Jazz-Spurs Preview

By PAUL J. WEBER
Posted Apr 28 2012 6:47PM

SAN ANTONIO (AP) The San Antonio Spurs spent the lockout-shortened regular season resisting the inevitable comparisons to the one in 1999, when they won their first of four championships.

But now that it's over?

"I guess if you look back and compare, yeah, it's a lot like that," Spurs forward Tim Duncan said Saturday. "We hope it ends like that, too."

They'll find out starting Sunday when the Spurs open the playoffs against Utah carrying their sixth No. 1 seed in the Duncan era. The Jazz, coincidentally, were arguably San Antonio's biggest threat heading into those 1999 playoffs, but Duncan and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich are the only relics left.

Not even Jerry Sloan is still around, making this the first time since 1988 the Jazz are entering the playoffs without their iconic former coach at the helm. Instead, successor Ty Corbin has rode the emerging frontcourt of Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap back to the postseason.

So it's not 1999, but it's like plenty of NBA seasons since: Another young up-and-comer trying to finally finish off the Spurs legacy.

"This is not like, OK, you get a sticker for making the playoffs, you get one star and you can go home at recess," Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said. "We want to compete in the playoffs."

Competing will be easier with Josh Howard back. The nine-year veteran returned for Utah's final two games this week after missing a month following knee surgery, but he didn't start. Corbin hasn't ruled out Howard reclaiming his starting spot for Game 1 but won't say until Sunday.

That uncertainty is a situation the Spurs know all too well this time of year.

Since winning their last championship in 2007, the Spurs have spent every postseason with one of their Big Three laboring through injury or out altogether. Manu Ginobili finished 2008 slowed by a bum ankle, sat out the 2009 playoffs entirely and sheathed his elbow in a bulky cast last year after being hurt in the regular season finale.

Duncan was also never the same after spraining his ankle last March, helping doom the Spurs to becoming just the fourth No. 1 seed to fall in the first round. For as dominant as the Spurs have been in the regular season the last two years - to the tune of a 111-37 record - their playoff record since 2009 is 7-14, winning just one series.

Ginobili said his fluky injury in last year's regular season finale never discouraged him about the Spurs' chances then.

But he's certainly more optimistic now.

"An injury messes up everything," Ginobili said Saturday. "But this year we're all healthy, all feeling well and playing well. So, yeah. We're ready."

Popovich took no chances with his stars after sewing up the No. 1 seed. Sunday will be the first game for Duncan, Parker and Ginobili in nearly a week after all three stayed home while the rest of the team finished the regular season with wins over Phoenix and Golden State, pushing San Antonio's third double-digit winning streak of the year to 10.

Corbin, who is coaching his first playoff game to Popovich's 182nd, said he knows the Spurs are out for redemption.

"I'm sure they will have their antennas up. They were one of the best teams last year, with the best record and lost in the first round. There won't be any letdowns there," Corbin said. "They have to be ready and we have to be ready, so we got to make sure we get ourselves prepared to go down there and compete."

The Jazz beat the Spurs only once this season in four meetings - and Utah isn't crowing about that one. The Spurs, just as they did this past week, kept their Big Three home and let an 11-game winning streak end in Utah for the sake of avoiding injury. But the Jazz still have the kind of lineup prone to giving San Antonio fits.

Between letting Lakers center Andrew Bynum pull down 30 rebounds this season and last year's collapse to Memphis, it's no secret that bigger lineups pose the biggest problems for the Spurs. The Jazz were the NBA's third-best rebounding team behind Chicago and the Lakers, led by Jefferson (19.2 points, 9.6 rebounds) and Millsap (16.6 points, 8.8 rebounds). Derrick Favors, at 6-10, has been no easy matchup off the bench, either.

If the Jazz can pull off the upset, it'll be their frontcourt that makes it happen. But Utah knows the Spurs are in no mood to suffer that infamy twice.

"I guarantee you they are going to try to make a statement in the first round just because of last year," Jazz backup guard Earl Watson said. "And the first game, especially."

---

AP Sports Writer Lynn DeBruin in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.

Parker's 28 leads Spurs over Jazz 106-91 in Game 1

By PAUL J. WEBER
Posted Apr 29 2012 5:31PM

SAN ANTONIO (AP) This was not another early playoff letdown by the San Antonio Spurs. For the first time in four years, they won a series opener.

But more important to them was Tony Parker looking like his old postseason self.

Putting together his best playoff game since 2009, Parker scored 28 points and the top-seeded Spurs erased four years of putting themselves in 0-1 holes to start the playoffs, beating the Utah Jazz 106-91 in Game 1 of their first-round series Sunday.

It marked the 11th straight win for the Spurs dating to the regular season, and kept the Spurs from being hounded by the same doubts that emerged this time last year when they also entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, only to be ousted by Memphis.

"I think everybody knows what happened last year," Parker said. "Everybody's motivated this year, but we don't even talk about it."

What Parker - and coach Gregg Popovich- have talked about is the All-Star's unremarkable series against the Grizzlies a year ago. Popovich told Parker that he thought his star point guard tried harder with the French national team last summer than in the playoffs, and Parker vowed to return with a different attitude.

He's making good on it so far.

The Jazz, meanwhile, hung close for three quarters in the franchise's first playoff game without Jerry Sloan since 1988. Paul Millsap led Utah with 20 points, but the Jazz couldn't keep up when the NBA's top 3-point shooting team began burying them with three in a two-minute burst to finish the third.

"The biggest thing we're going to learn is the different ways to guard the pick and roll, and what worked and what didn't," Jazz guard Gordon Haywood said. "We can't let them get to the paint as easily, because it's kick out 3's and dump down's and whatever. So we have to do better at that."

Game 2 is Wednesday in San Antonio.

Hayward scored 17 points and Al Jefferson had 16 for the Jazz, who present the Spurs problems with a bigger frontcourt but contributed to their own doom with 16 turnovers.

"But we are a young team," Millsap said. "Things like that happen."

Tim Duncan added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who despite boasting the No. 1 seed for a second straight year hadn't won a Game 1 in its last six postseason series. The last one was a double-overtime win over Phoenix in 2008, which was also round the last time that the Spurs entered the playoffs as healthy as they are now.

But they didn't leave this game entirely scot-free.

Center Tiago Splitter sprained his left wrist and didn't return after scoring four points in 8 minutes. The severity of the injury wasn't immediately known, but even with arguably the deepest Spurs team in the Duncan era, San Antonio would sorely miss their 7-footer.

Parker shook off a slow start to shoot 10 of 19 from the floor. He also had eight assists in his best playoff game since scoring 43 against Dallas in 2009.

"We needed this one. We played a pretty good game. It wasn't brilliant," said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who had seven points. "But it was steady and we kept fighting. It took us awhile, but we broke it in the fourth quarter."

The Jazz may be bigger, but are well short on playoff experience compared to the Spurs. To that end, Utah coach Tyrone Corbin put Josh Howard back in the starting lineup for Game 1, even though the Jazz rolled into the postseason winners of five in a row with DeMare Carroll at small forward.

Howard had knee surgery in March and returned Tuesday against Phoenix. Whatever concerns Corbin harbored of Howard disrupting Utah's recent chemistry were allayed by his six playoff stints in Dallas, including his starting role in the Mavericks' run to the 2006 NBA Finals.

"There was no apprehension," Corbin said. "We know who he is. We're going to need all the experience we can get."

Yet Howard didn't deliver any instant veteran dividend. He was 0 for 4 and played 16 minutes, sitting out much of the second half.

The Spurs made their own lineup tweak. Boris Diaw started alongside Duncan in the frontcourt, making for a pairing that undersized San Antonio could stick with for the playoffs. Diaw arrived in San Antonio in March with a dismal defensive reputation, but coach Gregg Popovich said before the game that his newest big man has turned out to be a better than first thought.

Not that Diaw's scoring touch wasn't needed. While Duncan labored through a rough first half - scoring 7 points on 3 of 8 shooting, including Derrick Favors eliciting more than few "oohs" for swatting one of Duncan's would-be dunks - Diaw also scored 7 in the half while missing just one shot.

Duncan, who turned 36 this week, finally found his groove in the second half. He was 7 of 14 from the floor in his first game in nearly a week after Popovich gave his Big Three an extended rest to ensure their health for the playoffs.

Notes: The Jazz fell to 1-4 against the Spurs this year, with their only win coming in Salt Lake City when Duncan, Ginobili and Parker didn't play. ...The Jazz shot 4 of 13 from behind the 3-point line.

Notebook: Spurs 106, Jazz 91

Posted Sunday April 29, 2012 5:02PM

By Tim Price, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: It's been five years since the Spurs have won a championship, and it's been almost that long (their last six playoff series) since the Spurs have won a Game 1. They finally corrected that and defeated the Utah Jazz 106-91 Sunday behind Tony Parker's 28 points and eight assists on Sunday at AT&T Center.

Tim Duncan added 17 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes as the Spurs used a 31-point third quarter to blow the game open. San Antonio came into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the West after closing out the regular season with 10 straight wins.

The Jazz, who came into the postseason with five straight wins, held their last lead with 5 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter. Utah's frontcourt combined for 53 points (Paul Millsap scored 20, Gordon Hayward 17 and Al Jefferson 16), but no one else scored in double figures for the Jazz.

QUOTABLE: "I think everybody knows what happened last year (in the first-round playoff loss to Memphis), and everybody is very motivated this year. I was a little bit disappointed in my performance last year. Pop (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich) was mad at me when he came to London and saw me play with the (French) national team. He thought I played harder with the national team. I had a lot better season this year and made sure I played with a different attitude. I made sure I set the table in Game 1 by being aggressive and build on that."
-- Parker

THE STAT: The Spurs were 2-of-11 from the 3-point line heading into the final three minutes of the third quarter, but they broke out by shooting 4-of-6 the rest of the way while outscoring the Jazz 12-3 off 3-pointers from that point forward.

TURNING POINT: The Spurs continued with a lead they gained with 5 1/2 minutes to go in the first quarter and led by eight with 2 1/2 minutes to go in the third quarter. Playing with a small lineup of DeJuan Blair, Matt Bonner, Stephen Jackson, Manu Ginobili and Gary Neal the Spurs still managed to get away from Utah's defense and knock down three-straight 3-pointers (from Neal, Jackson and Bonner). San Antonio closed out the third quarter by outscoring Utah 17-8 and took a 15-point lead to the fourth.

QUOTABLE II: "(Parker) split a lot of pick-and-rolls and was able to get into the paint, make plays, get to the free-throw line and do what he does well. Even with the game that Tony had we were still in it for three quarters."
-- Utah point guard Devin Harris

HOT: Duncan has had better playoff performances than the 7-of-14 showing from the floor, but he was struggling early. He started the game 2-of-7, including a solid rejection at the hands of Derrick Favors, yet went 5-of-7 to finish up.

NOT: Utah's big men of Millsap and Jefferson went 16-of-30, but the rest of the team floundered by shooting 16-of-46 (34.8 percent). Harris, in particular, struggled. He was 3-of-9 (1-of-4 from the 3-point line) and failed to make up for it with his two assists and five turnovers.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: In the last three games Parker has played against Utah he has averaged 26.3 points and 7.3 assists.

GOOD MOVE: Popovich's insertion of Boris Diaw into the starting lineup helped the Spurs to another quick start. San Antonio led 28-22 after one, and they got 2-of-2 shooting from the floor, another 1-1 from the foul line, two rebounds, an assist and five points from Diaw before he headed to the bench for the first time.

BAD MOVE: Despite playing just 31 minutes total in two games since his knee surgery in mid May, Josh Howard was given the start in DeMarre Carroll's swingman spot. The Jazz had won five straight with Carroll starting, but Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin went with Howard because of his playoff experience (62 career appearances). Howard looked like a guy who had played just twice in the past two months, rather than the guy with all the playoff experience, because he missed his first shot (a wide-open three) and went on to finish 0-for-4. Howard came out with 6:48 to go in the third quarter and did not play the rest of the way. He had two turnovers but no points.

ROOKIE WATCH: Kawhi Leonard had almost as many minutes playing time (20) as the two Jazz rookies (Alec Burks and Enes Kanter) combined. Leonard was 2-of-5 from the floor (he missed three 3-pointers) and scored six points with a pair of rebounds and steals. Burks scored six and Kanter two.

NOTABLE: The six straight Game 1 losses for the Spurs dated back to the first round of the 2008 first-round playoffs when the Spurs defeated Phoenix (the Spurs were defending NBA champs but lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals). ... Spurs reserve big man Tiago Splitter sprained his left wrist after scoring four points and grabbing a rebound in eight first-half minutes. He did not play in the second half, and his playing status in undetermined for Game 2 on Wednesday. Blair did not play the first half but he picked up almost 10 second-half minutes with Splitter out, and he scored five points, had a rebound and picked up four fouls. ... Hayward got to the foul line 12 times (the closest by any other player was 10 by Parker) and finished the game 12-12 ... Popovich was T'ed up by referee Monty McCutchen early in the fourth quarter after there was no foul called on a Parker drive to the lane while being guarded by Kanter. On a the previous trip up the floor Parker did draw the foul call against Kanter.

UP NEXT: Game 2, 6 p.m. (local time) tipoff Wednesday @ San Antonio, Game 3 Saturday @ Utah, Game 4 May 7 @ Utah, Game 5 (if necessary) May 9 @ San Antonio, Game 6 (if necessary) May 11 @ Utah, game 7 (if necessary) May 13 @ San Antonio.

• Jazz: Miles, Watson
• Spurs: Byars, Joseph

• Jazz: --
• Spurs: Popovich

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
• Officials: #27 Dick Bavetta, #13 Monty McCutchen, #71 Rodney Mott
• Attendance: 18581
• Duration: 2:24