Video Music :: The Wombats • “Backfire In The Disco”

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[kibaxx7]

I believe I'm a lottery pick, your scouts underestimated me

My three scouts are a F, I didn't have any money So most of you will be picked by a lottery team.

Do I have a player in this? Or I am a prospect for the next year? Playoffs is near man, can't wait!

Don't have your info man Check Page 4 and send me the application. Playoffs very close!

Nice win there Thierry!Really dominant!
If i'm not mistaken i have a prospect for the next year too, right?

Thanks man, and yes, I have your application (back from November. Wow!)

[hova-]

Good job beating the pussycats. Looking forward to your Playoffs presentation.

[kibaxx7]

Weekly Rewind N° 21 • Howard wants to stay in D.C., Dampier to retire and more...
nba.com/spurs/morningcoffee | March 20th, 2011


SAN ANTONIO -- Welcome to the latest installment of my “Morning Coffee” blog, Spurs fanatics. I have some more tidbits here in the table for us to discuss. I'm doing a weekly report with things that happened around the league, including: signings & waivings; POTW honors; Power Rankings; injury report; All-Star voting and trading rumors. Hope you join the discussion!

• Howard would like to re-sign with Washington • A season that began with many people surprised that Howard was still with the Wizards in training camp, considering a lot of rumors that flew around, has left all of the nasty talk on both sides about a player-franchise divorce in the past. Howard is still on process of overcoming a slow start due to missing 10 games with an injury, as he's averaging career-lows since his rookie year with 11.7 points and 4.1 rebounds. He's even saying he's happy and would like to re-sign with Washington this June, but that will likely take a strong showing by him and a deep run by Flip Saunders' team in the playoffs to make that happen. Very unlikely.

• Erick Dampier says this is his last year • Center Erick Dampier today announced his retirement from the NBA. Dampier, 35 years old, has career averages of 7.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in (so far) 970 games with Indiana (1996-1997), Golden State (1997-2004), Dallas (2004-2010) and the Bulls (2010-2011). He was signed by the Bulls last December, playing in 49 games for them and averaging 1.3 points and 2.8 rebounds. “I've had a long career in the NBA, and of course, enjoyed my experience around,” said Dampier. “I look forward to my retirement. It doesn't mean I am not going to stay busy with basketball, but it's time to move on and accomplish some of the goals that I have set for myself. It's bean a great time.” A first-round pick in 1996 (10th overall) by the Pacers, Dampier enjoyed his best season with the Warriors in 2003-2004, with averages of 12.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

• Players of the Week • The New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire and the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played March 13 - 19. Stoudemire and the Knicks had an outstanding 4-0 week -- with two wins over Indiana and one apiece against Memphis and Detroit. In the victory over the Pacers, Amar'e posted 40 points and 13 boards, and then scored 37 points and 13 rebounds in a victory over the Pistons to close the week. He finished the week with averages of 32.2 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Lakers' Bryant averaged 40 points along with 5.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists, as the Lakers posted a 2-0 week -- with wins over Orlando and Minnesota. Kobe appeared when it mattered the most scoring 44 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in the win over Orlando, and four days later, 36 points and seven dimes in the victory against the Timberwolves.

• Power Rankings • Best teams of the week? New York (4-0), San Antonio (3-0), Sacramento (3-0), Utah (2-0), LA Lakers (2-0), Boston (4-1), Miami (3-1). The worst? Atlanta (0-2), New Jersey (0-3), Cleveland (1-3), Golden State (1-3), Charlotte (1-3), Philadelphia (1-3), Denver (1-3). High jumps -- New York (+9), Utah (+4), Sacramento (+4), LA Clippers (+4), Houston (+3), Memphis (+2), Phoenix (+2), LA Lakers (+1), Dallas (+1). Free falls -- Indiana (-7), Atlanta (-5), New Jersey (-5), Washington (-3), Toronto (-2), Chicago (-2). Check the power rankings (Top 7) here -- the Heat stay in the 1st spot, while the Lakers took the 2nd and the Spurs surprisingly fell to the 3rd, despite a 3-0 record this week and a 7-0 record in the past two.

• Injury report • Sorted by injuries with most duration, here you can check the full injury report. The Boston Celtics' title aspirations were dealt a major blow today, as team doctors confirmed Ray Allen broke his ankle in the Celtics' 98-80 loss at Houston and is most likely to miss the remainder of the season. Allen, who became the league's all-time leader in 3-point field goals made this year, could tell immediately he broke his ankle after an awkward landing, product of a collision with Houston's Yao Ming. “I'm trying to make it back by the East Finals,” said Allen, “With God, all things are possible. But I'm gonna need a lot of help.”

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[kibaxx7]

Good job beating the pussycats. Looking forward to your Playoffs presentation.

Thanks man, very close to the postseason, but away games at Denver and Portland coming soon, and also March Madness.

EDIT -- Jhiane released the wonderful All-Star Court for Live 08, so look forward for the Dunk Contest and the 3-Point Shootout soon!

[Bucket]

Thierry •, You will play All-Star weekend in NBA Live 08?

[kibaxx7]

Spurs survive Warriors fourth period scare with Ginobili, Maggette's contributions
Preview | Recap | Game Info | Full Play-by-Play | Boxscores (GSW :: SAS)
SAN ANTONIO, March 21 -- The desperation of Monta Ellis and the Golden State Warriors was not enough to overcome the powerhouse that it is San Antonio. Ellis had 33 points, five rebounds and five steals for the Warriors, but Manu Ginobili helped the Spurs built a big lead and held on for their 10th win in a row, a 102-98 victory, as Ginobili scored 19 points and made a handful of big shots in the second half. “We gave great effort. That's what it really came down to tonight. Execution, timing, a little bit of everything,” the Argentinian said. “They were due to hit some shots; they don't have a good record. But our defense and our intensity were with us tonight and we got a great victory.” Manu also showed his all-around play with four rebounds, five assists, four steals and two rejections for San Antonio. Ellis scored 14 of his 33 points in the final 12 minutes, including eight in a four-minute stretch. Ellis and Stephen Curry played 39 minutes each in search of the win, but it stayed in Texas.

“Give the Spurs credit for how they played before halftime,” said Curry, who scored 20 points and six assists. “They deserved to win. I was glad to see us fight back in the fourth quarter, but it's simple, you have to play four quarters to win.” Ellis said that the Warriors had a slow start that was too much to overcome in the final minutes. “We waited too late to play,” he said. “You can't wait until the fourth quarter and hope to catch up down by double-digits. We didn't play like we wanted to win tonight.” The Warriors nearly erased a 11-point deficit over the final five minutes, closing to 98-95 on a free throw by Andris Biedrins. They had a chance to tie the game with a 3, but Ginobili and Tim Duncan jammed a pick-and-roll, forcing Dorell Wright to settle for almost a halfcourt shot, with only 1 second left in the shot clock. “I was disappointed that the play didn't work,” said Wright, who added 16 points for Golden State. Tony Parker scored a jumper for a 100-95 score. Ellis made a 3-pointer and then Ginobili couldn't sink a shot, giving Golden State a chance to tie the game at 100, but Curry missed the opportunity and Corey Maggette sealed the Warriors' fate with a fastbreak layup. Maggette scored eight of San Antonio's first 10 points in the game, and then scored 10 in the second half.

“Tim and Manu are both superstars. Their will be games where we will have to step our game up and carry the team like that,” said Parker, who added 12 points and ten assists for San Antonio's cause, and Duncan posted 15 points and 11 rebounds. Reggie Williams scored 11 points and rookie Ekpe Udoh added six and seven rebounds for the Warriors, both off the bench. “I wouldn't say we were desperate. It was a multitude of things,” added Warriors head coach Keith Smart. “We just started too late. If we would have gotten ran out of here, I would be concerned with that. To be honest, the playoffs are out of sight for us so the last 12 games of the season are a good chance to play our younger players.” DeJuan Blair had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Larry Hughes added nine off the bench for San Antonio, which shot 44 percent (40-of-89) but committed 14 turnovers. The key was the paint battle, 66-46 for the Spurs. "We made a statement,” Hughes said. “We showed that a win at this point takes more than just playing.” With this triumph, the Spurs completed the season series sweep over Golden State at 4-0.

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Video Music :: Hot Chip • “My Piano”

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[kibaxx7]

Thierry •, You will play All-Star weekend in NBA Live 08?

Yes I will. I don't like the 3-point shootout and dunk contest in 2K11, no fans in the bleachers.

[George7]

But hasn't the ASW date passed in your association??

[Bucket]

Wow, Warriors with 20-51 almost beat you You using your own sliders?

[Houndy]

Nice win Thierry

[mp3]

Very balanced scoring night while Ellis was a one man wreaking crew , still you got the win with better team work !

[kibaxx7]

But hasn't the ASW date passed in your association??

Yes but I posted that asbestos scare article as an excuse So I gotta install Live 08 and then will post the participants.

Wow, Warriors with 20-51 almost beat you You using your own sliders?

Survived the scare. Yes, using my sliders, I'm thinking of making some minor tweaks.

Nice win Thierry

Thanks man, it wasn't easy. Ellis scored at will.

Very balanced scoring night while Ellis was a one man wreaking crew , still you got the win with better team work !

Yep I'm trying to get double-figures to a lot of players every game.

The NCAA season finished and I have the Sweet Sixteen bracket done. Coming later -- Sweet 16 prev!

[Mark.]

Looking good Thierry, congratulations on getting so far through the season. Can't wait for the playoffs.

[kibaxx7]

We started with 65 teams at the big dance, but now it is Sweet Sixteen time. Very soon, we will know which teams will be flying to Houston as members of the elite Final Four. Upset after upset in the regular season showed us why we tune in to enjoy March Madness, but as I just said, that's the regular season. An upset in the regular season doesn't mean anything: it's on March when the upsets count. I will give some of my thoughts on each of the eight games, provide some statistics and maybe throw a bet or two out there for anyone who wants to grab it. If you ask me, it's time that we have some bracket-busting upsets already; but both number one seeds (Texas and Duke) will stay for at least another round. Dark horses like North Carolina or Kansas could post an upset and move on to the Elite Eight, but both have really tough matchups against Georgia Tech and Villanova, respectively; but let's look at the whole picture. Today, the West Region:

West Region
(1) Texas [24-5] vs. (8) Kansas State [17-12]


At 24-5, Texas ran into the Sweet Sixteen with the best overall record. They've won nine of their last 10 games, but it’s not like they have been going up against all powerhouses: four of their last six opponents crashed out of the tournament (West Virginia, Wisconsin, Butler and Washington). Kansas State, at 17-12, almost ended up losing a Sweet Sixteen spot because Washington finished with a 16-13 record. They’ve lost five of their last six games: they were routed 107-85 by North Carolina last week and then lost to Kentucky, a 83-73 decision in the last game of the season for both squads. In the regular season, the Longhorns were were the best team in the entire league in assists (22.4 dimes per game) and in rebounding (39.2 boards per game). Texas guard Axel Gomez, a former NLSC Academy member, declared for the NBA draft last month and was one of only three players in the whole NCAA to average double figures in scoring, along with five rebounds and five assists per game (the other two? Villanova's Kevin Johnson, also a NLSC Academy graduate, and Connecticut's Kemba Walker). Jai Lucas shot over 47 percent from the field and 45 percent from beyond the arc, so look out for him. Dominique Sutton led Kansas State in scoring and could also lead one of the biggest upsets in recent history, but it's very, very unlikely. Only a complete Longhorns meltdown will put Kansas State in the Elite Eight.

♦ Who will win?: Texas //
♦ Look out for... Axel Gomez, Texas (19.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.2 APG) //

(4) Ohio State [20-9] vs. (5) Connecticut [19-10]


How do you stop Ohio State's William Buford? Very, very difficult, but you can stop his teammates. Buford posted a 21-game streak scoring at least 15 points, including 28 against North Carolina, 33 versus Washington, 27 against West Virginia, Texas suffered 19, Duke had to see him score 26 and also grab 11 boards, and we can go on and on. If there's any good plan for Connecticut, let Buford get his buckets and contain his teammates. If the Huskies can throw some good defense at the Buckeyes, they might be able to slow them down. Along with Buford, Julian Martin is another obvious selection for Ohio State because he's the Buckeyes' most important player, as he possess an excellent mix of knowledge in both offense and defense. Enjoy every minute of this postseason because, just as Martin, Connecticut's Zee Otoo is also taking the league by storm -- we have a few NLSC Academy members clashes in this Sweet Sixteen. Both declared for the NBA Draft, so time's running out to catch an early glimpse of them. The Buckeyes have a little edge here, but if this tournament has proven anything, it's that crazy things can happen. Otoo and Kemba Walker could post a problem or two for Ohio State.

♦ Who will win?: Ohio State //
♦ Look out for... Julian Martin, Ohio State (17.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.0 APG) // Zee Otoo, Connecticut (16.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.9 APG) //

(3) Georgia Tech [20-9] vs. (6) North Carolina [19-10]


Well, this is one of those must-watch games. North Carolina is a team that thrives on its perimeter, specifically Leo Lai, and not to mention his backcourt partner Dexter Strickland -- but all the talk is revolving around just how the Tar Heels plan to stop Martti Must. Must has contributed throughout the Yellow Jackets' season in almost every aspect -- scoring, rebounding, blocking, you name it -- but there has been a lot of hype surrounding his future career in the NBA. One would say it has exceeded his performances. What better stage to prove the haters wrong, and to catch a few more NBA scouts' eyes? Lai isn't very far away; both lead their respective teams in scoring, but Georgia Tech has the superior talent here. Must, along with Zach Peacock's double-double threats and Iman Shumpert's scoring and assisting, provide the edge here as the Yellow Jackets run to a victory. They must stop Lai for that, of course, and get lucky; they face their first real challenge of the NCAA tournament. They looked spectacular in the regular season, but a whole new tourney begins today.

♦ Who will win?: Georgia Tech //
♦ Look out for... Martti Must, Georgia Tech (16.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.5 APG) // Leo Lai, North Carolina (15.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.0 APG) //

(2) Kentucky [21-8] vs. (7) Syracuse [19-10]


Kentucky, along with Texas, were the teams with best home record, at 13-2; the Wildcats only lost to Georgetown and... guess who? Yes, Syracuse. Jeff Williams shot 0-of-5 from the field that night, while Chris Hova flirted with a triple-double with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists, and even had 4 steals to boost his statline. Both point guards already gained comparisons to Jason Kidd and Deron Williams, so this battle will be a must-watch as well. Kentucky has a sensational starting lineup, all five players are averaging double-figures in scoring (Josh Harrellson and Darnell Dodson lead the team with 18 points per game each), but the guy who makes them go is Williams. He may have struggled with his free throw shooting, or with some head-scratching turnovers, but he leads the team on assists, and on the boards, standing at 6'4''. Syracuse has been the essence of perseverance, as they overcame two four-game losing streaks in the middle of the season by winning their last six contests. Along with Hova, Rick Jackson and Scoop Jardine played their best basketball in the last month. But, if you ask me, it won't come down to a matter of momentum: Kentucky looks poised to reach the Elite Eight.

♦ Who will win?: Kentucky //
♦ Look out for... Jeff Williams, Kentucky (12.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 6.9 APG) // Chris Hova, Syracuse (11.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 7.8 APG) //