• San Antonio Spurs' forward Richard Jefferson said he wanted to return to where it all started for him, the New Jersey Nets, when he was a free-agent this past summer:

"Having roots there, just respecting the organization and wanting to help bring them back to a level in which they had been accustomed to for most of the [last] decade, I explored that," Jefferson said. "That was something they really weren’t interested in." (source northjersey.com)

• DeJuan Blair continues his NBA maturation process in his second season  with the Spurs. Here is what he had to say about still developing his game:

“This year, I’ve been up and down. I’m just trying to keep it consistent,” Blair said. “They want me to be more productive. Once I get that in my game, that’s when I’ll get that consistency.”

“Just keep learning every day [was the biggest lesson]. It’s a learning process,” Blair said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are and everything like that as long as you get better [that’s what is most important]. With this organization and this team, there’s a lot to learn every day. It’s all about just getting that going.”

And even though he had a solid rookie season, Popovich had plenty he wanted his young post man to work on during the off-season.

“Shooting, dribbling, quickness and all that [is what he wanted me to focus on]. He wanted me to keep it going,” Blair said. (source foxsportssouthwest.com)

• Express News' Tim Griffin reports that the Spurs are dominating the San Antonio TV airwaves:

And the team announced Thursday that the team is leading the NBA in local television ratings and are off to the best television ratings start in the history of the franchise after games so far this season.

• The Spurs lost a close game against the Boston Celtics last night but Manu Ginobili had a chance to win the game with a three-point shot. However, Celtics' Paul Pierce got the block on Ginobili's shot-attempt:

(source greenstreet.weei.com)

• Speaking of the loss to Boston, Celtics' Glen Davis felt the Spurs insulted him by leaving him wide open for jump-shots:

“I’m shocked. I’m really shocked,” he said following the Celtics 105-103 win. “I work on [my shot] a lot and I’ve won games with it. That’s what I do majority of the time. For a team not to play me, that’s like an insult. But you know, you’ve just got to make them pay.” (source csnne.com)

The San Antonio Spurs went into Boston looking to get a win against the best team in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately for the Spurs, the Celtics had other plans.

With Rajon Rondo leading the way with a triple-double (12 points, 22 assists, 10 rebounds) and Ray Allen scoring 31 points off 13 for 16 shooting, the Celtics handed the Spurs their sixth loss of the season wo were without Kevin Garnett who was out of action due to a calf injury.

After the game, I caught up with Spurs' forward Matt Bonner to discuss the loss to the Celtics.

Jeff: This was a great game but unfortunately the Spurs came out on the losing end. What happened in the final possession? Was it just poor execution or something the Celtics did defensively? 

Matt: Was a little of both. It didn't work out. They did a good job of recognizing what we were trying to do and taking it away.

Many felt this game tonight could be a sneak preview of the NBA Finals.

It would be awesome just to be in the Finals and if it's against the Celtics for me personally it would be a bonus. But that's a long ways away and a lot of hard work and luck in between.

Was there any hangover from the loss to the New York Knicks in tonight's game against the Celtics?

I don't think so. I know we got off to a little bit of a slow start but we picked it up and played hard and gave it our all. Ray Allen was on fire. We made Glen Davis make jump shots and he did. They beat us. They were the better team.

Crazy ending to this game. If I were to have told you before the game that Ray Allen would miss two free-throws when the game was on the line would you have believed me?

(laughs) Yeah that was crazy! Especially how well he shot all game.

Next for the Spurs will be a game against the Indiana Pacers. Your outlook heading into that matchup after two tough losses.

Back to the drawing board. It's another game. Play hard and execute our game plan and try to get a win.

For the second straight night, the Spurs came up short on the defensive end. As a result, they suffered two straight losses for the first time this season.

Even with their defensive struggles, the Spurs were within striking distance in the final seconds and had a chance to steal the game but Paul Pierce partially blocked Ginobili's 3-point attempt to preserve a 105-103 win for the Boston Celtics.  

Here are some numbers that stood out in this Spurs' recent loss.

94.1 - The Spurs shot well from the free throw line making 16-17 (94.1%) of their foul shots. The Celtics were uncharacteristically atrocious from the foul line making just 8-15 (53.3%) of their free throws.

61.3 - The Celtics shot a blistering 46-75 (61.3%) from the field while the Spurs connected on 39-86 (45.3%) of their field goal attempts.

55.6 - Boston were also accurate from behind the arc, hitting 5-9 (55.6%) from 3-point range. San Antonio made 9-22 (40.9%) of their 3-pointers. 

34 - The Celtics outscored the Spurs on inside points 34-28. They also played better as a team, collecting 34 assists compared to the Spurs' 20 dimes.

31 - Ray Allen had a game-high 31 points on 13-16 shooting from the field, including 2-4 from beyond the arc.

24 - Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 24 points, eight rebounds and five steals.

23 - Glen Davis scored a season-high 23 points for Boston as he started in place of Kevin Garnett.

22-12-10 - Rajon Rondo had 22 assists, 12 points and 10 rebounds for his 11th career triple-double, adding six steals to help Boston beat the Spurs in a matchup of the NBA's top two teams.

18 - Tim Duncan and Tony Parker had 18 points a piece for the Spurs while Pierce added 18 points for Boston.

8 - The Spurs' running game did not work on their favor, they were outscored by the Celtics 8-14 on fast break points.

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

Rookie Watch: Neal had 10 points, two rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes of action. Tiago Splitter did not play.

What's Next? The Spurs will visit the Indiana Pacers at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indiana on Friday.

Follow Robby Lim on Twitter @RobbyLim21

BOSTON -- "They executed better in the last minute and a half in the third-quarter and the last minute and a half of the fourth-quarter."

Execution was on the lips of San Antonio Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich after the game; however, it was not the Spurs who executed properly in Boston.

It was a meeting of the top two teams in the NBA in what was billed as an NBA Finals preview between the Spurs and Boston Celtics.

The Spurs were coming off a stunning loss to the New York Knicks and were looking to shake it off against a Celtics team without Kevin Garnett. However, in the opening moments, the game had a feel that what happened in New York was about to happen in Boston.

The Spurs defense was lacking in the opening moments of the game as the Celtics were getting in the lane and easy shots at the basket due to terrible defense by the Spurs. This led to an early timeout called by Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich.

As the first-half progressed, the Spurs' vaunted defense finally began to appear and Gary Neal and Richard Jefferson were hitting their shots. At the end of the first quarter it was 27-25 Celtics with the lead.

The second-quarter opened with Celtics' Nate Robinson hitting a pair of jumpers which got the Celtics' crowd in a frenzy but luckily for the Spurs, Richard Jefferson was also finding his groove as at one point he was 3/3 from the field, 2/2 from the three-point line, 1/1 from the free-throw line in 14 minutes of play. Tony Parker began to get hot from the field, finding his way to the basket, coupled with Shaquille O'Neal missing free-throws led to the Spurs taking a slim half-time lead, 51-49.

The second-half of the game was nip-and-tuck and when the game got close, it became the Manu Ginobili and Rajon Rondo show. Both were making crucial plays for their respective teams -- Rondo was making the timely assist while Ginobili was hitting the crucial shot. But poor execution down the stretch by the Spurs allowed Boston to build a lead and just when the Spurs were seemingly out of the game, the Celtics let the door open for a Spurs comeback.

The Celtics started to commit fouls, and Paul Pierce picked up a technical foul which led to the Spurs taking the lead. Ray Allen missed two free-throws which would have sealed the game for Boston and left the door open for the Spurs to escape Boston with a win.

However, poor execution down the stretch by the Spurs and failure to execute their final play led to the Spurs' second-consecutive loss. Spurs lose to the Celtics, 105-103 and fall to 29-6 for the season.

They will next face the Indiana Pacers in Indiana.

Notes:

• Popovich on Celtics' Rondo and his triple-double performance with 22 assists, 12 points and 10 rebounds, "He affects the game on both ends of the court. He puts it in the hole. He plays"D," gets steals, rebounds, he does everything. He's a great all-around player."
• Popovich on Celtics' Ray Allen who scored 31 points off 13-16 shooting, "Ray got off to a great start because he does that better than anybody in basketball." "If it was practice I don't know if anyone in the league would hit 13 out of 16. He does it in a game. I think he's pretty good."
• Glen Davis scored 23 points for Boston.
• Spurs had six players in double-figures with Ginobili leading the Spurs with 24 points.
• Spurs shot 45.3% while the Celtics shots 61.3%.

The San Antonio Spurs look to shake off the loss to the New York Knicks and get back on the winning track with a visit to Boston to face the Boston Celtics.

To preview the game, John Karalis from Reds Army and I got together in Boston to preview the game tonight between the top two teams in the NBA.

Enjoy and don't forget to visit Reds Army for all things Celtics.

The San Antonio Spurs were stunned last night by the New York Knicks losing 128-115. With the loss, the Spurs dropped to 29-5 and hope to shake off the loss as they face the Boston Celtics tonight in Boston.

After the Spurs-Knicks game, I got a chance to speak with Spurs' rookie, Tiago Splitter. In this Q&A, Splitter spoke on the loss to the Knicks, playing with Tim Duncan, his development and more.

Jeff: What went wrong tonight for the Spurs against the Knicks?

Tiago: Well I think they played very good tonight and had a hell of a game. They scored a lot like they do and we tried to bring our defense like we do. Today wasn't our day. So we have to give them credit. They did a great job.

Knowing this is a Knicks team coached by Mike D'Antoni who likes to run, do you feel running with this team played right into the Knicks' hands?

All the D'Antoni teams love to run-and-gun. We knew that before of course. We knew we got to stop (Amar'e) Stoudemire, also (Wilson) Chandler and (Landry) Fields who is playing great. They had a good night and like I said when a team like that is run-and-gun and scores, it's hard to defend.

Amar'e has been great for the Knicks this season. What are your thoughts on Amar'e since he joined New York?

He is an amazing player. He proved that not just here in New York but in Phoenix. He is a star of the league. He leads this team. He is a very difficult guy to defend. He's got range when before he didnt have it.

You came into the preseason with the Spurs dealing with some nagging injuries. Then you got hurt in training camp but how has your adjustment been into the NBA?

Yeah it was a little bit of bad luck. In the preseason I got an injury, my calf, but right now I'm feeling great and I'm working everyday trying to help this team to get wins. And im also in the rookie process, which is normal, especially on a team like San Antonio who has a lot of great players.

I can only imagine how it is to play alongside with Tim Duncan.

Oh it's nice! He is one of the best at my position. I got a guy like him in front of me, I got to learn everyday and try to take the best.

Up next is the Boston Celtics who will be without Kevin Garnett but remain a very tough team. Thoughts heading into this game.

Yeah! They are a very tough team and we have to play tougher than today. I think we come here (New York) and didn't do our job. Popovich wants our team to defend and that's what we have to do tomorrow.

There is a strong possibility this is the last year we see the San Antonio Spurs play at an elite level. With an NBA lockout looming and the strong chance a season is lost due to a negotiation standoff, a lost year won't be kind to an aging core.

Another year for Tim Duncan's knees to age, another year for a 33-year-old Manu Ginobili's injury-prone joints to age. Antonio McDyess will retire after this season and as of right now there is no clear replacement. A lost year won't be kind to the Spurs and plenty of owners would see the year as a way to set themselves up financially. For example, NHL teams went through a lost season. The owners saw that losing a year was well worth it, as they got a deal that saved them from themselves financially and guaranteed them a profit every year. NBA owners would lose a whole season in a heartbeat if it guaranteed them this.

So what can the Spurs do?

Do they make a very un-Spur like big mid-season trade? Do they play it safe and comb the waiver wire and cross their fingers and hope they found a hidden gem?

As Project Spurs' Jeff Garcia recently wrote, one of the Spurs' few weaknesses and target areas is size. But in order to get size, the Spurs might have to give up youth.

The trade pieces most desired by other teams would be Tiago Splitter and DeJuan Blair as they are both young, talented big men with easily-tradeable contracts. Such a thing is coveted in the NBA and for obvious reasons. I'm not advocating trading either of these guys. I think both have a very bright future with the team and think it's possible in the next two years they will make up our starting front court.

But let's look at trade possibilities for players who could be available.

Joel Przybilla

Why he would work - He's a very good defensive player. Has a great per 40 minutes rebounding rate and doesn't need to be involved offensively to make an impact. That would be great for a mid-season pickup as it's highly unlikely he would integrate to our complex offensive system quickly.

Why he wouldn't work - His salary is insanely high and the Spurs could find better, cheaper alternatives. There is no logical reason to do this trade given the options on the market.

Marcus Camby

Why he would work - He's a great weak side shot blocker and rebounder. This guy has been around the block and seems to have a thirst for a championship as he's rumored to only accept trades to contenders. He has a mid-range game and we could throw him in along side Timmy and he would get one on one's in the post.

Why he wouldn't work - His salary. Way too high for the Spurs' liking and it just simply wouldn't be practical. Like I said before, there are young cheap alternatives out there who play for teams with bad GM's.

Marc Gasol

Why he would work - He's young, smart and comes at a bargain (3.5 million). Gasol has a good post game and great size. His GM Chris Wallace (yes the same bonehead who traded Pau Gasol for 40 cents on the dollar) decided to give a max contract to Rudy Gay and Tony Parker money to Mike Conley. This leaves Marc in a uncertain situation heading into the summer without a contract. He could be scooped up for very little comparatively by a savvy GM.

Why he wouldn't work - Tiago Splitter would likely have to be given up in a deal for him. I don't feel comfortable with that, but a part of me wants to take the sure thing over a wait and see situation like Splitter. If that offer was on the table for RC Buford, it would be very tempting for him to take. Marc Gasol is arguably a top five center in the NBA. It's hard to pass a guy like that up when he's 25 years old.

The Spurs more than likely won't make any of these moves, but given the circumstances of an aging core and the possibility of losing a season to a lockout, there has got to be a real sense of urgency to not only the Spurs but to other teams as well.

The Spurs, Lakers and Celtics would be decimated by a lost season. There would effectively be a new world order in the NBA when games resumes and the trading action should be very interesting given those circumstances.

It appears Ime Udoka's second stint with the San Antonio Spurs is now over. The Spurs just announced that they have placed the 6-5 Udoka on waivers. 

Udoka was originally signed on November 24 and appeared in 20 games with the Spurs averaging 0.7 points in 6.5 minutes per game.

He played 20 minutes against Oklahoma City on January and helped the Spurs limit the Thunder to 32.9 percent shooting from the field.

The Spurs roster now stands at 12 players. 

Project Spurs' Jeff Garcia was covering last night's Spurs vs. Knicks game in Madison Square Garden. He spoke to San Antonio Spurs' guard George Hill post game about the loss to the Knicks and game-planning against Rajon Rondo and the Boston Celtics tonight.