Timberwolves-Spurs Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Posted Jan 12 2013 4:41PM

After failing to break out of their road funk despite Tony Parker's heroics, the San Antonio Spurs look to continue their dominance at home.

The Spurs appear primed to get back in the win column and capture their 12th straight home victory Sunday night when they meet the slumping Minnesota Timberwolves.

San Antonio has won 15 straight home games in the series by an average of 12.9 points and haven't lost to a visiting Minnesota team since the Kevin Garnett era in 2003-04.

While they've dropped seven of nine on the road following a 101-98 overtime loss at Memphis on Friday night, the Spurs are riding their longest home winning streak since a franchise-record, 22-game run Dec. 3, 2010-March 4, 2011. Sunday's game is the first of three straight and seven of 10 at home.

San Antonio (28-11) has scored 112.0 points per game in its last six at home, compared to 88.3 in regulation during its three-game losing streak on the road.

Parker did all he could to help the team avoid another road defeat Friday when he scored 30 points and made a 27-footer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. He also opened the extra period with a 3, but the Spurs missed their final nine shot attempts.

"That was an incredible shot by Tony to give us a chance to stay in the game and get five more minutes to figure it out," forward Tim Duncan said.

Duncan is trying to figure things out, having shot 34.1 percent from the field over the past three games while averaging 11.3 points and 4.7 turnovers.

"It's just like a hitter who doesn't hit for a while," coach Gregg Popovich said of Duncan's struggles. "What are you going to do? You just keep shooting. He keeps playing hard whether a shot goes in or out."

The Spurs hope to stay effective from 3-point range after shooting 22 for 50 (44.0 percent) in their last two games. They had hit 28.8 percent in their previous three.

San Antonio should be able to find good looks against a Minnesota team that has allowed its last four opponents to shoot 51.1 percent from 3-point range.

After a promising 7-2 stretch which extended into mid-December, the Timberwolves (16-17) have dropped eight of 12. That slump includes a 1-6 mark on the road.

They fell to 0-2 on a four-game road trip Friday, getting outscored by 24 points in the second and third quarters in a 104-92 loss at New Orleans.

Minnesota has been without coach Rick Adelman, as well as star forward Kevin Love (hand) and key reserves J.J. Barea (back) and Chase Budinger (knee).

Ricky Rubio has averaged 3.5 points and shot 6 for 27 (22.2 percent) from the field in eight games since returning from knee surgery.

"Until we start getting some guys back, this is what we have and everybody has to do a little bit more," said assistant Terry Porter, who has served as coach the past three games.

It's unclear when Adelman will return. He's been home with his wife, who was recently hospitalized.

Center Nikola Pekovic has given the team a lift, averaging 20.3 points on 59.6 percent shooting and 12.3 rebounds over his last four games.

Minnesota, though, has shot 26.0 percent from beyond the arc in its last seven road games and now faces a Spurs team which is among the league's best in defensive 3-point percentage (32.5).

The Timberwolves won two of three against the Spurs last season but lost the last one, 116-100 in San Antonio as Duncan had 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Parker leads Spurs past Timberwolves, 106-88

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Posted Jan 13 2013 11:34PM

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Despite getting ejected for heatedly arguing a foul and seeing Manu Ginobili strain a hamstring, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich couldn't suppress a few smiles after the Spurs' latest home win.

Tony Parker scored 20 points and Tim Duncan had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks to lead San Antonio in a 106-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, extending the Spurs' home winning streak to 12 games.

Duncan's season-high in blocks helped the Spurs outscore the Timberwolves 54-34 in the paint and San Antonio finished with a 43-28 edge in rebounding.

"I don't think that's a huge surprise," Popovich said, smiling, when told of Duncan's blocks. "It's kind of neat that it was seven, but I mean, he does that every night. He tries to do the best he can guarding, blocking shots, protecting the rim for us."

Gary Neal scored 15 points, including 3-for-3 shooting on 3-pointers to help San Antonio beat Minnesota at home for the 16th straight time. Tiago Splitter had 10 points and Ginobili scored 12 in the first half before leaving with a strained left hamstring.

Duncan had five blocks in the first quarter to help offset a sluggish start as San Antonio captured a 24-21 lead.

"I don't know, they just kept coming at me," Duncan said. "I'm just trying to bring some energy back and get our rhythm back. I've been in a slump lately and I'm trying to fight my way out of it."

The Spurs started 3 for 9 from the field with two turnovers in falling behind 16-7. Following a timeout, San Antonio went on a 13-1 run as Minnesota missed 11 shots in a 5-minute drought.

The Timberwolves ended the skid on two free throws by Ricky Rubio, despite replays showing Boris Diaw had a clean block with no body contact on the play.

Ginobili, who had six points in the run, did not return after straining his left hamstring in the final minute of the first half. He also had five assists in 12:29.

Popovich said the Spurs will not know Ginobili's status until Monday.

J.J. Barea scored 15 points, Nikola Pekovic had 14 and Luke Ridnour 13 for the Timberwolves.

Minnesota was without head coach Rick Adelman, who missed his second straight game to be with his wife, Mary Kay, who is hospitalized with an undisclosed illness.

The Spurs attacked the basket to open the second half as Kawhi Leonard had a dunk and dropped in a floater, and Duncan and Parker had layups in an 11-0 run.

Dante Cunningham then led an 8-0 run that pulled Minnesota to 66-62.

Neal scored eight points in the opening 3 minutes of the final quarter to extend San Antonio's lead to 88-75.

"We were right there going into the fourth," Ridnour said. "On the road, that's where you want to be - within striking distance. We just went rough a little lull and Neal got hot there."

Popovich was ejected with 7:22 remaining in the game following a double technical for arguing a foul called against Splitter on Barea. The ejection sparked an 11-0 run for the Spurs, including a dunk and two reverse layups by Splitter.

The ejection didn't seem to linger with Popovich. When asked about the play of Patty Mills, who was 2 for 8 in scoring five points, the Spurs coach couldn't help but smile.

"He was on fire," Popovich said, biting his lip and shaking his head in a futile attempt not to smile. "Patty is always an energetic guy; he does a great job busting his butt. He just couldn't find the rim tonight, well, he found the rim; he couldn't find the net."

Popovich was able to limit his starter's minutes early in the second quarter, to the point Duncan playfully walked to the scorer's table to check in. Popovich grabbed him by the front of his warm-up shirt and walked the former MVP back to the bench. The frivolity lasted less than a minute, as Duncan re-entered the game after back-to-back steals by Minnesota cut San Antonio's lead to 35-32.

NOTES: The Spurs are 16-2 at home, for the league's best winning percentage at .889. Their victory total is tied for third with Miami (16-3) behind Oklahoma City (18-3) and the Los Angeles Clippers (18-4). ... Minnesota F Kevin Love (fractured hand), G Brandon Roy (knee), G Chase Budinger (knee) and Malcolm Lee (knee) did not play. ... San Antonio has had 12 different starters this season, the most of any NBA team. Ginobili is the only active player on the Spurs roster who has not started a game this season. Cory Joseph and James Anderson have not started, but both have primarily played in the D-Leaague this season. ... Ridnour, Cunningham and Alexey Shved have played every game for the Timberwolves this season. ... The Spurs' longest home winning streak is 22 games, which they set from Dec. 3, 2010 to March 4, 2011.

Notebook: Spurs 106, Timberwolves 88

Tim Price, For NBA.com
Posted Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:41 PM - Updated Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:41 PM

THE FACTS: Tony Parker scored 20 points and Gary Neal came off the bench to add 15 as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-88 on Sunday at AT&T Center.

The Spurs (29-11) shot 56 percent from the floor and have won 12-straight at home. But they played the second half without Manu Ginobili, who sustained a left hamstring strain in the final minute of the first half and limped into the locker room after going 6-for-11 for 12 points with five assists.

Minnesota (16-18) has lost three in a row and four of five, but the Timberwolves did get the return of J.J. Barea after missing the last two games with a back strain. Barea received an anti-inflammatory injection last week, and tonight he led the Wolves with 15 points with six assists.

QUOTABLE: "We finally found a group that moved the basketball instead of standing. We actually changed sides of the court. That's nice when you score."

-- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

THE STAT: The Spurs outscored Minnesota 32-10 on the fastbreak, including an 8-0 advantage when San Antonio put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT: Minnesota trailed by 10 points when Barea hit three foul shots with 7:22 to go. One of those free throws came after a technical was whistled on Popovich, who drew two quick technical fouls and was ejected. But the Wolves missed their next five shots, and when Stephen Jackson hit a 3-pointer on the fastbreak it marked a 9-0 run and gave San Antonio a 99-80 lead with 5 ½ minutes to go.

QUOTABLE II: "A lot of transition points is our weak point. In the first half, Tony Parker played so well, and in the second half Gary Neal made those shots."

-- Minnesota's Andrei Kirilienko

HOT: Parker's 10-for-15 showing from the floor followed some strange shooting results two nights back in an overtime loss at Memphis. Parker finished that game 10-for-21, but he was perfect otherwise (3-for-3 from the 3-point line and 7-for-7 free throws). Prior to Memphis, Parker had gone four-straight games shooting .500 or better from the field.

NOT: Ricky Rubio has played three games for the Wolves since missing four in a row because of back spasms. But he's 1-for-12 since then, including 0-for-6 tonight.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Tim Duncan did not play the fourth quarter, which ended his chance for a triple-double. He ended with a season-high seven blocked shots (nine is his career-best) to go along with his 12 points and nine rebounds. He was 4-for-8 from the floor, which ended a 14-for-41 shooting slump (34 percent) the past three games.

GOOD MOVE: Popovich had great timing for his two technicals and ejection. A group of mostly reserves (Patty Mills, Jackson and Neal, along with starters Danny Green and Tiago Splitter) picked up on the energy and started the 9-0 run that gave the Spurs an insurmountable lead.

BAD MOVE: Nikola Pekovic and Luke Ridnour were a combined 12-for-23 tonight for Minnesota, but they did not play the fourth quarter. Instead, Derrick Williams and Rubio played the entire fourth and were a combined 1-for-11 to finish the game.

ROOKIE WATCH: Alexey Shved got his 15th start of the season for Minnesota, but the Russian rookie had his NBA-worst shooting night by going 0-for-7 in 25 minutes. He did have five assists and no turnovers.

NOTABLE: Minnesota is 0-8 when scoring less than 90 points. ... DeJuan Blair played in only his second game in the last six for San Antonio, his 9 ½ minutes his most since December 31 (Blair was 4-for-5 with nine points and four rebounds tonight). ... Lazar Hayward played for the first time since missing the past two Minnesota games with an illness, and he went 0-for-4 in 8 ½ minutes.

UP NEXT: For the Timberwolves, Monday @ Dallas, Thursday vs. L.A. Clippers, Saturday vs. Houston. For the Spurs, Wednesday vs. Memphis, Friday vs. Golden State, Saturday @ Atlanta.

• Timberwolves: Budinger, Roy
• Spurs: Joseph

• Timberwolves: --
• Spurs: Parker, Popovich, Popovich

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #6 Tony Brown, #73 Tre Maddox
• Attendance: 18144
• Duration: 2:00