Spurs-Timberwolves Preview/Game Thread

[SamAnton]

Spurs-Timberwolves Preview
Wire Reports - Comtex AP
Thursday, December 11, 2008

With Manu Ginobili out, the San Antonio Spurs had to turn to other players for clutch shots early in the season.

Tony Parker delivered in a big way against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Spurs, rounding into form with their "Big Three" finally healthy, face the Timberwolves on Friday night for the first time since Parker's huge game against them in November.

Ginobili missed the first month while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, leaving San Antonio (13-8) without the player it perhaps counts on the most when the game's on the line. The Spurs lost their first three games before beating Minnesota 129-125 in double-overtime Nov. 5.

Parker scored a career-high 55 points, including a 20-footer at the buzzer to force a second OT. It was the best scoring game by an opponent in the Timberwolves' 20-year history.

Parker was 22-of-36 from the field and added 10 assists and seven rebounds. The last NBA player to have at least 55 points and 10 assists in a game was Michael Jordan, who had 57 and 10 for Chicago against Washington on Dec. 23, 1992.

The veteran point guard helped give San Antonio a much-needed boost and its sixth straight win against Minnesota since a 103-101 overtime loss Jan. 3, 2007.

With Manu Ginobili out, the San Antonio Spurs had to turn to other players for clutch shots early in the season.

Tony Parker delivered in a big way against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Spurs, rounding into form with their "Big Three" finally healthy, face the Timberwolves on Friday night for the first time since Parker's huge game against them in November.

Ginobili missed the first month while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, leaving San Antonio (13-8) without the player it perhaps counts on the most when the game's on the line. The Spurs lost their first three games before beating Minnesota 129-125 in double-overtime Nov. 5.

Parker scored a career-high 55 points, including a 20-footer at the buzzer to force a second OT. It was the best scoring game by an opponent in the Timberwolves' 20-year history.

Parker was 22-of-36 from the field and added 10 assists and seven rebounds. The last NBA player to have at least 55 points and 10 assists in a game was Michael Jordan, who had 57 and 10 for Chicago against Washington on Dec. 23, 1992.

The veteran point guard helped give San Antonio a much-needed boost and its sixth straight win against Minnesota since a 103-101 overtime loss Jan. 3, 2007.

One game later, however, Parker rolled his ankle along the baseline in a loss to Miami, and he missed the next nine games. He returned against Memphis on Nov. 28, giving the Spurs their full complement of All-Stars for the first time this season.

Once-slumping San Antonio has gone 5-2 with Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan together and healthy.

Ginobili came back Nov. 24 at Memphis, and is coming off his best game of the season. He scored 27 points in a return to his sixth-man role to help San Antonio beat Atlanta 95-89 for its fourth straight victory.

Ginobili, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year last season, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.

"He loves games like that. He loves to play in situations like that," Duncan said. "It's just great being able to give the ball to a guy like that and let him create moves and create shots."

Ginobili started for the Spurs in the previous four games, including a demanding double-overtime victory Tuesday night, so he got an extra break at the beginning of the game against the Hawks.

The veteran guard is averaging 28.8 points in his last five games against Minnesota, shooting 69.7 percent (46-for-66) from the field and 67.6 percent (25-for-37) from 3-point range.

Minnesota (4-17) has been hurt by terrible shooting during a seven-game losing streak, making 42.0 percent from the floor and 27.9 percent from beyond the arc.

The Timberwolves were held under 100 points in six straight games before a 116-105 loss at Denver on Wednesday night. The defeat was their second since Kevin McHale took over as head coach Monday.

Al Jefferson led Minnesota once again with 26 points and 12 rebounds. He had 30 points and 14 boards in the first matchup with San Antonio.

http://www.broadbandnewsnet.com/news...asp?a=5173&z=1

[spurscrazed]

McHale: Readiness is in, surprises out

McHale: Readiness is in, surprises out

By BRIAN STENSAAS, Star Tribune

Kevin McHale is a planner.


In 13 Hall of Fame seasons with Boston, McHale chalked up his success to always being ready for what the opposition had in mind for stopping him.


"I knew exactly what the other team was going to do," McHale said earlier this week. "Their schemes, knew where they were going to double-team from; knew where everything was."


He applies that same level of preparedness to his new duties as Timberwolves coach.
Tonight against San Antonio, whatever inside information McHale has on the Spurs had better be dead-on.


On the heels of Carmelo Anthony's 33-point third quarter in Wednesday's loss at Denver -- a total that tied an NBA record for points in one quarter -- comes a San Antonio team that features a pair of Wolves nemeses.


Manu Ginobili scored 75 points in two games at Target Center a year ago. Only five weeks back, Tony Parker went off for 55 in a two-overtime victory here.


Yet McHale has no doubt the Wolves will have an answer.


"Oh, we'll have mismatches," he said, referring to his team having the upper hand in spots against the Spurs.


Just exactly where is the question. One answer might be in the frontcourt.


McHale has used Craig Smith as the starting power forward -- his only two starts of the season -- since taking over as head coach for the fired Randy Wittman on Monday.


McHale, the team's vice president of basketball operations until then, apparently has had his eye on Smith as a go-to player for some time.


Asked if Smith's newfound starting role was the result of McHale liking what he saw out of the 6-7, 250-pound Smith, he replied, "I saw great things out of him at Boston College, so yeah."
Smith is averaging 18 minutes, 30 seconds of play for the season, but has played more than 26 minutes in each of the past two games.


"If we see something that's working for us we'll continue to go with it," he said. "It's opening up things for everybody."


Five weeks ago, about the only thing that was open was jump shots for Parker.


With Corey Brewer gone for the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee Nov. 29, and with Mike Miller still questionable for tonight's game because of an ankle injury, the Wolves are potentially down two wing defenders.


That means it's time for others to "buck up and play" in those absences, McHale said.
Guard Sebastian Telfair was among those unable to stop Parker earlier this year. He knows Parker likely will get his points again tonight, but hopes to force him into the paint.


"If he's coming out and hitting jump shots the way he did last time, I don't think there's much we can do with him," Telfair said.


"[But] it's nothing what they're going to do, it's all what we're going to do. How we come out, how we approach the game. How we execute, ourselves. We have to react to one another when a team goes on a run on us."


All the planning in the world can't make up for a team not up to speed.


"You can run all the Xs and Os and all that stuff," McHale said. "If you're not playing well, it doesn't make any difference."

[esparzar1]

Spurs should dominate

Spurs 105

T-Pups 89

[cjdrivera]

Spurs 115
Danny Ainge's Rejects 82

[Eddy from Austin]

Spurs 98
Twolves 81

[SoTexasBalla]

104 - 89
S*P*U*R*S

[samstheman]

Can Parker top his 55 point night?

Tune in....

[KAD]

The spurs will need to be ready as Minne will for sure! Spurs win 102 - 90

[Mombear]

45-43 tpups

[Mombear]

Spurs 47
Tpups 45

TONY HAS YET TO SCORE!!???!!!

[Mombear]

49-47 spurs

Tony with another miss...

[Mombear]

but the good news is... he has 7 assists...

bonner was thrown to the floor by Smith...

49-47 spurs

[Mombear]

6:18 left in the 3rd.

[Mombear]

Manu is 3 for 12

5:30 to go

SA 50
TP 47

Time out Spurs....

[Mombear]

Spurs 57
Tpups 51

[Mombear]

Manu has scored 7 of the last 9 points for the Spurs.

Tony has 1 point...

[Mombear]

Tim 0/0 at the line

Hill with the reb...

Tim with the score!!! woo hoo

61-55 spurs

Reach in foul on Manu... 2nd foul.

[Mombear]

Manu with another foul. 3rd 1st in the last 2 minutes for spurs

[Mombear]

66-57 Spurs

End of 3rd

Spurs have 9 blocked shots tonight.

[Mombear]

tony is fouled. going to the line with his 1 lousy point.

[Mombear]

2/2 for tony

Bonner with a foul. 3rd foul on bonner 9 points 4 reb and 3 assists.

[Mombear]

70-59 Spurs

10:44 left in 4th

[Mombear]

Tony with 3 straight field goals...

Time out Tpups...

9:53 SA 74 - TP 59

[Mombear]

The first 3:14 of this qtr Spurs already have 4 team fouls.


Foul on tim - 3rd.

8:30 left

Finley out Manu in.

Manu has 14 points.

8:20 left in game

Spurs 12 point lead.

[Mombear]

Spurs 76
T Pups 64

7:35 left

[Mombear]

Spurs 76
Tpups 67

Time out Spurs!

[Mombear]

4:47 left in the game

88-71 Spurs

Hill with a tear drop..

[Mombear]

End of 4th...

Spurs 98

Tpups 86

SPURS WIN!!

[Fundamental9903]

Hey mom, I just got off of work. How did we do?

[Mombear]

Originally Posted by Fundamental9903

Hey mom, I just got off of work. How did we do?

End of 4th...

Spurs 98

Tpups 86

SPURS WIN!!

[TodTango]

but no matter, it was an easy win. T-Pups could only make it close when the Spurs threw up