The last week for the Spurs was off to a good start.  The team was in the middle of a five game winning streak, and things seemed to be firing on all cylinders. . .until a trip to Sacramento and a showdown with an ex-player derailed the plans.

San Antonio’s biggest win of the Thanksgiving week was a shootout, wild west style, as the Spurs went up against the surprising Orlando Magic, who lead the league with 13 wins, and are having a great season of their own.  On the night before Thanksgiving though, it was the Spurs who had reason to celebrate, as they carved up the Magic like a fat turkey, 128-110.  The Spurs are known as one of, if not the top defensive team in the league, but their offensive skills were on display against their foes from Florida.  Dwight Howard’s 34 points and 16 rebounds weren’t enough for the Magic, who couldn’t find a way to shut down Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.  Parker had 32 points and 9 assists, while Ginobili poured in 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.  Tim Duncan added 20 points and 16 rebounds. 

San Antonio continued its high scoring act in the next two games, beating Memphis 101-88, and Seattle 116-101.  Against Seattle, San Antonio allowed 64 points in the first half, but started off the second half with a 12-0 run, and turned up the defensive intensity to pull away in the end.  Parker and Ginoblili each had 22 points, but Duncan was the leader with 26.  The loss sent Seattle to its worst start ever at 2-11.  Meanwhile, with the win, the Spurs ran their record to 12-2, which is the best start in team history.

Unfortunately, the next night, they seemed to forget all the good things that got them to that point, dropping a game to the lowly Sacramento Kings.  Granted, the game was the second in a west-coast, post-holiday tour, but the Kings are 5-9 and in last place in their division!  Unfortunately, they also have a former Spur, Beno Udrih, who was bent on revenge against his old team, and led all scorers with 27 points.  Ouch!  You also know it’s an off night when Tony Parker is the team’s leading rebounder.  He had seven in the game.  Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 15 points, as the whole team contributed to the clunker.

Anyway, one poor game aside, the Spurs have shown that they can score with the best of them, but should probably get back to doing what they do best, which is shutting other teams down with stifling defense.  At 12-3, they have the best record in the Western Conference, and are a surprising 2.5 games ahead of Dallas and New Orleans in the division.  

The NBA season is finally underway, and the Spurs have started out this one just like they finished the last one…winning. San Antonio has won their first three games and are tied for first place in the division with Houston and New Orleans. The Spurs started the season on Halloween eve in style, hanging their newest championship banner alongside the others, and handing out diamond encrusted rings to the players like it was Halloween candy. Life is good for the Spurs and for their fans.

With all the hubbub and excitement, one wouldn’t have been surprised if the Spurs didn’t bring their A-game, but they did, dispensing with the Trail Blazers 106-97 to start the season off on the right foot. The Spurs got some more good news, as management announced that they had signed Tim Duncan to a contract extension for two more years. The Spurs main man in the middle is inked through 2012, which means he’ll likely finish his career as a Spur. Duncan celebrated by going off for 24 points and 13 boards in classic fashion. Tony Parker had 19 points, while Ginobili had 16 and 8 assists.

Halloween took the Spurs to Memphis where they faced off against the Grizzlies in a game that was frighteningly close. It took a Manu Ginobili basket with just 32 seconds left to get the victory. The Argentine finished with 30 points, nine of which came in the closing minutes, and added 7 assists. He also drew a charge late in the game to help preserve the victory. Duncan and Parker each had 17 points, and Duncan also nabbed nine rebounds. The game was tied at the half, and had numerous lead changes.

Finally, on Friday, San Antonio was back home, hosting the lowly Sacramento Kings. As close as the first two games were for San Antonio, this one was a laugher. The Spurs led by as much as 29 points, before cruising to a 96-80 victory. Some Spurs players who don’t normally find their way into the stat line, and some of the new blood on the team, got into the act. Ime Udoka drained 3 three pointers, and had a nice game with 14 points. Fabricio Oberto matched Duncan with 10 rebounds. Duncan and Parker each had 15 points. The Spurs defense was in top form, holding the helpless Kings to 19% shooting in the first half.

Three and Oh! It’s a great start for a team looking to defend its championship title, but the road gets tougher quickly. Up this week for the champs, Houston, Miami, and New Orleans. Houston and New Orleans are also out to a hot start, and should both be much improved over last season. Now that the Spurs have redecorated the arena, and are outfitted with some new eye candy for their fingers, it’s time to get on with the season, and keep the winning going!

Playing without a team's heart and soul, without its main weapon on both ends of the court, provides an opportunity.  A team can take this opportunity and feel sorry for its bad luck and dwell on the past, or a new leader can emerge, the rest of the team can use the chance to prove that they themselves are capable of picking up the slack until the leader returns.  The Spurs, in true championship form, have chosen the latter, and while Tim Duncan’s injured knee and ankle are healing, the rest of the NBA has been served notice that the team is stronger than its individual parts.

As luck would have it, the first team that San Antonio would have to face without Duncan was their division rivals, the Dallas Mavericks.  The Spurs are no strangers to adversity, but they have been lucky that Duncan has remained fairly injury-free during his career.  They are also lucky to have a sixth man, who could start for probably any team in the league at their disposal when another star goes down.  Manu Ginobili stepped up his game against the Mavs, scoring 37 points in his starting role to lead all scorers in the game, while also contributing with 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and even a block for good measure…and he wasn’t 100% either!  Ginobili was playing with a sore finger from the previous game and was a game-time decision himself.  Tony Parker also played well, scoring 23 points, and Michael Finley chipped in 14.  Although the final score was 97-95, the Spurs held a comfortable 11 point lead in the fourth quarter, before a rally made the game a nail-biter.

Against the Utah Jazz a couple of nights later, Ginobili went back to the bench, but equaled, if not surpassed his previous performance by scoring 37 again!  17 of them came from the free throw line, as his penetration pressured the defense all night.  The speedy Argentine also grabbed 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and made three steals.  The game was a team effort as Matt Bonner, Michael Finley, and Tony Parker all scored in double digits for San Antonio.  The win allowed the Spurs to remain unbeaten at home this season, and ran their win total to 17-3.  Unlike the previous game in which the Spurs tried to give a sizeable lead away late, Utah led most of the way, until late in the fourth, when the Spurs free throws and three pointers, proved too much for the Jazz.  

After uncharacteristically dropping last Monday's game to the Kings, the Spurs got right by going on a three game winning streak, which culminated in the 100-79 demolition of the lowly Trailblazers.  Unfortunately, the 21-point victory was marred by a terrifying moment in which Tim Duncan landed awkwardly on his knee and ankle, and went to the ground holding his leg in pain.  The All-Star had to be helped off the court by teammates.  Spurs fans don't have to be reminded of what Duncan means to the team; he’s the team’s MVP is any number of ways.  Preliminary tests were that the ligaments were not torn, but that he would likely miss some games.  An MRI has been scheduled to confirm the findings.  Spurs’ fans no doubt will be sleeping uncomfortably until the results come back. 

Although the injury news wasn't good, the performance of the team has been, and San Antonio leads the NBA with 15 wins, and is continuing the hot start.  Although the week’s competition was far from the toughest the NBA has to offer, San Antonio is riding a three game winning streak, with wins over Washington, Minnesota, and Portland. 

Against Washington, Tony Parker scored 20 second-half points to end up with 29, and also added 11 assists.  The speedy Frenchman liked two rebounds having a triple double.  Two days later, the Spurs did what they always do, and that is to get scoring from a different star each night.  Against the Timberwolves, it was Manu Ginobili’s turn, and he torched the T-wolves for 31 points, as he went 7-9 from behind the arc.  The Spurs were as hot as they’ve been all year to close out the game.  They outscored Minnesota 40-11 in the last stanza.  Duncan had his usual 20 points and 14 rebounds, as the loss sent the Wolves to a 2-12 start. 

Finally, against Portland, even though San Antonio was forced to play most of the game without Duncan, they managed to take care of business, with 27 points coming from Tony Parker’s 11-15 shooting.  Although Duncan is irreplaceable, Fabricio Oberto did a serviceable job, scoring 6 points, but accounting for 9 rebounds. 

One other bit of good news for the team is that Robert Horry finally was back in action for the first time all year.  In five minutes of action, Horry made his presence known with two blocks and a pair of rebounds. 

Although the Spurs had a good week last week, winning three out of four, the team fell into second place behind the surprising New Orleans Hornets.  The half game lead that the Hornets have over San Antonio is due to N.O. having played a game more than the Spurs, although in head-to-head competition, the Spurs bested their conference foes two weeks ago.

 The Spurs started the week off with a 113-88 thrashing of the Milwaukee Bucks in what was, oddly, a revenge game for the boys in black.  Last year, the lowly Bucks swept the Spurs in their two regular-season games, so payback was certainly on the players’ minds.  Tim Duncan scored 16 points with 10 rebounds to lead San Antonio who lead by as much as 40 points in the game.  Manu Ginobili, who is averaging just under 20 points per game, scored 21 in the contest.  

Two days later, the Spurs went up against the Lakers and perennial all-star/drama queen Kobe Bryant.  Normally, stopping Bryant is almost impossible, so teams key in on shutting down the teams other players.  With Bruce Bowen having a career night, holding Bryant to 18 points on 9-19 shooting (0-5 from 3-point range), the Spurs’ defensive specialist played the role of offensive guru for a change.  Bowen was 6-6 from three point range, on his way to 23 points.  Tony Parker lead the team with 26, as San Antonio cruised to a 107-92 win.  Duncan had a terrible game, only scoring five points on 2-13 shooting.

Next up was an in-state, division battle with the Dallas Mavericks.  If you were to look at the box score, everything would point to a San Antonio victory, but it was not to be.  The Spurs’ defense held Dirk Nowitzki to only 3 points in the second half, and the San Antonio bench outscored Dallas’, yet it wasn’t enough as Dallas ripped off runs of 17-1 and 11-0 in the first half to build an insurmountable lead.  Tony Parker only managed seven points in the game, and missed ten of his first eleven shots.   Tim Duncan rebounded from one of the worst games of his career with a 24 point effort on 11 of 21 shooting.  Michael Finley did not score, and San Antonio’s starters (aside from Duncan) only scored 15.  Before the loss, the Spurs had won four straight. 

After losing to one Texas team, the Spurs were able to avenge the loss against another division rival from just down the road by beating the Houston Rockets, 90-84.  Earlier in the month, the Rockets gave the Spurs their first loss of the season when the won, 89-81.  This night, the Rockets were without Tracy McGrady, but still gave San Antonio all they could handle.  Tim Duncan denied the Rockets, as he went for a season high 25 points and 13 rebounds.  The rest of the team managed to bounce back from the previous night’s lackluster performance.  Michael Finley scored 17, Tony Parker had 14, and Ginobili came off the bench for 19. 

The Spurs have looked great for the most part so far, but in a few key games the team has looked disturbingly tired and some key players have had horrible off-nights.  The good news is that the team is just a half game out of first place, and after each loss has bounced back to rip off several wins in a row.  Let’s hope that they get one of those streaks going this week!

The Spurs fortunes continue to go sideways.  One star comes back from injury, and another goes down.  First, Tim Duncan went out with a sprained ankle and knee.  Then, just about the time he was coming back, Tony Parker went down for a few games.  Now, the injury bug has bitten Manu Ginobili, who left Saturday’s game against the Clippers with a sprained thumb.  If the San Antonio team pays its trainers by the hour, they are due for some serious overtime. 

The good news is that the team is still currently in first place in the division, leading Dallas by a game, and sporting a 19-7 record.  If they can manage to hold onto first place while dealing with the rash of injuries that has beset the club, their confidence should be sky high when the post-season rolls around.  As it currently stands, the team is barely managing to go .500 over the last few weeks.  In the last 5 games, they have gone 2-3, beating Denver and the Clippers, but losing to Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Memphis, over that span. 

Against the Suns--the Spurs annual playoff rivals--the Spurs lost their first home game of the season, as Phoenix managed to exact some revenge after being bounced from the playoffs last year by San Antonio, in a violent and controversial series.  Although Tony Parker sat out the game with a bad ankle, the Spurs still managed to hang tough, and kept the game close the whole way.  The game was Duncan’s first full game, after playing about half his regular minutes in the previous game.  The big center certainly showed no ill effects from the injury, setting season highs in points and rebounds, with 36 and 17 against the Suns.  The game was tied with less than two minutes to play before Phoenix finally pulled away for the 100-95 win.

One would think that the cure for losing would be a date with the Memphis Grizzlies, who currently occupy last place in the Southwest, with a 8-19 record, but the Spurs simply did not show up for this one until too late, and the Grizzlies made off with a 88-85 victory on a last second shot by Rudy Gay.  The Grizzlies were up by as many as 23 in the contest, before Ginobili and Duncan brought San Antonio back.  The Spurs managed to hold Memphis to just 12 points in the final period, but it was 4 points too many.  The excuse of not having Parker again can’t be used for this one, as Memphis was without its man in the middle, Pau Gasol also. 

The Spurs finally drew an opponent with worse luck than themselves, when the LA Clippers came to town.  Playing without Elton Brand, Shaun Livingston, Cory Maggette, Tim Thomas, and Paul Davis, the shorthanded Clippers gave the Spurs problems in the final period, coming back from 14 point deficits to pull within 6, but the Spurs eventually held on.  The game marked the return of Tony Parker to the line up, but also the exit of Manu Ginobili, who left with a sprained thumb in the first quarter.  Duncan picked up the slack, setting a new season high for rebounds with 18, and leading the team with 34 points.

The injuries are starting to add up for San Antonio, but the team is managing to hold onto first place.  With any luck, the Spurs are getting their injuries out of the way before the post season arrives. 

Spurs Sink Suns Stung By Hornets

During the season, the Spurs/Suns rivalry was one of the more interesting, and with Phoenix adding Shaquille O’Neil just before the trade deadline, basketball fans were salivating over the matchup between the Southwest Conference rivals with many pundits seeing the series going seven games.  The Spurs, however, had different opinions.

The Spurs pulled out a hard-fought, 117-115 victory in Game 1 which saw Tim Duncan blow up for 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists.  The game was a classic between the two teams, going into double overtime, and Duncan hit a rare three pointer with three seconds left in the first overtime to extend the game.  In addition to Duncan’s effort, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili added 26 and 24 points, respectively.  The game set the tone for the series, as the Spurs went on to win 4-1.

Game 5 was the Duncan/Parker show, as they were the only Spurs to score in double digits (29 and 31), but the team’s defense was the difference down the stretch.  Although the Suns were better offensively most of the night, the Spurs defense caused several costly turnovers late in the game.  That, combined with solid free throw shooting by Ginobili as time ran out, allowed the Spurs to advance to face the New Orleans Hornets, and sent the Suns back to the desert to ponder their future.

This season, the Spurs have been a bit schizophrenic, putting together runs where they look like the defending champs that they are, and other times where they have looked like a team struggling to make the playoffs.  Against the Suns, the good San Antonio Spurs showed up, and took the series fairly easily.  Against the Hornets, it seems that the bad Spurs have appeared, and after two games, San Antonio finds itself down 0-2 having been beaten soundly by the younger Hornets.  In Game 1, New Orleans’ interior defense held Tim Duncan to a career playoff low of 5 points and only 3 rebounds.  San Antonio’s star center was double teamed all night long, and although the Spurs hit 12 three pointers but shot 31 for the game, and New Orleans won a comfortable 101-82 victory.

Unfortunately for the Spurs, the New Orleans formula worked again for Game 2, as their double teams rattled the defending champs, forcing them to shoot from long range, where San Antonio made 8-27 from behind the arc.  Tim Duncan recovered from his miserable Game 1, scoring 18 points and grabbing 8 rebounds, but it wasn’t nearly enough.  Tony Parker scored 11, and Brent Barry added 14.  Unfortunately, the Spurs defense was not up to par, as New Orleans shot almost 60% from behind the three point line, and nearly 50 from the field.

The series has been lopsided so far, but digging out of a two game hole is still something that the veteran Spurs can do against the young Hornets, but it won’t be easy.  The Spurs have to ratchet up the defense that allowed them to be the feared playoff team that can shut down any team in the league.   To be able to move on to the next round in the playoffs, San Antonio will have to come up with some answer for Chris Paul.  So far the young guard has outplayed Tony Parker, while Tyson Chandler has been holding his own against Tim Duncan. 

Spurs Season Comes to a Close, Questions Coming in the Offseason

The Spurs' season ended against the Lakers, in a fairly close, but ultimately losing effort in Game 5.  The final score was 100-92, and the Spurs were within striking distance late in the game, but no one could stop Kobe Bryant, who ended the game with 39 points, 17 of which came in the final quarter.

For San Antonio, the script was the same as it had been for the series.  Tim Duncan did his usual thing, putting up a triple double with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, and Tony Parker led the team with 23 points.  As a team, the Spurs certainly scored enough to win, as five players scored in double digits.  Offense was not the problem, as the team shot 48% from the field, and from behind the arc.  Unfortunately, the team’s defense was not up to the task, as the Spurs’ strength turned into a liability against the Lakers.

Manu Ginobili once again had a terrible game, only managing 9 points, and missing several shot late in the game.  For Ginobili, perhaps the season being over is a blessing in disguise.  The Argentine had been playing with a bad ankle, and the Lakers capitalized as they forced him to go to his off-hand time after time.  He had a forgettable playoffs all the way around this season.

Early in the game, it looked like the Spurs might be able to extend the series, and move it back to San Antonio for Game 6.  In the second quarter San Antonio went on a 15-1 run that gave them a 17 point lead.  In a sign of things to come, the Lakers then went a run to cut the lead to 6 points before halftime.  In the third quarter, the Spurs built a 10 point lead, but Kobe Bryant then took over the game, daring the Spurs to stop him—something that San Antonio, and most other teams in the league, have been unable to do all year.

So at the end of it all, the Spurs have the off-season to decide the future of the team.  The team is certainly not getting any younger, although the nucleus of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker still have some years left.  The role players are a different story, however.  Horry, Finley, Barry, and Thomas are all well into their 30s, and certainly near the ends of their careers.  San Antonio does have a first round draft pick, and two seconds this year, as well as the rights to several foreign players that management hopes to plug into the team when they are ready.  A major overhaul is not in the cards, as the owners have stated time and again that the big three are not on the trade block.

The Spurs enter the offseason disappointed, but likely not overwhelmingly surprised.  All season long, the team fought to stay healthy, and had several substantial losing streaks which signaled that this might not be their year.  In addition, the other teams in the West upgraded just before the trade deadline, while the Spurs, for the most part, stayed pat. 

A month ago, the Spurs were muddling through a mediocre start to the season, struggling to keep their heads above water.  As 2008 comes to a close, San Antonio looks like a prime contender to make some noise in the playoffs.  The injury problems that held the team back are in the rearview mirror now, with the only players sidelined being Oberto and Mahinmi.  Some of the new faces--like Roger Mason--seem to be adjusting to the team, and are finding and fitting into their roles.

On Christmas day, Mason occupied a role usually reserved for one of the teams Big Three--otherwise known as 'Go-To-Guy'.  Playing Phoenix usually means that something strange will happen, and Mason's three at the buzzer was the latest occurrence in this bitter series.  The Spurs trailed for the majority of the game, but managed to stay within striking distance.  That was all Mason needed.

Memphis is not a good team, but rookie OJ Mayo is a real player, looking to turn the Grizzlies' fortunes around.  In the latest game against the Spurs, they almost did just that.  The game went into double overtime, and the Spurs had to play the second OT period without Duncan, who fouled out.  Luckily for San Antonio, Tony Parker was still in the game, and scored almost all of the team’s points on his way to scoring 32.  Michael Finley added the defense by blocking Memphis’ final shot to seal the victory.

The month of December has been a good one for San Antonio, and the team has gone 11-3 so far, with one game against Milwaukee remaining.  Of course, the Big Three are still as potent as ever.  Parker is leading the team with 22 points per game, while adding over six assists per game.  Ginobili is still under his average of past seasons, averaging just under 15 points per game, but looks to be getting back into better shape after battling his ankle injury.  The acquisition of Roger Mason has certainly paid off, as he is giving the team over 12 points, and shooting 46% from three-point range in 30 minutes of action.  George Hill, the rookie from IUIPUI, is scoring 8 points per game, with almost three assists per game, while filling in as second string PG.

The Spurs run has put them in first place in the division with a half game lead over Houston, and one game lead over New Orleans.  Additionally, San Antonio is in second place in the Western Conference where they trail the Lakers by 4.5 games.  The Southwest Division remains the most competitive in the league with the fourth-place team, Dallas, just two games back of the Spurs.

The month of January pits San Antonio against some of the best teams in the league, with two games versus the Lakers, as well as match-ups against New Orleans, Utah, Orlando, and Miami.  At the beginning of the season, Spurs fans were certainly anxious about what the season would hold.  At the moment, the Spurs are contenders for the West, which means they are likely in contention for something bigger!

For struggling NBA teams, there's nothing like visits from the New York Knicks and the Memphis Grizzlies to set things right.  The San Antonio Spurs are struggling with injuries, and Manu Ginobili continues to remain on the bench with a sprained finger.  Since Christmas, San Antonio is 3-2, and struggling to maintain its lead in the division.  Just one game back are Dallas and surprising New Orleans, who seem to be waiting for a Spurs’ slip.  Houston, who was expected by many to challenge the other Texas teams, remains seven games back, and are struggling to stay at .500.

The day after Christmas, the Spurs hosted the Chicago Bulls, and were the first lucky team to face them after axing their coach on Christmas Eve.  The game was not much of a contest, as San Antonio easily dealt with the team from the Windy City, 94-79.  Tony Parker led the team with 28 points, and Michael Finley added 15.  Tim Duncan was a bit off, only scoring 8 points, but did add 11 rebounds and 6 assists.  The game was not totally full of holiday cheer for the Spurs, as the injury bug bit again.  This time, Brent Barry was the victim, tearing a calf muscle. 

Next up was Toronto, who had dropped three straight games, but also was coming off a week off.  The rest certainly showed, as they owned the fourth quarter.  Coach Popovich was ejected in the final period and Matt Bonner and Tim Duncan each got technicals called on them which helped to seal the game.  Things weren’t much better before then either, as San Antonio shot as poorly as they have all season, only managing 32% from the field.  The 73 points they scored was also a season low.

Two nights later, though, San Antonio was able to take their frustrations out against cellar-dweller, Memphis, winning handily, 111-87.  In that contest four Spurs caused major damage, as Parker scored 24, Finley poured in 22, hitting 5 threes, and Matt Bonner scored 24.  Tim Duncan scored 24 and also cleaned up 17 rebounds, had 7 assists, and 3 blocks.  The team shot 45% from behind the arc, and outrebounded the Grizzlies 46-32.

It seems for every step forward, this season, the Spurs take one back and four days later against the Denver Nuggets, the team stepped back.  The Spurs are the team that prides itself on defense, but the Nuggets gave them a taste of their own medicine.  Tim Duncan managed 20 points, but was hassled all night by the Nuggets trio of Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby, and Eduardo Najera.  Duncan only made 7-20 shots from the field, and had four turnovers, one with 45 seconds left, which was converted to give the Nuggets the lead.  Kenyon Martin was terrible on the offensive end for Denver, but had seven blocks, one against Tony Parker late in the game to preserve the victory. 

Friday night, San Antonio was back home to host the NBA's best soap opera team, the New York Knicks.  Things normally go well for San Antonio when they can get points from players who don’t normally score a lot, so when Bruce Bowen leads the team in scoring, things usually turn out well for the silver and black.  The defensive specialist had 15, and they were much needed, as Tim Duncan and Tony Parker only scored 12 each.  San Antonio forced 16 Knick turnovers in the contest, although Eddy Curry had his way on the inside, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.  Considering that the Knicks are 8-23 and firmly entrenched in last place in the Atlantic, the 97-93 victory was probably closer than it should have been.

The Spurs are not playing terrific basketball at the moment.  The loss of Ginobili is hurting the team, depriving it of a needed spark, and the chemistry has suffered from all of the other injuries.  Matt Bonner is playing well and logging quality minutes, but the team must get healthy and start playing consistently in order to hold onto the spot atop the division.