San Antonio at Boston
By: Totals 4 U
San Antonio (31-16) topped the Wizards 85-77 Wednesday night with a dynamite 28-17 4th quarter run, keyed by Coach Gregg Popovich?s signature defense (91.5 points allowed this season) that held Washington to .354 shooting from the field on the night. That signature defense has also captured NBA Championships for the Spurs in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007.
?Pop? is actually a pretty interesting guy. After playing four seasons at the Air Force Academy, where he earned a degree in Russian Studies, he joined the US Armed Forces Team where he extensively toured the Soviet Union, inviting rumors of a ?Confessions of a Dangerous Mind? sort of secret career, ala Chuck Barris. This season, Coach Popovich has numerous obstacles to overcome if his is to significantly add to his career 92-51 playoff mark.
First of all, reliable veteran role player 6?10? 240 F/C Robert Horry (1.6p, 2.1r, 1.0a, 7 of 32 from 3-point) couldn?t open his season until December and is all but finished in his 16th season. Next, the Spurs lost a critical piece in point guard Tony Parker (19.2p, 3.0r, 6.1a) to an ankle injury, who will not likely return for another three weeks. Most recently, G Brent Barry (7.3p, 1.9r, 1.8a) went down with a re-injured ankle on January 24th, sidelining the squad?s most deadly shooter with 46 makes in 107 attempts (.430) from behind the arc paired with a .950 mark from the stripe. Of course a franchise of this caliber hasn?t remained pat. The Spurs have brought in 13th-year veteran point guard Damon Stoudamire (20 points, 5 boards, 3 assists in 2 games with San Anotnio and a career .392 shooter from 3-point), who got his wish when the Grizzlies released him on January 28th, and have boosted minutes for 6?1? G Jacques Vaughn (4.8p, 1.2r, 2.5a), who responded with a season high 17 points last Friday night. Add to this the shooting of 6?7? 200 F Bruce Bowen (5.5p, 2.8r, 1.3a, 46 of 112 from 3-point) and 6?7? 225 G/F Michael Finley (10.0p, 3.8r, 1.7a, 85 of 225 from 3-point), plus the career year 6?6? G Manu Ginobili (19.4p, 4.8r, 4.2a, 1.63s) is enjoying and San Antonio will likely hold their own for now at the guard position.
On the blocks, the Spurs have a decent array of supporting talent in 6?10? 240 C/F Matt Bonner (6.0p, 3.5r), 7?0? 235 C Francisco Elson (3.6p, 3.6r), and 6?10? 245 Fabricio Oberto (5.1p, 5.5r, 1.1a), but if Coach Popovich?s crew is to thrive, they need Parker?s return to take the heat off franchise star 6?11? 260 F/C Tim Duncan (19.6p, 11.3p, 3.1a, 1.79b). Duncan?s versatile athletic ability is still pretty tough to handle in his 11th season, and he has done a fine job in improving his effectiveness from the line at .703 this season. But without a 3rd scoring option, the big guy is getting a lot of attention from defenses. A perennial powerhouse, the Spurs are just 14-13 since January 11th and 11-11 on the road in 2007-2008.
Boston (37-9) hasn?t won an NBA Championship since 1986, but the folks at The Garden have reason to believe that this is their year - as long as 6?11? 220 F Kevin Garnett (19.2p, 9.9r, 3.8a, 1.41s, 1.41b) is healthy. Garnett?s flight from the career graveyard that was Minnesota for Bean Town has not only added a third offensive option to 6?5? G Ray Allen (18.4p, 4.0r, 3.0a, 1.07s, 103 of 272 from 3-point) and 6?7? 235 F Paul Pierce (20.2p, 5.6r, 4.9a, 1.42s, 76 of 205 from 3-point), but also added the critical defensive stopper the Celtics were missing. Garnett has also served as an effective mentor for 6?10? 264 C Kendrick Perkins (7.5p, 5.6r, 1.0a, 1.20b), who also joined the NBA straight out of high school. 2nd in team points, 1st in boards, 3rd in assists, 3rd in steals, and 1st in blocks, Garnett?s absence with an abdominal injury the last five games has accelerated the trend away from the stifling defense that has earned this crew the best record in the NBA.
For the season, the Celtics are averaging just 88.8 points allowed per trip, but have given up 95.4 with KG sidelined, including 113 and 100 against the Cavaliers and Clippers this week (allowed 100+ only five times through their first 44 games). Garnett may miss Friday?s game at Minnesota as well, but should be on the court by Sunday. With Scott Pollard (1.9p, 1.8r) also sidelined it has been up to 6?9? 235 F/C Brian Scalabrine (1.9p, 1.4r) and 6?8? 217 F James Posey (7.4p, 4.3r, 1.4a, 54 of 129 from 3-point) to pick up the slack. Garnett's absence has also meant more minutes for youngsters 6?8? 240 F Leon Powe (4.8p, 2.5r in 9.1 minutes per game), 6?9? 289 F Glen Davis (4.7p, 2.9r in 12.7 minutes per game), and 6?1? G Rajon Rondo (10.0p, 4.3r, 4.6a, 1.76s), who piled up a career best 17 points Wednesday night in a 111-100 win over the Clippers. Throw in the production of guards 6?4? Tony Allen (6.3p, 2.2r, 1.5a, 1.0s) and 6?1? Eddie House (7.9p, 2.3r, 1.8a, 0.9s, 72 of 177 from 3-point) and Coach Doc Rivers has his hands full trying to find playing time for so many quality players.
Coach Rivers has 16 seasons of hustling college and pro ball as a player to draw from while learning from coaches like Rick Majerus, Pat Riley, Larry Brown, and Mike Fratello. So the success he has achieved on the sidelines is no surprise, but the numbers his squad has produced in 2007-2008 are eye-popping. Edges of +2.2 steals, +3.6 assists, +2.7 rebounds, and 10.8 points per contest are more than decisive, while 327 makes in 860 attempts from behind the arc (.380 from 3-point) is a dimension that few defensive clubs have ever been able to bring to the court. Boston is not playing their best at the moment with six losses in their last 14 games, but the return of Garnett should get the Celtics back on track.
Free winner from Totals 4 U: We fully expect Kevin Garnett to be on the court for the Celtics at The Garden on Sunday, and it's hard to remember a stretch over the last four or five years during which the Spurs were more vulnerable to getting handled wire to wire. Take Boston and lay the points.