MIAMI – In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James had great numbers – 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double. But the most important number for James might have been 12. James played all 12 minutes of the third quarter, which admittedly drained him to some extent before the beginning of the pivotal final period. That was when the San Antonio Spurs overtook the suddenly sloppy Miami Heat and escaped with a 92-88 victory that now has
Remember how delighted and emotional Denver Nuggets coach George Karl was to win his first-ever Coach of the Year award just a month ago? That sure didn’t last long. Despite being recognized by the league as one of the better coaches around, he was shockingly fired by the team on Thursday. Management felt he became “unbearable” due to his constant demand of a new contract. Here is what Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida and NBA insider Peter Vecsey dug up from
It is almost as if Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra knew this was coming all along and have been preparing for this two-week journey against each other for many, many months. Before we dive into our betting preview for the NBA Finals, it is important to learn how we got to this point. [Read more…]
The four-time NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs made a statement in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals with a 104-93 victory in Memphis. That statement might as well have been one of those old clichés like “never underestimate the heart of a champion.” Spurs—new and old—expressed their enthusiasm on Twitter after the game. [Read more…]
When the San Antonio Spurs beat the New York Knicks in the 1999 NBA Finals, it was considered a championship coronation for long-time Spurs center David Robinson. With plenty of help from second-year power forward Tim Duncan, that title validated Robinson’s career. But more importantly, it spawned a run of sustained success that is incredibly unique in the NBA, especially for a small-market franchise like the Spurs. [Read more…]
While most of the national media attention continues to go to the Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose, whether or not he will play against the defending champion Miami Heat, quietly the San Antonio Spurs are preparing for their second round series against the upstart Golden State Warriors. Granted, the Spurs have never needed fanfare to get up for a playoff series. And, considering that they boast an impressive 29-0 home record against the Warriors in the Tim Duncan era, internally they
The San Antonio Spurs are in the second round of the playoffs. That’s pretty much the biggest non-story of the postseason, given that they’ve failed to move past the first round just three times in the Tim Duncan era. For the Golden State Warriors, it’s nearly uncharted territory – they’ve made it to the conference semifinals only twice in the last 22 years: once back in 2007, when they upset the Dallas Mavericks as an 8th seed, and once back in 1991,
SAN ANTONIO – After each Spurs practice, the media assembles in a corner of the facility and prepares for an encounter with famously gruff San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. Other teams call it an interview session. With Pop, it’s more like a duel at 10 paces. Pop is the only one armed. Verbally. Within the word “intimidate” is the word “timid,” and that combination exists at each get-together. Pop has a naturally irritated look that has been refined by years of repetition.