Bobcats-Spurs Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Jan 29 2013 5:22PM

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has challenged Tony Parker to become a franchise player, and the veteran point guard has played like it with Tim Duncan out with a knee injury.

Popovich will be back on the sidelines for the first time in four games, but Duncan's return is questionable as the NBA-leading Spurs go for a ninth straight win and 17th in a row at home Wednesday night against the league-worst Charlotte Bobcats.

Parker was a crucial part to the Spurs' title runs in 2003, '05 and '07, and was just named an All-Star for the fifth time, but playing next to Duncan for his entire 12-year career has hurt his value in terms of how some outside the organization view him.

It's a different story inside San Antonio's locker room.

"He is unbelievable," teammate Manu Ginobili said after Parker scored 11 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 108-99 victory over Phoenix. "... He is in that point of his career where he is so confident. He is doing so good that he can relax a little bit in the first half then when we need him, he starts making those jumpers and takes over."

Parker, the Western Conference player of the week, has taken over with Duncan out the last three games, shooting 62.7 percent and averaging 26.0 points and 10.0 assists. He's scored 20 or more in six consecutive games for the first time in four seasons.

"Over the last few years it is becoming my team and coach Pop is always challenging me to become the franchise player who closes games and makes good decisions with the ball offensively for myself and my teammates," Parker said. "I always take to heart Pop's challenges."

Popovich has been away from the team due to an illness, and he'll be back as San Antonio (36-11) tries to win nine in a row for the first time since finishing last season with 10 straight victories.

The Spurs, a league-best 20-2 at home, are riding their longest winning streak on their own court since a franchise-record 22-game run two seasons ago.

That doesn't bode well for a Charlotte team that's dropped nine of 11 overall, including Monday's 93-85 loss in Chicago, and five straight at San Antonio by an average of 18.8 points.

The Bobcats (11-33) have lost the last two in this series by 30 points: 102-72 at San Antonio on March 2 and 132-102 at home Dec. 8.

Led by Danny Green's career high-tying seven 3-pointers and 23 points, San Antonio hit a then-team-record 19 3s in last month's matchup.

Parker shot 10 of 12 and finished with 22 points and seven assists in that game as Charlotte surrendered the third-most points - and most at home - in franchise history.

Bobcats guard Kemba Walker, the team leader with 17.9 points per game, scored 23 while hitting half of the team's six 3s.

San Antonio, 14-2 all-time against Charlotte, faces Washington on Saturday in its final home game before a nine-game road stretch that bridges the All-Star break.

Spurs run win streak to 9 with win over Bobcats

Posted Jan 31 2013 12:20AM

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Gregg Popovich was back from a three-game absence due to illness and feeling pretty good about the San Antonio Spurs' latest victory.

Tony Parker had 22 points and San Antonio never trailed in beating the Charlotte Bobcats 102-78 on Wednesday night, extending its winning streak to nine games.

The reigning Western Conference Player of the Week, Parker had his way with Charlotte's backcourt. The Spurs All-Star guard had a game-high seven assists and was 9 for 10 from the field.

"He did it again," Popovich said. "He put it upon himself and he comes up with two big baskets down the stretch. He's really been special."

Kawhi Leonard added 18 points, Danny Green had 17 and Tiago Splitter 15 for San Antonio, which has won 17 straight at home.

Ramon Sessions came off the bench to score a team-high 22 points for Charlotte, which has lost five of six. Kemba Walker (16 points) and Ben Gordon (11) were the only other Bobcats in double figures.

The Spurs' perimeter players attacked the basket aggressively with Tim Duncan (sore left knee) and DeJuan Blair (fluid in right knee) missing the game, outscoring the Bobcats 48-24 in the paint.

"Basically, just bring energy," Leonard said of the team's strategy. "We wanted all of our guards to crash the boards tonight and get about five or more rebounds from our guards. We just wanted to keep our energy and pace up in the game."

San Antonio set up Charlotte inside by going 9 for 16 on 3s (56 percent) and shooting 55 percent from the field.

"We just tried to move the ball and take good shots," Parker said. "Tonight, it worked for me."

Leonard opened the scoring by hitting his first three shots, including back-to-back 3s that put San Antonio up 11-4 with 8 minutes left in the first. Charlotte battled back over the next 4 minutes behind an aggressive defense, forcing two missed shots and four turnovers in an 8-2 run.

The Bobcats pulled within 25-23 at the close of the first quarter on Walker's 19-foot jumper, but Manu Ginobili sparked the Spurs in the second.

Ginobili had four points, two rebounds and an assist on Leonard's 3 in the opening 2 minutes of the second quarter as San Antonio extended its lead to 32-23. Ginobili finished with nine points, six assists and five rebounds in 21 minutes.

Parker had seven points and five assists in the third quarter as San Antonio raised its home record to 21-2 this season.

"He's really playing at an All-Star level for us," Green said. "We need that especially with the guys we have out. With Tim being out, him and Manu have done a great job of carrying us, putting us on their back."

The Bobcats were able to cut the lead to 11 early in the fourth, but could get no closer as the Spurs' lead swelled to 24 in the final quarter.

Charlotte was 30 for 73 overall from the field (41 percent) while committing 23 turnovers.

"They took care of business," Gordon said. "In the second half, they just put us away. They were real sharp with everything they did. They capitalized on all our mistakes."

Leading by double digits throughout the second half, the Spurs spent much of the second half trying to set up the newest Spurs, Australian Aron Baynes. After playing 42 seconds in his NBA debut Friday at Dallas, Baynes had seven points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes against Charlotte. He was 3 for 7, missing a couple of tip-in follows.

"Baynes was good," Parker said. "It's not easy to come in the middle of the season. We're rolling and playing good and he came out with a lot of energy; banging, rebounding and setting some good picks."

The Bobcats bench did outscore San Antonio's 44-22.

Notes: Leonard was selected to play in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 15 during the NBA All-Star weekend in Houston. It marks a return appearance for the second-year player to the game that features many of the league's top rookie and second-year players. ... Duncan has missed four straight games with an injury. . Blair missed his 14th game of the season. ... Bobcats P Byron Mullens (ankle sprain) missed his 17th game. Mullens has played 27 games this season, starting 26. ... Charlotte is 2-15 overall against San Antonio. ... The Bobcats are 0-2 with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jeff Adrien, Bismack Biyombo, Gerald Henderson and Walker as their starting lineup. ... Parker has led the Spurs in scoring in six of their last nine games and in assists in nine straight.

Notebook: Spurs 102, Bobcats 78

Tim Price, for NBA.com
Posted Wed Jan 30, 2013 11:52 PM - Updated Wed Jan 30, 2013 11:52 PM

THE FACTS: Gregg Popovich was back on the bench after missing three games as coach of the Spurs because of an illness, but he wasn't the only familiar sight Wednesday night. San Antonio was led in scoring by Tony Parker's 22 points, and the Spurs recorded a double-digit victory over the Charlotte Bobcats 102-78 on Wednesday at AT&T Center.

San Antonio (37-11, the league's best record) has won nine straight games and 17 in a row at home. The Spurs defeated Charlotte by 30 points in their first meeting of the season. This time, although Popovich was back, the Spurs missed Tim Duncan for the fourth straight game with left knee soreness. Backup big men DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner also did not play because of sore knees.

Popovich "clinched" the spot as coach of the West squad in the All-Star Game.

Charlotte (11-34) has lost 10 of 12. Ramon Sessions came off the bench to lead the Bobcats with 20 points after taking 19 shots in 38 minutes.

QUOTABLE: "[Parker] did it again. He made a couple of baskets down the stretch when they cut [the lead]. He put it upon himself and he scores. He has been really special."
-- Gregg Popovich

THE STAT: The Spurs turned the ball over a season-high 23 times, and the Bobcats scored 23 points off them. Yet Charlotte turned it over 24 times, and San Antonio converted for 34 points.

TURNING POINT: Charlotte trailed by 19 early in the fourth quarter but cut it to 87-77 with just less than four minutes. The Spurs finished off the game on a 15-1 run. During that stretch the Bobcats took two shots from the floor compared to four turnovers.

QUOTABLE II: "[The Spurs] took care of business. In the second half they just put us away."
-- Charlotte's Ben Gordon

HOT: Parker was 9-for-10 tonight and is 49-for-76 (65 percent) during his last six games.

NOT: The Spurs backup shooting guards. Stephen Jackson went 1-for-6 and Gary Neal was 0-for-2. Combined they are shooting 29 percent over the last six games.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Parker has scored in double figures in 40-straight games dating back to November 9. Since December 28, he's scored in the teens three times and hit at least 30 three times. In his last six games he's averaging 23.8 points and 9.5 assists.

GOOD MOVE: Popovich would like to give Parker the treatment he gives Duncan -- plenty of rest against struggling teams. Parker had played 28 minutes through the first three quarters and started the fourth on the bench. But he couldn't stay there because Charlotte was threatening to cut the lead to less than double digits midway through the quarter. Parker came back in and played 4 ½ more minutes and the Spurs got on a roll to finish the game.

BAD MOVE: The Spurs were lacking most of their big men, but the Bobcats could not capitalize. They were outscored 48-24 in the paint and their guards took 51 shots. Even when Jeff Adrien went to the free-throw line four times in the first quarter Charlotte was unable to maintain getting the ball inside. Adrien took two more foul shots the rest of the game.

ROOKIE WATCH: With Duncan, Blair and Bonner on the sidelines, Aron Baynes got his most extensive action since the Spurs bought out his European League contact last week (he had played 42 seconds last week against Dallas). Tonight he saw 18 minutes of action and scored seven points with nine rebounds. Baynes was undrafted out of Washington State (he played there with Golden State's Klay Thompson) before playing internationally in Slovenia and on the Australian national team.

NOTABLE: In the two games this season between the teams, San Antonio has outscored Charlotte 84-30 from the 3-point line. ... In the first game of the series this season, San Antonio had a league-best 38 assists; tonight they had 38 field goals from 28 assists. ... Tyrus Thomas did not play for Charlotte because of a left knee contusion. ... Charlotte plays seven of the next nine on the road. ... Manu Ginobili scored nine points and had six assists for the Spurs, but he left the game late because his hamstring tightened.

UP NEXT: For the Bobcats, Saturday @ Houston, Monday @ Miami, Wednesday @ Cleveland. For the Spurs, Saturday vs. Washington, Wednesday @ Minnesota, Friday @ Detroit.

• Bobcats: Mullens
• Spurs: Duncan, Joseph

• Bobcats: --
• Spurs: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
• Officials: #27 Dick Bavetta, #23 Jason Phillips, #72 JT Orr
• Attendance: 18581
• Duration: 2:03