# Spurs end trip with ways to go/Ginobili as savior? One who will, can't



## TMTTRIO (Mar 10, 2005)

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...32405.1C.BKNspurs.pacers.gamer.16a4d3c7d.html

*Spurs end trip with ways to go 
Web Posted: 03/24/2005 12:00 AM CST * 

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer 

INDIANAPOLIS — Most of the 16,560 fans had long since streamed out of Conseco Fieldhouse by the time the Spurs walked to their locker room late Wednesday. Heads bowed, eyes glazed, they didn't say a word. 

The Spurs' four-day trip was over, having culminated with a 100-93 loss to the Indiana Pacers and another uninspiring performance. Having begun their travels with the NBA's best record, they left carrying their first three-game losing streak. 

In between, the Spurs also lost Tim Duncan and Devin Brown. And, according to their coach, their will to win. 

*"The competitiveness, in my opinion, as a group is not there," Gregg Popovich said. "A good number of players have to realize that they've got to step up their games because they're not that damn good without Tim Duncan. 

"What makes them able to compete without Tim Duncan is a ferocity and a toughness, and I don't see that." * 
Popovich had hoped the team's shock of losing Duncan had worn off in its second-collapse in New York two nights earlier. He wanted to see if his players would play hard and physical, if they would show the same trust in each other and the system as they did when Duncan was on the floor. 

As it turned out, Popovich saw just that. From Indiana. 

The Pacers leaned on their veterans, getting 21 points from 39-year-old Reggie Miller and 18 apiece from Anthony Johnson, Austin Croshere and Stephen Jackson. They limited the Spurs to 38.4 percent shooting. They outrebounded them 44-32. 

Ahead by five at halftime, Indiana needed a little more than eight minutes to /lead by 18. 

The Spurs fell to 1-5 without Duncan, though Indiana took the floor without its leader, Jermaine O'Neal, and two other starters: forward Ron Artest and point guard Jamaal Tinsley. 

In addition, Indiana lost in New Jersey on Tuesday night while the Spurs rested. 

*"We're used to all these injuries and to expect the unexpected," Croshere said. "It seems they aren't as prepared to play without (Duncan)." * *Before the game, Jackson said he thought his former teammates could tread water without their best player. 

"That's what they gave (Manu Ginobili) and Tony (Parker) all this money for, to see what they can do just in case something like this happened," Jackson said. * 
Ginobili tried but lacked the explosiveness he had before straining his groin. He scored 11 points and made only 2 of 9 shots. Still, Popovich couldn't fault his competitiveness. 

*"I think Manu is one of the few guys on the club who is playing with that ferocity," he said. "He's just happened to play two of the worst games I've seen him play." * 
Parker had 12 points and seven assists, but he missed 9 of 13 shots. Against New York, he scored only two points in the final three quarters. 

*Asked if his point guard might be fatigued, Popovich said: "Tony is totally healthy." 

Said Parker: "I'm not going to try to find an excuse. I'm just not playing well." * 

Parker wasn't alone in his struggles. After going almost a full quarter without a basket in New York, the Spurs endured an 8-minute, 55-second drought in Wednesday's first half. 

Rasho Nesterovic, Nazr Mohammed, Robert Horry, Tony Massenburg and Sean Marks combined for 11 rebounds, four fewer than Pacers forward Jeff Foster, a Madison High School graduate, had by himself. Duncan would have helped, but his absence, Ginobili said, wasn't the reason the Spurs lost. 

*"I just think we're not playing aggressive," Ginobili said. "We're not playing with our hearts like we were a week ago." * 


http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...es/MYSA032405.1C.COL.BKNharvey.16a460286.html
*Buck Harvey: Ginobili as savior? One who will, can't 
Web Posted: 03/24/2005 12:00 AM CST * 

San Antonio Express-News 

INDIANAPOLIS — Manu Ginobili dribbled the ball off his leg early in the third quarter, and that was it. He couldn't take any more. 

He came to the bench for a timeout, slamming a chair :jawdrop: :lol, then went back to the court determined to slam everything else. He would yell at refs, scrape for a rebound, come up with a steal, then drive into contact. 

*But two things were working against him this night. 

His body. 

And his teammates. 

He didn't point fingers afterward. Instead, Ginobili sounded more like the voice of this team than he ever has. He sat in an empty locker room and said: "I see it in our faces ... that's why I'm going to stay awake until 5 this morning trying to figure out what's happening." 

Gregg Popovich doesn't need that long. He ripped into his players as a group immediately after the game, pulling out the "soft" tag again. But it was clear he was talking about certain players. 

Rasho Nesterovic. Nazr Mohammed. And Tony Parker. * 
Asked about Parker specifically, Popovich responded with a deliberate tone: "Tony is totally healthy." 

As in contrast to Ginobili. 

The Tim Duncan-less Spurs can't win without Parker and Ginobili playing well, and neither has been. But maybe it simply comes down to Ginobili and his sore groin, sore quads, sore right shoulder and sore left calf. 

If he's playing full-bore, wouldn't the Spurs follow his lead? 

This Ginobili wouldn't have won the gold medal for Argentina in Athens. *He couldn't have led his country in the condition he is in now, and he admits as much. "I don't feel like I can go by anyone right now," he said. 

Usually, Ginobili can go by anyone. * 
This Ginobili also didn't win gold here in this same building, when the 2002 World Championships were in Indianapolis. Then his body also gave out. He twisted his ankle nearly as badly as Duncan did his Sunday, coming down on Dirk Nowitzki in the Argentina-Germany semifinal game. 

But whereas Duncan flew home, unable to put pressure on his ankle, Ginobili came back 20 hours later to try to win the championship for Argentina. His limp through the loss was painful to watch. 

It was also a costly decision. The ankle, injured in August, bothered Ginobili through half of his rookie season with the Spurs. Not coincidentally, when he recovered is when the Spurs began their run to the championship. 

So the same Ginobili who tried to play when he shouldn't have in the World Championships *is the same Ginobili who tried to rage himself through his pain Wednesday night. It's a signal of who he is and why the Spurs need him healthy. 

It's also a signal of his future. He's always thrown his body around as if it is disposable, and it's effective but damaging. * 
Standing Wednesday as the contrast was Reggie Miller. He's spent his career damaging others, running defenders through picks, then rising up with shooting skills that Ginobili doesn't have. 

Miller has played a cleaner, safer game, the reason he could score a game-high 21 points Wednesday night at age 39. He's retiring, but there's really no reason he should. 

He crossed the 25,000-point threshold against the Spurs. And when asked about coaching against Miller for the last time, Popovich said with some respect and humor: "Thank God." 

*Ginobili's career will never be as long, and it won't be the same. He needs contact, and he needs to be fearless. And when his body doesn't play along? He's not the same, and neither are the Spurs. 

That doesn't stop him from burning inside, or from saying what the other Spurs need to hear. Asked about not having Duncan, Ginobili said defiantly: "I really don't care about Tim Duncan. We should play the same with or without him. And that is what worries me. There is no reason for this." * 
The one with the will to lead the Spurs without Duncan is the one who is hurt, and it's a bad combination. If the Spurs can't beat Atlanta on Friday night at home, when will they beat anyone? 

Ginobili is ready, no matter the details. "I can't wait to play the next game." 

And his teammates? 



It sounds like he's still suffering from his injury. I hope he get's well soon.


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## Camaro_870 (Mar 12, 2005)

yea, its gotta be manu who's going to lead the team... parker coulddddd do it......but i've havent seen him step it up


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Talk the talk, walk the walk Manu. It's good to see he's ready, but he's got to prove it out there.


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## DaBobZ (Sep 22, 2003)

I agree Koko although I think you're a bit tough at Manu.
I mean give him some time to get back at its best. 
They will step up without Tim but it's no easy winning a game these days, they are going through a critical stretch. Last year Tim was out a few times and once for a long streak but it was in Nov Dec I guess.
Nowhere near the playoffs, now it's big and every team gives it all on the court.
But if we loose against Atlanta it might all fall apart for our roles players and their spirit will be broken - until Tim is back.

Bottom line - Tim musn't make an early come back to help our guys, if he needs to rest just don't play him, I'd rather see us loose all our following games than Timmay coming back at 80% or something.




P.S: What a stupid comment from SJax about Manu and Tp and the bicks they make, dude we offered you a contract and you didn't show anything to prove Pop you deserved as much as bucks as TP and Manu.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Good to see Pop finally realizes something needs to be done. I hope just hope something is.


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

thats why pop has the best fan club lol no but fo real i realy hope something gets done and if we loose to the hawks tomro we desrv to be in last place. we need to win by double digits


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