River Walk Chronicles ♦ ///

[Justine.]

Congrats on the achievement man, I could never imagine myself playing 82 games, but you just did it. Hate to say but hope you win it all!

[Bucket]

Congrats, all 82 games played? WOW

[KidJustin]

Thi-e-rr-y (v.)
verb/
to keep trying and trying and trying until you are able to play an entire 82-game season. No simming.

Fixed.

Fixed. Fixed.

[Nutellar]

Gratulations you did all the 82 Games, now i wish you good luck in the Playoffs- i think you will make it

[Lamrock]

Congrats on getting past the regular season! 4-28 games to go.

[Valor]

Epic achievement, especially considering it's you As Lamrock said, 4-28 games to go man

[kibaxx7]

Thanks a lot guys, still can't believe it myself. I ain't gonna quote all of you

Preparing the last Monthly Report for March-April and then POSTSEASON...

Kind of ironic right now, having played every single game, but might post a couple of playoff games together or something like that, I ain't having much time lately.

[Martti.]

Don't do like I did with the Wizards, when I lost interest in the second round of the Playoffs.

[shadowgrin]

If you do revert to the quitting-association-killing Thierry that we all once knew, at least you will have accomplished something in this section of the NLSC by playing all 12 minutes, 82 games in a 2K Association.

[hova-]

Hell, yeah, T-boy. Nice accomplishment. Actually right now I ain't simming many games. Simmed like 3 of the first 12 games of my D cause it's fun to play. I tend to sim against opponents that I have played recently so that I don't play against the same opponents often.

Looking forward to what the Spurs can do. I can really see you winning it all in here.

[kibaxx7]

Don't do like I did with the Wizards, when I lost interest in the second round of the Playoffs.

You mean score 20+ with everyone? I remember your Wizards dynasty pretty well, one of my favs

If you do revert to the quitting-association-killing Thierry that we all once knew, at least you will have accomplished something in this section of the NLSC by playing all 12 minutes, 82 games in a 2K Association.

Why would I that right now? The old Thierry is dead. I guess the key factor in playing every single game was that the Spurs are my favourite team, Manu is my favourite player, and then I added some other favourites of mine (Maggette, Gooden).

Hell, yeah, T-boy. Nice accomplishment. Actually right now I ain't simming many games. Simmed like 3 of the first 12 games of my D cause it's fun to play. I tend to sim against opponents that I have played recently so that I don't play against the same opponents often.

Looking forward to what the Spurs can do. I can really see you winning it all in here.

Thanks a lot Hov Luckily I have the Hornets to start the playoffs, I defeated them in all four games. Gotta stop CP3...

[Axel The Great]

OK, NOW I guess you've silenced all doubters Thierry. Now time to get that fifth championship!

[Cruzerr]

Damn, here I was, thinking that I wont sim no game in my season and then I read your epic title , Really Nicely Done

[rise]

Congrats on finishing an 82 game season! I hope you can do well in the playoffs then start &finish a second season!

[Mavs4Life]

Congrats man. Big accomplishment. Go win the title.

[Houndy]

Nice job! Now lead the Spurs to a title.

[kibaxx7]

♦ Bonjour, Spurs fans. Welcome to Part V, the final Part of the our Year-in-Review -- March & April. The regular season is on the books and we took a look back to review our year. In Part I, we examined the opening months of the season -- October and November, that saw the Black & Silver explode to close November, winning 6 of their last 7 games. In Part II, we witnessed another great month in December -- triumphs in 9 of the last 10 games of 2010. In Part III, we saw how things were really starting to pick up around Casa Tirieux to start the New Year. In Part IV, we reviewed February, with the Spurs losing that heartbreaker to the Thunder and the Derek Fisher last-second dagger.

But nothing in the first four months of the season could prepare our beloved Spurs for a memorable March & April run. Since the All-Star Break, the Spurs went a league-best 23-3, with a 11-game winning streak in the middle of March, a hard loss at Portland and then a new 10-game streak to finish the season, clinching the 1st seed in the West in process. When we were 11-1 to open March, it was madness in Casa Tirieux; partygoers filed in and out at all hours of the night. And all this with the entire starting lineup taking, in turns, well-earned rests. Nothing could diminish what the Spurs and I had accomplished. We tied the franchise's all-time best record.

A temporary setback in Memphis on March 1 slowed down our push to the 1st seed, who was owned by the Lakers at that time. But San Antonio was about to embark on yet another double-digit winning streak. The streak began the very next day, trouncing the hosting Cleveland Cavaliers, 115-79. The Spurs led by as many as 42 points, prompting coach Gregg Popovich to rest the starters for the entire fourth quarter. The following Friday, the game I was waiting for months, the Heat visited the AT&T Center but the 1-2 punch that was Manu Ginobili and Larry Hughes gave us a 100-94 win, and then a perfect second-half stunned the Lakers, 101-90. These two key victories followed with wins over Detroit, Sacramento and Houston, before taking on the Heat again, on March 14, this time in South Beach. A well-balanced scoring gave us what, in my opinion, was our biggest win of the year. The team had three nights off, and at Dallas, we defeated the Mavericks and the very next day returned to the AT&T, to thump Charlotte.

Two hard-fought games came, against Golden State and at Denver, but we came up victorious in both occasions. Brandon Roy was our streak executioner on March 25. Then on March 27, we played perhaps our most competitive game of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies; we won 3-of-4 against them, but they had our number all season. We then got some revenge when we halted the Blazers' own winning streak, on March 28. Five Spurs over 12 points defeated a depleted Boston squad, without Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, to close March. San Antonio would not only go undefeated in April at 6-0: four of those wins were by double digits, and also four of those were over teams already qualified for the postseason, including a new defeat of the Lakers. The Spurs finished the regular season strong, sending a signal to the rest of the league: to top them in the playoffs will be no easy feat.

♦ 2011, March 11 – Tim Duncan vs. Sacramento Kings: Like a fine wine, as Tim Duncan ages, it just gets better for the San Antonio Spurs. One of his best games of his career helped his team bolster their first seed hopes, as Timmy scored 19 points and almost achieved a quadruple-double with the Spurs posting a 98-95 win over the Sacramento Kings. Duncan also finished with 12 rebounds, nine assists and six blocks. Tony Parker added 21 points, including 14 in the second half, in also one of his best games. “Tim had an awesome game, one for the books in all areas,” Parker said. Sacramento led 25-23 after the first quarter, but Duncan dunked to cap a 11-2 spurt to open the second quarter. Manu Ginobili made two shots from the free throw line and Parker scored a fastbreak layup that extended the lead to 42-35 with only three minutes left in the first half, but two consecutive jumpers by Tyreke Evans tied the game at 49 right before intermission. A key to the first half was San Antonio's dominant play in the paint, which resulted in 28 points in the inside and 11 free throws. The Spurs made 10, with Parker, Ginobili and Larry Hughes draining two each. (Read More ... )

♦ 2011, March 18 - Tony Parker vs. Charlotte Bobcats: 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. (Read More ... )

♦ 2011, March 27 - Manu Ginobili @ Memphis Grizzlies: Manu Ginobili's second triple-double of the season could not have come at a better time for San Antonio. Manu scored 15 points, to go with 11 rebounds and 11 assists, as the Spurs erased a 13-point deficit in the beginning of the third quarter to win 107-106 over the Memphis Grizzlies. “It was a great game,” said the Argentinian. “They kicked our butt in the second quarter, but we turned it up after that. The second half was ours.” In the last four minutes of the game, Manu had a 3-pointer, two layups and four assists. A free throw with only 1 minute left gave San Antonio a 105-104 lead, but O.J. Mayo, who seems to be the Spurs' nightmare everytime this teams collide, answered with a pull-up jumper. Manu then assisted Tim Duncan into the left low post and Mr. Fundamental didn't disappoint to clinch the win. The Spurs, who won the inside battle 58-34 and outrebounded Memphis, 39-29, survived when Mayo missed a potential buzzer-beater, a tough leaning jumper just before the horn. (Read More ... )

♦ 2011, April 5 - Manu Ginobili @ Atlanta Hawks: Manu Ginobili dribbled towards the hoop. He didn't get the basket, but he did draw a foul. Then he dribbled again and scored his classic Euro Step move for a layup. The game was only 1 minute old, yet Manu already was in full motion. After scoring only eight points against Phoenix, Ginobili featured a jaw-dropping scoring duel with Joe Johnson, scoring a season-high 28 points and making 10-of-12 field goals -- another season-high -- while leading the San Antonio Spurs past the Atlanta Hawks, 120-113. The Argentinian also had five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block on Johnson, while making three 3-pointers. “I'll never stop saying this, Manu really is a special player,” his coach Gregg Popovich said. “Boy, what a statline.” His teammate Tony Parker commented, “He's an inspiration on and off the floor. He's been a professional all season long. He's been criticized, even though he's one of the team's best players, people are still not satisfied. He said it, he had a bad game against the Suns but he bounced back very quickly.” Parker was his sidekick, contributing with 17 points, six rebounds and 13 assists. (Read More ... )

♦ 2011, April 6 - George Hill vs. Sacramento Kings: 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.” (...) 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. (Read More ... )

♦ 2011, March 2 - Manu, Duncan, Spurs ride huge first quarter, led by as many as 42 @ Cleveland Cavaliers: Just when the Cleveland Cavaliers thought they hit rock bottom, along came even more indignity. Manu Ginobili scored 20 points and Tim Duncan added 18 as the San Antonio Spurs handed the sorry Cavs their biggest loss of the season, and at the Quicken Loans Arena: a 115-79 decision that was never a contest. San Antonio shot 70 percent from the field in the first quarter, taking a 20-point edge into the second and leading by as many as 42 in the last period. “I think it's hard to play much better than this,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, with a huge smile on his face. Duncan also posted 13 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks for the Spurs in a retro all-around performance. “We executed on offense and made our shots,” Duncan said. “I could say we did a decent job on defense in the first quarter, and we kept the pressure on them from that point.” Rookie James Anderson had 17 points on only 18 minutes, 7-of-8 from the field, as the Spurs had 34 assists on 47 field goals. (Read More ... )

♦ 2011, March 4 - Coach Pop “rapturously delighted” after huge win vs. Miami Heat: The wait is over. The San Antonio Spurs can put the anguish of losing games where they had double-digits leads erased behind them. Manu Ginobili had five 3-pointers for 24 points and three assists and Larry Hughes scored a season-high 21 points and five rebounds as the Spurs used three perfect minutes in the fourth quarter to beat the league-best Miami Heat, 100-94, triggering a winning streak and snapping Miami's own streak of 6 games. “We've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, and we won,” said Hughes. “I don't like them at all. A lot of people called us softies for losing all those games where we had big leads. It doesn't matter at all. We know what we can do when we are one-hundred percent.” The Heat entered with a 47-14 record -- the best in the league. They were looking pretty good when Jerry Stackhouse dunked off a feed from Mario Chalmers to put them ahead 91-85 with 2:44 remaining, but San Antonio went on a 15-3 run to finish the night. Neither team led by more than six in the whole game; the Spurs' effectiveness in the charity stripe and their 25 assists on 37 field goals proved to be two huge keys in the victory. (Read More ... )

♦ 2011, March 14 - Parker, Splitter, Spurs clinch playoff berth @ Miami Heat: And there's the fourteenth. Tony Parker scored 17 points and seven assists and Tiago Splitter came off the bench to add 16 points as the Spurs clinched their 14th consecutive playoff berth by holding on for a thrilling 100-94 triumph over the league-best Miami Heat. The Spurs, who have won their seventh straight game and 11 of their last 13, not only have clinched a playoff berth but also have a 0.5-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the top seed in the West, with a last clash between the teams on April 12. “We still got a lot to play for,” Parker said. “There's still a team that is making ground on us, less than a game behind us. We must secure the top seed and hopefully, if the Heat lose a couple of games down the stretch, also home-court advantage.” San Antonio had a 15-point advantage in the second quarter, but was almost wasted as the Heat posted a 14-2 run to cut the deficit to three points. Parker made two consecutive layups to give the Spurs a 46-37 edge at halftime, and then Splitter scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half to help secure a sweep of their season series with the Heat. “It feels really good,” Splitter said. “This makes a lot of sacrifices worthwhile.” (Read More ... )

♦ 2011, March 31 - Duncan, Manu, Spurs play best 4th quarter in months vs. Boston Celtics: The outside-inside play of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili proved to be too much for the injury-plagued Celtics. Ginobili scored 13 points in the first half, to finish the game with 18, and Duncan added 9 of his own 18 in the key fourth-period, as the San Antonio Spurs came away with a 102-77 triumph over Boston. Already without starters Ray Allen (broken ankle) and Paul Pierce (strained abdomen), Boston lost Jermaine O'Neal (severe ankle sprain) in the second quarter and Delonte West (lower back strain) in the third. “Our bench looked like an hospital,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “Some guys gave us a lift, but down the stretch we had some head-scratching turnovers and we had some defensive breakdowns. To be clear, they killed us.” Despite these injury woes, the Celtics rallied from an 11-point deficit in the first quarter to tie the game at 41 on a 3-pointer by Rajon Rondo. Duncan responded with a dunk and Ginobili shot from just inside the arc, and it was all San Antonio from there. Boston never led in the contest. (Read More ... )

♦ 2011, April 1 - Spurs officially clinch Southwest division title @ Houston Rockets: The San Antonio Spurs are, for the second straight game, on the winning end of a blowout and have a new Southwest Division title to show for it. Tim Duncan scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half and the Spurs regrouped from some head-scratching losses in past weeks to clinch the Southwest crown, with a 124-99 blowout of the Houston Rockets. Corey Maggette and Tony Parker also scored 19 points each, making the case for Houston almost impossible. The Spurs said the division championship was a good feeling, but not all that important when you see the whole picture. “We've had a good regular season and we've positioned ourselves well for the playoffs,” said Maggette, “but the goal for us is winning the championship. We understand we've still got a lot of work to do.” In total, seven players scored in double figures for the Spurs: George Hill scored 11 points, while Larry Hughes and Tiago Splitter added 10 apiece. San Antonio had followed a tough loss in Portland last week with two wins, both by 5 points or less. So it was a relief for coach Gregg Popovich to see his team put together a strong effort. (Read More ... )

[kibaxx7]

OK, NOW I guess you've silenced all doubters Thierry. Now time to get that fifth championship!

IMO, not until the season's complete.

Damn, here I was, thinking that I wont sim no game in my season and then I read your epic title , Really Nicely Done

Thanks a lot man, it was a huge work... but I guess it paid dividends

Congrats on finishing an 82 game season! I hope you can do well in the playoffs then start &finish a second season!

Congrats man. Big accomplishment. Go win the title.

Nice job! Now lead the Spurs to a title.

Thanks heaps, guys! As I said a couple of times, the aim is three seasons, but I really doubt I'll recap all 82 with videos again

[hova-]

Hornets will be a nice matchup, I don't see you having problems at all with them. Good wrap up, usually I ain't online at that time, but Mavs are playing the Blazers right now

[Bucket]

Season over with all 82 games played and 1500th reply coming soon.
Is it first time in history that all teams from one division is is play-offs?

[KidJustin]

this epic association...

and the Clippers are tied for the worst record in the NBA. FML

[Axel The Great]

Haha, looks like the Southwest division is the best division in your association and IRL.

[kibaxx7]

NEW YORK, April 14 -- The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and the Miami Heat's LeBron James today were named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month presented by Sprite, respectively, for games played during both March and April. Bryant won five of six POTM honors (except December; Kevin Durant), while James sweeped the East, winning all six. For every point scored by the players on the month, Sprite will donate $10 to charity. This month Sprite will donate $6,350 on behalf of Bryant (635 points) and $5,410 on behalf of James (541 points). This philanthropic aspect builds on Sprite’s strong appeal to the nation’s best basketball players as an official partner of the NBA.

Bryant averaged 28.4 points per game (2nd in the league), to go with 4.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists and a career-high 2.5 steals (best in the league) in 76 games. Bryant led Los Angeles to a 15-6 record in March/April. His best nights were: 34 points, ten boards and nine assists on March 1, a 123-76 win at Minnesota; 34 points, five rebounds, nine assists and five steals on March 8, a 105-93 triumph at Atlanta; 31 points, four boards, nine assists and six steals on March 12, a 97-94 victory at Dallas; the very next game on March 14, 44 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a 112-90 win against Orlando; March 20, 33 points, eight boards, eight dimes and five steals in a 98-66 win versus Portland; a triple-double on March 22, 25 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 118-93 thumping of Phoenix; a 55-point explosion on March 25 against the Clippers, along with four rebounds, seven assists and four steals. The Lakers finished the season as the 2nd seed in the West, four games behind San Antonio, at 58-24.

In all 82 games, James posted averages of 25.4 points (5th in the league), 7.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists (14th in the league, 1st among small forwards) and 2.0 steals per game. The Heat went 17-5 on March/April, with LeBron posting some impressive performances: 40 points, 12 boards, six assists, four steals and six blocks on March 6, a 101-82 win against Chicago; a triple-double, 19 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists on March 10, a key 90-89 triumph versus the Lakers; 22 points, nine boards, 11 assists and three blocks on March 19, a 117-99 victory against Denver; on March 25, 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a 107-97 win against Philadelphia; March 30, a triple-double flirt with 25 points, nine boards and 10 assists in a 102-89 win at Washington; another almost triple-double on April 3, at New Jersey, 19 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists in a 106-78 win; and on April 8, a killing of Charlotte, 108-68, with 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.The Heat, at 63-19, had the best record of the league along with the Spurs.

NEW YORK, April 14 -- The Washington Wizards' John Wall and the Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by T-Mobile, respectively, for games played during March/April. Wall won all six monthly awards, while Griffin won three of six. For every point scored by the players on the month, T-Mobile will donate $20 to charity. This month, T-Mobile will donate $8,780 on behalf of Wall (439 points) and $3,680 on behalf of Griffin (184 points). Check a more complete rookie report here; other nominees for the Western and Eastern Conference T-Mobile Rookies of the Month were Minnesota's Wesley Johnson; Philadelphia's Evan Turner; Toronto's Ed Davis; San Antonio's Tiago Splitter; Indiana's Paul George; Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins and New Orleans' Quincy Pondexter.

Wall led the rookies in points per game (18.0 ppg), assists (5.7 apg), steals (2.0 spg) and minutes (36.0 mpg) in all 82 games, and made his presence be felt out there: 25 points and nine assists on March 5, a 106-88 win against Minnesota; 20 points and seven assists on March 8, a 96-93 triumph versus Milwaukee; 29 points and seven assists in a 97-83 victory at Chicago, on March 15; a career-high 32 points and six assists in a 116-108 win at Golden State; and a key factor in his team's 116-112 win at Charlotte, with 30 points and 11 assists. At the end of February, the Wizards were holding very hard to the 8th seed in the East with a 29-30 record; since then, they went 15-8 to clinch the 6th seed.

In 61 games, Griffin ended the season 4th in scoring (12.5 ppg), while leading the rebounding (9.2 rpg) and 6th in blocks (0.6 bpg) and 5th in minutes (32.2 mpg) among rookies, but the Clippers were tied with Cleveland with the worst record in the league, at 22-60. Griffin exploded in the last couple of months, with: 11 points and 18 rebounds on March 2, a 102-97 loss to Houston; 19 points and six rebounds on March 11, a 106-82 loss at New Jersey; a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards in a 100-89 setback at Memphis, on March 14; 15 points and 13 rebounds in a 121-112 loss against Phoenix; and three double-doubles in a row from March 26 to April 1 (13 and 20, 17 and 15, 13 and 13).

[kibaxx7]

Hornets will be a nice matchup, I don't see you having problems at all with them. Good wrap up, usually I ain't online at that time, but Mavs are playing the Blazers right now

IMO it will be easy, but I really can't underestimate any team in the playoffs, anything can happen.

Season over with all 82 games played and 1500th reply coming soon.
Is it first time in history that all teams from one division is is play-offs?

Thanks man I think it is, can't remember any season where it happened too.

this epic association...

and the Clippers are tied for the worst record in the NBA. FML

Clippers sucked, but Griffin had a nice season. But Wall is the sure ROY...

Haha, looks like the Southwest division is the best division in your association and IRL.

Yep, the best teams are in the Southwest

Tomorrow -- playoff preview. I ain't gonna post the 3rd part (awards race), I will post the award winners as playoffs go on.

[Houndy]

CP3 is gonna go berserk... trust me