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San Antonio Spurs News

Popovich says life on road tougher than in the past
"Over the past nine seasons, the mythology of the Spurs' rodeo road trip has taken on a life of its own. It was a time when the Spurs jelled for the season's stretch run, the place where championships were forged. Is it still? Gregg Popovich isn't so sure. "As guys get older, the trip gets tougher," the Spurs coach said. "When they were all young, it wasn't that tough. I threw that pablum out there, 'We all get together, it's a bunker mentality.' "Now, it's 'When is this sucker over?'" This year's incarnation of the rodeo trip has in fact barely begun. The Spurs are 2-0 on the nine-game jaunt heading into tonight's game against New Jersey, still three weeks away from their next home date."
Parker gets over losing his Linsanity
"There was a time, before an Asian-American point guard took over New York City, when a French-American point guard was in line to try the same. Amare Stoudemire announced in the summer of 2010 that Tony Parker is "ready to join me" with the Knicks. And a New York tabloid quoted Eva Longoria saying that, yes, Parker would like to play in New York. Stoudemire, Longoria and Parker would eventually go their separate ways. If the lights of New York had ever tugged at Parker, he let it go when he signed an extension with the Spurs. Then, Parker opted for what he knew, and where he had grown up. And what happened this past month helped satisfy whatever need for fame he had. Even in Parker's"
Ginobili's return may throw wrench into works, for now
"A small crowd of students gathered outside the nondescript community college gym in midtown Manhattan on Friday, straining for a glimpse of the NBA team that had invaded their school. Beyond the closed double doors, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili was going through a full-team, full-contact practice that would determine his availability for tonight's game in New Jersey. After about an hour, Ginobili emerged with the answer to one question, immediately giving rise to a host of others. Yes, he would play against the Nets, making his return from a broken left hand after a 39-day absence. But. "I don't have great expectations for the first couple of games," Ginobili said. "I just want to contribute,"
Manu cleared for Saturday return
"Manu Ginobili is good to go. That was the pronouncement coach Gregg Popovich made after a spirited, hour-long practice in midtown Manhattan this morning. The Spurs' star guard will make his return from a broken left hand Saturday night in New Jersey. How did Popovich know it was time? "When Manu's ready, you bring him back," Popovich said. "He's Manu. When he's ready to go, you don't care if you're winning, losing. It doesn't matter, he's coming back." Ginobili missed 22 games after fracturing his fifth metacarpal Jan. 2 in a loss at Minnesota. The Spurs went 15-7 in his absence, rising to second in the Western Conference. Needless to say, Ginobili is eager to get back on the floor. "I"
Manu to rejoin Spurs Saturday
"A small crowd of students gathered outside the non-descript community college gym in midtown Manhattan on Friday, straining for a glimpse of the NBA team that had invaded their school. Beyond the closed double doors, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili was going through a full-team, full-contact practice that would determine his availability for Saturday's game in New Jersey."
Parker gets All-Star nod, but not Duncan
"After 13 trips to the NBA All-Star Game, Spurs forward Tim Duncan has a pretty good idea of what an All-Star looks like. In his mind, it looks a lot like Tony Parker. "Easily," Duncan said when asked if the Spurs point guard should make this year's Western Conference squad. "There's no doubt." Apparently, West coaches agreed. When the NBA announced All-Star reserves Thursday night, Parker found his name on the list, an accomplishment that pushes him further into rarefied air in San Antonio."
Ginobili set for full-contact practice
"For Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, the wait is almost over. Out since Jan. 2 with a fractured shooting hand, Ginobili missed 22 games recovering from the break and the subsequent surgery to repair it. Now, he is one practice away from making his return. In a tiny gym at an obscure community college in midtown Manhattan this morning, Ginobili's availability for Saturday's game at New Jersey will be determined. It will be Ginobili's first chance at a full-contact practice since the injury. With Ginobili having already been medically cleared to play, coach Gregg Popovich will make the final determination based on the guard's general conditioning level."
Parker's big night keys Spurs past Sixers
"The images of Tony Parker and Tim Duncan or Tiago Splitter running the pick-and-roll must be embedded in the minds of the 76ers. That was pretty much all they saw as Parker picked-and-rolled his way to 37 points and eight assists, sending the Sixers to a 100-90 loss Wednesday. "They're just an efficient ballclub," Sixers forward Elton Brand said. "They're a veteran team. Their main guys have been together for a while. They know where to be."
Ginobili's return 'likely' Saturday at New Jersey
"At long last, the Spurs have a date targeted for Manu Ginobili to make his return from a broken left hand. If all goes to plan, coach Gregg Popovich said, Ginobili is "likely" to play Saturday at New Jersey. One sign Ginobili's return is imminent: With a straight face, he lobbied Popovich to play Wednesday night in Philadelphia. "I think it's too early," Popovich said. "We'd like to get him into a 5-on-5 situation before he plays. I think we'll be able to do that this week. "Probably, New Jersey is the first time he'll be allowed to play, I think. I think that's likely.""
Parker, Splitter speak same language
"He says the pronunciation of his name is closer to Che-ago, not Tee-ago. And he says something else. "Tony Parker is the only one who gets it right," Tiago Splitter said, smiling. The French in Parker has a sense of the Portuguese in Splitter, and it's telling of a global relationship that is enhanced near the rim. Manu Ginobili was always the one who made his teammates better, yet here is Parker, still scoring like the All-Star he should become today, connecting as he rarely has before."
Parker fuels rare triumph in Philly
"The name has changed over the years, from the CoreStates Center to First Union Center to Wachovia Center to the Wells Fargo Center. Informally, the building had also been known as Spectrum II and Stack's House, after Jerry Stackhouse, the team's star when the place was built in 1996. None of the name changes were enough to fool Tony Parker. For as long as he's been with the Spurs, the arena the Philadelphia 76ers call home might as well have been the Temple of Doom. "Our history is really bad here," Parker said. "We played so bad in Philly. I figured we had to get a win here sometime.""
Spurs patching up defense on the fly
"A 14-point lead had vanished. The Memphis Grizzlies had awoken to take a six-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The Spurs were on the verge of a disheartening opening to their 10th annual rodeo road trip. On the edge of unraveling Monday night in Memphis, Tenn., the Spurs called on an old friend. Their defense saved them, holding the Grizzlies to just 11 points in the final frame as the Spurs rallied for an 89-84 victory they hope sets a tone for the rest of the nine-game trek. "That's what we're going to have to bank on," forward Tim Duncan said. "We're not going to score a bunch of points every night.""
Grizzlies' rally falls short against San Antonio Spurs
"When Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins called for a time-out early in the third quarter his team was sputtering and the game appeared to be teetering out of control. But that's also when the Griz found a second gear. Memphis used a surge in defensive energy and sharper offense to cut down a double-digit deficit. But the Grizzlies' comeback attempt stalled Monday night in the final three minutes of an 89-84 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in FedExForum."
Duncan denies Memphis
"Tony Parker scanned the box score after the Spurs' 89-84 victory over Memphis on Monday. When he got to the line next to Tim Duncan's name, Parker's eyes got big. Nineteen points. Seventeen rebounds. Five blocks. All of it crucial in the Spurs' grind-it-out win to open the nine-game rodeo road trip. "Those are big numbers," Parker said, "at 45 years old." Parker went for the obvious joke, exaggerating the one number that needed exaggerating. Duncan is not yet 45, but at 35 and with the mileage of four title runs on his odometer, there are nights he looks it."
Duncan turns back clock for another vintage effort
"Tim Duncan used to be able to carry the Spurs in a manner befitting one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Those glimpses don't come along as often as they used to. And when they do, they assuredly are something special for Spurs Nation to savor. Duncan had one of those games Monday night in the Spurs' 89-84 victory over Memphis, dominating the game inside in the fourth quarter to help nail down the Spurs' season-best fifth consecutive victory. "Tim has been playing well lately. He's feeling good," Spurs point guard Tony Parker told reporters after the game. "His knee is doing well. Hopefully, he will stay like that.""
Spurs defense is kind of getting there
"Bruce Bowen is gone. And so are standouts like David Robinson, Mario Elie, Jaren Jackson, Fabricio Oberto and Robert Horry who made the Spurs' defense such a formidable weapon during the glory years of four previous NBA titles. So it was understandable after watching Minnesota torch the Spurs for 57.7 percent earlier this season and Miami rip them for 58.2 percent for Gregg Popovich to bemoan his defense as one of the worst he's ever had. Maybe those stinging words have resulted in an attitude change. But since allowing Houston to shoot 55.7 percent in a loss on Jan. 21 and New Orleans to shoot 50.6 percent on Jan. 23, the Spurs have shown a remarkable transformation."
TD climbs into the NBA's top 20 rebounding list
"Tim Duncan had a vintage performance Monday night that wasn't bad for a player in his 15th season. Duncan was a bear inside with 19 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Spurs' 89-84 victory over Memphis. The big game enabled him to crack the top 20 on the NBA's career rebounding list. Duncan now has 12,218 rebounds, passing Charles Oakley's 12,205 rebounds."
Spurs face road demons as rodeo trip rears head
"During the past nine seasons, Spurs point guard Tony Parker has picked up a trick or two for keeping his wits on the team's annual rodeo road trip. The secret to sanity, it turns out, begins with sticking close to coach Gregg Popovich. "Just go to nice restaurants with Pop and get tipsy sometimes," Parker joked. "That's the secret. Drink a lot of wine. It goes faster." In the 18 days to come, Parker and the Spurs will have plenty of time for wining and dining out, in between a little road basketball. Tonight in Memphis, the Spurs tip off their 10th annual rodeo road trip, having again been ejected from the AT&T Center until after the All-Star break by the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo."
Five quick thoughts: Why Kawhi was so ready for Durant
"Even though he was recently yanked out of the starting lineup, Kawhi Leonard knew he would be playing Kevin Durant a lot in Saturday's game. So it wasn't really a shock when San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich came to Leonard before the game and told him of his assignment. Leonard has faced a variety of defensive challenges in his rookie season. From Kevin Martin's awkward but effective jump shot to Dirk Nowitzki's pick-and-pop, Monta Ellis's face-up game and even a dose of LeBron James' physicality, he's seen it all. His game against Durant was one of the best of the season as he stared down the challenge of the two-time defending NBA scoring leader and even flourished. Durant scored 22"
Brooks sees comparison between Manu and Harden
"It's become fashionable to make a comparison between Oklahoma City top substitute James Harden and Manu Ginobili. Obviously, they are both left-handed shooters who are creators when they are on the court. But the similarities are deeper than that, according to Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks."
A short-season MVP checkpoint
"Can we really be more than a third of the way through the season? In the don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it post-lockout schedule, it's a fact that can't be denied. All but two teams have played at least 22 of the 66 games that make up this season's truncated regular season. Two teams have played 26 games in the 42 days since play began on Christmas Day. It's time, then, to take the first hard look at this season's race for NBA Most Valuable Player and determine which player was MVP of the first third. Some candidates are evident: LeBron James, the league's scoring leader who is averaging close to a triple double; Kevin Durant, the top scorer on the team with the best record in the league; and"
Parker gets his preferred scenario for record assist
"Basketball historian Tony Parker had a sense of what he wanted to happen Saturday night at the AT&T Center. It went beyond becoming the Spurs' all-time leader in career assists, a feat he accomplished in the third quarter of the Spurs' 107-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. If at all possible, Parker knew which teammate he wanted to pass to for the basket that would move him past Avery Johnson. Just as Utah's John Stockton fed Karl Malone for the basket that moved him past Lakers great Magic Johnson as the NBA's all-time assists leader in 1995, Parker wanted Tim Duncan to be on the shooting end of the record-breaking assist Saturday. "That's the exact feeling I had," Parker said."
Duo to wait for — it's Thunder vs. Spurs
"Kevin Durant believed in Tony Parker. Asked last week which duo he and Russell Westbrook would like to become, he said Tim Duncan and Parker. Not Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen? "Oh," Durant said Saturday night, smiling, "they would be tough to top." Durant opts for what he has seen in San Antonio. "Longevity, wins, championships," he said. It's the Oklahoma City tone. The Thunder owner once was a Spurs owner, and the Thunder general manager once worked for the Spurs, and Durant is Duncan, the humble superstar content to remain in a small market. But wait a few months. Will the Thunder feel the same if the playoff bracket ties them to the Spurs?"
Parker plunders Thunder
"Tony Parker arrived in San Antonio in the summer of 2001 a skinny, unknown French point guard in an era when European players were still more novelty than necessity. All Spurs coach Gregg Popovich asked him to do was replace the only championship point guard the franchise had ever had. On a Saturday night more than a decade later, in the Spurs' 107-96 victory over NBA-leading Oklahoma City, Parker replaced Avery Johnson in the record books. With nine assists, Parker passed Johnson as the team's all-time leader with 4,477. Popovich, ever the whip to Parker's backside, feigned being unimpressed. "He's been here a long time," Popovich said with a shrug and, if you looked closely enough, a"
Tony Parker's 42 powers Spurs past NBA-best Thunder
"Shortly before his team took the court against the Thunder on Saturday night, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was asked whether point guard Tony Parker was playing at an All-Star level. Popovich didn't hesitate to answer. "Absolutely," he said. Parker then promptly proved his coach's point. Parker posted a season-high 42 points to lead the Spurs to a 107-96 win over the Thunder inside AT&T Center. It was the most points the Thunder has given up to an opposing player all season, shattering what at the time was an jaw-dropping 30-point performance by Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Parker's previous season-high was 28 points, which he surpassed by four by the end of the third quarter."
Parker on brink of assists milestone
"Enjoying a career season distributing the basketball, Spurs point guard Tony Parker has moved within striking range of passing Avery Johnson as the Spurs' leader in career assists. With seven assists in the Spurs' 93-81 victory over the Hornets on Thursday, Parker has 4,468 for a Spurs career that began in 2001. That is six shy of Johnson's mark of 4,474, established in 10 seasons in silver and black that stretched from the 1990-91 season through 2000-01. Parker is averaging 7.9 assists per game, a career high. The timing of Parker's arrival after the Spurs made him the 28th pick in the 2001 draft made it impossible for him not to immediately understand Johnson's legacy. "When I first"
Spurs preparing for Thunder storm
"Gregg Popovich fussed with a lock on the door that separates his postgame interview room from the Spurs locker room. The pregnant pause inspired a final shouted inquiry from the back of the media pack that had interrogated him after his team's Thursday night victory over the Hornets at the AT&T Center. "What about the Thunder on Saturday night?" As he pulled a curtain over the jamb so the door wouldn't lock behind him, Popovich stuck his head back in the room. He summarized the challenge the Spurs face tonight against Oklahoma City, the team with the NBA's best record, in what will be their last game at home for 25 days. "I don't think they've lost a game yet, have they?" he said. The door"
New Orleans Hornets succumb late to Spurs, lose 93-81 in San Antonio
"As the San Antonio Spurs opened the fourth quarter Thursday night with four quick points to take a seven-point lead, the biggest of the game at the time, Hornets forward Jason Smith called his team together after a timeout and implored them to hold it together. "Defense!" Smith yelled. "Defense!" It wasn't enough, as the Spurs blew open what had been a back-and-forth game for three quarters, winning 93-81 over New Orleans, sending the Hornets to their 19th defeat in the past 21 games."
Duncan no All-Star? Don't tell the Hornets
"When the Spurs played the Hornets in New Orleans on Jan. 23, a well-rested Tim Duncan turned back the clock and authored his best game of the season, a 28-point burst of energy punctuated by a game-winning hook shot. Facing the Hornets again Thursday, this time after a hard win over Houston the night before, Duncan proved he can still dominate a game while weary. In 22 minutes and 28 seconds, he produced an extraordinarily efficient 19 points and nine rebounds, helping the Spurs secure a 93-81 victory. When Duncan wasn't torturing the shorthanded Hornets in the post, backup big man Tiago Splitter was doing the same, making 7 of 9 shots and scoring 16."
Baby steps leading to better Spurs defense
"One of the biggest concerns that Gregg Popovich had throughout the early part of the season was his struggling defense. At one point, Popovich ripped his current players for the worst defensive effort during his coaching tenure. And that might have been the case when the Spurs were singed for 58.2 percent in an earlier loss to Miami, 50.6 percent and 55.7 percent in losses to Houston and 50.6 percent to lowly New Orleans. That game might have been the low point as they allowed the Hornets to top 100 points for the first time all season in a narrow two-point victory."
Kenyon Martin cleared to return to NBA
"In a surprising turn of events, the governing body of international basketball – FIBA – has granted free agent Kenyon Martin his letter of clearance to immediately return to the NBA, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Martin has visited with several teams interested in signing him, including Atlanta on Thursday, and will huddle with agent Andy Miller in New York over the weekend to reach a decision. The Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat are leaders for Martin, but the Hawks, Lakers, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs remain in pursuit of him. New York has faded from contention in recent weeks, sources said, because of more pressing guard needs."
Blame the refs? Not until Rockets learn to play defense for four quarters
"Since the Rockets cannot – no matter what they do or how hard they try or how much wish they could – change the charging call against Courtney Lee or several others they still can't believe, there is a little matter of those 60 second-half Spurs points. They can't do anything about that, either, but they do play the Suns, who put up 120 on Wednesday, on Friday. They face the Timberwolves, who whipped them on Monday, the next night. They go to Denver and Portland where the home teams are rolling. If they can't find a way to stop somebody, games won't be coming down to a call or two very often. The defense made huge strides, at least for awhile, on Wednesday. The improvements were not"
Duncan experiences huge flashback
"Tim Duncan hit a right-handed hook on Samuel Dalembert. A few minutes later, he opted for the left. Later, he spun Jordan Hill into oblivion on the low block, cleaned up a misconnected alley-oop attempt and dunked home a pass from Gary Neal. By the time Duncan's third-quarter trip through time was finished Wednesday, giving the kind of stretch his younger teammates might have read about in their history books, the Spurs had climbed out of a 19-point hole against Houston, on their way to a 99-91 victory. For Duncan, the most memorable moment of a memorable night happened before the third quarter even began. "I was just happy to be on the floor, honestly," Duncan said."
Why the defensive switch on Kevin Martin changed the game
"After Kevin Martin blistered the Spurs for 21 points in the first half on an assortment of jumpers, Gregg Popovich had seen enough. The Spurs coach changed his defensive strategy with the idea of forcing Martin to drive more after the break. A rotation of fresh defenders was employed, with Danny Green and Gary Neal getting most of the work. "A guy like that, once he gets going, you have to throw different things at him," Green said. "We had multiple guys guarding him. All you can do is to try to deny him catching it. And when he catches it, just be annoying so he doesn't get rhythm and make shots. Luckily, he cooled down when we needed him to.""
Bonner on the boards: A rare double-figure night for the Red Rocket
"Matt Bonner could joke after the game about his unusually strong rebounding game Wednesday night. Bonner grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Spurs in their 99-91 victory, including five in their second-half rally. "That's how sad it is, I can't even remember the last time I had double-figure rebounds," Bonner said. "You'll have to look that up.""
Russell reborn — Duncan relies on his ground game
""You play differently when you get older," Kevin McHale was saying before the game. You can walk differently, too. Wednesday night, as McHale approached a ref with a complaint, or circled his Rockets for a timeout, he limped on the damaged ankle that sped his retirement as a player. This time McHale, one of the best power forwards in NBA history, was talking about the best. He was saying Tim Duncan plays differently now, and this is the way it's always been. "If not," McHale said, "Bill Russell would still be winning championships.""
Will we see Tim Duncan play Thursday night?
"Gregg Popovich has thrown down the gauntlet, telling anyone who would listen that he plans regular rests for Tim Duncan as part of his lockout schedule strategy. The only problem might be that the 35-year-old Duncan still prefers playing a lot more than sitting on the bench and practically vowed to play Thursday night against New Orleans. By looking at the substitution patterns after the Spurs' 99-91 victory over Houston Wednesday night, it appeared that Duncan might be ripe for a night off against the Hornets and Emeka Okafor Thursday night."
Spurs have important homework assignment
"Unlike many of his NBA counterparts, Spurs point guard Tony Parker admits to looking at the standings almost every day. What he's seen so far in this topsy-turvy, lockout-truncated season has shocked him. Lose in overtime in Dallas, drop from third in the Western Conference to ninth. Win the next night in Memphis, jump from ninth to sixth and one game out of fourth. What the turbulence has taught him is, this season more than most, the standings watching that has become part of his daily routine is an exercise in futility."
Grizzlies misplace grind, grit against Spurs
"The first question was about effort. "Did you see effort out there?" said Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins. Well, no. Unless you count the fat dancing guy. But, then, he brings it every night. Unlike the suddenly soporific Griz. Remember when this team prided itself on work? Remember when they called FedExForum the Grind House? "When we give effort, it's just for a few seconds," said Hollins. The Never Mind House, anyone?"
Spurs deal sluggish Grizzlies their fourth straight loss, 83-73
"When the locker room door finally opened, Tony Allen had a blank look on his face, a statistical report in his hand and was the only Grizzly sitting at his cubbyhole. The rest of Allen's teammates were in the showers, trying to wash away an 83-73 loss to the San Antonio Spurs that drew boos from the FedExForum crowd Monday night and led to a lengthy players-only meeting. The topic of discussion was effort in yet another lethargic showing as the Grizzlies' losing streak swelled to four games."
Spurs' energy jolts Grizzlies
"Less than an hour before tipoff Monday night at the FedEx Forum, Matt Bonner gingerly made his way from the visitors' locker room and headed down the corridor toward the floor. He looked like a man in need of a massage, an Advil and a nap, in some order. After playing a key role in the Spurs' marathon bench run a night earlier in Dallas, Bonner admitted to being spent even before the game in Memphis began. The effect of the lockout schedule? "Nah," the 31-year-old sharpshooter said. "I'm just a year older.""
Ginobili working with surgically repaired left hand
"For much of the Spurs' past few road trips, Manu Ginobili has been a ghost. Still recovering from a broken left hand suffered Jan. 2 in Minnesota, the Spurs' All-Star guard has been mostly hidden from public view, save for a few appearances behind the bench in street clothes. Though still a few weeks away from returning to the court, Ginobili is out of his post-surgery splint and has been cleared to do some basketball work with his repaired hand. "He's shooting mid-range shots, lefty," coach Gregg Popovich said Monday. "He'll be cleared to go one-on-one in a week or so.""
Why Monday's bounceback victory was so big
"A night after the Spurs' most excruciating loss of the season, the team rebounded Monday night with a workmanlike victory like we've seen so often over the years. There wasn't a lot of flash and dash in the Spurs' 83-73 victory over Memphis. I'm betting it was exactly the kind of game that Gregg Popovich savors the most when he's alone in his library quietly breaking down game films of his favorite "Pounding the Rock" victories over the years. The Spurs didn't flounder after their loss Sunday night in Dallas. They jumped on the Grizzlies early and cruised to a double-digit lead by midway in the second quarter and didn't look back."
Spurs return to their defensive roots in suffocating victory at Memphis
"It used to be the foundation on which the Spurs' dynasty was built. The Spurs' defensive prowess has been spotty, to say the least, throughout this season. But for at least one night, the Spurs played defense like back in the glory days in their 83-73 victory over Memphis Monday night. The Spurs limited Memphis to 37 percent and only 50 points through three quarters in the convincing victory."
Spurs' bench nearly steals one
"As soon as the ball left his hand, Danny Green had a plan. It is one he lifted from one of the most painful chapters of Spurs history, from a player who made a similar shot facing similar odds nearly eight years ago. Even before Green pulled a Derek Fisher — swishing a turnaround jumper that appeared to give the Spurs a breathtaking buzzer-beating victory over Dallas — he had mapped his escape from the American Airlines Center. "I was going to run out of the gym, just like Derek did," said Green. "I said, 'Guys, let's go. Let's get the heck out of here.' "Nobody wanted to follow my lead.""
Sunday's loss will hurt more later for Spurs
"The Spurs' hardest week of the season to date started Sunday night in a bad way. After struggling down the stretch against Minnesota Friday night, the Spurs almost stole a victory at Dallas thanks to a dramatic bench performance before falling 101-100 in overtime. As much as the Spurs might feel good about the bench's effort, the realization that games against Memphis, Houston, New Orleans and Oklahoma City loom in the next six days remains daunting. Sunday night might be a moral victory for some, but the Spurs still lost to a division foe and their most bitter rival to boot. They fell out of first place in a game where they limited Dirk Nowitzki to 10 points on 5-for-14 shooting and"
Mavs-Spurs: Dirk's return, blown leads and a Mavs OT win
"In this condensed, 66-game season, the Dallas Mavericks aren't too concerned about style wins. They just want to get them any way they can. The Mavs blew an 18-point third-quarter lead to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, then had to rally from a nine-point deficit to eke out a 101-100 win in overtime at American Airlines Center. The victory enabled the Mavs (13-8) to move into sole possession of first place in the Southwest Division for the first time this season. But the Mavs, who were 0-3 to start this season, don't feel like they're holding down the pole position. "You've got to be careful of watching the standings," said Jason Terry, who scored a season-high 34 points. "If you lose"
Bowen as busy, and defensive, as ever in retirement
"In the more than two years since Bruce Bowen retired from the NBA, he's learned something interesting about life. Knowing how to play defense still comes in handy. Bowen, who often left the likes of Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen feeling like birthday piñatas during a blue-collar career on the court, has in the months since dealt with divorce, the failure of a headline business and hard lessons about some friends and family reluctant to follow him out of the professional spotlight. "I had a lot of relationships that have been severed because I'm no longer a basketball player," said Bowen, 40. "I think one of the most disappointing things for athletes is to be around people and it"
Pop to Spurs' Blair: 'Just be who you are'
"For Spurs center DeJuan Blair, the American Airlines Center will always be home to fond memories. At All-Star Weekend here in 2010, he had 22 points and a record 23 rebounds in the rookie-sophomore game, punctuating his performance with a dunk off the backboard glass. Later that year, with Tim Duncan sitting out the final game of the regular season, Blair detonated for 27 points and 23 rebounds in a loss at Dallas. Somewhere deep inside him, Blair believes, the free-spirited player responsible for those moments still exists. "I've just got to find him," Blair said. "Be DeJuan Blair again.""