NBA Finals notebook: Udrih keeps a positive attitude
Web Posted: 06/13/2007 01:07 AM CDT
Tom Orsborn
Express-News
CLEVELAND — Spurs guard Beno Udrih says his lack of playing time hasn’t stopped him from giving his all in practice. Udrih fell out of the rotation months ago, losing his job as Tony Parker’s backup to 10-year veteran Jacque Vaughn.
Despite the demotion, Udrih continues to display a professional, team-first attitude, his coaches and teammates say.
“Of course, I want to play more,” Udrih said. “But that is (coach Gregg Popovich’s) decision, and I want to stay supportive to the end.”
Udrih, a native of Slovenia, said he understands he can help the starters by pushing them in practice.
“Team play helps a lot,” Udrih said. "The team is successful when bench players support the starters. We try to make it tough on them, so when the game comes, everything is much easier.
“We have to do what we can in practice and just stay in shape in case an injury happens. We are all professionals here, and I am going to stay professional always.”
‘Big 3’ still thorn for Cavs: After struggling to stop the Spurs’ “big three” of Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in the first two games of the series, the Cavaliers did a better job Tuesday, limiting the trio to 34 points on 13-of-41 shooting. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili averaged 72.5 points in the first two games of the series.
“That’s what makes it more tough to swallow,” Cleveland guard Daniel Gibson said. “We dug in defensively as a unit and made it tough for them to score. But we couldn’t make the shots we needed, and that was the difference.”
No excuses: Cleveland guard Larry Hughes was placed on the inactive list before the game, providing Gibson with his first start since March 1.
The former Texas product struggled in his new role, misfiring on nine of his 10 shots from the field and scoring only two points.
“I don’t think starting gave me any problems,” Gibson said. “I’d rather make excuses about not shooting well. There will be nights that I’ll miss, but I’ll go home, watch the tape and come out here the next night and hit those shots.”
Three-pointers off: The Cavs struggled from the perimeter, shooting a playoff-low 15.8 percent on their 3-point attempts.
“We just missed them,” Gibson said. “I know every guy in this locker room has confidence we can make those shots. I don’t attribute that to the pressure of the Finals. We just have to knock them down when we have the chance.”
Faces in the crowd: Among the sports luminaries in the crowd at Quicken Loans Arena for Game 3 were 7-foot Ohio State star Greg Oden, who will likely be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
Money talks: The disappointment that goes along with losing in the Finals has a hefty price. The difference between the share of money from the league’s playoff pool that goes to the winning team, as opposed to the losing team, in the Finals is $597,473.
Winning the title would give the Spurs $2,542,637 to distribute among players and support staff. Should they lose, they would have $1,945,164 to hand out.
All teams that qualify for the first round receive $149,243, plus an amount based on their regular-season finish in their conferences. The Spurs got $151,421 for finishing third in the Western Conference.
Advancing to the second round earned the Spurs an additional $177,579; beating the Suns in the conference semifinals got them $293,447 more.