Sports Update
Spurs using their savvy to trump ultra-talented Clippers
LOS ANGELES — If we are to do an honest assessment of pure talent, of the number of roster players in their prime and healthy on each team still alive in the West, the San Antonio Spurs would not lead that list. They wouldn’t even have the edge on the team they’re playing now.
But sometimes, the better team doesn’t always safely navigate the NBA playoff minefield — but the smartest team usually does.
That’s what the Spurs are banking on as Tim Duncan embarks on his 18th postseason while Manu Ginobili is in steep decline and Tony Parker deals with aching wheels. The best and healthiest team? Not really. They’re buying stock in their savvy, know-how and ability to stay chill when the intensity gets heavier in fourth quarters.
“Make plays,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “That’s it. That’s what you must do.”
This time of year, the Spurs have always made a habit of doing that, although in the past they were younger and a bit more loaded than they are now. On Tuesday, for the second time at Staples Center in this first-round playoff series, the Spurs had drier hands, calmer heads and sharper instincts than the Los Angeles Clippers did in the final minutes.
And get this: Quicker feet, too.
“Every time there was a loose ball, they got to it,” said Clippers coach Doc Rivers. “Going into the series, we were the team with speed.”
The Spurs hold a 3-2 series edge and are thus one step closer to defending their NBA championship. Game 6 is in San Antonio and maybe there will be a Game 7 back in L.A., yet the Spurs, with their aging core, aren’t the team that appears whipped.
The fourth quarter told the story for the Spurs. Did you see Duncan get a nifty block of Blake Griffin, and a strip, and a dunk? Did you see Griffin, who’s twice the athlete and 13 years younger, shoot 1-for-9 from the floor (and 0-for-2 at the line), all while tugging tiredly on his shorts late in the game?
In the final seconds of Game 5, Griffin aimed a 10-foot floater than circled around the rim and was inexplicably tipped in — illegally, it turned out — by DeAndre Jordan, and the Clippers were done. Once again, the Spurs kept their composure in the clutch in this tightly contested and evenly-matched series.
Almost anyone Popovich puts in the game never seems to sweat. Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, Patty Mills, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Boris Diaw … the list goes on of players who don’t look down at their sneakers when Pop is asking for volunteers to take a big shot.
With that many brave players, it’s easy to throw out different lineups or substitute freely and not worry about the ball landing in the wrong person’s hands with the shot-clock winding down and the score tied. Poor decisions, turnovers or players freezing in the moment are no longer a concern.
Late in Game 5, Diaw hurried a 18-foot turnaround shot to beat the shot-clock and swished, part of his eight-point fourth quarter. Green hit a key free throw. Marco Belinelli hit a game-tying 3-pointer. And then there was Duncan (21 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and one delicious block), guarding Griffin for the first time all series and getting the better of that matchup, never reaching for his lungs despite playing 38 minutes.
Duncan did the same in Game 2 when he sparkled for three quarters, missed a handful of bunnies in the fourth, then took command in overtime.
His ability to pace himself and remain sturdy in the moment of truth continues to amaze at age 39. Or should we be surprised? The playoffs aren’t a contest of pure skills as much as it’s about preservation and capturing the moment when the game’s up for grabs. That’s when experience wins.
“His timing is impeccable,” Popovich said. “He knows where to be. He has a great basketball IQ and he has excellent timing, so he reads things well.”
And he wins.
Meanwhile, Rivers will learn plenty about his team in Thursday’s Game 6, as playing in San Antonio in an elimination game comes with its own sense of peril.
“It’s a gettable game,” Griffin said. “It’s not going to be easy by any means. I mean, this is what they do. They’re a great team, a well-coached team and they’ve been in this situation before.”
For all of his deserved praise for refining his game, improving his jumper, his passing and his defense, Griffin is gaining a rep in this series for folding in the clutch. Game 6 will serve as a redemption opportunity for Griffin, who had the ugliest 30-point, 14-rebound, seven-assist game you’ll ever see. He has unraveled when it mattered most in this series and his late-game mistakes (the Game 5 block and his late-in-regulation turnover in Game 2) have cost the Clippers in two games.
“You know, I don’t believe in looking back and comparing games like this,” Griffin said.
It goes beyond just Griffin, though. The Clippers need to freshen up on their cool factor, with Paul collecting a crucial Game 5 technical.
Better luck would help, too. In the final 3 minutes Tuesday, the Clippers came out on the wrong end of a J.J. Redick foul (his sixth, which cost the Clippers an important shooter) and an offensive goaltending call on DeAndre Jordan, both of which were questionable calls.
“They’re frustrated at themselves but they’re frustrated at other stuff,” said Rivers.
You see, when teams such as the Clippers get frustrated, it can be visible in their play. The Spurs, meanwhile, keep their expression of frustration well hidden. This is their time of year, when their many years of playoff experiences, good and bad, help guide them through the next springtime challenge.
It’s the playoffs and the Spurs are busy moving the ball, setting picks, finding the open man, making shots, being clever and making stops. This doesn’t happen every game or every quarter, just when it matters most, it seems.
This is the recipe necessary to go deep into the playoffs.
“It’s not our best shooting series and we haven’t played our best basketball but we hang in there by playing defense, being consistent and being focused,” Diaw said. “The games we have won, that is why. We don’t know what’s going to happen the next game, we don’t know if we’re going to shoot better or not. But the one thing we have control of is the energy and focus we come with.”
Veteran NBA writer Shaun Powell has worked for newspapers and other publications for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here or follow him on Twitter.
BY Shaun Powell
Mayweather restrained, Pacquiao preacher-like in final press event before Big Fight
Las Vegas – The atmosphere of the final press conference for the mega-bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao failed in comparison to the tremendous hype this fight has generated in the eyes of the public.
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The press event was a subdued and mellow speaking engagement from the fighters and the personnel behind what is dubbed as “The Fight of the Century.”
Gone was the outspoken and blunt persona of Mayweather Jr., that the public has seen and heard plenty in the past. His trash talking was absent when he took to the dais to speak to a gathering of media men from all over the world that has found their way at the MGM Grand.
He was calm, sipping from a Starbucks cup while listening to others deliver their speeches.
When it was his turn to do so, he delivered his short piece that is devoid of any drama that the press has been angling from him.
“This has been truly an amazing, amazing turn-out. Training camp has been remarkable. There’s been a great chemistry with all the members of my team,” stated the undefeated champion as he credited his father Floyd Sr. and uncle, Roger Mayweather for their contribution to his preparations against Pacquiao showed more emotions in the stage than his upcoming counterpart in the ring. He was smiling through the majority of the event and joking with his trainer Freddie Roach who was seated beside him.
He was also like a pastor during a Sunday church service- professing about his faith and how he has attained the peak of his career with the will of the Almighty.
“Everything that I have accomplished is from God who gave me the strength. I just want to be an example and inspiration to everybody. I used to steal in the street and starving. But now, I can’t imagine how our Lord raised me to this position,” delivered Pacquiao in a venue that is the setting for a Cirque de Soleil show but sounded as quiet as a Sunday morning service.
And when the two posed for the obligatory ‘Face-off’ in front of the press photographers and TV crews in front of them – the two maintained civility like businessmen who will earn the biggest revenue in boxing instead of fighters who are about to hurt each other in three days.
But the presser was not entirely a showcase of civility from others in the stage.
Bob Arum, the promoter of Pacquiao, unloaded praises on his fighter, HBO and almost everyone in his side of the table. He stressed how HBO is the number 1 network, how Pacquiao is the most influential fighter in the world, how Roach is a great trainer and how the Mandalay Bay was a great hotel.
It was a swing against SHOWTIME, Mayweather Jr. and Sr. and the MGM Grand, who once labeled itself as the “Home of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Arum’s remarks were ignored by SHOWTIME’s Stephen Espinoza but derived a short rebuttal from Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions who reminded everyone that his unbeaten boss is “The best fighter in the planet.”
Arum’s provocations drew smirks, smiles and head shakes from the people up in the stage and the audience who were controlling their reaction.
It was the only histrionics of an event that is supposed to promote a fight that took five years of back and forth accusations between the two camps.
Floyd Sr., the provocative father and trainer of his son, who has been a source of fire in his interviews with the press about was again not allowed to speak in front of the microphone, similar to the first press conference in Los Angeles in March. He was also, nearly ignored and not acknowledged by Ellerbe during the presser.
Floyd Sr. tried to deliver a speech in the dais, but everyone in the panel stood up already for the posing of fighters, depriving the event of a fight atmosphere it needs.
Pacquiao said that after this fight this Saturday, which he maintained as never personal, he would like to talk to Mayweather Jr. about his faith and his religion.
“I am hoping that after the fight, I can speak to Floyd and that I could share my faith about God and that we can inspire people, especially children who are looking at us,” said Pacquiao, who is again a picture of a religious figure inviting recruits to his congregation.
“You guys came here to see excitement and witness a great event. And that’s what both competitors bring to the table – excitement,” says Mayweather Jr.
That promise of “excitement” is not evident at today’s event. Maybe it’ll come in Friday’s highly anticipated weigh-in festivities.
But it is the hope of everyone that it’ll ultimately arrive in a beautifully wrapped box in the ring this Saturday.
“It’s time to fight now,” declared Mayweather Jr.
The world agrees.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 30 Apr 2015
NBA Playoff Updates
In breakout season,
Bulls’ Butler must give more
Chicago guard looks to increase defensive intensity vs. Bucks
CHICAGO — Nobody looks forward to games in Milwaukee, even morning shootarounds in that city, quite like Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls. At least, that’s what teammate Joakim Noah teased Butler about in front of reporters early in their first-round Eastern Conference series against the Bucks.
Milwaukee is the place where Butler went to college (Marquette), found stability after a difficult upbringing in Tomball, Texas and developed into a first-round NBA draft pick. So returning to the court at the BMO Harris Bradley Center a few times each year or, occasionally, at the Al McGuire Center on his old campus means more to him than to most NBA players.
Returning for Game 6 of this series that has lasted longer than Chicago would have preferred, in search of the clincher, means a little extra to Butler now too. As big a stride as he’s taken this season — to team’s leading scorer, to All-Star status, to the brink of a whopper contract this summer in free agency — it all will come crashing down if the Bulls can’t put away the Bucks and move on to a highly anticipated conference semifinals clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The work, both offseason and in-season, that made Butler a strong candidate for this year’s Most Improved Player Award has been evident in his performance through the first five playoff games. In the regular season, he boosted his scoring average from 13.1 to 20 points, his true-shooting percentage from .522 to .583 and his player efficiency rating (PER) from 13.5 to 21.3.
I’m supposed to be the prime-time defensive guy, and I haven’t been guarding a soul. I’ve been worried about offense too much, and I need to change that quickly or it’s going to be my fault.
– Jimmy Butler
Butler’s growth has been even more significant in the postseason. A year ago, in the Bulls’ five-game exit vs. Washington, Butler averaged 13.6 points, posted a true-shooting percentage of .507 and rated 11.4 PER. Through five games against Milwaukee, Butler has averaged 26.6 points, with a .605 true percentage and a 22.1 PER. He has been the most reliable of the Bulls (scoring at least 20 in each game) and their release valve, bailing them out of sticky 24-second situations.
And there can be no greater compliment than this from Bulls fans: If teams in this or any other series were picked playground style, Butler — not Derrick Rose, not Pau Gasol — would be most folks’ first choice off the Chicago roster.
But even Butler didn’t escape unscathed from the Bulls’ lackluster and slightly rattling loss Monday in Game 5. Even though he again played extreme minutes — 46:28, boosting his average so far to 44:10 — Butler took 21 shots to score 20 points. He was 5-for-21 overall and just 1-for-7 in the fourth quarter, and he wasn’t able to offer any more defensive answers against Bucks point guard Michael Carter-Williams down the stretch (eight points, 4-of-6) than the unsuccessful Rose.
There were moments when Butler gave chase to one Milwaukee player or another when he looked tired, his legs appearing heavy. And no less harsh a critic than Butler himself wasn’t impressed with his work when the Bucks had the ball.
“I’m supposed to be the prime-time defensive guy, and I haven’t been guarding a soul,” Butler said after the game. “I’ve been worried about offense too much, and I need to change that quickly or it’s going to be my fault.”
That’s overstating the situation, especially on a team whose depth and varied skills were supposed to spread the load and share the wealth. Asked specifically about Butler during a media availability Monday, Coach Tom Thibodeau said: “It’s not on any one guy. It’s on our team. I think we’re capable of playing a lot better on both sides of the ball.”
The Bulls coach wants to see all five players moving the ball and picking up their pace offensively (while not backsliding to their turnover rate of the first four games). He wants energy, quicker decisions against double-teams to find open teammates and teammates who move when the defense reacts to Butler, Rose or any other Chicago ball handler.
The Bucks had a little to do with Butler’s rougher night Monday. Just as Milwaukee looked sharper and played with more confidence in each game, so did they vow to tighten the screws on Butler?
“We have to find a way to slow down Jimmy Butler,” Milwaukee’s Jared Dudley had said after Game 4. “He’s an All-Star, but he can’t be [one] every single game.”
Butler is in a tough spot. He has accepted more responsibility offensively, yet remains Chicago’s most reliable wing defender against the likes of Carter-Williams, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Since cloning’s not allowed, per NBA playoff roster rules, and Rose (shooting just 40.7 percent after Monday’s 5-of-20) and Pau Gasol (down five points nightly from his 18.5 regular-season average) have been slowed by the Bucks’ hustling defense, the Bulls need Butler at both ends.
His minutes average since the season began: 39.1. And, if Chicago does manage to advance, Butler has LeBron James waiting for him as a defensive assignment.
For now, though, Cleveland must wait. Butler still has work to do in Milwaukee, where he can enjoy the venue if not the duty.
“I’m not concerned,” Butler said Monday night. “We’re a good team. I think we’re going to show it in the next game. We continue to say it and we haven’t done it, but I’m confident that we will.”
NBA Playoff Updates
San Antonio Spurs lost their advantage when Clippers beat them in Game 4
One view is that San Antonio squandered an opportunity to push the Clippers to the playoff ledge
Now the Spurs and Clippers stand tied at 2-2 in the best-of-seven series, both teams knowing the winner of Game 5 on Tuesday night at Staples Center will leave one of them on the brink of elimination.
“The whole point is to get to four,” said Spurs forward Tim Duncan after the Clippers’ win Sunday to even the series. “You get three, you have a better chance, obviously. It’s not over until you get that fourth game.
The close-out game is going to be tough no matter which way it goes. But the one in front of us right now is this fifth game. It’s on the road. It’s on their home court. That’s good for them, obviously. But we’ve won there before.”
Before the start of Game 4 on Sunday, the Spurs appeared to be in control of the series.
They had won two straight games, had taken away the home-court advantage from the Clippers with a stirring overtime victory in Game 2 in Los Angeles and had the next two games in AT&T Center, where the Spurs were 33-8 during the regular season.
The Spurs won Game 3 with ease, riding the wave of Kawhi Leonard’s brilliant performance.
But they failed to capitalize on the momentum, with the defending NBA champions making uncharacteristic mistakes in Game 4 while continuing to shoot poorly.
“We’ve got things we can clean up real easily,” Duncan said after Sunday’s game. “So we have to do that and get ready for their best shot.”
Making some shots would help.
For the series, the Spurs are shooting 44.5% from the field, and an unsightly 31.8% from three-point range.
Spurs guard Danny Green, after a 0-for-6 Game 4, is making only 29% of his shots in the series.
But at least there has been a Tony Parker sighting for the Spurs.
Parker began the series out of sorts, going seven for 28 from the field for 17 total points in the first three games while dealing with injuries to his left ankle, left thigh and right Achilles’ tendon. He responded with 18 points on seven-for-15 shooting in Game 4.
“It was great to see him going to the basket and making plays for us,” Duncan said. “That’ll pay big dividends for us the rest of the series. Something else they’ll have to game-plan for.”
Since Gregg Popovich has been San Antonio’s coach, the Spurs have won 11 of 14 best-of-seven series when tied at two.
They have to win two more games to advance, the same as the Clippers.
“It’s hard because we were in a great situation, but it happens,” the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili said. “They are a good team. It’s not like we were supposed to have it easy. They are tough, and we’re going to have to play much better and not make so many mistakes. We need to try and get that home-court advantage back.”
Live Life to the Fullest 