Spurs-Pistons Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Feb 13 2012 6:26PM

San Antonio's Manu Ginobili got a chance to re-acclimate himself after almost six weeks off with a game against an inferior opponent.

It appears Ginobili will get another opportunity to ease back into form Tuesday night when the surging Spurs visit the Detroit Pistons, another seemingly overmatched team.

After sitting out 22 games because of a broken bone in his left hand, Ginobili returned Saturday against New Jersey. He came off the bench and finished with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting and four assists in 17 minutes of a 103-89 win, the seventh straight for San Antonio.

"I'm very happy to be back," said Ginobili, who averaged 19.8 points and 60.5 percent shooting in the four games before his injury. "Conditioning-wise, I'm behind. Basketball-wise, I'm behind. I know the only way to get back is to play."

Ginobili, who did not wear a protective brace, said he wasn't hesitant about playing with an injury, but was concerned about disrupting the chemistry the team developed in his absence. The Spurs went 15-7 without Ginobili and haven't lost since an overtime defeat to Dallas on Jan. 29.

"I was a little worried because the situation was kind of awkward (because of the) six-game winning streak, playing a team that's not doing well, me coming back," he said. "So I was a little worried. Once I saw the game, that we were going to get a win, I loosened up a little bit and I could enjoy (it) a little bit more."

Ginobili may have a similar mindset against the Pistons (8-21), whom the Spurs swept last season.

Detroit, last in the Central Division, is coming off a 98-77 loss to lowly Washington that snapped a four-game winning streak. Those victories didn't come against the stiffest competition, as the Pistons beat Milwaukee, New Orleans and New Jersey twice.

Greg Monroe had a game-high 27 points against the Wizards, but the rest of the starters combined to score 29. The Pistons shot 32.6 percent, their lowest mark since Dec. 23, 2009, when they shot 27.9 percent against Toronto.

"We just didn't have any energy," said guard Ben Gordon, who finished with seven points and shot 2 of 9. "We had that during the last four games, but it was gone."

It could be tough for Detroit, one of the league's worst offensive teams at 87.2 points per game, to bounce back against the Spurs. San Antonio has allowed an average of 86.3 points during their winning streak.

The Spurs have also stepped up offensively during their run.

They've reached triple digits in three of four games and shot 52.5 percent against the Nets, their highest mark in 10 games. Coach Gregg Popovich got an opportunity to limit the minutes for some of his starters and the bench responded with 50 points.

Reserve guard Gary Neal led six players in double figures with 18 points.

"The bench has sustained us all year," Popovich said. "It's why we've kept our head above water. Our entire bench has been fantastic. Tim Duncan has played fewer minutes this season than he ever has. He understands what we're doing."

Tony Parker played 25 minutes Saturday, his fewest since Jan. 17, and finished with 12 points after averaging 28.4 in 37.0 minutes in his previous five. He totaled 42 points and went 18 of 23 from the field in the two games against the Pistons last season.

Monroe has been one of the few bright spots for Detroit offensively. The second-year center is averaging 21.3 points and 60.5 percent shooting in six games this month after averaging 13.6 points and 43.0 percent in his previous 10 contests.

Ben Wallace, seeing limited minutes off Detroit's bench, will break the NBA record for games played by an undrafted player since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger if he takes the court Tuesday. Wallace, who says this is his final season, is tied for the record with Avery Johnson at 1,054 games.

Spurs outlast Wallace, Pistons 99-95

By NOAH TRISTER
Posted Feb 14 2012 11:30PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Tim Duncan made his move to the basket and didn't come close to scoring. After he released the ball, the San Antonio star fell to the ground, the victim of a stray elbow from Detroit's Ben Wallace.

What began as a mismatch between the streaking Spurs and rebuilding Pistons had turned into an enthralling showdown between Duncan and Wallace, two veteran big men facing each other for perhaps the final time.

"Two old guys trying to get it done for their teams," said the 37-year-old Wallace, who plans to retire after this season.

Duncan's Spurs came out on top, overcoming a spirited Detroit rally to beat the Pistons 99-95 on Tuesday night for their eighth consecutive victory. Duncan had 18 points and 13 rebounds, spoiling a special night for Wallace, who played in his 1,055th game - a record for an undrafted player since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger.

Wallace drew a standing ovation when his record was announced after the first quarter, and he ignited the crowd again later on when Detroit rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit. Wallace finished with nine points and five rebounds.

"That was great. He's always in great shape, and he's moving well, and he was really active," the 35-year-old Duncan said. "I asked him on the floor how much longer he was going to play, and he said he was done after this year. I told him he's had an unbelievable career."

The Spurs and Pistons aren't scheduled to play again in the regular season, so this may have been the final meeting between Duncan and Wallace. Duncan outplayed Greg Monroe, Detroit's young big man, but the Pistons stuck with Wallace down the stretch, and the four-time defensive player of the year helped swing momentum in Detroit's favor.

Finally, San Antonio's Tony Parker made a driving layup with 1:13 remaining to break a 91-all tie and put the Spurs ahead to stay. Parker also made a floater with 27.2 seconds left to make it 95-92.

After Ben Gordon missed from the left corner with Duncan contesting, the Detroit guard was called for a technical foul, and the Spurs held on.

"I thought Detroit did a great job in the fourth. We got up 15 or 16, but they got physical on defense and moved the ball." San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "We've got three veteran players out there in Tim, Manu (Ginobili) and Tony, and they made plays down the stretch when we needed them."

Down 79-64, the Pistons went on a 14-0 run that included the seventh 3-pointer of Wallace's career. Later, with the Spurs up 83-82, Duncan missed inside and was caught by Wallace's elbow. While Duncan remained on the ground, Detroit's Brandon Knight scored while being fouled at the other end to give the Pistons the lead with 5:28 remaining.

Duncan stayed in the game with what looked like a bandage under his left eye. Less than a minute later it was Detroit's Rodney Stuckey sprawled on the floor after he appeared to be hit in the head by Ginobili's knee.

The Spurs began fouling Wallace intentionally, and he finished 4 of 8 from the free throw line, including two airballs. He tied the game at 91 with a free throw with 2:06 remaining, but Parker put San Antonio ahead with his drive.

Wallace's 3-pointer was his first since Dec. 11, 2010.

"Three-ball - that ain't nothing that you all haven't seen before," Wallace said. "They hacked me. I made a couple free throws, shot a couple airballs - still ain't nothing that you all have never seen before."

Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said he wasn't about to pull Wallace when he was being fouled intentionally.

"He earned the right to be in there," Frank said. "Ben turned the game around."

Stuckey led the Pistons with 23 points.

San Antonio had seven players in double figures. Parker scored 14 points, and Richard Jefferson and Tiago Splitter had 13 each.

NOTES: It was the fourth game of a nine-game road trip for the Spurs. ... The Pistons have lost two straight after a four-game winning streak. ... Wallace moved one game ahead of former Spur Avery Johnson on the list of games played by undrafted players.

Notebook: Spurs 99, Pistons 95

Posted Tuesday February 14, 2012 11:20PM

By Dana Gauruder, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Tim Duncan had 18 points and 13 rebounds as the San Antonio increased their NBA season-high winning streak to eight games with a 99-95 victory over the Detroit Pistons Tuesday. Tony Parker scored seven points in the last 1:13 after the Pistons erased a 16-point deficit. Rodney Stuckey's 23 points and eight assists led Detroit.

QUOTABLE: "Even if we're not happy with the way we played in the fourth quarter, we can still tell ourselves we stayed in the game. Sometimes with these games, you lose it. But we fought through it, made some stops and made some big baskets at the end to win the game."
-- Parker on the Spurs' closing run

THE STAT: 70 percent. San Antonio's scoring was well distributed, as seven of the 10 players coach Gregg Popovich used reached double figures. Parker finished with 14, Richard Jefferson and Gary Neal had 13 apiece and four other players had either 10 or 11.

TURNING POINT: With leading scorer Greg Monroe struggling, Pistons coach Lawrence Frank put Ben Wallace in with 6:12 remaining in the third quarter. Wallace's defense against Duncan prevented the Spurs from making it a blowout. Wallace (nine points) then shocked the Spurs in the fourth by making a 15-foot jumper and a 3-pointer, the seventh of his 16-year career. The Pistons eventually took a three-point lead before the Spurs responded with a 16-9 spurt to close out the game.

QUOTABLE II: "The way it was going, it had about a 90 percent chance of going in, just the whole situation. We played good defense for 23 seconds and we leave one guy open that we don't think can hit it and he makes it. He made a couple of plays that really got them back in the game."
-- Duncan on Wallace's 3-pointer

HOT: Duncan recorded his fifth straight double-double despite being held to six second-half points. He is averaging 17.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over the last seven games.

NOT: Monroe's four points tied a season low. He had been averaging 21.3 points in six games this month. Duncan was primarily responsible for shutting down Monroe, who didn't play in the fourth quarter.

NOTABLE: Pistons center Ben Wallace broke Avery Johnson's record of 1,054 career games by an undrafted player since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger. Wallace and Johnson are the only undrafted players who have reached the 1,000-game mark. Moses Malone holds the all-time record with 1,329 games but was an ABA draft pick in 1974 and was chosen by Portland in the 1976 ABA Dispersal Draft. ... Spurs reserve forward Tiago Splitter recorded his 15th double-digit game this season with 13 points. ... San Antonio is 4-0 on its annual 'rodeo' trip with five games remaining. ... Tayshaun Prince added 18 points for the Pistons.

UP NEXT: For the Spurs, Wednesday @ Toronto, Saturday @ L.A. Clippers, Monday @ Utah. For the Pistons, Wednesday @ Boston, Friday vs. Sacramento, Sunday vs. Boston.

• Spurs: Ford
• Pistons: Villanueva

• Spurs: --
• Pistons: Gordon

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #32 Eddie F. Rush, #45 Brian Forte, #42 Eric Lewis
• Attendance: 11533
• Duration: 2:19