# Game 36: MIN @ SAN



## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

Pretty much sums the game up

Minnesota Timberwolves (5-30)










VS

San Antonio Spurs (23-11)









Well it'll be good to see how Jefferson handlesthe challenge of Duncan.. other then that, this could get ugly


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Telfair, McCants, Gomes, AJ and Doleac starting again.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Gomes is dominating the ball, having taken several shots already with just a few minutes gone, and over-handling on the possessions when he hasn't shot. This is not a good omen. Bowen has been on McCants, which has prevented him from being of much use. AJ 1-2. 

Not a lot of defense by Minnesota yet, and so while it's only 8-6, it could get ugly quickly if things don't improve.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

5:37 left in the first, and nobody is looking for JEfferson. Gomes is dominating the ball, McCants now has started overly enjoying the sound of his own dribbling and even Telfair just ignored the big guy as he drove the lane and put up a mediocre shot rather than going into the post to Jefferson.

I'd like to see Jaric and Brewer sub in soon for Gomes and Doleac to have a quicker, more aggressive lineup, and hopefully one with a couple of guys who look for their #1 option.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Telfair has looked for AJ twice in the past three possessions. And he's gotten four points out of him. (He also took one for himself between the two, a not-so-great jumpshot that did go in, at least.) Im still not liking this off-the-dribble focus the Wolves have so far. They're not moving at all without the ball and they're not passing well except occasionally off penetration. But it's a lot of a guy standing at 3, dribbling. Then shooting. Or a guy casually dribbling around the perimeter, then shooting. Either way, it's a good way to miss shots, make yourself easy to defend, and with nobody off the ball moving, making themselves easy to defend, too. It's not basketball.


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

Definately need to keep feeding Jefferson, why Wittman doesnt force this onto the team i have no idea


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

24-24 after 1


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

No call on Brewer?


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Avalanche said:


> Definately need to keep feeding Jefferson, why Wittman doesnt force this onto the team i have no idea


I believe a lot of it just has to do with the players he has. Their mentalities, their egos, their styles just aren't conducive to it. He should reinforce it, but let's be serious, he has to be. I mean, as fun as it is to rag on coaches or players, there is absolutely 0% chance that Wittman and the staff don't preach feeding AJ constantly. No chance. The most casual fan on earth would realize the importance of it.

(Sorry for the overkill of the point.)


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

Spurs took the lead with Oberto's FG after 2 straight 3s by Bonner.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

JuX said:


> No call on Brewer?


That was a nice little dump off from Jaric to Brewer there. But yeah, he got fouled. 

I think that situation is where Brewer can be effective, generally. He's kind of sneaky along that baseline, and if someone feeds him at the right time, he probably could score 4-6 ppg that way alone every night.


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

luther said:


> I believe a lot of it just has to do with the players he has. Their mentalities, their egos, their styles just aren't conducive to it. He should reinforce it, but let's be serious, he has to be. I mean, as fun as it is to rag on coaches or players, there is absolutely 0% chance that Wittman and the staff don't preach feeding AJ constantly. No chance. The most casual fan on earth would realize the importance of it.
> *
> (Sorry for the overkill of the point.)*


lol dont be, and i agree totally... thats why i have an issue with the coaching, i know its not these players first thought to feed Al the ball, but it should be... it should be drilled into them at practice that its the most effective way for us to score.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

Fast paced tempo right now, lol.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

They need to start capitalizing on Spurs' mistakes.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

Nice brick, Ant.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

I want to say I'm impressed that we're still in the game, but frankly, San Antonio is toying with us. Richardson, Vaughn, Elson, Bonner, etc. have all had significant time already. I have a bad feeling that early in the 3rd, S.A. will let its starters loose for a while to try and build a large lead. And they probably will succeed.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Nice little drive by Jefferson, but on this next possession, that was a terrible drive by McCants. Good job holding the ball through traffic, but he put so much effort into hanging on and being strong that he forgot to actually shoot--he sort of threw it despite no real challenge in shooting. At least Al got the rebound and FTs.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

After Richardson hit a nice shot, McCants just abused him on that drive. I'm afraid Jeremy Richardson isn't going to earn points with Popp getting beat like that.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

luther said:


> I want to say I'm impressed that we're still in the game, but frankly, San Antonio is toying with us. Richardson, Vaughn, Elson, Bonner, etc. have all had significant time already. I have a bad feeling that early in the 3rd, S.A. will let its starters loose for a while to try and build a large lead. And they probably will succeed.


Yep, that's what I'm thinking. At least we aren't watching the blowout game right now again like last night's game.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

Nice going, McCants.

*rolls eyes*


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

Yeah the spurs never seem to blow teams out, they do just enough to get the win comfortably... let the bench play and put the starters in to get the job done


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Avalanche said:


> Yeah the spurs never seem to blow teams out, they do just enough to get the win comfortably... let the bench play and put the starters in to get the job done


The beauty of that is, it lets the bench players get time when the game still matters, as opposed to when they're down or (more likely) up by 25. And so they're more ready to contribute when it matters. And of course it's good to ease those starters' minutes, especially with all but Parker getting upt here in years.

Hey, a 45-44 lead at halftime. Nice.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

Nice teamwork on the last play. That's what I wanted to see.


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

1 point lead at the half... first pheonix then spurs? lol, we can only hope


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

I don't think Jefferson, back to the basket about 18 feet away trying spin moves and drives around Tim Duncan is what the team needs. No, no, no ... that's not it.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Sure enough, a quick 7-0 run by San Antonio to start the quarter, 51-45 S.A.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Nice board and put-back by Doleac. He's done well the past couple of games.

Telfair is overdribbling. There is nothing I hate more in basketball than a guy who stands and dribbles, moves and dribbles, etc. MOVE THE BALL. PLEASE. You should 1) look to shoot, 2) look for someone else you can pass to, to shoot, or 3) dribble somewhere. Not 1) stand and dribble, 2) keep dribbling, 3) make a half-assed, two-step drive, 4) back out of it, 5) jog to the wing, 6) repeat 1-3, and 7) shoot.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

Nice shot, McCants.

Nice layup, Jefferson.

Nice defense, Doleac.

Nice shot, Doleac,].

T'Wolves behind 3, 55-58, Spurs.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

Big Al, wow... How did he does that? That must be very difficult to accomplish a feat like that.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Wow, that might have been the worst pass I've seen this year from anyone other than Jefferson, by Jaric. And the 10-point deficit appears.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

But Jaric makes up for it with that nice entry pass to Smith.


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

we managed to dissapear before the 4th this time


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Ginobili is really just so ****ing good.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

OK, down 9 going into the 4th. Could be worse.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

One thing that's really noticeable is that San Antonio players are a lot quicker to go to the floor or hustle toward the out-of-bounds lines after loose balls.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

Down 7, ok, that's not too bad.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

great possession with that feed to AJ to get to 83-74.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Slowly slipping away: 94-80, 4+ to go.


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## JuX (Oct 11, 2005)

Hello, losing.

 but it was good the first 2 and half quarters.


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## luther (Nov 2, 2007)

Officially out of control at 101-85, 1:54 to go...


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## Avalanche (Nov 17, 2005)

Bad nba day for me all-round


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