Salsa Suprema: NBA 2012-13: San Antonio Spurs: 28-10

jueves, 10 de enero de 2013

NBA 2012-13: San Antonio Spurs: 28-10

Los Lakers, llenos de lesionados, están para un cachetazo atrás del otro... ya llevan 5 derrotas al hilo.

Y San Antonio con esta victoria ya lleva 11 al hilo de LOCAL. De visitante estamos recibiendo bastantes cachetazos ultimamente.

Los Lakers habían levantado un partido increíble, pero Ginóbili clavó un triplazo en el cierre y aseguró la victoria de San Antonio. Además, se cortó la racha de Houston y Phoenix perdió de nuevo.

San Antonio tuvo que sufrir para ganarle 108-105 a los Lakers. Fue arriba toda la noche, con una máxima de 16 a siete minutos del final, pero cometió errores y permitió la reacción rival. Recién con un triplazo de Manu Ginóbili a 43 segundos pudo terminar de inclinar la balanza (108-102), aunque luego Earl Clark achicó con otro tiro de larga distancia y Kobe Bryant falló en la última en busca del suplementario. Los Spurs se recuperaron de la derrota ante New Orleans para seguir prendidos en el Oeste (terceros con 28-10).

Manu hizo 19 puntos (4-7 dobles, 2-7 triples y 5-6 libres) en 28 minutos. Además, bajó ocho rebotes y sumó cuatro asistencias, en una nueva producción completita. Tony Parker fue el goleador con 24 (10-16 de cancha). Stephen Jackson aportó otros 14 desde el banco, pero lo expulsaron a tres minutos tras un triple de Bryant y los Lakers le sacaron provecho con libres. También estuvo sólido el brasileño Tiago Splitter, que colaboró con 14 puntos y agarró 14 rebotes. Los angelinos se apoyaron en Kobe (27), Metta World Peace (23) y Clark (22). Pero no levantan: la quinta derrota al hilo los deja undécimos en la conferencia (15-20).

Tampoco mejoran los Suns. Esta vez perdieron 87-79 en la visita a Boston pese a un buen partido de Luis Scola, que en 33 minutos terminó con 16 puntos, tomó ocho rebotes y regaló cuatro asistencias. Las cuatro derrotas seguidas hundieron a Phoenix en el Oeste (12-25). Eso que los Celtics no brillaron: Green (14), Terry (13) y Sullinger (12) fueron sus destacados. Los Rockets llevaban una racha de cinco victorias pero cayeron 88-79 ante los Hornets. Carlos Delfino no pudo meterla como ante los Lakers: nueve puntos (1-4 dobles, 2-6 triples y 1-2 libres) en sus 26 minutos. No alcanzaron los 25 de James Harden y quedaron sextos en el Oeste con 21-15.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Not even a hard-fought loss against a longtime rival did little to brighten the mood of one of the more tumultuous seasons in the storied history of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tony Parker scored 24 points and the San Antonio Spurs handed the slumping Lakers their fifth straight loss with a 108-105 victory Wednesday night.

Manu Ginobili added 19 points and Tiago Splitter and Stephen Jackson had 14 each for San Antonio (28-10), which has won 11 straight at home. Splitter also had a career-high 14 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant had 27 points, Metta World Peace added 23 and Earl Clark 22 for Los Angeles (15-20). Bryant was 10 for 24 from the field, missing a 3-pointer on his final attempt that would have tied the game. Clark missed a follow-up 3 off a long rebound.

What can the Lakers take from such a battle?
''We lost five in a row,'' Bryant said. ''It's pretty self-explanatory.''
Coming off a 125-112 loss at Houston on Tuesday, the Lakers fought until the final buzzer.

Bryant's 3-pointer pulled Los Angeles to 105-99 with 3:32 remaining. The 3 led to dueling cries of support between a large contingent of Lakers fans seated near the Los Angeles bench and Spurs fans.

Did the effort give Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni reason to smile?
''No, not really,'' he said. ''I'm proud of their effort. They fought. They fought last night against Houston. You can see the team getting some traction, but we're a long ways away from a smile.''

http://miralaonline.net/images/prncB.jpg

Antawn Jamison's layup pulled the Lakers to 105-102 following a timeout, but Artest missed a layup and 3-pointer on consecutive possessions.
Ginobili hit a 3-pointer that gave the Spurs a six-point lead, but Clark responded with his own 3 to close to 108-105, setting up Bryant's final attempt.

The Spurs missed five shots and had four turnovers in the final 5 minutes, turning a 10-point lead into a nail-biting finish for the sell-out crowd.

''We kind of stopped,'' Ginobili said. ''We need rhythm this year. We are getting used to playing faster and we just didn't do it. We were playing one-on-one instead of doing what we do best and that's to penetrate, kick and pass the ball.''

Even with Lakers big men Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill out with injuries, the Spurs managed only a 48-40 rebounding advantage. Los Angeles forced 19 turnovers to keep the game close throughout.

Parker's 17-foot jumper gave the Spurs their largest lead at 83-66, but the Lakers quickly pared the 17-point deficit. Artest hit a 3, Bryant made a pair of jumpers and Clark had a 21-foot jumper to pull the Lakers to 83-75 with 49.3 seconds left in the third.

''The closer it gets, the easier it is to focus and be ready,'' Ginobili said. ''Of course, you worry because we were up by 16 and we just messed up the whole game. Like I said before, it was disappointing to see the team play like that, but at least we got the win.''

Bryant had a sluggish start offensively and the Lakers fell behind 54-45 at the half.

His first basket came with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter and he closed the half 2 for 6 from the field. Bryant credited his poor shooting to Spurs second-year player Kawhi Leonard.

''It was Kawhi's defense,'' Bryant said. ''He did a good job.''

Leonard finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot in 33 minutes while primarily guarding Bryant and World Peace.

''Kawhi Leonard was the start of the show as far as I'm concerned,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ''He had a great night and is getting better and better defensively and starting to find his way offensively. I thought that was great.''

NOTES: Lakers G Steve Blake (abdominal surgery) missed his 28th game of the season. Howard (shoulder), Gasol (concussion) and Hill (hip) also sat out the game. The Spurs had every player on their current roster active. ... The Lakers haven't lost five in a row since April 3-10, 2011. ... The Lakers are 1-12 when trailing after the first quarter this season. ... The Spurs evened their overall record against the Lakers at 74-all. San Antonio has a 46-29 advantage at home. ... Bryant holds the Spurs opponent record for most field goal attempts - 41 on Feb. 14, 2004.

San Antonio

Starters	Pos	Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
T. Parker	G	34:48	10-16	0-0	4-5	+1	0	3	6	6	3	0	0	1	24
D. Green	G	17:46	2-4	2-3	0-0	-4	0	4	2	0	0	0	1	0	6
T. Splitter	C	34:34	5-7	0-0	4-4	-4	4	14	0	1	0	1	0	4	14
K. Leonard	F	33:07	4-7	2-4	1-1	-12	1	3	2	1	2	1	0	3	11
T. Duncan	F	29:04	4-13	0-0	0-0	+8	0	7	5	3	0	4	0	0	8

Bench	Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
Totals		41-84	12-25	14-16		8	48	25	18	9	7	2	14	108
Percentages		.488	.480	.875		Team Rebounds: 3
M. Ginobili	28:27	6-14	2-7	5-6	+11	1	8	4	2	1	0	0	4	19
B. Diaw	26:38	0-2	0-0	0-0	+12	1	7	5	0	2	1	0	0	0
S. Jackson	18:27	5-9	4-6	0-0	+4	1	2	1	2	0	0	1	1	14
G. Neal	17:09	5-12	2-5	0-0	-1	0	0	0	3	1	0	0	1	12

Final: Spurs 108, Lakers 105
It was closer than it should have been — much, much closer — but the Spurs escaped a pair of low-percentage 3-pointers on the Lakers’ final possession to doom L.A. to its fifth straight loss.
The Spurs (28-10) had led by 16 early in the fourth quarter after Stephen Jackson’s third 3 of the period. But Jackson’s later meltdown — he drew a pair of technical fouls for complaining about a missed call — helped the Lakers (15-20) rally down the stretch. They got within three on multiple possessions down the stretch, but could not get any closer.
Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 27 points, while Tony Parker paced the Spurs with 24.

Third quarter: Spurs 85, Lakers 75 (3Q)
Kobe Bryant scored 14 in the quarter, including a 30-foot 3-pointer from the “S” in the Spurs logo at halfcourt, but it is not enough to prevent the Spurs from extending their lead by a point. Tony Parker scored 10 in the quarter, and Kawhi Leonard added nine as the Spurs continued to thrive despite an off night from Tim Duncan.

Halftime: Spurs 54, Lakers 45
The Lakers improved in the second quarter, and could have pulled within two had Chris Duhon knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer late. He missed, and the Spurs closed with a pair of buckets — including Manu Ginobili’s second dunk of the half — to push ahead by nine.
Those two makes put the Spurs at 51.2 percent for the half, but nine turnovers have marred their effectiveness. The Lakers are staying in striking distance despite shooting 46.3 percent.
Metta World Peace is doing most of the work for L.A., scoring 11 points with five rebounds. Tiago Splitter — declared the definitive starter at power forward before the game by Gregg Popovich — and Ginobili lead the Spurs with 12 points apiece.

First quarter: Spurs 24, Lakers 17
Not the best start by either team, but the Spurs are in solid control against the depleted Lakers. They closed the quarter on a lengthy 12-6 run to lead by seven entering the second. Kobe Bryant has been largely contained by the combination of Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson with four points on 1-for-5 shooting. Tony Parker leads the Spurs with eight.

Pregame: It seems only fitting that the Lakers — down Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, coming off a lopsided defeat at Houston that dropped them four games under .500 — would arrive in San Antonio early this morning in the midst of a downpour.
“The way things are going, I figured a dog would mess on my foot,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said. “The plane was pretty rough. At least they put my room (at the hotel) on the third floor, so if I did jump I’d just hurt my ankle a little bit.”
They face a Spurs team going in the opposite direction, their sluggish loss at New Orleans on Monday notwithstanding. While Los Angeles (15-19) is closer to the bottom of the Western Conference than the top, the Spurs (27-10) remain within a game of the best record of the NBA even after that toe-stubbing.
Pressed for details by the L.A. press corps on how the Spurs have not only remained relevant but changed playing styles so completely in recent seasons, Gregg Popovich lavished praise on his three cornerstones — Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
“They create an environment that these guys are allowed to flourish, that they make mistakes so that they can flourish,” he said. “I just sit back and watch them. I get all over the new guys and they kind of stroke them. I’m the bad guy, they’re the good guys, and it seems to work.”

Y el otro día...

Delfino jugó un partidazo en la victoria de Houston sobre los Lakers: clavó 5-7 triples y aportó 19 puntos. Hasta hubo varios ante Kobe... Los Suns de Scola (12 más 10 rebotes) perdieron en Milwaukee.

Los Lakers vienen a los tumbos, con estrellas que se pelean y resultados que no aparecen, pero siempre son peligrosos. Los Rockets los recibieron con la energía necesaria y los maltrataron con un partidazo de Carlos Delfino, que clavó 19 puntos (2-7 dobles más 5-7 triples) en sus 23 minutos en cancha. Con el aporte del santafesino desde el banco, festejaron por 125-112 en el Toyota Center y quedaron sextos en el Oeste con 21-14, mejorando su campaña gracias a la quinta victoria al hilo. Sin los lesionados Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol y Jordan Hill fue la cuarta derrota en cadena para el equipo de Los Angeles (15-19).

Delfino entró bien con dos triples en el primer cuarto y con siete puntos en el segundo complicó a los Lakers, que igual se marcharon 62-59 al descanso. Pero en el tercero explotó Jeremy Lin con 12, siguió la gran noche de James Harden con 11 y Carlitos sumó un triple en el parcial de 38-26. En el último hubo otro bombazo del santafesino para sacar 11 de ventaja a diez minutos. Además bajó seis rebotes, sumó tres asistencias y robó dos pelotas. Harden (31), Parsons (20) y Lin (19) completaron el póker ganador. En el visitante se destacó Metta World Peace con 24 y Kobe Bryant esta vez se quedó en 20.

Los que no levantan son los Suns: ahora perdieron 108-99 en la visita a Milwaukee pese a una correcta actuación de Luis Scola, que metió 12 puntos con 5-12 dobles y también bajó 10 rebotes en 31 minutos. No pudieron frenar en toda la noche a Brandon Jennings (29 puntos con 5-9 triples), por eso sufrieron la tercera derrota consecutiva y estiraron su mal momento. El récord de 12-24 refleja la realidad del equipo de Gentry... Dragic (21), Dudley (18) y Gortat (16) resultaron lo mejorcito en Phoenix.

NBA Expanded Standings - 2012-13

Eastern Conference
EASTERN		W	L	PCT	GB	3 PTS OR LESS	10 PTS OR MORE	VS. +.500	VS. - .500	OT
1	Miami	23	10	.697	-	4-1	12-6	13-8	10-2	3-0
2	New York	23	11	.676	½	5-2	13-3	10-8	13-3	0-1
3	Indiana	21	14	.600	3	2-5	8-6	6-12	15-2	2-0
4	Atlanta	20	14	.588	3 ½	3-2	6-5	8-10	12-4	3-0
5	Chicago	19	14	.576	4	2-1	6-4	7-12	12-2	1-0
6	Brooklyn	20	15	.571	4	4-3	10-7	6-14	14-1	3-0
7	Milwaukee	18	16	.529	5 ½	3-1	7-10	10-12	8-4	1-1
8	Boston	18	17	.514	6	2-2	7-12	10-13	8-4	3-2

	Philadelphia	15	22	.405	10	3-1	4-12	6-16	9-6	1-1
	Toronto	13	22	.371	11	2-4	7-10	4-15	9-7	1-2
	Detroit	13	23	.361	11 ½	3-4	6-10	5-14	8-9	0-3
	Orlando	12	23	.343	12	0-5	5-7	4-17	8-6	0-3
	Charlotte	9	25	.265	14 ½	4-5	2-12	4-16	5-9	3-1
	Cleveland	9	28	.243	16	3-7	3-13	4-19	5-9	0-1
	Washington	5	28	.152	18	2-5	0-9	3-18	2-10	0-5
Western Conference
WESTERN		W	L	PCT	GB	3 PTS OR LESS	10 PTS OR MORE	VS. +.500	VS. - .500	OT
1	LA Clippers	28	8	.778	-	2-0	18-4	16-6	12-2	0-1
2	Oklahoma City	27	8	.771	½	1-2	18-2	12-7	15-1	3-0
3	San Antonio	28	10	.737	1	4-1	16-3	15-9	13-1	3-0
4	Memphis	23	10	.697	3 ½	0-2	14-3	13-8	10-2	1-1
5	Golden State	22	12	.647	5	3-2	8-6	13-6	9-6	1-2
6	Houston	21	15	.583	7	2-2	12-6	11-11	10-4	0-3
7	Denver	21	16	.568	7 ½	3-4	10-5	11-12	10-4	1-0
8	Portland	19	15	.559	8	5-2	5-10	9-7	10-8	5-0

	Utah	19	18	.514	9 ½	4-3	7-11	5-14	14-4	1-0
	Minnesota	16	16	.500	10	2-3	7-6	7-13	9-3	1-0
	LA Lakers	15	20	.429	12 ½	2-4	10-6	7-15	8-5	1-0
	Sacramento	13	22	.371	14 ½	4-1	5-15	7-18	6-4	0-1
	Dallas	13	23	.361	15	2-3	4-13	3-18	10-5	0-7
	Phoenix	12	25	.324	16 ½	4-5	6-10	4-18	8-7	1-2
	New Orleans	10	25	.286	17 ½	4-2	1-11	6-20	4-5	1-3