Box Score | GameFlow

The Spurs extended their winning streak to seven games on Wednesday night with a 104-95 home win against the Toronto Raptors (13-29).

The Raptors, coming in on a four-game losing skid, had trouble scoring early while the Spurs got out to a 10-0 run, but that was no sign of what was to come.

The Raptors used their zone defense to stifle the Spurs when the Spurs weren't shooting themselves in the foot with sloppy passes and execution.

By the time halftime had come around, the Raptors had built up a 53-42 lead and forward DeMar DeRozan bested his season scoring average of 15 points per game by five points, scoring 20 in the first half.

If that wasn't enough to make you shake your head, the Spurs, who are second in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage, had missed all of their shots from beyond the arch through two quarters.

Luckily for the Spurs, they found their stroke and made defensive adjustments, even surprising DeRozan with double teams that led to turnovers.

The Spurs went on a 13-2, 16-4 and 13-4 run al in the second half to turn the tables on the Raptors, taking the lead and never looking back.

Manu Ginobili led the Spurs in scoring with 23 points to go along with seven assists and four rebounds. DeJuan Blair finished the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Tony Parker (17), George Hill (14) and Tim Duncan (10) also scored in double figures.

With the win, the Spurs are now 36-6 on the season and 23-2 at home. They'll look to improve on that against the Knicks on Friday night.

In Retrospect

Jeff Garcia spoke to Sean of Hoop Heads North prior to the game and got his key matchup and prediction.

"I think the matchup between DeRozan & George Hill should be an interesting one - two young players continuing to solidify themselves in the league and make a presence felt on their team. If I was a betting man, I'd put my wager on the Spurs, but if the Raptors play solid defense that they are capable of (we've seen stretches of games this season!) then the Raptors could pull the upset in a very close game."

Quoteable

"It’s definitely frustrating. It’s a killer. We were beating up on one of the best teams in the NBA, but we got to hold the lead. It’s definitely frustrating.” - DeMar DeRozan.

In Black and White

Imperfect Blair sparks imperfect win (San Antonio Express-News) 

Raptors hold tough against Spurs (Toronto Sun) 

Spurs outmuscle Raptors as Blair starts (Raptors Republic)

Fantasy Focus

DeJuan Blair is averaging over 14 points and 9 rebounds through his last three games, including a 18 point, 13 rebound outing against the Dallas Mavericks. Blair has been inconsistent this season, but if he continues to put good games together, he's definitely worthy of your watch list.

Tweeting the game

Los spurs no se cansan de ganar, esta vez a mis Raptors con partidazo del rookie DeRozan, gran primera temporada!!! All Star del tirón - @topa89.

Still can't believe DeJuan slipped in the draft. I'll be saying that for years, but really. #Spurs - @stackmack

The Four Factors

 

The San Antonio Spurs played poorly in the first half falling behind by 11 points at halftime. However, they were more focused in the second half and played better on both ends of the court.

As a result, the Spurs beat the Toronto Raptors 104-95 extending their winning streak to seven games and improved to 36-6 which is their best ever after 42 games.

Here are some of the numbers on this Spurs' latest victory.

82.8 - The Spurs shot well from the free throw line making 24-29 (82.8%) foul shots. The Raptors weren't that bad either, shooting 20-25 (80%) of their free throw attempts.

49 - The Spurs won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Raptors 49-38.

28 - DeMar DeRozan had a game-high 28 points and added four steals, and three rebounds for the Raptors.

23 - The Spurs shared the ball better, they had 23 assists for the game compared to 20 dimes by the Raptors. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 23 points, seven assists and four rebounds.

22 - Both teams were dead even on fast break points, scoring 22 points each. DeJuan Blair had another brilliant performance, scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for the Spurs.

17 - The Spurs outscored the Raptors by 17 points in the third quarter to take control of the game. Tony Parker had 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals for San Antonio.

14 - Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon scored 14 points a piece for the Raptors. George Hill added 14 points and had six rebounds off the Spurs' bench.

10 - Tim Duncan added 10 points and 12 boards for the Spurs. Jerryd Bayless and Sundiata Gaines scored 10 points each from the Raptors' bench.

8 - Antonio McDyess gave the Spurs a big lift, he scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and had three steals in 28 minutes of action.

0 - Gary Neal and Hill did not commit a single turnover for the entire game.

Rookie Watch: Neal scored eight points and had one assists in 21 minutes. Tiago Splitter had one block in 1 minute of playing time. James Anderson was activated and in uniform, but did not play against the Raptors.

What's Next? The Spurs will host the New York Knicks at the AT&T Center in San Antonio on Friday.

Follow me on Twitter @RobbyLim21

• San Antonio Spurs' Antonio McDyess might reconsider retirement after this season:

“If I could play here another year,” McDyess said, “I would definitely contemplate it.” (source Express News)

• Former Spurs' Assistant Coach PJ Carlesimo - now an assitsnt coach with the Toronto Raptors - gave his two cents on why the Spurs are so successful and said where Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich got the blueprint for his coaching style:

Carlesimo, now Jay Triano’s lead assistant in Toronto, spent five years under Popovich and had a front row seat for one of the most finely tuned machines in the NBA.

“Primarily it’s because of Timmy and 1A because of Pop,” Carlesimo said, pinpointing the reasons for the success when he was there.

“I’m prejudiced by I think (Popovich) has been the best coach in the league for a long time.

“He’s had two of the best players in the league and he’s had a lot of other good players with them but so have a lot of coaches who coach teams in the league.”

But ask Carlesimo the model for the blueprint and he believes it is Jerry Sloan’s early days in Utah.

“Pop will be very candid about it,” Carlesimo said. “He modelled it on Utah.” (source torontosun.com)

• Express News' Tim Griffin talks about the plus-minus totals from Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

• NBA.com listed it seven surprises in the 2010-2011 NBA season and the Spurs made the list:

The Spurs return: Coach Gregg Popovich can keep saying that his team really has to tighten down on its defense and shouldn't be mentioned as the best team in the league. Tim Duncan can maintain that the Spurs haven't proven anything yet.

The San Antonio Spurs' have an all-time roster that boasts two all-NBA big men like David Robinson and Tim Duncan, so it's only natural you're going to hear comparisons from time to time.

Through the years we've heard the comparisons of Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh and others to the Spurs' "Twin Towers."

Now Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin is the latest to have his name mentioned in the same breath as Duncan and Robinson.

ESPN's Outside the Lines recently did a feature on Blake Griffin called "Blake Effect" and Skip Bayless said Griffin will not have the same kind of rookie impact Robinson had on the Spurs.

Bayless also said Griffin will have to prove his toughness to the NBA. Sound familiar?

There's no doubting Griffin is having an outstanding rookie campaign, but how does it stack up to those of Robinson and Duncan?

Griffin is currently averaging 22.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 37.3 minutes per game through his first 40 games of the 2010-11 season.

Robinson averaged 24.3 points, 12 rebounds and 3.89 blocks in 36.6 minutes per game during the 1989-90 season.

Duncan averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in just over 39 minutes per game in 1997-98.

While all three stat lines seem familiar, all three players came into completely different situations.

Robinson and Duncan were expected to win right away, and both did, making playoff appearances in their rookie years. Robinson took a 21-61 team and turned them into a 56-26 team in one season that included a trip to the Western Conference semifinals.

Duncan's rookie year was also a dramatic turnaround, resulting in a 56-26 season, but he had help from Robinson and Sean Elliott.

While the Clippers are currently on pace to make a slight improvement over last season's record, it's not likely that Griffin's addition to the team will result in a playoff berth.

Regardless of stats and records though, what Griffin is doing with the Clippers is definitely special and worthy of your attention. For Spurs' fans though, it'll take a few championship rings to put him in the same class as Duncan and Robinson. 

The San Antonio Spurs (35-6) will look to start the second half of the season off on the right foot as they host the Toronto Raptors (13-28).

The Spurs are currently on a six game winning streak and sit atop of the NBA standings with the best record in the league. The Raptors will look to snap their four game losing streak tonight in San Antonio but it will prove to be a daunting task facing the NBA's best team.

To talk about tonight's matchup, I turn to fellow Bloguin blogger Sean at Hoop Heads North a fantastic site for all things Raptors.

In this Q&A we talk about the state of the Raptors after the departure of Chris Bosh, the addition of Leandro Barbosa for Toronto, tonight's contest and much more.

Jeff: This is a question I'm sure you heard over and over but how big of an impact has the loss of Chris Bosh been to the Raptors franchise and is it safe to say the franchise is in a rebuilding phase?

Sean: The loss of Chris Bosh has definitely been huge. There is no way you can immediately replace 24 points and 10 rebounds in your line up. So, this has forced the Raptors organization to rebuild and assess the youth and draft picks they have. The next 6 months will be very interesting time for the Raptors organization - the trade deadline, the NBA entry draft, expiring contracts and the Bosh-trade exception must be used by then. The team will no doubt have a brand new look for the start of the 2011-2012 season.
 
Speaking of losses, Hedo Turkoglu was a flop and was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Leandro Barbosa. Granted Barbosa recently got injured but how do you asses the trade?

At face value, one would look at Hedo's production in Orlando and Leandro's production in Toronto and say "Why would you make that trade?". But we all know that Hedo was not a leader in Toronto, on or off the court - he essentially played when he wanted to play. Colangelo had no choice but to move him. In addition to that, Hedo's numbers in Phoenix, after being initially traded from the Toronto, were pedestrian at best. Leandro Barbosa on the other hand has come in and given the Raptors veteran leadership and he's been willing to help younger players like Bayless, Weems, DeRozan, and Gaines. Unfortunately Leandro continues to be plagued by injury, but as far as the dynamic in the locker room and off the court, Leandro has been a great fit.
 
Andrea Bargnani just seems to not develop a more consistent game. One game is looks great and in another he can't get things going. Now with Bosh gone, do the Rators need more out of Bargnani or is this the best we will see out of him?

I don't think Andrea Bargnani will ever be a franchise player, he just does not seem to have the personality build for that kind of role or responsibility. Overall I have been happy with Bargnani's play this season, but you are right - there are times or games where he isn't able to have the impact the organization and fans alike want him to have. I think the moves the Raptors make between now and July will definitely be focused on trying to bring in another player who can create his own shot and be effective in the clutch, who can help take the pressure off of Bargnani and while still allowing players like DeRozan to continue to grow.
 
Let's talk tonight's matchup. The Raptors are a very young squad facing a battled tested Spurs squad. What should the Raptors do to escape San Antonio with a win?

The Raptors MUST commit to the defensive end of the floor. They pulled out a huge win in Texas the last time they were there against Dallas, and if not for a poor third quarter effort against Houston the game may have ended differently. But it all comes from a commitment to giving 100% on the defensive end.
 
What matchup would you tell Spurs and Raptors fans to keep an eye on? Also, what's your prediction for tonight's game?

I think the matchup between DeRozan & George Hill should be an interesting one - two young players continuing to solidify themselves in the league and make a presence felt on their team. If I was a betting man, I'd put my wager on the Spurs, but if the Raptors play solid defense that they are capable of (we've seen stretches of games this season!) then the Raptors could pull the upset in a very close game.

On Episode 235 of the Spurscast, Jeff and I talk about the week in San Antonio Spurs games, which included wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets. We discussed some of the positives and a few areas for improvement.

As part of our midseason review, we discussed some of the surprises and disappointments of the first half of the season and what the Spurs could improve on in the second half along with our predictions.

To get an outsider's perspective on the team, we were joined by John Karalis of Reds Army, who said he believed all the hype he heard about the Spurs early in the season, but pointed out some weaknesses, particularly the need for some help up front, if the Spurs are going to make a late season run.

The Spurscast. The original San Antonio Spurs podcast.

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You just stumbled upon this article. You’re sitting there, reading right now. PAUSE! Go outside, quick! You walk outside and see the “DeLorean car” parked from ‘Back To The Future.’ Do you see it? Well, I need you to get inside and set the date for October 12, 2010. Done?

Lightning flashes around the sky, as Doc Brown tells you to begin accelerating at 88 mph. You hit 88 mph and BAM! You’re back in 2010. You get out of the DeLorean, hide it and walk into an emphatic arena. The basketball court is bright red and there are thousands of fans cheering on, as the Spurs and Clippers are in a close game. You ask a fan “Where am I?” The fan replies “Estas en Mexico!” You then realize; you’re in Mexico City for a San Antonio Spurs-Los Angeles Clippers preseason game.

You look down at the court, the Clippers score a late basket to make it Clippers 99, Spurs 97. Coach Pop calls a timeout. He hands the clipboard to Manu Ginobili, Manu gathers the team around and draws up a play. With seven seconds left in the ball game, the Spurs pass to Gary Neal; he quickly passes it to Bobby Simmons, then Simmons throws it back to him. Neal dribbles around in between the top of the key three-point line, on the right side and hoists up a 3-pointer. Swish! Gary Neal hits a game winner and the Spurs win 100-99! Mexico is going wild! Now, pinch yourself and wake up! That was just a dream! But watch out, Gary Neal, is real!

The San Antonio Spurs acquired three rookies at the beginning of the season, with strong hopes for two of them: Tiago Splitter (big name coming in), James Anderson (drafted in the first round) and Gary Neal (wait, who?). With half the season in the books, let’s see how these three rookies have panned out thus far.

The Brazilian (I haven’t really earned a nickname yet) Big Man
 
In the summer, the Spurs learned they were going to be able to finally bring in Tiago Splitter from overseas. Hype had begun building. Phrases like: “He’s a mixture of Scola and Oberto,” “he’s going to score in the post so Timmy can rest,” and “he’s the big man of the future for the Spurs” were all ramblings to be heard from everywhere. Splitter came in with the title of “Best Big Man in Europe, not in the NBA.” He arrived, and immediately got hurt in training camp. He missed both training camp and the preseason games. He made his NBA debut against the Clippers and scored two points and one rebound.

His second game showed Spurs fans a glimpse of what he could be. Against the Phoenix Suns, Tiago poured in seven points and three rebounds in limited action. Seven points and three rebounds looked decent but it wasn’t the production Tiago would consistently give.

Let’s look at some of his numbers to dig down a little further.

Current stat line: 30 games, 11 mpg, FG 50%, FT 61%, 2.5 rbd, .33 blk, .60 TO, 1.6PF, 4.2 ppg.

So, all this hype coming in, and we have a guy only playing eleven minutes while providing four points and three rebounds? What happened to the Luis Scola correlation? Where’s the Fabricio Oberto passing and rebounding ability?

Now let’s look at how he’s played against nine good teams (Orlando, Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans, Portland, Utah, Oklahoma City)

Against good teams: 8.9 mpg, 2.3 rbd, 3.1 ppg.

Now, let’s look at his production through the months:

November: 12 mpg, 5 ppg, 3 rbd.

December: 10 mpg, 4 ppg, 2 rbd.

January: 11 mpg, 4 ppg, 2 rbd.

As you can see, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is only giving him about eleven minutes per game. That is his only chance to try and make an impact for the coaches to see.

What’s wrong?

As I’ve watched Splitter this season, he looks really confused on the defensive end. He just doesn’t look comfortable out there. He always looks one step slower than the rest of the team. On the offensive end, when he catches the ball he always looks confused as to whether to pass it or post his defender.

Is there any hope for the future?

Yes, Splitter has shown some bright spots in his game. He had a career high against Cleveland with 18 points in 26 minutes. He’s reached 10+ points four times (18 pts vs Cleveland, 12 pts vs. Golden State, 12 pts vs. Denver, 11 pts vs. Orlando).

Also, you do need to understand he’s not getting the playing time due to: Matt Bonner shooting lights out, Duncan being Duncan, DeJuan Blair having big games every other night and Antonio McDyess being as consistent as usual. So with the other four big guys playing at a high level, it’s hard for Tiago, let alone any big guy, to get some minutes on this Spurs team. Here’s how Tiago might get some playing time: if the Spurs can stay hot and gain a huge lead on the second team in the league, I think Pop will begin to rest Duncan and McDyess even more. With more playing time, Tiago will have his chance to show off his talents right before the playoffs.

Let's also not forget, Splitter came into the NBA playing a lot over the summer with the Brazilian National Team, suffered nagging injuries before the injury in training camp and played deep into the Spanish Finals.

My Call

I believe Splitter is a year away from being an effective big man on this team. If he does play in April, he’ll just be an extra body to rack up fouls against the Lakers, Mavericks, Celtics and Magic. But for this season, looking at how his monthly average has stayed the same, I don’t really see him being much of an impact. Post play will go as far as Duncan, McDyess, Blair and Bonner hold it down.

Ahhhhh, Mr. Anderson………. (Matrix Voice) 

The San Antonio Spurs' D-League affiliate the Austin Toros continue to give fans a glimpse of life in the D-League with Toros' guard Squeaky Johnson's "Squeak TV" episode three. Enjoy!

• The San Antonio Spurs have maintained their status as the best team in the NBA and it seems they are finally getting the respect they deserve:

While we've all been busy jumping on, off, and back on the Miami Heat bandwagon with one eye on the Carmelo Anthony saga, something strange and different -- yet not very new at all -- has defined the first half of the 2010-11 NBA season.

It's a team with a core and philosophy that's been plugging along for more than a decade now, just winning games, and more than occasionally, championships. They're not interesting or controversial, and hardly ever lead the Hoopshype rumors page. They're just good.

Better than everybody else, in fact. They're the San Antonio Spurs. (source cbssports.com)

• Express News' Tim Griffin looks at the historical counterparts to the Spurs' Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili

• If you happen to be in California, former Spur Bruce Bowen will be at his alma mater, Cal State Fullerton, to give a speech:

Former Cal State Fullerton star Bruce Bowen, a three-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, will speak at Saturday's Titan Hoop Club Chalk Talk before the CSF-UC Santa Barbara hoop game at Titan Gym. Admission is free. Event starts at 4 p.m. in the University Village dining hall (Yorba Linda Boulevard and Oxford Avenue). Bowen is in his second year as an ESPN basketball commentator. (source ocregister.com)

• The Onion once again has fun with Tim Duncan:

Spurs center Tim Duncan confirmed Monday that since he had not put off answering e-mails once during the entire year, 2010 would mark the fifth consecutive year he had held true to his New Year's resolution. "In 2006, I vowed to cut down on the sodium in my diet, and in 2007, I promised myself I would win another NBA championship and finally visit Denmark," said Duncan, adding that 2009's resolution to "loosen up and have more fun" was achieved by auditing a sociology course at the University of Texas at San Antonio. "2008 was hard, but on Dec. 31, I finally built up enough courage to talk to [AT&T Center concession-stand worker] Erin [Matthews]." This year, the 12-time All-Star has resolved to start cooking for himself more and to put more thought into the gifts he gives. (source onionsportsnetwork.com)

A pesar de las dos derrotas que sufrieron los Spurs a principios de año contra los New York Knicks y los Celtics de Boston, los Spurs han logrado mantenerse en primer lugar con un total de 35 victorias y 6 derrotas.

Iniciamos nuestro repaso con el primer juego de los Spurs contra los Timberwolves para este año 2011.  El juego tomo lugar el pasado domingo, 9 de enero en casa de los Spurs.  El juego fue bastante emocionante ya que ambos equipos no daban su brazo a torcer, poniendo todo de su parte para vencer a su oponente. Afortunadamente para los Spurs, Manu Ginobili ayudo a derrotar a los Timberwolves con 21 puntos mientras Gary Neal fue sacado de la banca para mostrar sus habilidades en la cancha aportando a la puntuación final con 13 puntos al igual que Richard Jefferson. La puntacion final fue 91-94 esto a favor de los Spurs. 

Y dos días después, el martes, 11 de enero, se enfrentaron los Spurs por segunda vez consecutiva a los Timberwolves de Minnesota, saliendo victoriosos nuevamente 107-96. Para este juego nuestro mas grande contribuidor fue Manu Ginobili con 19 puntos, 9 rebotes, y 6 asistencias. La defensa de los Spurs durante este juego fue fenomenal ya que lograron mantener a los Timberwolves con un bajo porcentaje de tiro de 37.8.

Bueno y justo al siguiente día, el miércoles 12 de enero, los Spurs se confrontaron ante los Milwaukee Bucks, haciendo de este encuentro todo un triunfo.  Aunque al inicio y hasta el tercer cuarto del juego para los Milwaukee Bucks este juego parecía ser un triunfo seguro, los Spurs se recuperaron sin obstáculo alguno durante el ultimo cuarto del juego logrando así derrotar a los Bucks por 7 puntos 91-84.  Nuevamente para este juego nuestro mayor contribuidor fue Manu Ginobili luciendose con 23 puntos, mientras realmente quien se lucio con su empeño sensacional fue Matt Bonner, ya que se lucio con 17 puntos, logrando 7 canastas, 3 de ellas de 3 puntos.

Continuamos con el juego de los Spurs contra los Mavericks de Dallas que tomo lugar el viernes 14 de enero. El juego fue bastante predecible ya que los Spurs mantuvieron siempre la delantera aprovechando la ausencia continua de Dirk Nowitzki de los Mavericks debido a una lesión de rodilla.  Lamentablemente para los Mavericks, su intento de recuperación durante el ultimo cuarto del juego fue en vano, ya que finalmente fueron derrotados por los Spurs 101-89.  Tony Parker y Dejuan Blair anotaron 18 puntos cada uno mientras Tim Duncan tampoco se quedo atrás aportando a la puntuación final con 16 puntos.  Para Dejuan Blair estos 18 puntos contribuidos fueron su puntuación mas alta de la temporada anadiendo también 13 rebotes y 4 asistencias.

Por ultimo los Spurs se presentaron ante los Nuggets de Denver el domingo pasado, 16 de enero, donde Tony Parker puso todo de su parte para ayudar a su equipo con 30 puntos llevando a los Spurs a su victoria numero 35. El marcador final fue de 97-110, esto claro a favor de los Spurs.

Bueno amigos, yo con esto me despido. No olviden mantenerse actualizados en nuestra pagina Projectspurs.com a diario. Nuestra próxima enfrentacion será ante los Raptors de Toronto, así es que ya saben, aquí los esperamos con la mejor cobertura del juego.  Les deseo un feliz inicio de semana.