Spurs Even up with Series

Written by Randy Watson

After a dismal Game 1 in which none of the Spurs top three scorers shot over 50% and San Antonio was out-hustled on both ends of the floor, the silver and black attack was hitting on all cylinders and showed much more aggressiveness in Game 2.  The Spurs built large leads in the game, leading by 9 at the half, 14 after three quarters, and 17 early in the fourth, but Denver came back to get within 3 points with 27 seconds left in the game, before late Spurs free throws put the game away.

The Spurs were led by Tim Duncan who gave a vintage performance: 22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 blocks.  Tony Parker scored 20 and had 6 assists, while Manu Ginobili was again the main man off the bench, pouring in 17, with 4 rebounds and 4 assists.  San Antonio shot 42% from behind the three point arc, and was 21-23 from the free throw line.

Had the Spurs lost this one, they would have found themselves down 0-2, and heading to the Mile High City, needing to sweep there.  The series stands even now, and the Spurs need to keep the aggressive attitude that made them the hottest team since the All-Star break, if they want to win this series.

After having scored a combined 61 points in the first game, Denver’s dymanic duo of Anthony and Iverson, were ‘held’ by San Antonio to 46 on Wednesday.  The Spurs took the lead for good with less than six minutes left in the first quarter and led the entire game, although Denver mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, led by a 16-5 run.  The Spurs’ defense, which has been the strength of the team all year, was the defining point through much of the game, but San Antonio’s free throw shooting late, was the difference.  The Spurs’ bench also scored 30 points, while Denver’s was only able to put up 7.

This series is quickly becoming the one to watch in the playoffs.  Denver has shown that they can go toe-to-toe with the Spurs, and for San Antonio to win, they must continue to hustle for every loose ball, keep applying the defensive pressure, and rebound well.  So far in the series, Denver has out-rebounded the Spurs, and Duncan, Fabrico Oberto (who had 10 on Wednesday), and San Antonio’s other inside presences must step up and keep cleaning the glass for the Spurs to advance.

A Commemoration to Selena

Written by Randy Watson

Selena Quintanilla Perez or simply Selena was a Mexican American singer that was loved by a lot of people. Known as the Queen of Tejano, she was a recipient of various awards by popular award-giving bodies such as Grammy\'s and Tejano Music Awards. However, the life of this very talented and beloved artist was cut short by a very tragic incident. The president of her fan club and manager of her boutiques, Yolanda Saldivar, shot her after they discovered that the latter was stealing money from her. They decided to fire her and it caused the anger of Saldivar, pushing her to shoot the gun and kill Selena. Because of loss of blood, at age twenty-three, Selena died at the local hospital where she was transported.

This death of a very influential, famous artist saddened all of South Texas and Tejano Music fans everywhere. A lot of commemoration was given to her. In fact, Jennifer Lopez's career started thru her portrayal as Selena in the 1997 movie directed by Gregory Nava. Aside from this, a place in Corpus Christi was revealed to the public as a site wherein fans and loved ones could visit to commemorate Selena. This place is now known as a famous tourist spot called Mirador de la Flor.

This site costs over $600,000 and it became a famous tourist spot because of the fans that would visit this place. It was unveiled around the year 1997 and it seemed to be the perfect place to build this because it is only a few miles away from Seaside Memorial park where the remains of the young artist lies.

In this site, you can find a life-size statue of Selena wearing a black leather jacket with a microphone in its hand. It stands 5’8 and made out of bronze. A Corpus Christi artist named H.W. “Buddy” Tatum created this seemingly real statue. When you visit the place, you will find the statue leaning on one of its pillars. This statue could bring back tears to her adoring fans because it seems as if she was still alive.

Aside from that statue, the monument also contains a mosaic. The mosaic tiles contain images of white roses because it was Selena’s favorite flower. The mosaic can be found at the north side by the staircase that leads to the lower level and rear of the monument.

Lastly, on the same pillar wherein you can see the life-size statue of Selena, you will find a large white rose affixed to the pillar as well as a plaque honoring the artist. The plaque is facing the Shoreline Boulevard. The plaque contains a dedication to Selena stating that she was known as the La Flor (the Flower) and could be identified with the La Rosa Blanca (the White Rose) and that \"even if the stage is no longer filled with her presence, her music lives on\".

In the year 2000, a four-foot stainless steel barrier was added to this facility. This was installed to protect the statue and pillar from the huge number of fans and supporters that inscribe message of love to the artist and her family.

Spurs Sputter in Playoffs Game 1

Written by Randy Watson

The Western Conference Finals got underway Sunday, but the Spurs team that had been the hottest in the NBA since the All-Star break failed to show up.  Instead, for large parts of the game San Antonio, who many say are the best defensive team in the NBA, were stifled by the defense of the normally offensive-minded Denver Nuggets.  Unfortunately for the Spurs, it was a familiar feeling.

 When the two teams last met in Round 1 of the 2005 playoffs, Denver took the first game of that series as well.  Then the Spurs reeled off four straight before going on to win the NBA Championship.  If San Antonio is hoping for a repeat performance, they had better step up their game.  This year’s Nugget team features far more firepower than the 2005 version, let by the duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, who combined for 61 points on Sunday.

For the Spurs, times were fairly tough for San Antonio’s stars.  Tim Duncan had an awful first half, but came on strong in the second to finish with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists.  Tony Parker led the team with 19 points and 8 assists.  Robert Horry, who had been limited for the last few weeks of the season, was also strong off the bench, scoring 14 points.

The Spurs were outrebounded 44-35, and in perhaps the most telling statistic, free throws, San Antonio made 7-10, while Denver shot 21-25 from the stripe.  None of San Antonio’s big three of Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan shot over 50% from the field.

If any team is able to shrug off a first game defeat, it should be the Spurs.  This veteran team has been in this exact position before, but this year’s Nuggets are a far better team than they were three months ago, and also seem to be finding their chemistry just in time for the post-season.  Shutting down Anthony and Iverson is a tall order, but for a team that prides itself on defense such as the Spurs, San Antonio should come out more aggressive and determined in Game 2.

Game Final, Nuggets: 95, Spurs 89

In Western Conference series opener, Warriors stun Mavericks 97-85

San Antonio Plaza de las Islas

Written by Randy Watson

As most residents of San Antonio have no doubt noticed, downtown's Main Plaza or Plaza de las Islas has been under redevelopment for the past 2 months.  This important historical part of San Antonio is being redesigned to improve drainage, pedestrian access, as well as to reinforce its historical legacy.  Once completed, the plaza should be restored and improved, making it a beautiful centerpiece of downtown.

The construction is being done in two large phases, each containing smaller phases within.  The first large phase has already gotten underway, and its intent is to improve the utilities in the area, permanently turn some streets into pedestrian-only walkways, and protect and enhance the archaeological nature of the site.

The first part of this plan began with the closure of Dwyer Street from Villita to Market.  This closure is temporary, and city authorities expect construction to be completed on July 23rd, 2007.  The east sidewalk will be open throughout.

The other closures the city expects are as follows:
· Main Plaza Street-will be permanently closed on April, 30th, 2007.
· Commerce, Market, and Main Streets will be partially closed beginning on May 3, and reopened on May 31, 2007.
· Dwyer, Nueva, and Main will be partially closed until July 23rd, 2007.
· Main Street will be permanently closed in June 1, 2007.

The second larger phase is slated to begin with the permanent closures of the surrounding streets, and is intended to focus on the restoration and redesign of the Plaza de las Islas.  This phase will include landscaping, new fountains, and new stonework.  The contract has not been awarded at this time, so the construction sequence is not yet available, but the city expects the entire project to be completed by March of 2008.

The entire project is budgeted at $958,440.00, and is being conducted under an accelerated production and design schedule to limit traffic congestion and impact on the businesses and downtown community.

Spurs Play Sweet Music, Jazz Out

Written by Randy Watson

Most people probably would have understood if San Antonio came out flat against the younger, rested Utah Jazz.  Others probably would have even understood if the Spurs had dropped Game 1 in the series, seeing how they had to fight, claw, and battle so hard against the Suns.  But neither of those things happened Sunday afternoon.

San Antonio, playing just 39 hours after finishing the Phoenix Suns in a heated 6 game series, came out on fire and by halftime against the youngsters from Utah, had managed to build a 19 point lead.  The lead would last into the fourth period, when fatigue may have caught up with the Spurs.  Utah finally got hot, and managed to cut the lead to 7 in the closing minutes, but they couldn't overcome the huge lead, finally losing 108-100.

San Antonio's Big 3 of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker, all had stellar games.  Duncan scored 27 points, had 10 rebounds and 5 assists.  Manu, who has gotten hot recently after getting off to a terrible start in the playoffs, scored 23 points and dished out 10 assists.  Tony Parker went for 21 points and had 6 assists.  Although Robert Horry failed to score, he did receive two loud ovations from the San Antonio crowd when he entered the game after completing his 2 game suspension.

Deron Williams had the line of the night for both teams, scoring (a career high) 34 points, along with 9 assists and 7 rebounds.

Manu was certainly the spark that allowed San Antonio to build its big leads.  His manic energy spurred two first half Spurs’ streaks of 10-0, and 13-2, and San Antonio shot 66% in the first half.  Although Utah managed to come back in the final period, San Antonio’s missing 9 free throws towards the end of the game allowed the score to be closer than it probably should have been.  Also, if there is any nits to be picked for San Antonio, the fact that they were out-rebounded 30-14, and out-shot 53-44% in the second half should get the attention of the coaches.

Still, at the end of the day, the Spurs dominated all but the last few minutes, and managed to avoid losing a game which could have cost them home-court advantage.  With Game 1 in the books, the Spurs can get some much-needed rest before Tuesday night’s tussled with the Jazz.  Game 2 is scheduled for 8 PM, Tuesday night.

San Antonio's Southtown

Written by Randy Watson

Since its redevelopment began in 1991, Southtown has become the hippest, diverse, and most unique zone in San Antonio, and certainly the place to go for good food, good art, and good times.  Southtown is really a community development, promotion, and historic preservation organization, which was designed to gentrify the King William, Lavaca, and Blue Star neighborhoods.  And it certainly has been working.

Today, Southtown is home to San Antonio's eclectic mix of cowboy, Tejano, Mexican, and southern cultures, existing in a low-lying maze of bungalows, Victorian houses, and Beaux Arts mansions, which provide a calmer, more community-oriented atmosphere than many other parts of the city.  Since its redevelopment began in 1991, Southtown has become the hippest, diverse, and most unique zone in San Antonio, and certainly the place to go for good food, good art, and good times.  Southtown is really a community development, promotion, and historic preservation organization, which was designed to gentrify the King William, Lavaca, and Blue Star neighborhoods.  And it certainly has been working.

Today, Southtown is home to San Antonio's eclectic mix of cowboy, Tejano, Mexican, and southern cultures, existing in a low-lying maze of bungalows, Victorian houses, and Beaux Arts mansions, which provide a calmer, more community-oriented atmosphere than many other parts of the city.

What brings most non-residents to Southtown is First Friday, the neighborhood's gallery walk which features local merchants selling their wares, musical performances, and all types of delicious foods.  A walk through the streets shows just how diverse San Antonio, and Southtown in particular, really is.  Stores selling Asian furniture exist beside Mexican taquerias, South American handicrafts and art shops, and vintage clothing stores.

Being the arts and cultural center of the city, Southtown definitely always has something interesting going on, even if it isn't First Friday.  The dining options are so varied that one could possibly eat a different cuisine each day of the month.  Madhatters Tea offers guests over 50 varieties of tea from China to Morocco, as well as sandwiches, sweets, salads, and brunches.  For those looking for a different take on Latino cuisine, Azuca offers diners a menu fusing Caribbean, Central, and Latin American dishes together in what they describe as, Nuevo Latino food.  Azuca was also named by the Concierge Association as one of the ten best restaurants in San Antonio in 2004-5.  Anyone looking to hoist a few hand-crafted beers will be welcomed in the Blue Star Brewing Company, which is San Antonio\'s first brewpub.  Featuring delicious beers, great food, and live jazz every Tuesday evening, Blue Star is a great place to relax with old friends, or make new ones.

Southtown is also home to a variety of galleries, art spaces, museums, and workshops.  Such organizations as Jump-Start, a performance company dedicated to educating mostly inner city children about the arts and drama, can be found in the neighborhood.  Urban-15 is another such group that makes its home in Southtown.  Urban-15's mission is to mix traditional Latino culture with modern art forms to create a new type of folk art for San Antonio.

As San Antonio grows, so does Southtown, but this eclectic district remains as one of the most authentic in the city.  A walk down South Alamo, St. Mary\'s, South Prensa, or any of the other streets and avenues located in the neighborhood will invite surprises and a variety of discoveries.

Spurs Clinch Series, Jazz up Next

Written by Randy Watson

The Spurs dominated the Suns in the second half of Game 6, to close out the series and move to the Western Conference finals where they will face the Utah Jazz.  San Antonio, boosted by terrific play inside and outside, used a huge third quarter spurt to go up by as many as 20 points, on the way to the victory.

San Antonio's outside threats, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, both had easily their best games of the series, with Ginobili scoring 33 points on 4-7 shooting from behind the 3-point arc, and Parker scoring 30 points, many baskets coming on layups as he darted, dashed, and destroyed the Suns defense.  Tim Duncan's inside presence on both ends of the court was enough to negate a brilliant performance by Amare Stoudemire.  Duncan had 24 points and 13 rebounds, and set a franchise record with 9 blocks in the game.

Stoudemire led all scorers with 38 points and 12 rebounds, but most came when the game was all but decided.  Phoenix did mount a 4th quarter comeback, led by Stoudemire and Nash (15 4th quarter points), managing to cut the 20 point lead down to 5, but with only 17 second left, San Antonio's free throw shooting put the game away, and the San Antonio crowd was left to celebrate.

San Antonio will be back to full strength against the Jazz, as Robert Horry sat out the second game of his two game suspension.

The series certainly did not lack for drama or excitement, with the verbal barbs flying almost as often as the shots.  In Game 1, Steve Nash received a nasty cut on his nose, which required 6 stitches after the game.  In Game 3, Nash received a knee to the groin from Bowen, and Ginobili, a black eye.  Stoudemire then upped the ante, calling the Spurs a dirty team. Then, of course, came the Horry Nash incident, which affected both teams, and lead to 3 players being suspended.  Horry later stated that Nash had been acting when Horry fouled him.

By all accounts, the series against the Jazz shouldn't prove to be much different, with Utah and San Antonio both able and willing to play a physical, old-school style, and both teams emphasizing defense.

Game 1 of the Western Conference finals is Sunday in San Antonio.

Turnabout is fair play.  The Phoenix Suns had risen to the occasion, playing without their two best bigs, Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw, both serving a one game suspension for leaving the bench during the Horry/Nash episode at the end of Game 4, and had led San Antonio for most of the game.  That is, until Bruce Bowen hit a three with 36 seconds left in the game to break the tie, and the hearts of the Suns.

In what was in many ways a mirror image of Game 4, in which the Spurs lead for most of the game, only to see it slip away at the very end, San Antonio found itself unable to match the Suns' energy and passion for most of the game, but managed to claw their way back into contention in the last few minutes, led in large part by Manu Ginobili.

Ginobili had been having a sub-par game, but turned it on in the last quarter, scoring 15 of his 26 points, knocking down all of his free throws, and hitting three three-pointers in a row. He also added 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and two steals.  He led the team in scoring.  Tim Duncan, battling double-teams all night, had an efficient game scoring 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks.  Michael Finley added 13 points, and Tony Parker had 11.

San Antonio had been shooting horribly from long-range for most of the game, going 3-17 throughout most of the game, and were down as many as 16 points in the second quarter. They managed to trim the lead down to 8 points with a little more that 5 minutes left.  Then, as happened to San Antonio in the previous game, the Suns went cold from the floor, Ginobili and the Spurs heated up, and were able to steal a game on the road, reclaim home-court advantage, and now sit within one game of moving on to the finals.

For a while, it looked like the suspensions didn't affect the Suns, as Shawn Marion poured in 20 points in the first half, and pulled down every rebound that came near him.  Unfortunately for him and Phoenix, he only managed 4 points in the second half. He had 11 points and 7 rebounds in the first quarter alone.  San Antonio only managed 13 points in the opening quarter.

The Spurs now find themselves firmly in control of the series, needed only to win one of the next two games to close out the Suns and advance to the conference finals against Utah.  The action returns to San Antonio this Friday, and without a doubt, the arena will be electric.

Everything was going fine for the San Antonio Spurs.  They had built an 11 point lead.  They were dictating the pace of the game.  Phoenix's star center, Amare Stoudemire, had just picked up his fouth and fifth fouls in a matter of seconds and was sent to the bench.  San Antonio was just minutes away from taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, and making the outcome of the series almost a foregone conclusion.  Then the wheels fell off.

Phoenix, led by a gritty performance by Steve Nash, burst forth with a 12-1 run to come from behind and steal Game 4 on San Antonio's home court, and even the series at 2-2, as the action heads back to Phoenix.  During the run, Nash completed consecutive behind the back assists to Stoudemire, the first to gain the lead, and the second to make it a three point game at 100-97.  They wouldn't need any more.

San Antonio played 3 ½ quarters of championship basketball.  Tim Duncan scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Tony Parker lead the team with 23 points and 7 assists.  Michael Finley continued to play well, scoring 17 points on 4-10 shooting from behind the arc.  Even Brent Barry got into the act, scoring 12 points.  Unfortunately for San Antonio, none of those points came in the closing minutes.

In fact, the Spurs finished so poorly, that it could cost them Robert Horry for at least a game.  With less than a minute left, as Steve Nash was racing up the court, Horry gave a hard foul which sent Nash crashing into the scorer's table.  After a brief skirmish at midcourt, Horry was ejected, and Phoenix salted the game away on free throws.  Some of Phoenix's bench players were dangerously close to coming onto the court, namely Stoudemire and Boris Diaw, so Phoenix could be short-handed, as well.

One glaring mistake for San Antonio, could have been Coach Popovich's decision to bench Duncan for a long stretch near the end, because of foul trouble.  With Duncan on the bench, Phoenix was able to drive the lane on various occasions, and play at a much faster pace.  They also got several offensive rebounds and put backs.

The emotions and high intensity that has marked this series has been upped a notch with Horry's foul on Nash, and the hard play seems to be here to stay.  Neither of the two teams seems to be backing down, and it's quite doubtful that either will buckle.  At the end of the day, the Spurs missed a great opportunity to take full control of the series, and have also lost the home court advantage that they managed to wrest away with their road victory in Game 1.

As the final horn sounded, Tim Duncan's face told the whole story.  Mouth agape; staring off into the distance, he had the expression of a man who just reached into his back pocket for his wallet, only to find that it had been stolen.

Manu Ginobili had been quiet for most of the playoffs, but finally regained his late-season form in Game 3 against the Suns, torching them for 24 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals.  His effort, along with Tim Duncan's strongest performance of the playoffs so far (33 points, 19 rebounds, and 3 blocks) was too much for Phoenix, and wit the win, San Antonio has gone up 2-1 in the series, with a chance to put the Suns in dire straits Monday night with a victory.

The series has been intense up to this point, and has certainly not lacked drama.  In Game 1, Steve Nash was bloodied and required six stitches in his nose following the game.  Then, before this game, Suns center Amare Stoudemire accused the Spurs of being a "dirty team" and accused Bruce Bowen of deliberately trying to hurt him on a foul.  In this game, Ginobili got mixed up with Shawn Marion and Raja Bell, and ended up with a puffy eye.  And this was only the third game.  One thing is clear, San Antonio seems much better suited to this style of physical play than Phoenix.

Steve Nash, who has been the most dangerous Suns' player, was held to 16 points in the game, and was scoreless in the first half.  He did have 11 assists in the game.  Another of Phoenix's key weapons, Stoudemire, was in foul trouble throughout the game and spent large patches of time on the bench.  Still, Phoenix was within six points with just under two minutes left in the game. However, Tim Duncan, scoring 13 points in the final quarter, almost single-handedly iced the game for the Spurs.

Bruce Bowen seemed to take the comments from Stoudemire in stride, as well, scoring 10 points, with 9 rebounds, and 4 steals.  He only had 2 fouls.  Likewise, Tony Parker had an efficient game, scoring 16 points, with 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

San Antonio has taken control of this series, and now that they have gained the home court advantage by winning one in Phoenix, a win Monday would put the Suns in a deep hole, down 3-1.  As long as San Antonio continues playing the kind of hard-nosed, blue-collar defense that defines this team, Phoenix will continue to struggle.  Game 4 Monday night should be an intense battle.