Spurs stifle Wizards: Bonner will miss 2-6 weeks after tearing MCL
Web Posted: 01/14/2007 12:17 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
It was a little less than three weeks ago that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich questioned his team’s commitment to playing defense.
He wondered if the Spurs had become bored or too satisfied. He called them the franchise’s worst defensive squad in “four or five years,” then quickly downgraded that assessment to “six to eight years.” The team, he said, had two options: improve or face a long summer vacation.
Since then, the Spurs have worked to allay their coach’s concerns, and Saturday provided further evidence: Facing one of the league’s most explosive scorers — and one of its most prolific offenses — they kept Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards in check for a 93-80 victory at the AT&T Center.
Tim Duncan totaled 18 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks, and Manu Ginobili had a couple of key 3-pointers among his 19 points, but the Spurs won for the fourth consecutive game because they defended much like they did in the previous three.
The Wizards shot a season-low 31 percent while also matching their fewest points. Arenas, who was averaging 30 points before the game, scored just 17 while being defended by Tony Parker for much of the night.
Since Popovich criticized the team after a 114-107 loss to Milwaukee on Dec. 26, the Spurs have held six of their nine opponents to less than 90 points.
“I think the team has focused more and taken (defending) more seriously in the group sense, reacting to each other, being responsible to each other and trying to be on the same page,” Popovich said. "Five guys instead of three or four.
“I think for the last two or three weeks, we’re on the road to becoming the same defensive team we’ve been for the last six or eight years.”
The Spurs’ latest victory, however, came at a cost: Matt Bonner, whose playing time had increased in recent weeks, tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee early in the second half.
Team officials project Bonner to miss anywhere from two to six weeks, but Popovich said, “It’ll be several weeks, for sure.” Bonner will undergo an MRI today to determine if there is additional damage to the knee.
Wizards coach Eddie Jordan also left the game prematurely, though partially by choice. He was ejected midway through the third quarter for arguing — rather colorfully — that Arenas had been unable to get a call, despite being repeatedly fouled.
With the Spurs leading by 12, Bruce Bowen forced a turnover by Arenas that quickly led to a dunk by Ginobili. Replays showed Arenas may have been fouled as many as three times on the possession, and Jordan agreed, yelling his way into a quick technical before continuing to blister official Greg Willard until he was ejected.
Jordan then marched onto the court to scream at Willard some more before making the rounds to the other two referees: Ed Malloy and Tony Brothers. He continued to stay on the court — which could result in a fine from the league — before being ushered by a couple of his players to the locker room.
“Just like any coach, if he sees that happen to one of his players, he’s going to react that way,” said Arenas, who didn’t attempt a free throw until the fourth quarter. "If something like that happens to Tim Duncan, then Pop is going to react the same way.
“He blew up. … But Eddie, he got so far in the lane, I thought he was going to shoot free throws.”
The Spurs did their best to limit Arenas, who missed 14 of 20 shots. Parker, who had 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, tried to force Arenas to put the ball on the floor and drive into the team’s shot blockers. When he did shoot, Parker tried to keep a hand in his face.
“All the tapes I was watching of him, he was taking jump shots, like, by himself,” Parker said. “I thought we did a pretty good job of controlling him, but it’s just one game. We’ll see him again in Washington.”
Arenas’ two other high-scoring teammates weren’t much better: Caron Butler went 5 of 19, and Antawn Jamison was 4 of 13. The Wizards, who entered the game averaging 107.9 points, second-most in the NBA, missed their first nine shots and 18 of 23 in the opening quarter.
The Spurs led by as many as 17 in the second quarter, then watched their advantage dwindle to six by halftime thanks to some sloppy play. They matched their season-high with 23 turnovers, 10 coming from Parker and Ginobili.
The Wizards made another run midway through the fourth quarter, closing to eight as Duncan headed to the bench with his fifth foul. But Ginobili answered with back-to-back 3-pointers.
“I was very happy they went in,” Ginobili said, “because I didn’t like the way I was playing.”
Popovich, however, was pleased with the Spurs’ defensive performance.
“He said some good stuff,” Parker said. “But then he came back and said, 'No, that’s not enough. You need to do this and that … '”