马刺1996-97赛季实录（560+篇）

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-19, By Buck Harvey

波波维奇能驾驭火箭吗？他的单打独斗

格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)今晚将率领马刺队前往休斯顿，这就像他四个月后可能会前往休斯顿一样：不受欢迎，也不太可能获胜。战胜火箭队可能会提升波波维奇的声望，或许有些人会开始将他视为智力超越，比方说，“挠挠我埃尔莫”(Tickle-Me Elmo)的人。大多数人会注意到，鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)在过去两个赛季对阵火箭队的战绩是8胜2负，如果给他机会，他很可能还会赢得更多胜利。

但如果波波维奇能够在明年四月份取得胜利，那么……一切是否都会改变？希尔是否也要承认，也许，波波维奇的做法是有道理的？

这可能是波波维奇扭转他职业生涯的唯一途径，也是希尔承认任何事情的唯一途径。他的愤怒比他的公开言论更深。

希尔有理由生气。但他忘了一些事情，最重要的是，是波波维奇给了希尔一份工作。当然，薪水不低，希尔仍然可以领取他65万美元的工资。但这个机会很不寻常；毕竟，教练通常不会继承一支55胜的球队。

相比之下，1994年夏天，希尔另一个选择是20胜的明尼苏达森林狼队。比尔·布莱尔(Bill Blair)最终获得了森林狼队的主教练职位，在他第二年的早期就被解雇了，他可能再也无法得到另一个机会。对于希尔在圣安东尼奥做的一切，他是否能用以赛亚·莱德(Isaiah Rider)做些什么不同的事情？

希尔还忘记了自己是如何获得主教练职位的。他在一个赛季仅进行16场比赛后，接替了被解雇的休比·布朗(Hubie Brown)成为纽约尼克斯队的主教练。在另一个赛季仅进行25场比赛后，他接替了被解雇的迪克·维尔萨奇(Dick Versace)成为印第安纳步行者队的主教练。布朗和维尔萨奇可能也对这些决定有异议。

由于在纽约的伤病，希尔没有机会证明自己。印第安纳的情况有所不同。从9胜16负的开局，希尔带领球队以32胜25负的成绩结束了赛季。步行者队对希尔的印象很深刻，他们重新签下了他。

波波维奇无法如此轻松地给人留下深刻印象。即使他比希尔在印第安纳做得更好——如果他取得37胜24负的战绩——马刺队的赛季将以平局结束。对于这支球队来说，这样的成绩将是一项成就，但这里没有人会看到这一点。

波波维奇应该得到他的存在，因为他自己创造了它。但这不仅仅是输赢。毕竟，即使波波维奇在三月份取得了全胜，很多人仍然会指出希尔也做到了这一点吗？

但那是波波维奇的论点——他从来不在乎在常规赛中证明什么。所以也许对他来说，在赛季中他最终评判希尔的时间段里来评判他是公平的。

马刺队能否进入季后赛没有保证，如果进入季后赛，他们的前景也不乐观。如果马刺队以五成胜率结束赛季，他们很可能将在西部排名第六，这意味着他们很可能在第一轮遭遇休斯顿火箭队或犹他爵士队。

这两支球队都令人畏惧。但例如，休斯顿的每一个名人堂球员在本赛季都已感受到痛苦。在一个阵容薄弱的球队中，这意味着很多。在周二没有查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)的情况下，帮助解雇了希尔的温哥华灰熊队击败了火箭队。

也许火箭队在四月份也会步履维艰。或者也许马刺队会拥抱波波维奇的体系，以及作为弱者的轻松的角色转换。在一场五场比赛的系列赛中，一支拥有健康罗宾逊(Robinson)的球队没有机会吗？

那么波波维奇也有机会。他所要做的就是扭转一支以0.190的节奏比赛的球队。在季后赛中去客场作战。然后战胜两支目前都以超过0.800的胜率比赛的老牌球队中的一支。

所以他应该在今晚对阵一支21胜3负的球队时放松。困难的事情在后面。

点击查看原文：Can Popovich ride a rocket? His one shot

Can Popovich ride a rocket? His one shot

Gregg Popovich heads into Houston tonight the way he might head into Houston in four months. Unliked and unlikely to win. Beating the Rockets now might raise his stature up a few notches; perhaps some would begin to see him as an intellect superior to, say, Tickle-Me Elmo. Most would note that Bob Hill went 8-2 against Houston the past two seasons, and might very well have won another given the chance.

But if Popovich could somehow win next April, well . . . then doesn’t everything change? Doesn’t even Hill have to admit that, maybe, Popovich was on to something?

That might be the only way Popovich ever turns his career around, or Hill ever admits to anything about this. His anger has burned deeper than even his public comments have let on.

Hill has reason to be angry. But he’s also forgotten a few things, primarily that it was Popovich who gave Hill a job. The money wasn’t bad, of course, and Hill still collects his $650,000 salary. But the opportunity was uncommon; after all, coaches usually don’t inherit 55-win teams.

In contrast in the summer of 1994, Hill’s other possibility was 20-win Minnesota. Bill Blair went on to get the Timberwolves’ job, was fired early into his second year and probably won’t get another chance again. For everything Hill did in San Antonio, could he have done any different with Isaiah Rider?

Hill also forgets how he got his own head-coaching jobs. He took over for a fired Hubie Brown in New York just 16 games into a season. He took over for a fired Dick Versace in Indiana just 25 games into another season. Probably both Brown and Versace disagreed with those decisions, too.

Because of injuries in New York, Hill had no chance to prove himself. Indiana was different. From a 9-16 start, Hill led his group to a 32-25 finish. The Pacers were impressed enough to re-sign him.

Popovich can’t impress so easily. Even if he does better than Hill did in Indiana - if he goes 37-24 - the Spurs will end their season with a break-even record. Such a finish would be an accomplishment with this group, but no one here would see that.

Popovich deserves his existence, since he created it himself. But this goes beyond no-win. After all, even if Popovich somehow went undefeated in March, wouldn’t a lot of people still point out that Hill did the same?

But that was Popovich’s argument - he never cared as much about proving something in the regular season. So maybe it’s only fair he be judged during the time of the season when he ultimately judged Hill.

There’s no guarantee the Spurs will make the playoffs, and their prospects aren’t promising if they do. If the Spurs finish .500, that probably would place them sixth in the West, meaning they would probably draw either Houston or Utah in the first round.

Either would be frightful. But each of the Houston Hall of Famers, for example, already has felt pain this season. On a thin team, that can mean a lot. Without Charles Barkley on Tuesday, the same Vancouver that helped fire Hill beat the Rockets.

Maybe the Rockets limp in April, too. Or maybe the Spurs embrace Popovich’s system, as well as a relaxing role-reversal as the underdog. In a five-game series, doesn’t a team with a healthy Robinson have a chance?

Then so does Popovich. All he has to do is turn around a team playing at a .190 pace. Go on the road for the playoffs. And then beat one of two veteran teams that are both now playing above .800.

So he should relax tonight against a 21-3 team. The hard stuff comes later.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-21, By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer

太阳可能不认识这些马刺

自从马刺上次与菲尼克斯太阳队比赛以来，德克萨斯州南部地区的职业篮球格局发生了很多变化。这就像电视在美国家庭首次亮相一样。或者说，就像宇宙飞船登陆月球。或者说，就像柏林墙倒塌一样。所有这些都发生在11天内。

马刺，曾经被传言会跌落至选秀抽签，却令人惊讶地扭转了局面。

太阳队在 12 月 10 日以 93-76 击败的那支马刺队，看起来几乎和过去两个赛季取得 121 胜 43 负的球队一样。

本赛季开局 3 胜 17 负的马刺队，正在迅速成为一段糟糕的回忆。

马刺队总经理格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 在上次菲尼克斯比赛当天接替被解雇的鲍勃·希尔 (Bob Hill) 成为教练，他淡化了球队自上周三晚上在休斯敦火箭队客场取得令人惊讶的 115-101 胜利以来状态的变化。

“我们比（在第一场菲尼克斯比赛中）情况好一点，”波波维奇说，他的马刺队在总共 17 场比赛中取得 5 胜 17 负，在他接任主教练后取得 2 胜 2 负。“在执行方面，我们对我们所做的事情有了更好的沟通。此外，在防守方面，我们作为五人小组更了解我们在做什么。”

你可能会争论说，太阳队将在今晚 7:30 在阿拉莫圆顶体育馆看到的马刺队（5 胜 17 负）与他们近两周前面对的马刺队之间的主要区别是健康的改善——无论是在身体上还是在精神上。

马刺队中锋大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 由于背伤错过了本赛季的前 18 场比赛，他已准备好今晚打 30 分钟。这位七届全明星球员在最近三场比赛中出战 76 分钟，得到 67 分，投篮命中率为 61.5%。

在早些时候的菲尼克斯比赛中，罗宾逊的常规赛首秀，他打了 20 分钟，显得笨拙，13 投 3 中，仅得 9 分。

“对我来说，主要的区别在于身体，”罗宾逊说，他在对阵火箭队的比赛中得到 20 分，并四次扣篮。“我的背伤恢复得更快。比赛和训练后会疼痛，但我能更快地克服它。”

在精神上，马刺队在波波维奇的带领下，比在希尔的带领下表现出更多的专注力和集中力。

当然，希尔在本赛季从未有机会在罗宾逊首发的情况下执教比赛。在开局 3 胜 15 负后，他被解雇，这是一个备受争议的举动。

一些球员私下表示，希尔不确定的状态带来的负面情绪消失，让人耳目一新。然而，球员们主要谈论的是罗宾逊的回归，认为他是催化剂。

“在很大程度上，我们只是让球员们恢复健康，”马刺队前锋多米尼克·威尔金斯 (Dominique Wilkins) 说，他在对阵火箭队的比赛中得到 24 分。“大卫回来绝对是不同的——再加上我们打得更有信心。”

在波波维奇的带领下，球队在菲尼克斯和洛杉矶快船队输了比赛。但他们已经稳定下来，在主场以一分优势战胜达拉斯，然后震惊了火箭队，火箭队以 21 胜 3 负的战绩进入比赛——当时联盟最佳战绩。

“球员们非常积极，”波波维奇说。“他们非常渴望赢球。他们在比赛进行中执行得更好。”

波波维奇称赞了球队的侵略性，为创造机会和改变比赛的面貌做出了贡献。这或许可以解释为什么马刺队本赛季的投篮命中率高达 56.7%。

“显然，我们的投篮命中率很高，”他说。“但最重要的是，我们很积极，而这种积极性具有感染力。我们跑起了快攻。我们抢到了一些抢断。我们让对手措手不及。一件事情接着一件事情。”

太阳队（8 胜 16 负）克服了伤病、教练变更和他们自己的糟糕开局。

前助理教练丹尼·安吉 (Danny Ainge) 在球队开局 0 胜 13 负的情况下接手。自从接替辞职的科顿·菲茨西蒙斯 (Cotton Fitzsimmons) 以来，安吉取得了 8 胜 8 负的战绩。

点击查看原文：Suns may not recognize these Spurs

Suns may not recognize these Spurs

A few things have changed around the South Texas professional basketball landscape since the Spurs last played the Phoenix Suns. It’s been sort of like television making its debut in the American home. Or a spaceship landing on the moon. Or the Berlin Wall falling. All in an 11-day period.

The Spurs, once rumored to be spiraling towards the draft lottery, have made a startling about-face.

The team the Suns defeated 93-76 at Phoenix’s America West Arena on Dec. 10 looks almost like the one that went 121-43 over the past two seasons.

The Spurs that started this season 3-17 are fast becoming a bad memory.

Spurs general manager Gregg Popovich, who took over as coach for the fired Bob Hill the day of the last Phoenix game, downplayed his team’s altered state of being since its surprising 115-101 road victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

``We’re in a little better shape than we were (in the first Phoenix game), ‘’ said Popovich, whose Spurs are 5-17 overall and 2-2 since he took charge as coach.

``We have better communication on what we do, execution-wise. And, defensively, we know what we’re doing better as a five-man group.‘’

You might argue the major difference between the Spurs (5-17) the Suns will see at 7:30 tonight at the Alamodome and the one they faced nearly two weeks ago is improved health - both in a physical and mental sense.

Spurs center David Robinson, who missed the first 18 games of the season with a back injury, is ready to play 30 minutes tonight. The seven-time All-Star has scored 67 points in 76 minutes in his last three games and shot 61.5 percent from the field.

In the earlier Phoenix game, Robinson’s regular-season debut, he played 20 awkward minutes, misfired on 10 of 13 shots and scored just nine points.

The main difference for me is physical,'' said Robinson, who scored 20 points and dunked on the Rockets four times. My back is recovering quicker. It’s sore after games and practices, but I’m able to get through it faster.‘’

Mentally, the Spurs have shown much more focus and concentration under Popovich than under Hill.

Then again, Hill never got the chance to coach a game this season with Robinson in the lineup. He was canned in a highly controversial move after a 3-15 start.

Some players have whispered that the absence of negative vibes from Hill’s uncertain status is refreshing. Primarily, though, players are talking about the return of Robinson as the catalyst.

For the most part, we just got people healthy,'' said Spurs forward Dominique Wilkins, who torched the Rockets with 24 points. Having David back definitely makes a difference - that and the fact we’re playing with a little more confidence.‘’

Under Popovich, the team lost at Phoenix and at the Los Angeles Clippers. But it has steadied itself enough to defeat Dallas at home by one point, then stun the Rockets, who entered the game at 21-3 - the league’s best record at the time.

The guys were very aggressive,'' Popovich said. They wanted the win badly. They executed better as the game went along.‘’

Popovich lauded the team’s aggression for creating opportunities and changing the face of the game. That may explain the Spurs shooting a season-high 56.7 percent from the field.

Obviously, we shot well,'' he said. But the main thing is (that) we were aggressive, and that’s contagious. We got out on the (fast) break. We got some steals. We got the other team back on its heels. One thing led to another.‘’

The Suns (8-16) have overcome injuries, a coaching change and a horrendous start of their own.

Former assistant coach Danny Ainge took over in the midst of an 0- 13 start. Ainge is 8-8 since relieving Cotton Fitzsimmons, who resigned.

By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-22, By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer

马刺重拾活力–问凤凰城便知

前锋肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)和多米尼克·威尔金斯(Dominique Wilkins)贡献了大部分得分。马刺队突然复苏，每个人都加强了防守，最终以101-88轻松战胜了菲尼克斯太阳队，比赛于周六晚上在阿拉莫圆顶体育场举行。16053名观众离开球馆时，都在思考马刺队的三连胜是否能成为他们从积分榜底部开始的伟大攀登的起点。

马刺队的中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)发出了谨慎的警告，表示球队还没有达到过去两个赛季取得121场胜利的水平。

“我们还没有恢复到那个状态，”他说，“但我们正在朝着那个方向前进。看看我们的战绩(6-17)，你不能对此感到满足。但我认为我们有可能达到那个水平。多米尼克(威尔金斯)表现出色，如果(受伤的)查克(珀森)能回来，我们就会充满希望。”

埃利奥特拿下全场最高的29分，威尔金斯替补出场贡献了24分。

也许更重要的是，罗宾逊在第二节一次凶猛的摔倒中躲过了一次可能导致膝盖严重受伤的意外。

“我吓死了，”格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说。自从他接任主教练并从背伤中恢复的罗宾逊回到阵容以来，他的球队取得了3胜2负的战绩。

罗宾逊在低位进攻时，菲尼克斯队的马克·布莱恩特(Mark Bryant)从他身后逼近。罗宾逊失去平衡，右膝在开始摔倒时不自然地扭了一下。

在即将落地的那一刻，马刺队的核心球员扭动身体，减轻了膝盖的压力。在这个过程中，他扭伤了背部。但在暂停之后，他继续留在场上，并打完了上半场的最后几分钟。

他在25分钟内得到12分和10个篮板。赛后，他在更衣室里行走时感到背部有些疼痛，但他声称睡一觉后就会好起来。

“现在我的背部感觉非常强壮，”罗宾逊说，“现在，我想要尽可能多地打球，直到我们赢得比赛。”

马刺队在第三节对太阳队(8胜17负)进行了猛烈的攻击。他们在上半场领先三分，在第三节以33-18领先对手。他们锁定了菲尼克斯队的挡拆战术，阻止了后卫突入内线，并将太阳队的投篮命中率限制在8投21中。

在进攻端，他们快速推进，喂球给埃利奥特，他在这一节得到12分。他们21投12中，篮板球也以15-9领先太阳队。

这场比赛没有像周四晚上对阵休斯顿的比赛那样精彩，当时他们以接近80%的命中率，在第三节以35-22领先火箭队。

但这也表明，这支球队已经发生了变化，他们在本赛季的头一个月里一直在第三节被对手压制。

“只是运气好，”波波维奇说，“希望我们做了一些正确的事情。”

在这段小小的连胜期间，马刺队击败了达拉斯队、休斯顿队和菲尼克斯队。达拉斯队以一分之差落败。休斯顿队以14分的差距被击败。太阳队在进入这场比赛之前赢得了11场比赛中的8场，但他们也感受到了马刺队渴望复仇的怒火。

对于马刺队来说，这场连续第二场大胜缓解了波波维奇的压力。自从12月10日解雇前主教练鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)后，他一直受到球迷的严厉批评。

“我们经历了一些动荡和一些厄运，”波波维奇说，“看到球队重回正轨真是太好了。球迷们一直都很喜欢马刺队。我很高兴他们有机会再次享受他们的比赛。

“现在，我不想让你以为我们会赢得每一场比赛。我们也会输一些比赛。”

菲尼克斯队投篮命中率仅为45.7%，在进攻端毫无起色。但控球后卫凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)得到13分，前锋丹尼·曼宁(Danny Manning)替补出场得到12分。首发后卫韦斯·珀森(Wes Person)在波波维奇执教的首场比赛中以29分的成绩击败了马刺队，本场比赛仅得到5分。

点击查看原文：Spring back in Spurs' step -- just ask Phoenix

Spring back in Spurs’ step – just ask Phoenix

Forwards Sean Elliott and Dominique Wilkins provided most of the offense. Everyone on the suddenly resurgent Spurs picked up the defense, and the result was an easy 101-88 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night at the Alamodome. A crowd of 16,053 left the building wondering whether the Spurs’ three-game winning streak could be the start of a grand climb from the depths of the standings.

Sounding a word of caution, Spurs center David Robinson said the team isn’t anywhere near the level of play that produced 121 victories over the past two seasons.

We're not back to that form,'' he said. But we’re moving in that direction. Look at our record (6-17). You don’t get content with that. But I think there is a possibility we can get there. Dominique (Wilkins) is playing great, and with the chance that (injured) Chuck (Person) can come back, we’ve got some hope.‘’

Elliott scored a season-high 29 points, and Wilkins added 24 off the bench.

Maybe more importantly, Robinson avoided what could have been a serious knee injury during a nasty fall in front of the Spurs bench in the second quarter.

``I was scared to death,‘’ said Gregg Popovich, whose team is 3-2 since he took over as head coach and since Robinson returned to the lineup following an 18-game absence with a back injury.

With Robinson setting up in the low post on offense, Phoenix’s Mark Bryant move in from behind. Robinson lost his balance, and his right knee twisted awkwardly under him as he began to fall.

At the last moment before he hit the ground, the Spurs’ franchise player twisted his body to take the pressure off his knee. In the process, he tweaked his back. But after a timeout, he remained in the game and played the last few minutes of the half.

He finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes. Afterward, he was moving in the locker room with some discomfort in his back, but he claimed that it would be all right after a night’s rest.

Right now my back feels really strong,'' Robinson said. Right now, I want to play as many minutes as it takes for us to win.‘’

The Spurs abused the Suns (8-17) in the third period. Leading by three at the half, they outscored the visitors 33-18 in the quarter. They clamped down on the Phoenix pick-and-roll, preventing guards from driving into the paint, and limited the Suns to 8-of-21 shooting.

Offensively, they pushed the ball upcourt and fed Elliott, who scored 12 in the quarter. They shot 12 of 21 from the field and outrebounded the Suns 15-9.

It wasn’t quite the show that they put together in the third quarter Thursday night against Houston, when they shot close to 80 percent and outscored the Rockets 35-22.

But it was another indication that something has changed with the ballclub, which had been getting hammered in the third quarters during the first month of the season.

Just lucky,'' Popovich said. Hopefully, we’re doing something right.‘’

In the modest winning streak, the Spurs have beaten Dallas, Houston and Phoenix. Dallas fell by one point. Houston got waxed by 14. The Suns, who had won eight of 11 coming in, also felt the brunt of a Spurs team desperate to redeem itself.

If it did anything, the second lopsided win in a row for the Spurs cooled the pressure cooker on Popovich, who took heavy criticism from the fans when he fired former head coach Bob Hill on Dec. 10.

We've had some turmoil and some bad luck,'' Popovich said. It’s fun to see it get back on track. The fans have enjoyed the Spurs for so long. I’m glad they’ve had the chance to enjoy them again.

``Now, I don’t want to give you the impression that we’re going to win every game. We’ll lose some here and there.‘’

Phoenix, limited to 45.7 percent shooting, couldn’t get much going offensively. But point guard Kevin Johnson scored 13 and forward Danny Manning had 12 off the bench. Starting guard Wes Person, who torched the Spurs with 29 points in a 93-76 victory in Popovich’s first game, was limited to five.

By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-22, By Jerry Briggs

格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)终于松口，谈论了鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)被解雇的事。对于所有相关人员来说，这件事早就应该公开讨论，以澄清这一争议性举措。

马刺队篮球运营执行副总裁从未直接说明解雇希尔并接任主教练的理由。但是，如果你仔细聆听他的话，你就会开始明白他的想法。“正如我之前所说，”波波维奇说，“公众感知和实际情况之间的差距很大。”

在过去几周的几次采访中，波波维奇在一长串冗长的句子中，用一些精心挑选的词语表达了他的理由，并将这些词语展现在人们面前。

很奇怪，波波维奇谈论球队表现不佳，却没有说希尔的坏话。

例如，周一晚上，一位打进WOAI-AM电台“格雷格·波波维奇”节目的听众，就提出了一个最具启发性的观点。这位听众表示他同意解雇希尔的决定，并认为波波维奇在五月份西部决赛对阵爵士队的比赛后没有立即解雇希尔，展现了“风度”。

“（在季后赛中），进攻必须非常有效地执行和组织，”波波维奇说。“防守必须保持一致，在进攻失灵的夜晚发挥出色。而且球队在精神上必须致力于理解防守，并愿意执行防守。”

如果你家里有记号笔，你可以在这句话的最后部分“致力于理解”下面划线。一位马刺队球员证实了这种观点，即并非所有球员都理解希尔对阵爵士队的防守策略。

“如果你问我们12个人我们正在执行什么防守，”他说，“也许只有9个人能告诉你是什么防守。”

一些球员是否感到困惑，或者只是没有听懂战术，这一点尚不清楚。但波波维奇在接受圣安东尼奥快报采访时暗示，为了避免明年春季出现这种混乱，教练更换是必要的。

“我们显然需要在攻防两端都对球队进行纪律约束，”波波维奇说。“这一点在对阵爵士队的比赛中非常明显。胜负……从来不是问题。（问题在于）球队在压力下表现不佳，当防守和身体对抗提升到一个新的层次时，你必须能够防守住对手。”

“而且你必须能够执行进攻，并保持足够的稳定性和纪律性，以应对那些（更加强硬的）防守。”

波波维奇在1994年聘请了希尔，这一决定他并不后悔。他赞扬了这位前教练在第一个赛季给一支“混乱不堪”的球队带来了秩序，赢得了62场比赛，并带领球队打进了西部决赛。

但即使马刺队在希尔的前两个赛季赢得了121场比赛，波波维奇也无法忍受球队在对阵爵士队的季后赛系列赛中以15分、21分、27分和30分的差距输掉比赛。

波波维奇称希尔为“一个好人，也是一位好教练”，并坚持认为他五月份没有做出换帅决定，因为他想给希尔一个机会在这个秋季继续执教。显然，这是一个重大错误。

如果他允许希尔在去年夏天与其他球队进行面试，他可能完全可以避免这种情况。这样，希尔——在寻求马刺队续约时遭到拒绝——就可以体面地离开。

甚至波波维奇和希尔之间良好的关系也可能得以维持。但现在，希尔心怀怨恨，可能永远不会以同样的眼光看待他的前老板。

波波维奇说，NBA球队频繁更换教练的原因——总体而言——可以追溯到高压环境下人际关系的易变性。

“这是一个非常动态和充满变数的环境，”波波维奇说。“你所面对的是一些团队和人员，他们的个性会随着命运和环境的变化而变化。这造成了很多不稳定因素，从而导致变革。”

所以，这就是没有对波波维奇进行强迫审讯，没有往他头上滴水的情况下，从他那里得出的关于解雇希尔的最佳解释。

点击查看原文：At last, Gregg Popovich loosened up and recently talked about the firing of Bob Hill. It was long overdue, for everyone concerned, to help clear the air on the controversial move.

At last, Gregg Popovich loosened up and recently talked about the firing of Bob Hill. It was long overdue, for everyone concerned, to help clear the air on the controversial move.

The Spurs executive vice president of basketball operations never cited direct reasons why he fired Hill and took over as coach. But if you listened to him long enough, you began to see his side of the story. As I've said before,'' Popovich said, the gulf between public perception and the actual reality of the situation is large.‘’

In a couple of interviews last week, Popovich allowed his reasoning to materialize in a few choice words he hung out for inspection during long and rambling sentences.

It was strange, with Popovich discussing how the team had gone bad, without saying a bad word about Hill.

One caller to WOAI-AM radio’s Gregg Popovich'' show Monday night, for instance, elicited a most revealing statement. The caller said he agreed with the firing and said it took some class’’ on Popovich’s part not to can Hill after the Utah debacle in May’s Western Conference semifinals.

(In the playoffs), offenses have to be really executed (well) and simply put together,'' Popovich said. Defenses have to be consistent and strong on the nights the offense fails. And a team mentally has to be committed to understanding a defense and wanting to do it.‘’

If you have a magic marker at home, you may underline one part of that last phrase, ``committed to understanding.‘’ One Spurs player confirmed the view that not all players understood what Hill wanted defensively against the Jazz.

If you asked 12 of us what defense we were running,'' he said, maybe nine could tell you what it was.‘’

Whether some of the players were confused or were simply not listening to the plan isn’t clear. But Popovich hinted in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News that a coaching change was necessary to avoid such confusion next spring.

We obviously need to discipline the group at both ends of the floor,'' Popovich said. And that became quite apparent in Utah. Wins and losses . . . have never been the problem. (The problem arose) with the team performing under pressure, when defenses and physicality step up to a new notch, and you’ve got to be able to stop people defensively.

``And you’ve got to be able to run your offense and have it consistent enough and disciplined enough against those (more physical) defenses.‘’

Popovich hired Hill in 1994, a move he doesn’t regret. He praised the former coach for instilling order in a ``discombobulated’’ group during the first season, winning 62 games and taking it to the Western Conference finals.

But even after the Spurs won 121 games in Hill’s first two seasons, Popovich couldn’t stomach losing games by 15, 21, 27 and 30 points in the playoff series to the Jazz.

Popovich called Hill ``a good man and a good coach,‘’ and insisted that he didn’t make the move in May because he wanted to give it a chance to work this fall. That, obviously, was a major mistake.

He might have avoided the situation entirely had he allowed Hill to interview with other teams last summer. That way, Hill -snubbed in his efforts to gain a contract extension from the Spurs - could have moved on gracefully.

Maybe even a good relationship between Popovich and Hill could have survived. As it is now, Hill is bitter and may never view his former boss in the same way.

Popovich said the reason NBA teams change coaches so often -in general - can be traced to the volatility of personal relationships in high-pressure situations.

It's a very dynamic and volatile environment,'' Popovich said. You’re dealing with teams and people whose personalities shift and change with fortune and circumstance. And it creates a lot of instability. And change ensues.‘’

So, there you have it, the best explanation of Hill’s firing to be drawn out of Popovich without tying him down and dripping water on his forehead. To leave a message for Jerry Briggs, call ExpressLine at 554-0500 and punch 7292, or e-mail jbriggs@express- news.net.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-22, By Harry Page Express-News Staff Writer

他们在哪里？

• 艾德蒙·“E.C.”·凯利(Edmond ``E. C.‘’ Kelley)，51岁，1961-1962年是福克斯科技高中(Fox Tech High School)的全区篮球前锋；1965-1970年在圣安东尼奥交通局(San Antonio Transit Authority，现为VIA)担任司机；1970-1995年是圣安东尼奥警察局(San Antonio Police Department)的一员；目前是美国交通部(U.S. Department of Transportation)驻纽约州亨廷顿(Huntington N.Y.)的当地事故研究员。观看圣安东尼奥马刺队(San Antonio Spurs)比赛时，凯利被职业球员运用不同的战术在球场上取得优势所逗乐。

凯利是马刺队组织的长期后卫，在1995年从警局退休前，为马刺队的安保工作了21年。

“那些职业球员所做的事情，我在高中为科技队效力的时候就做过，”这位身高6英尺2英寸的运动员回忆道。“我被认为是球队中最高的球员之一，所以我需要尽我所能运用所有的技巧。

“我和威利·艾伦(Willie Allen)仍然会笑着回忆我尝试过的一些事情，并且在和他对抗时逃脱了惩罚。”

艾伦是圣安东尼奥警察局的另一名成员，也是马刺队的一名后卫，在凯利打球时，他是对手布拉肯里奇(Brackenridge)的球星。

“威利比我高出四五英尺，”凯利说。“当我与他对抗时，我会抓住他的短裤，远离裁判的视线，或者踩他的脚，这样他无法拿到篮球。我有一个任务，那就是抢篮板，我用尽一切可能的办法完成了这个任务，包括拉几件球衣。

“我获得了‘手臂’的绰号，因为我的手臂垂到膝盖以下，尽管我的体型不高，但我仍然能从最好的球员手中抢下篮板球。每隔一段时间，我需要用点巧劲来确保这种情况发生。”

凯利在科技高中的高年级时平均每场得分超过18分，但他仍然无法阻止艾伦和老鹰队在他1959-1962年的职业生涯中赢得区冠军。

“我们有一支不错的球队，有像弗兰克·贾索(Frank Jasso)这样的球员，他是我们的得分王，也是一名全区球员，还有卢西安诺·阿雷东多(Luciano Arredondo)，”凯利说。“我们只是无法在长期内战胜布拉肯。

“我们关心的是成为好学生，同时也是优秀的运动员。我们想向其他学生证明，这是可能的，留在学校在长远来看是有益的。”

凯利被认为是1965年被圣安东尼奥交通局聘用的前四位黑人巴士司机之一。他一直担任司机，直到1970年加入警察部队。

凯利和他的妻子玛格丽特(Margaret)是布拉肯里奇(Brackenridge)的前学生，他们已经结婚32年了。这对夫妇有两个孩子：希拉(Sheila)，30岁，以及艾德蒙·罗恩(Edmond Ron)，23岁，他是罗斯福高中(Roosevelt High School)的前后备军官训练团指挥官，最近获得了德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥大学(UTSA)的英语学位。

“我对自己和一些队友在球场之外取得的成就感到自豪，”凯利说。“我还能珍藏观看马刺队从ABA初创时期，拥有像乔治·格文(George Gervin)、乔·汉密尔顿(Joe Hamilton)和里奇·琼斯(Rich Jones)这样的球员，到今天在NBA的位置的记忆。”

点击查看原文：WHERE ARE THEY?

WHERE ARE THEY?

- Edmond ``E. C.‘’ Kelley , 51, was all-district basketball forward for Fox Tech High School in 1961-62; worked as a driver for the San Antonio Transit Authority (now VIA), 1965-70; was a member of the San Antonio Police Department, 1970-95; currently a local accident researcher for the U.S. Department of Transportation, based in Huntington N.Y. Watching the professionals play and employ different schemes to gain an advantage on the court during San Antonio Spurs’ games amused Kelley.

Kelley was a longtime guard for the Spurs’ organization before retiring from the police department in 1995. He worked with the Spurs’ security for 21 years.

What those pros were doing, I did when I played for Tech in high school,'' the 6-foot-2 athlete remembers. I was considered one of the taller players on the team, so I needed all the tricks I could muster.

``I still laugh with Willie Allen about some of the things that I tried, and got away with against him.‘’

Allen, another member of the SAPD who was also a guard for the Spurs, was a star for rival Brackenridge when Kelley was playing.

Willie was four or five feet taller than I was,'' Kelley said. When I was matched against him, I would hold his shorts, away from the officials’ eyes, or step on his feet, so he couldn’t get to the basketball. I had a job to do, and that was rebounding, and I did it by any means possible, including pulling a few jerseys.

``I had gained the nickname `Arms’ because my arms hung down below my knees, and I could swope a rebound from the best despite my size. Every now and then, I needed a sleight of hand to ensure that would happen.‘’

Kelley, who averaged more than 18 points per game his senior year at Tech, still couldn’t deny Allen and the Eagles from winning district titles during his playing career, 1959-62.

We had a good little team with guys like Frank Jasso, who was our leading scorer and was an all-district player also, and Luciano Arredondo,'' Kelley said. We just couldn’t beat Brack in the long run.

``What we were concerned about was being good students as well as being good athletes. We wanted to show other students that it could be possible, and staying in school would be beneficial in the long run.‘’

Kelley holds the distinction of being one of the first four blacks to ever be hired as a bus driver for the San Antonio Transit Authority in 1965. He remained a driver until joining the police force in 1970.

Kelley and his wife, Margaret, a former Brackenridge student, have been married for 32 years. The couple have two children: Sheila, 30, and Edmond Ron, 23, a former ROTC commander at Roosevelt High School who recently earned a degree in English from UTSA.

I'm kind of proud of what me and some of my teammates accomplished beyond the playing arena,'' Kelley said. And I can cherish the memories of watching the Spurs grow from their ABA infancy, with guys like George Gervin, Joe Hamilton and Rich Jones, to where they are today in the NBA.‘’ -

By Harry Page Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-24, By David King Express-News Staff Writer

罗宾逊再次受伤 - 马刺中锋脚部骨折将休战六周

就在大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)逐渐恢复状态之时，马刺队的这位中锋再次遭遇了不幸。周一晚上，在马刺以 79-90 输给迈阿密热火队的比赛中，罗宾逊在第四节开场不久就一瘸一拐地离开了球场。X 光检查显示他的左脚骨折。

他将在本周接受手术，在骨头上植入一枚螺钉。预计他将至少缺阵六周。

“感觉我们整个赛季都被厄运缠身，”罗宾逊拄着拐杖走进马刺队的更衣室时说道。“我只是落地时试图进入防守位置，就感觉到脚部有东西被拉了一下。

“我当时就知道自己受伤了，只是在祈祷不是骨折。”

马刺队本赛季开局 3-15，罗宾逊因背部拉伤休战，如今他们将面临没有这位常年入选全明星的中锋的漫长六周。

背部拉伤让他错过了常规赛的前 5.5 周。

“显然，这与我们计划的情况不同，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说。“我们正朝着一个方向前进，现在我们不得不重新调整。”

马刺队目前战绩为 6-18，在周一晚上的比赛之前，他们已经取得了三连胜，包括以 115-101 击败了领头羊休斯顿火箭队。

本赛季出战的六场比赛中，罗宾逊场均得到 17.7 分和 8.5 个篮板。

在对阵迈阿密的比赛中，他在 26 分钟内得到 18 分和 6 个篮板。

为热火队得到 32 分的阿隆佐·莫宁(Alonzo Mourning)表示，罗宾逊的伤势看起来像是一次“意外”。

“这只能说明这项运动有多么激烈，”他说。“他在联盟里打了多少年？七年了吧？这对身体有很大的损耗。我知道他身体素质很好，而且训练也很刻苦，但每年都会有体型更大、更强壮的球员在逼迫你。”

马刺队后卫艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)对这伤势表现出冷静的态度。

“在过去两年里，我们在伤病方面非常幸运，”他说。“我们没有因为伤病缺席多少比赛。我们一直很幸运。”

但现在，马刺队面临着如何找到没有球队核心的打法。

“现在是所有人站出来，变得更强大的时候了，”罗宾逊说。“我们已经尝到了胜利的滋味，很不幸，这件事发生了。”

罗宾逊表示，这次伤病的短期影响将是疼痛和体能下降。

他可以在恢复期间继续锻炼背部，但两到三周内不能对脚部施加任何重量。

长期的影响还无法确定，虽然罗宾逊提到他弟弟查克(Chuck)住在圣安东尼奥，他的脚上也安装了一颗螺钉。

“而且他看起来跑跳自如，”他说。

罗宾逊的缺席肯定会重新引发关于波波维奇解雇鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)担任马刺队主教练的争议。

波波维奇还担任球队篮球运营执行副总裁兼总经理，他于 12 月 10 日解雇了希尔，并宣布自己接替希尔担任主教练。

这一举动是在罗宾逊回归阵容的同一天做出的。

联盟中的球迷、球员和教练都质疑，鉴于罗宾逊的背伤，解雇希尔的时间是否合适。在担任马刺队主教练的前两个赛季，希尔的常规赛战绩为 121胜43负。

点击查看原文：Robinson's out again - Spurs center to be sidelined 6 weeks after breaking foot during Miami loss

Robinson’s out again - Spurs center to be sidelined 6 weeks after breaking foot during Miami loss

Just when David Robinson was getting back into the swing of things, the Spurs’ center struck out again. Robinson limped off the floor early in the fourth quarter of the Spurs’ 90-79 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night. An X-ray showed a broken bone in his left foot.

He will require surgery to place a screw in the bone sometime this week. He is expected to be out of the lineup at least six weeks.

Seems like we've been snakebit all season,'' said Robinson, who came into the Spurs' dressing room on crutches. I just came down on it and started to get into defensive position, and could feel something pull in it.

``I knew it was hurt right away. I was just praying that it wasn’t broken.‘’

The Spurs, who started the season 3-15 while Robinson recuperated from a lower back strain, face a long six weeks without their perennial All-Star center.

The back strain kept him out of the first 5-1/2 weeks of the regular season.

This is obviously a different situation than we were planning for,' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. We were going in one direction, and now we have to reload.‘’

The Spurs, now 6-18, had won three straight - including a 115-101 victory over the first-place Houston Rockets -going into Monday night’s game.

In the six games he played this season, Robinson averaged 17.7 points and 8.5 rebounds.

He had 18 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes against Miami.

Alonzo Mourning, who scored 32 points for the Heat, said Robinson’s injury looked like a ``freak accident.‘’

It just goes to show you how physical this game is,'' he said. How long has he been in the league? Seven years? It takes its toll. I know he’s a great physical specimen and he works out hard, but every year there are bigger and stronger guys pushing on you.‘’

Spurs guard Avery Johnson was philosophical about the injury.

Around here, the last two years, we've been extremely fortunate with injuries,'' he said. We haven’t had many games lost to injuries. We’ve been blessed.‘’

But now, the Spurs face the prospect of coming up with a way to play with-out the heart of their team.

It's time for everybody to step up and get better,'' Robinson said. We’ve gotten a taste of what winning is like, and it’s unfortunate that this had to happen.‘’

Robinson said the short-term effects of the latest injury will be the soreness and the missed conditioning.

He will be able to work to keep his back strong while recuperating, but won’t be able to put any weight on the foot for two to three weeks.

The long-term effects are not as certain, although Robinson did note that his younger brother, Chuck, who is in San Antonio, also has a screw in his foot.

``And he seems to be running and jumping just fine,‘’ he said.

The loss of Robinson is certain to revive the controversy over Popovich’s decision to fire Bob Hill as Spurs coach.

Popovich, who also serves as the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager, fired Hill on Dec. 10, and named himself as Hill’s replacement.

The move came on the same day that Robinson returned to the lineup.

Fans, players and coaches around the NBA questioned the timing of the firing given Robinson’s back injury. In his first two seasons as Spurs coach, Hill posted a 121-43 regular-season record.

By David King Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-24, By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer

罗宾逊的伤病噩梦再次来袭 - 马刺队的挫折在全明星球员倒下后更加沉重

马刺队队医大卫·施密特(David Schmidt)在周一晚上以79-90输给迈阿密热火队的比赛后，走过更衣室，摇摇头，用一种讽刺的，沮丧的语气低声说：“圣诞快乐。” 这种讽刺是苦涩的，而且理所当然。

在一个充满厄运的赛季中，马刺队在第四节遭遇了最糟糕的打击，全明星中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 左脚外侧的第五跖骨发生了移位骨折。

球队表示，这伤病将让他至少缺席六周。 这是罗宾逊在因背伤缺席18场比赛后回归的第六场比赛中遭遇的挫折。

“这是对球员来说最糟糕的事情，”罗宾逊说。“我错过了比赛和在球场上的时间。 我终于回来了，感觉更强壮了，然后就发生了这种事。 简直是噩梦。 现在我得重新振作起来，进行更多的康复。”

罗宾逊说，手术已安排在周四或周五进行，在骨头上植入一枚螺丝。

“我认为所有为我的背部祈祷的人做得很好，”罗宾逊说。“现在我需要为我的脚换班。”

马刺队（6胜18负）在遇到热火队（20胜7负）之前，已经取得了三连胜。

热火队对马刺队毫不留情，几乎从比赛开始就领先。 热火队中锋阿朗佐·莫宁(Alonzo Mourning) 造成了大部分伤害，贡献了32分和9个篮板。

比赛第四节开始大约一分钟后，罗宾逊说他落地时踩到了脚，感到有什么东西拉扯了一下。 没有与任何其他球员发生接触，只是剧烈的疼痛。

马刺队在比赛还剩10分46秒时将他换下，看看是否能通过治疗缓解疼痛，但没有效果。 他一瘸一拐地走进更衣室接受X光检查，在24,702名观众面前蹒跚而行。

马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich) 表示，他不能沉溺于球队本赛季为何如此倒霉的原因。

“任何哲学思考都无法改变事实，”波波维奇说。“事实是我们有一个任务，那就是做出回应并赢得比赛。 花时间思考为什么会发生这样的事不会有任何帮助。 我们会开始工作，看看我们必须做什么才能获胜。”

球迷们现在可能想知道，这支球队在过去两个赛季中是西部联盟最好的球队之一，是否必须拼尽全力才能进入季后赛。

六周的缺席将意味着罗宾逊将至少缺席19场比赛。 本赛季早些时候，在罗宾逊缺席的18场比赛中，马刺队只赢了3场。

“我们仍然有机会，”马刺队控球后卫艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson) 说。“我们只需要专注于每天进步。”

罗宾逊和前锋肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott) 在周一晚上都为马刺队贡献了18分。 老将多米尼克·威尔金斯(Dominique Wilkins) 的投篮表现不佳（10投2中），只得到11分。

“这真的让事情变得糟糕，”威尔金斯说。“但我们不能让他缺阵让我们沮丧。 我们必须坚守阵地，尽我们所能。 并不是说我们可以取代他。 他每场比赛都能给你贡献20分、10个篮板、一些盖帽。 他一直是马刺队。 他们过去两年不是偶然赢了60场比赛的。”

在半场落后10分的情况下，马刺队呼吁罗宾逊帮助，他以第三节开始的前六分钟内得到8分作为回应。 这次爆发让马刺队追到只落后3分，并让现场观众站起来为他们的反击欢呼。

但莫宁的两罚命中，控球后卫蒂姆·哈达威(Tim Hardaway) 的一个投篮和科特·托马斯(Kurt Thomas) 的一个14英尺跳投将热火队的领先优势扩大到9分，并让球馆陷入寂静。 马刺队进入最后一节时以68-60落后，之后他们再也没有机会将比分差距缩小到6分以内。

马刺队将在周四开始为期三场比赛的客场之旅，首站是西雅图。 他们还会前往波特兰和温哥华。

热火队使用强硬的防守压制马刺队，并在中场休息时取得41-31的领先优势。

热火队在篮板球上表现出色，上半场抢下了8个进攻篮板，在二次进攻得分方面以14-3的优势击败了马刺队。

在中锋的对决中，莫宁在上半场以21-10的比分领先罗宾逊。

莫宁在一开始就势不可挡，第一节8投7中，得到16分。 热火队依靠他的爆发，在第一节结束时以31-21领先。

莫宁的大部分得分是在与威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue) 对位时取得的，珀杜在比赛进行到10分钟时领到第二个犯规，被换下。

点击查看原文：Robinson's injury woes strike again - Spurs' setback more costly after All-Star goes down

Robinson’s injury woes strike again - Spurs’ setback more costly after All-Star goes down

Spurs team physician Dr. David Schmidt walked through the dressing room after Monday night’s 90-79 loss to the Miami Heat, shaking his head and muttering in a facetious, downcast tone, ``Merry Christmas.‘’ The sarcasm was bitter, and rightly so.

In a season of bad breaks, the Spurs received the worst of all in the fourth quarter when All-Star center David Robinson suffered a displaced fracture of a bone on the outside of his left foot - the fifth metatarsal.

The team said the injury will knock him out of the lineup for at least six weeks. It was a setback that came in the sixth game of Robinson’s return following an 18-game absence with a back injury.

This is the worst thing that can happen to a player,'' Robinson said. I missed the competition and time on the court. I finally get back. I’m feeling stronger, and then this happens. It’s a nightmare. Now I have to get psyched up for some more rehab.‘’

Robinson said surgery has been scheduled on either Thursday or Friday to have a screw placed in the bone.

I think all the people praying for my back did a great job,'' Robinson said. Now I need a new shift for my foot.‘’

The Spurs (6-18) had a modest three-game winning streak going when they ran into the Heat (20-7), the Atlantic Division leaders.

Miami showed little mercy on the Spurs, leading the game almost from start to finish. Heat center Alonzo Mourning did most of the damage, scoring 32 points and pulling down nine rebounds.

About a minute into the fourth period, Robinson said he came down on the foot and felt something pull. There was no contact with any other players, just a sharp pain.

The Spurs replaced him with 10:46 remaining to see if it would respond to treatment, but it didn’t. He limped to the dressing room for an X-ray, hobbling off in front of 24,702 in attendance.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he can’t afford to dwell on why the team has suffered such rotten luck this season.

No amount of philosophizing can change the facts,'' Popovich said. The facts are that we have a task to respond and win games. To spend time pondering why it happened wouldn’t be productive. We’ll go to work and see what we have to do to win.‘’

Fans may be wondering now if the team, one of the best in the Western Conference the past two seasons, will have to scramble to make the playoffs.

A six-week absence will mean Robinson will miss at least 19 more games. The Spurs won only three out of 18 games in his absence earlier this season.

We'll still have a chance,'' Spurs point guard Avery Johnson said. We just have to focus on getting better every day.‘’

Robinson and forward Sean Elliott led the Spurs with 18 points apiece Monday. Veteran Dominique Wilkins suffered a tough night shooting (2 of 10) and was held to 11 points.

This really puts a damper on things,'' Wilkins said. But we can’t let him being out get us down. We have to hold the fort and do the best we can. It’s not like we can replace him. He gives you 20 points, 10 rebounds, some blocked shots every game. He’s been the Spurs. They didn’t win 60 games the last two years by accident.‘’

Trailing by 10 at the half, the Spurs called on Robinson for help, and he responded with eight points in the first six minutes of the third quarter. The outburst brought the Spurs to within three and had the crowd standing and cheering the rally.

But two free throws by Mourning, a basket by guard Tim Hardaway and a 14-foot jumper by Kurt Thomas pushed the Miami lead back to nine and sent a hush through the building. The Spurs went into the final quarter down 68-60, and then they were never able to get closer than six the rest of the way.

The Spurs open a three-game road trip Thursday at Seattle. The trip will also take them to Portland and Vancouver.

Miami used an aggressive defense to stifle the Spurs and build a 41-31 lead at intermission.

The Heat hit the boards hard and grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the half, blitzing the Spurs 14-3 in second-chance points.

In the battle of the centers, Mourning outscored Robinson 21-10 in the first two quarters.

Mourning was unstoppable at the outset, hitting seven of eight shots in the first quarter for 16 points. The Heat rode his outburst to a 31-21 lead after one period.

Much of Mourning’s offense came when he was matched against Will Perdue, who picked up his second foul 10 minutes into the game and went to the bench.

By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-24

马刺笔记

• 心灵感应史密斯：受伤的前锋查尔斯·史密斯(Charles Smith)过去几周一直在圣地亚哥和阿拉巴马州伯明翰看医生，现在他成了读心者。在周一为对抗迈阿密热火的比赛进行的投篮训练之后，史密斯在记者问问题之前就准确地知道对方想要问什么。

“我会重返球场吗？”他问道。“会。我知道什么时候吗？不知道。我不知道。”

史密斯，一位身高6英尺10英寸的老将，本赛季只打了前四场比赛，之后马刺队就决定让他因右膝骨关节炎休息。他本赛季是否能回归还存在疑问。

“一切都进展得很好，”史密斯说。

• 人员预约：马刺队对前锋查克·珀森(Chuck Person)的回归更加乐观，他将在1月初与脊柱专家罗伯特·沃特金斯(Robert Watkins)博士预约。

珀森正在使用运动器械锻炼，据报道他的背部没有疼痛。 - 杰里·布里格斯(Jerry Briggs)

点击查看原文：Spurs Notes

Spurs Notes

- Psychic Smith: Injured forward Charles Smith, out of town the past few weeks seeing doctors in San Diego and Birmingham, Ala., is now a mind reader. Smith knew exactly what a reporter wanted to know before the question was asked after Monday’s shootaround in preparation for the game against the Miami Heat.

Will I get back on the court?'' he asked. Yes. Do I know when? No. I don’t.‘’

Smith, a 6-foot-10 veteran, played only the first four games this season before the Spurs decided to sit him down with osteoarthritis in his right knee. His return this season is in question.

``Everything is going pretty well,‘’ Smith said.

- Person appointment: The Spurs are more optimistic about the return of forward Chuck Person, who has an appointment with back specialist Dr. Robert Watkins in early January.

Person is working on exercise machinery and reportedly is feeling no pain in the back. - Jerry Briggs

via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-25, By Kevin O’Keeffe

现在波波维奇该体会希尔的痛苦了

现在我们该看看格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)到底有多厉害了。大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)因脚部骨折缺阵，波波维奇将要体验鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)在赛季前 18 场比赛中担任主教练时所经历的挫败感。

希尔，如果他的头发还没变白的话，现在肯定也白了，他试图在没有罗宾逊的情况下为马刺队制造胜利。罗宾逊自 10 月 11 日起就因背部伤病缺阵。

然而，希尔得到的只是波波维奇在幕后对他发出的批评。12 月 10 日，波波维奇解雇了希尔。

巧合的是，那天正好是罗宾逊首次重返球场的日子。你可能还记得，波波维奇称解雇希尔的时机是“巧合”。

（请在此插入礼貌的嘲笑声）。

据一些人说，在过去的 10 天里，波波维奇，马刺队的篮球运营副总裁，作为教练几乎达到了神话般的程度，因为马刺队连续取得了三场胜利。

在马刺队连胜期间，一些人贬低希尔的工作，这真是令人难过。

就好像希尔，这位在担任主教练的第一个赛季就带领马刺队取得了 121 场胜利的人，突然变傻了。

我敢打赌，任何教练在没有罗宾逊的情况下，智商都会下降。

在接下来的 6-8 周内，观察波波维奇的智商如何下降，预计罗宾逊将在手术后缺阵这段时间。

这对罗宾逊来说是一个极大的失望，他一直在努力康复背伤，并且刚刚恢复到在球场上感到舒适的状态。

然而，如果这个伤病必须发生在任何人身上，罗宾逊是能够应付的人，因为他拥有深厚而持久的信仰。是罗宾逊的基督教信仰，让他在这些时候获得了内心的平静。

“我们刚刚重新变得有竞争力，”罗宾逊在周一晚上收到 X 光片结果后说道。

罗宾逊，永远谦虚的人，没有提到的显而易见的事实是：马刺队重新变得有竞争力是因为他回来了。

然而，不知何故，一些球迷认为是波波维奇的组织、他的计划、他对防守细节的关注，激发了马刺队的斗志，他们在希尔执教期间取得了 3 胜 15 负的战绩。

这种对波波维奇的宣传，体现在周一马刺队媒体关系部门准备的赛前笔记中。

“波波维奇之前”和“波波维奇之后”的球队数据被列了出来。

然而，对我来说，真正能说明情况的数据，可以在那张纸上再往下看一英寸的地方找到——“没有海军上将”。

自从 1989-90 年加入球队以来，罗宾逊在阵容中的存在，使得马刺队的胜率达到了 67.4%。当他缺阵时，胜率为 28.6%。

无需多言。

更好的防守轮换、进攻上的侵略性，所有在马刺队三连胜期间谈论的话题，都只因为 50 号球员才得以实现。

罗宾逊说，他希望球队在过去 10 天里提高的自信水平能够推动球队度过接下来的六周，大约 19 场比赛。

而且不要惊讶，如果罗宾逊缺阵的时间接近八周，大约 25 场比赛。

罗宾逊的再次缺阵，不仅会影响这个赛季，球队进入季后赛的希望也变得渺茫，而且还会影响圣安东尼奥球队长远的未来。

没有季后赛就意味着球队老板将遭受巨大的经济损失，当董事会主席彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)向团队发出现金号召来弥补亏损时，他们留在圣安东尼奥的决心可能会动摇。

另外，如果球队战绩为 12 胜 45 负，那么新球馆的热情将会很难激发出来。没有新球馆就意味着没有马刺队，也许比我们想象的还要快。

前主教练希尔看到了他的球员们因为罗宾逊的缺阵而精疲力竭。波波维奇也会看到同样的事情。

波波维奇在接任希尔担任主教练时说：“我并不拥有所有的答案。”

在没有罗宾逊的情况下，这一点将变得更加明显。

点击查看原文：Now Popovich should feel Hill's pain

Now Popovich should feel Hill’s pain

Guess now we’ll see just how good a coach Gregg Popovich is. With David Robinson out of the lineup with a broken foot, Popovich gets to experience the frustrations Bob Hill lived with as head coach for the first 18 games of the season.

Hill, whose hair would have turned gray had it not been already, tried to manufacture victories for the Spurs without Robinson, who had been sidelined with a bad back since Oct. 11.

Yet, all Hill got were whispers of criticism behind the scenes from Popovich, who removed Hill as coach Dec. 10.

That just happened to be the day Robinson returned to the court for the first time. You’ll recall that Popovich termed the timing of the firing ``a coincidence.‘’

(Insert polite laughter here).

In the last 10 days, Popovich, the Spurs’ vice president of basketball operations, has taken on almost mythic proportions as coach, according to some, as the Spurs posted three consecutive victories for the first time.

Efforts to demean Hill’s work during the winning streak have been quite sad.

It was as though Hill, the man who guided the Spurs to 121 victories in his first two seasons as coach, had suddenly gotten stupid.

I’d bet any coach’s IQ would drop without Robinson in the lineup.

Watch for Popovich’s to plummet during the next 6-8 weeks, the time it is believed Robinson will miss after having surgery.

It’s an extreme disappointment for Robinson, who had worked so hard on rehabilitating his back and had just gotten to where he felt comfortable on the court again.

However, if this injury had to happen to anyone, Robinson is one who can handle it - given his deep, abiding faith. It’s Robinson’s Christian beliefs that give him inner peace during these times.

``We had just gotten competitive again,‘’ Robinson noted Monday night after receiving the X-ray results.

What Robinson, ever the humble man, didn’t note was the obvious: The Spurs had gotten competitive again because he was back.

Somehow, though, there were fans who felt it was Popovich’s organization, his plan, his attention to defensive details that sparked the Spurs, who went 3-15 under Hill.

That campaign for Popovich manifested itself in the pregame notes prepared Monday by the Spurs’ media relations department.

Pre-Pop'' and Post-Pop’’ team statistics were listed.

To me, though, the stats that truly tell the tale could be found about an inch later on that sheet -``Without the Admiral.‘’

Since arriving in 1989-90, Robinson’s presence in the lineup has translated into a 67.4 winning percentage for the Spurs. When he’s absent, the percentage is 28.6.

Enough said.

Better rotations on defense, aggressiveness on offense, all the talk during the Spurs’ three-game winning streak, succeeded only because of No. 50.

Robinson said he hoped the team’s increased confidence level over the last 10 days would propel it through the next six weeks, about 19 games.

And don’t be shocked if Robinson misses closer to eight weeks, about 25 games.

The loss of Robinson again not only affects this season, where hopes for the playoffs appear slim, but the long-range future of the franchise in San Antonio.

No playoffs would mean a steep financial loss for the owners, whose resolve to remain here could be shaken when board chairman Peter Holt makes a cash call to the group to make up the deficit.

Remember, too, it will be difficult to gain much enthusiasm for a new arena if the team stands 12-45. No new arena means no more Spurs, perhaps sooner than we’d all like to think.

Ex-coach Hill saw his players hit the wall as the early-season absence of Robinson took a toll. Popovich will see the same.

Upon taking over as coach for Hill, Popovich said, ``I don’t have all the answers.‘’

Without Robinson, that will become even more apparent.

By Kevin O’Keeffe, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-26, By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer

马刺队再次启航，但少了罗宾逊

西雅图 - 马刺队在这趟客场之旅中需要证明一些东西。圣诞节下午，球队开始了他们为期三场的太平洋西北地区之旅，将家人留在节日庆祝的氛围中。

他们还留下了大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)，他等待着左脚趾骨折手术，这将使他缺席长达八周。

这在本赛季并不罕见 - 马刺队在没有进攻和防守核心罗宾逊的情况下打完了前 18 场比赛。不幸的是，他们在那段时间里取得了 3 勝 15 败的战绩。

糟糕的战绩和被实力平平的对手击败，导致鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)被解雇，人们普遍认为，没有罗宾逊的马刺队本身就是一个非常平庸的球队。在前 18 场比赛中，球队的场均得分只有 88 分，而对手的场均得分则达到 95.7 分。

“我们的表现比战绩显示的要好，”肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)谈到赛季初的困境时说道。

这位全明星前锋，由于罗宾逊的缺阵，他不断受到双人包夹，表现失常，场均得到 15.4 分。他暗示，球队赛季初的一些困境并不完全是由于中锋缺阵造成的。

“很多事情和罗宾逊无关，”他谈到希尔执教的前几周时说道，希尔后来被总经理格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)取代。

现在，马刺队可以证明他们是一支比战绩显示的更好的球队，也可以证明换帅确实是必要的。

这将不容易。

马刺队将在今晚 9 点对阵卫冕西部冠军西雅图超音速队。之后他们将于周六前往波特兰，在周日晚上对阵开拓者队。

接下来，他们将前往加拿大北部，迎战温哥华灰熊队。马刺队在没有罗宾逊的情况下已经输给了温哥华两次，最后一次失利被马刺队董事长彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)称为导致希尔被解雇的导火索。

霍尔特后来预测，马刺队这次会打得更好。

不用说，这趟客场之旅会有一些压力。

“我希望我们保持过去一个半星期以来的强度，”波波维奇在周二上午圣徒大学的训练结束后说道。“我不感到任何不必要的压力。我现在的感觉和接手球队时一样。主要目标是让这支球队打出好的表现，为大卫的回归和季后赛做好准备。”

埃利奥特确实指出，一些球员担心球队能否进入季后赛。

波波维奇接手是因为他不喜欢球队在没有罗宾逊的情况下在进攻和防守上的表现。现在，他将进行自己的调整。

“我们需要在进攻端多做一些移动，”波波维奇说道。“我们会受到更少的双人包夹。对手不会包夹我们的中锋，所以我们必须把球传导起来；没有球的球员必须保持移动。

“威尔(Perdue)的挡拆做得很好，所以我们仍然会有一些挡拆配合，但它们不会成为进攻的主要部分。”

埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)将成为对手防守的重点目标，特别是西雅图的压迫式防守和抢断风格。

“人们会更加关注我，”约翰逊说道。“他们可以直接防守我们的内线球员。我必须多移动。在另一端，我们的外线防守必须非常出色。大卫改变了许多投篮，但现在我们不想给内线球员额外的压力。”

珀杜(Perdue)对对手来说没有那么危险，但他可以篮板，防守和封盖。

这位新的首发中锋也预计防守阵型会集中在约翰逊身上。

“联盟的观点是，当得分后卫持球推进时，进攻会慢下来，”珀杜说道。“所以压迫性球队肯定会试图将球从埃弗里的手中抢走。

“我们现在有不同的教练，不同的理念。我们正试图集中精力防守。我们之前谈过要加强防守，但由于伤病情况，我们的训练时间很少，人手也不足。”

埃利奥特说，他认为很多球队可能不会太重视马刺队。

“所有球队都会放松，除非他们精神上足够强大，”埃利奥特说道。“西雅图现在不像以前那样专注。他们打进了总决赛，现在他们可能认为真正发挥的时候是季后赛。

“尽管如此，他们仍然是（西部）最强的球队。”

点击查看原文：Spurs again set sail without Robinson

Spurs again set sail without Robinson

SEATTLE - The Spurs have a thing or two to prove on this road trip. The team embarked Christmas afternoon on a three-game tour of the Pacific Northwest, leaving their families behind in the midst of the holiday celebration.

They also left one David Robinson behind, awaiting surgery on a broken left toe that will sideline him for up to eight weeks.

This is not unique this season - the Spurs played the first 18 games without the centerpiece of their offense and defense. Unfortunately, they went 3-15 during that stretch.

The winless ways and routs by subpar opponents led to the axing of Bob Hill and the general consensus the Spurs themselves were a very subpar group without Robinson. The team averaged 88 points and gave up an average of 95.7 points during the first 18 games.

``We were a better team than our record showed,‘’ Sean Elliott said of the season-opening woes.

The All-Star forward, double-teamed relentlessly and looking out- of-synch with Robinson on the sidelines, averaged 15.4 points. He suggested that some of the team’s early season troubles were not entirely the result of the absence of its center.

``A lot of non-Robinson things were going on,‘’ he said of the first several weeks under Hill, since replaced by General Manager Gregg Popovich.

Now the Spurs can prove that they are a better team than that record indicated, and also can prove that a coaching change was, indeed, in order.

It won’t be easy.

The Spurs take on the defending Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics at 9 tonight. They then travel to Portland on Saturday for a Sunday evening game against the Trail Blazers.

Next, they trek north into Canada and face the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Spurs already have lost twice to Vancouver without Robinson, the last loss called by Spurs chairman of the board Peter Holt a catalyst that led to Hill’s firing.

Holt since has predicted the Spurs will fare much better against Vancouver this time around.

Needless to say, there will be some pressure during this road run.

I expect us to have the same intensity we've had for the past 1- 1/2 weeks,'' Popovich said after a Tuesday morning workout at the University of the Incarnate Word. I don’t feel any undue pressure. I feel the same way I felt when I took over. The main idea is to get this group playing well and be ready for David’s return and the playoffs.‘’

Elliott did note that several players are concerned about the team’s ability to even make the playoffs.

Popovich assumed command because he didn’t like the looks of the team’s offense and defense during the run without Robinson. He’ll be making his own adjustments now.

We're going to need a lot more movement on offense,'' Popovich said. We’re going to be double-teamed a lot less. Opponents won’t double our center, so we’re going to have to swing the ball around; our players without the ball will have to be on the go.

``Will (Perdue) sets pretty good screens, so we’ll still have some pick and rolls, but they won’t be such a major part (of the attacks).‘’

Avery Johnson will be a serious target of marauding defenses, particularly Seattle’s pressure-packed, ball-hawking style.

People will pay a lot more attention to me,'' Johnson said. They will be able to play our post people straight up. I’m going to have to move around a lot more now. At the other end, our perimeter defense is going to have to be awesome. David changed a lot of shots, but now we don’t want to put any extra pressure on our inside players.‘’

Perdue doesn’t present the same dangers to foes, but he can rebound, defend and block shots.

The new starting center also expects defensive formations to zero in on Johnson.

The thinking in the league is that the offenses slow down when the shooting guard has to bring the ball up the floor,'' Perdue said. So the pressure teams definitely will try to force the ball out of Avery’s hands.

``We have a different coach now and a different philosophy. We’re trying to concentrate on defense. We had talked about working on it before but we had little practice time with many bodies because of the injury situation.‘’

Elliott said he figures a lot of teams might not take the Spurs too seriously now.

All the teams will relax unless they are mentally tough,'' Elliott said. Seattle right now is not as focused as it was in some previous years. They made it to the Finals and now they probably figure the time to really play well is during the playoffs.

``Still, they are the team to beat (in the West).‘’

By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-27, By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer

马刺先行高歌而后惨遭失败——球队把超音速吓出冷汗

西雅图——整个星期四，雪和严寒无情地折磨着这里的居民。而在当晚，马刺队几乎也让涌入钥匙球馆观看超音速队的 17,072 名观众观众感受到了阵阵寒意。

但仅仅是几乎。

西雅图遏制住了圣安东尼奥第四节的反扑，冲刺一波后以 94-86 拿下胜利，这是他们连续第五场胜利。

“这群家伙很厉害，”主教练格雷格·波波维奇谈到超音速队时说道，“他们表现得像西部联盟冠军一样。”

西雅图可能没有表现得那么好。他们在上半场的表现有些缺乏积极性，但在必要时他们表现出了应有的韧性。

在比赛中一直落后的马刺队在末节伊始打出一波 9-2 的小高潮，将分差缩小到两分，比分为 73-71，这给超音速队带来了实实在在的恐惧。弗农·麦克斯韦尔以一个三分球拉开序幕，并以一个上篮结束。

这出乎意料的猛烈攻势让钥匙球馆的观众安静了两三分钟。

肖恩·坎普四次犯规坐在板凳上，因此超音速队需要从其他地方找到帮助。

埃里克·斯诺突破上篮得分，在科里·亚历山大罚球命中后，萨姆·帕金斯命中一个三分球，将西雅图的领先优势扩大到六分，78-72。

然后，马刺队连续投篮不中，而超音速队连续得到四分，在比赛还剩五分钟时将领先优势扩大到 82-72。

之后还有几次火爆场面，但马刺队再也没有接近到可以再次形成实质性威胁的地步。

“我们在半场进攻中还是没有执行好，”波波维奇说，“比赛刚开始的时候，我们没能找到他们的三分射手。我们在下半场解决了这个问题，并且打得更有身体对抗性。

“但我们在进攻中出现了一些漏洞，犯了一些错误，而这正是你面对优秀球队时不能犯的，”教练说。

身体对抗性的增强导致了几次唇枪舌剑的对抗。

蒙蒂·威廉姆斯和加里·佩顿在用言语争吵时被队友和裁判分开。

“他们针对我们的控球后卫和得分后卫，我只是觉得是时候有人站出来说点什么了，”威廉姆斯说。

几分钟后，麦克斯韦尔和肖恩·坎普发生了冲突。卡尔·埃雷拉跳出来推开了麦克斯韦尔。但在麦克斯韦尔对坎普犯规后，两人在球场的另一端继续争吵。在冲突得到控制之前，坎普被吹罚技术犯规。

“他是我的好朋友，”这是麦克斯韦尔对那天发生的事情的全部表态。

麦克斯韦尔度过了他的最佳比赛之一，得到 14 分，他用三分球和强有力的突破得分。他避免了投出不明智的球。

替补席发挥强劲，他们在第四节马刺队的 24 分中得到 18 分。

“我们在场上有一群表现出色的球员，他们配合得很好，”艾弗里·约翰逊说，他在最后时刻上场打了六分钟，并看到亚历山大打了另外六分钟，“我们必须尽一切办法获得胜利。我们今晚没有获胜，但我们做出了相当大的努力。”

马刺队可能从当晚最响亮的两次欢呼声中得到了一些额外的安慰，这两次欢呼都是献给多米尼克·威尔金斯的。这位老将用两次暴扣让观众们起立欢呼。

威尔金斯还享受他在大前锋位置上的表现。他为难坎普，绕着这个大个子转了一小圈，然后旋转后双手进球和上篮得分。

“我觉得我可以突破任何人，甚至是大个子，”威尔金斯说，“即使我面对的是大个子，他们仍然会对双人包夹我。这就是我赢得的尊重。”

再说说这场比赛吧？

“我们犯了一些错误，一些失误，老生常谈了，”他说。他和埃利奥特以每人 17 分领跑马刺队。

在第三节初段，在威尔金斯跳投命中后，圣安东尼奥将分差缩小到六分，58-52。

但超音速队摆脱了这阵攻势，在回应的 10-4 攻势后，他们将领先优势扩大到了 12 分，68-56。

第三节，马刺队的赢面再次遭到打击，当时文尼·德尔·内格罗因右肩挫伤重重地摔倒在地。他又打了幾分钟后，便离开了比赛。

X光片显示结果为阴性。\r\n
—\r\n
**控球后卫的更换：**马刺队在星期四通过签下 6 英尺 4 英寸高的后卫盖伦·尼克尔森来加强他们的后场阵容。\r\n
尼克尔森本赛季在大陆篮球协会的俄克拉荷马城骑兵队开始自己的职业生涯，在 18 场比赛中平均得到 21.9 分和 4.9 次助攻。\r\n
马刺队去年 7 月将尼克尔森带到圣安东尼奥进行考察。\r\n
“我们很喜欢他——他的投篮很好，一个好的射手自然会引起一些关注，”主教练格雷格·波波维奇说，“他速度很快，身体素质很好。我们一直认为他有进入 NBA 球队的机会。\r\n
“我们没有进一步追求他，因为我们正在关注弗农（麦克斯韦尔），我们想要这个老将替补。”——格伦·罗杰斯

点击查看原文：Spurs boom before bust - Team throws scare into Sonics

Spurs boom before bust - Team throws scare into Sonics

SEATTLE - Snow and frigid temperatures tortured residents here all day Thursday. The Spurs then almost chilled the announced crowd of 17,072 that packed into Key Arena to watch their Sonics the same night.

But only almost.

Seattle held off a fourth-quarter San Antonio rally, spurted and went home with a 94-86 victory, its fifth straight.

These guys are good,'' Coach Gregg Popovich said of the Sonics. They played like the Western Conference Champions.‘’

Seattle may not have played quite that well. They were a little indifferent through stretches of the first half, but they stiffened when necessary.

The Spurs, trailing throughout the game, threw some real fear into the Sonics when they opened the final period with a 9-2 run that brought them within two, 73-71. Vernon Maxwell started that rush with a three-pointer and ended it with a driving layup.

The unexpected dash left the Key Arena crowd quiet - for a minute or two.

Shawn Kemp was on the bench with four fouls, so the Sonics found help from elsewhere.

Eric Snow scored on a driving layup and, after a Cory Alexander free throw, Sam Perkins hit a three-pointer to push the Seattle lead to six, 78-72.

Then consecutive missed Spur shots and four unanswered Sonic points pushed the Seattle lead to 82-72 with five minutes left.

There were a few hot moments still left, but the Spurs never came close enough for another real scare.

We're still not executing in our half-court offense,'' Popovich said. Early in the game, we were not finding their three-point shooters. We took care of that in the second half and we got more physical.

``But we had some offensive breakdowns, made some mistakes, and you can’t do that against the good teams,‘’ the coach said.

The more physical aspect led to a few chin-to-chin confrontations.

Monty Williams and Gary Payton had to be separated by teammates and refs during their verbal disagreement.

``They were going at our point guards and shooting guards and I just felt it was time for somebody to say something,‘’ said Williams.

Maxwell and Shawn Kemp went after it minutes later. Carl Herrera jumped in and pushed Maxwell away. But the two continued going at each other at the other end of the floor after Maxwell fouled Kemp. Kemp received a technical foul before the jousting was brought under control.

``He’s my best friend,‘’ was all that Maxwell would say of that affair.

Maxwell had one of his best games, scoring 14 points, mixing his three-pointers with strong drives. He stayed away from heaving up ill-advised shots.

It was a strong night all around for the bench, which scored 18 of the Spurs’ 24 fourth-quarter points.

We had a good crew in there and they were working well together,'' said Avery Johnson, who played six minutes in the final period and watched Alexander play the other six. We have to eek out wins any way we can. We didn’t win tonight, but we had a pretty good effort.‘’

San Antonio may have found some extra consolation in the fact that the two biggest cheers of delight on the night came for Dominique Wilkins. The veteran brought the folks to their feet with two huge dunks.

Wilkins also enjoyed his work at power forward. He posted up Kemp, worked the big man around a little and then scored on spinning and twisting banks and layups.

I feel I can post up anybody, even a big man,'' Wilkins said. They were still doubling me even when I went against the big guy. That’s the kind of respect I’ve earned.‘’

About the game?

``We made some mistakes, some miscues, same old story,‘’ he said. He and Elliott led the Spurs with 17 points each.

San Antonio drove to within six, 58-52, after a Wilkins jumper early in the third quarter.

But the Sonics shook off that flurry and went up by 12, 68-56, after their answering 10-4 run.

The Spurs’ chances took another blow in the third quarter when Vinny Del Negro hit the floor hard with a bruised right shoulder. He played another few minutes, then left the game.

X-Rays were negative. - - -

- Changing of the guards: The Spurs bolstered their backcourt crew Thursday with the signing of 6-foot-4 guard Gaylon Nickerson.

Nickerson started the season in the CBA with the Oklahoma City Cavalry and averaged 21.9 points adn 4.9 assists in 18 games.

The Spurs brought Nickerson to San Antonio for a look last July.

We liked him - he shoots very well and a good shooter automatically gets some notice,'' Coach Gregg Popovich said. He has good speed and athleticism. We always figured he had a shot at making an NBA team.

``We didn’t pursue him further because we were looking at Vernon (Maxwell) and we wanted the veteran backup.‘’ - Glenn Rogers

By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-28, By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer

罗宾逊的手术被认为“成功”

马刺队队医大卫·施密特(Dr. David Schmidt) 周五预测，受伤的**大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)**将在六周内重返赛场，但他并未排除恢复时间更长的可能性。施密特和布德·柯蒂斯(Dr. Bud Curtis) 医生于周五凌晨为罗宾逊左脚骨折的第五跖骨进行了手术。当天下午，施密特与媒体见面并宣布手术“成功”。

“他将穿着可拆卸的塑料靴大约两周，”施密特谈到这位全明星中锋时说。“在这段时间里，大约一周后，他将开始进行锻炼。他将使用拐杖大约三到四周，我预计他将在六周内重返赛场。”

施密特并没有否认罗宾逊可能需要更长时间才能参加比赛，他同意可能需要额外的时间进行体能训练。

一些马刺队的球员认为罗宾逊可能要休战接近八周。

“（六周）这是一个短时间线，”施密特说。“但我们将使用脉冲超声设备来加速愈合过程。我们预计六周内恢复。更长时间是完全可能的，可能会到12周。不会是四周。”

超声治疗计划在一周后开始。

施密特表示，一项研究表明，大约 13% 的 NBA 球员曾遭受第五跖骨骨折。他说，大多数球员在恢复后没有持续的影响。

“大多数球员，一旦他们修复了它，他们在（重返比赛后）就不会有任何症状，”他说。“我预计会完全康复。众所周知，它很难愈合。这就是为什么手术修复很重要。”

罗宾逊是在周一晚上主场输给迈阿密热火的比赛中遭遇了非移位性骨折。

施密特说，一根约 65 毫米长、6.5 毫米宽的螺钉被置入骨骼中以稳定它。手术大约持续了一个小时。

“一切顺利，”施密特说。“一切都很顺利。他正在平静而舒适地休息。”

施密特对罗宾逊的快速恢复持乐观态度。

“预后良好，”他说。“我认为我们得到了很好的固定。”

罗宾逊周五在医院呆了一段时间，并在下午出院。施密特说，这位七届全明星球员和 1995 年 NBA 最有价值球员的精神有点低落。

“他还好，但我相信他宁愿不在那里，”施密特说。

罗宾逊在身体上经历了艰难的一年。本赛季，他缺席了马刺队 25 场比赛中的 19 场，包括前 18 场比赛，原因是背部下部拉伤。

他的健康问题始于上赛季末，当时他患上了疝气。在 7 月份，在为奥运会做准备时，他再次拉伤了背部，这个伤痛过去几年一直困扰着他。

罗宾逊在从奥运会返回圣安东尼奥后，于 8 月份接受了疝气手术。但他的背部问题持续存在。它在 10 月份第一周的训练营期间困扰着他，然后在 10 月 11 日的第一个季前赛中加重。

经过大量的康复，他终于在 12 月 10 日对阵菲尼克斯的比赛中重返赛场——这天也是总经理格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich) 解雇鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill) 并接任主教练的日子。

马刺队在罗宾逊因背部受伤缺阵的情况下取得了 3 勝 15 負的战绩，在他回归后取得了 3 勝 3 負的战绩。圣安东尼奥在周四晚上在西雅图以 94-86 输球，这是他因脚伤缺阵的第一次。

---

球队基石

马刺队在过去八个赛季有无大卫·罗宾逊的情况下表现如何：

赛季 有 无 战绩

'89-90 56-26 0-0 56-26

'90-91 55-27 0-0 55-27

'91-92 42-26 5-9 47-35

'92-93 49-33 0-0 49-33

'93-94 54-26 1-1 55-27

'94-95 61-20 1-0 62-20

'95-96 59-23 0-0 59-23

'96-97 3-3 3-16 6-19

总计 379-184 10-26 389-210 (.673) (.278) (.649)

点击查看原文：Robinson's surgery termed `successful'

Robinson’s surgery termed `successful’

Spurs team physician Dr. David Schmidt predicted Friday that the injured David Robinson could be playing again in six weeks, but wouldn’t rule out a longer recovery time. Schmidt and Dr. Bud Curtis surgically repaired the fractured fifth metatarsal bone in Robinson’s left foot early Friday morning. That afternoon, Schmidt met with the media and pronounced the operation ``successful.‘’

He'll be in a removable plastic boot for about two weeks,'' Schmidt said of the All-Star center. During that time, in about a week, he’ll start exercising it. He’ll be on crutches for about three-(to)-four weeks and I’d anticipate in six weeks that he’d return to play.‘’

Schmidt didn’t deny that it could take longer than that before Robinson could suit up for a game, agreeing that extra time might be needed for conditioning.

Some Spurs players have suggested that Robinson may be sidelined closer to eight weeks.

This (six weeks) is a short timeline,'' Schmidt said. But we will use a device with pulsed ultrasound to speed the healing process. We’re shooting for a timeline of six weeks. That (longer period) is something that’s entirely possible. It might be 12 (weeks). It won’t be four.‘’

The ultrasound treatments are scheduled to begin in about a week.

Schmidt said a study has determined that about 13 percent of NBA players have suffered a fractured fifth metatarsal. He said the majority don’t suffer any lingering effects.

Most players, once they have it fixed, they don't have any symptoms (after they return to action),'' he said. I would anticipate a complete recovery. Notoriously, it’s difficult to heal. That’s why it’s good to fix it (surgically).‘’

Robinson suffered the non-displaced fracture during Monday night’s home loss to the Miami Heat.

Schmidt said a screw, measuring about 65 millimeters in length and 6.5 millimeters in width, was placed in the bone to stabilize it. The operation took about an hour.

Everything went fine,'' Schmidt said. Everything went smoothly. He’s resting calmly and nicely.‘’

Schmidt is optimistic about Robinson’s speedy recovery.

The prognosis is good,'' he said. I think we got good fixation.‘’

Robinson spent part of Friday in the hospital and was released in the afternoon. Schmidt said the spirits of the seven-time All-Star selection and 1995 NBA Most Valuable Player were a little low.

``He was all right, but I’m sure he’d rather not be in there,‘’ Schmidt said.

Robinson has endured a tough year physically. He has missed 19 of the Spurs’ 25 games this season, including the first 18 with a lower back strain.

His health problems started late last season when he developed a hernia. In July, while preparing for the Olympic Games, he tweaked a back strain that had bothered him off an on over the past few years.

Robinson had hernia surgery in August after returning to San Antonio from the Olympics. But his back ailment continued. It bothered him during training camp in the first week of October, then flared up dramatically in the first preseason game Oct. 11.

After extensive rehabilitation, he finally returned to the lineup Dec. 10 at Phoenix - the day General Manager Gregg Popovich fired Bob Hill and took over as head coach.

The Spurs went 3-15 with Robinson out with the bad back and were 3-3 after he returned. San Antonio lost 94-86 at Seattle on Thursday night in his first absence because of the foot injury. - - -

Team anchor

How the Spurs have fared the past eight seasons with and without David Robinson in the lineup:

Season With Without Record

'89-90 56-26 0-0 56-26

'90-91 55-27 0-0 55-27

'91-92 42-26 5-9 47-35

'92-93 49-33 0-0 49-33

'93-94 54-26 1-1 55-27

'94-95 61-20 1-0 62-20

'95-96 59-23 0-0 59-23

'96-97 3-3 3-16 6-19

Totals 379-184 10-26 389-210 (.673) (.278) (.649)

By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-29, By Jerry Briggs, Spurs Beat

糟糕的运气会是最终的打击吗？

上周，马刺队在本赛季首次公开承认他们可能无缘季后赛的担忧。考虑到西部联盟底部存在大量糟糕的球队，这是一个令人震惊的消息。

“我们都很担心，”前锋肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)说道。“但现在还很遥远。你永远不知道会发生什么。也许其他球队也会遇到一些问题。”

一些其他球队可能会遇到问题。但不太可能遇到这种糟糕的运气。

NBA球队何时最后一次在赛季前两个月内让所有三位中锋都骨折？

“感觉我们有点倒霉，”全明星中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)淡然说道，他已在球队 25 场比赛中的 19 场比赛中缺阵。

罗宾逊因背伤缺席了前五周的比赛，他预计将在周五进行左脚第五跖骨骨折手术后继续缺阵 6 到 8 周。

算上春天在季后赛中因背伤结束职业生涯的“毒液”多克·里弗斯(Doc Rivers)，马刺队在 1996 年共有 9 名球员受伤。

曾经在 1995 年接近进入 NBA 总决赛的球队，现在却因伤病困扰而头疼。

在球队糟糕的开局期间，罗宾逊、前锋查克·珀森(Chuck Person)（背部手术）和查尔斯·史密斯(Charles Smith)（右膝关节炎）以及中锋威尔·珀迪(Will Perdue)（左拇指骨折）都遭受了重大伤病。

就在球队似乎准备凭借三连胜进入周一主场对阵迈阿密的比赛时，罗宾逊因脚部骨折而一瘸一拐地离场。

“我们有点难以置信，事情怎么会这样，”埃利奥特说道。

随着马刺队准备在今晚客场挑战波特兰，他们以 6 勝 19 負的战绩跌入了乐透区。

在球队 NBA 历史上，只有两次在进入 1 月 1 日前有如此多的失利记录。

在 1986 年底，在菜鸟教练鲍勃·魏斯(Bob Weiss)的带领下，马刺队战绩为 8 勝 22 負。当 1988 年结束时，7 勝 20 負的战绩让首年教练拉里·布朗(Larry Brown)彻夜难眠。这两支球队最终都无缘季后赛。

但与其他两支球队相比，这支马刺队有所不同。这支球队只是运气不好。其他球队只是很差劲。此外，时代变了。本赛季，可能只需要 32 到 35 场胜利就能获得西部联盟的第八名，也是最后一个季后赛席位。

除非发生其他灾难，否则这支球队仍然可以反弹，最终获得西部第六名。如果罗宾逊能在六周内重返赛场，球队也能在之前保持竞争力，也许甚至能获得第五名。

你有一种感觉，情况不会像本赛季初罗宾逊因背伤缺阵时，在前任教练鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)带领下的 3 勝 15 負那样糟糕。

首先，球员们不用担心换帅。马刺队主席彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)表示，格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)至少在本赛季结束前将继续担任主教练。此外，马刺队现在比以前拥有更多的人手。

请记住，珀迪因拇指骨折缺席了本赛季的前八场比赛。在那段时间里，凯迪拉克·安德森(Cadillac Anderson)左手中指骨折，迫使前锋多米尼克·威尔金斯(Dominique Wilkins)在内线打了比他愿意回忆的更多的时间。

-马刺队新闻：珀森表示，他将在 1 月 6 日与克尔兰-乔布诊所的罗伯特·沃特金斯(Robert Watkins)医生会面后，获得跑步许可。波波维奇表示，马刺队可能会让他在周五客场挑战丹佛的下一趟客场之旅中，本赛季首次随队旅行。

波波维奇还表示，球队可能会想让史密斯在 1 月下旬或 2 月初回到球场进行一些训练。

点击查看原文：Will lottery be final dose of bad luck?

Will lottery be final dose of bad luck?

Last week, for the first time this season, the Spurs openly admitted concern about the possibility they could miss the playoffs. And, considering the number of crummy teams littering the bottom of the Western Conference, this was a stunning development.

We all are concerned,'' forward Sean Elliott said. But it’s a long ways away. You never know what’s going to happen. Maybe other teams will run into some problems too.‘’

Some others could have problems. But none are likely to encounter this kind of rotten luck.

When is the last time that an NBA team had all three of its centers break bones during the first two months of the season?

``It seems like we’ve been a little bit snakebit,‘’ understated All-Star center David Robinson, who has been sidelined in 19 of the team’s 25 games.

Robinson, who missed the first five weeks with a back injury, is expected to be out another six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery Friday on the fractured fifth metatarsal of his left foot.

Counting the back injury that ended Doc Rivers’ career in the playoffs last spring, the team has had nine players go down in 1996.

What was once a franchise on the verge of making the NBA Finals in 1995 is now one scratching its head over the wreckage of broken-down bodies.

During the team’s abysmal start, major injuries have hit Robinson, forwards Chuck Person (back surgery) and Charles Smith

(osteoarthritis, right knee) and center Will Perdue (broken left thumb).

Just as the team seemed poised to turn things around with a three- game winning streak heading into Monday’s home game against Miami, Robinson limped off with the broken foot.

``We’re kind of in disbelief, how it’s been going,‘’ Elliott said.

As the Spurs prepare to play at Portland tonight, they have lurched into lottery contention at 6-19.

Only two other times in the team’s NBA history have there been so many losses on the record going into Jan. 1.

At the close of 1986, under rookie coach Bob Weiss, the Spurs were 8-22. When the clock ran out on 1988, a 7-20 record caused some sleepless nights for first-year coach Larry Brown. Both teams ended up missing the playoffs.

But there is a difference between this Spurs team compared to the other two. This team has just had bad luck. The others were just bad. Also, times have changed. This season, it may only take 32-35 victories to secure the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Barring any other calamities, this team could still rally to finish sixth in the West. Maybe even fifth if Robinson can get back on the floor in six weeks, and the team can play competitively until then.

You just have a feeling that things won’t be quite as bad as the 3-15 record under former coach Bob Hill earlier in the season, when Robinson sat out with his ailing back.

For one thing, players won’t have to worry about a coaching change. Spurs chairman Peter Holt said Gregg Popovich is in charge on the bench at least until the end of the season. Also, the Spurs have more manpower than before.

Remember, Perdue missed the first eight games of the season with a broken thumb. And during that stretch, Cadillac Anderson broke the ring finger of his left hand, forcing forward Dominique Wilkins into the post for more minutes than he cares to recall.

-Spurs notes: Person said he could be cleared to start running when he meets with Dr. Robert Watkins at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic on Jan. 6. The Spurs may allow him to travel for the first time this season on the team’s next road trip Friday at Denver, Popovich said.

Popovich also indicated that the team may want to get Smith back on the floor for some practice in late January or early February.

By Jerry Briggs, Spurs Beat, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-29, By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer

马刺队尝试解决进攻问题，开拓者队 - 简化战术套路，寻求侵略性

俄勒冈州波特兰——周六，马刺队设法离开了西雅图的冬季仙境，且没有发生过多意外事件。球队的包机晚了一个小时左右才抵达西雅图，导致球员在计划着陆时间后大约两个小时才到达波特兰。

他们在大雨中抵达，现在坐在这里，与其余市民一起准备迎接可能袭击俄勒冈州、华盛顿州和加拿大西海岸的冰暴。

只要航空交通恢复了，马刺队今晚 9 点将在温哥华对阵开拓者队，然后在周一晚上 9 点对阵灰熊队。

圣安东尼奥队上两场分别输给了迈阿密队和西雅图队，并再次试图吸收大卫·罗宾逊因另一次伤病而缺阵带来的心理打击。

此外，预计马刺队的进攻火力还将减弱——后卫文尼·德尔·内格罗正在治疗右肩挫伤。

他在对阵超音速队的比赛中受伤，当时中锋吉姆·麦克伊尔万设置了一个掩护，撞到了德尔·内格罗，导致他倒在地上。弗农·马克斯韦尔将替代他首发，而新人盖伦·尼克尔森可能会在替补席上替补马克斯韦尔上场。

前锋多米尼克·威尔金斯因膝盖挫伤正在接受治疗，没有参加周四或周五的训练，但他被列为可能参加比赛。

在从西雅图训练场乘坐巴士返回的途中，教练格雷格·波波维奇说：“球员们知道我们必须怎么做才能取胜。我们必须更有侵略性，我们必须执行我们的策略。”

训练的重点是简化进攻战术，并通过进攻节奏明确移动。

波波维奇说：“西雅图比赛期间，我看到需要改进的地方很多，但我们仍然在第四节参加了那场比赛，我们仍然有机会赢下比赛。这表明球员们可以打球并变得更好。”

他们必须做到。

圣安东尼奥队不能承受在积分榜上持续下跌，而且一些球员已经开始担心能否进入季后赛。马刺队位于西部联盟的乐透区，大卫·罗宾逊在六到八周内复出可能还不足以让他们重返前八名。

后卫艾弗里·约翰逊说：“你知道，两年前，我们想的只有冠军。经历这一切时感觉不同。你看到其他球队打出了 6-19 的战绩，你就会知道这是因为伤病或者缺乏天赋。

“现在我们也遇到了这种情况，感觉不太好。波特兰队跟我们一样输掉了比赛。我们 0-2 输给了他们，但在对阵他们的时候我们还是有机会的。我只希望我们能派出八名球员。”

在周五晚上战胜洛杉矶快船队，终结了三连败的开拓者队，给马刺队带来了问题。即使没有前锋拉希德·华莱士，他们仍然是篮板高手，而且肯尼·安德森和以赛亚·赖德组成了年轻而有天赋的后场。

波波维奇说：“他们非常有身体优势，是一支强大的篮板队。我们在三号位的克里夫·罗宾逊和得分后卫赖德身上有对位问题。

“如果我们不能匹敌他们的力量，我们至少可以尝试阻止力量主宰我们。我们想要尝试让比赛变成一场转换比赛，向他们施压。然后，当我们处于半场攻防时，我们就想执行。”

马刺一直在努力微调他们的进攻战术。进攻计划被简化为更少的可选战术，球员们一直在努力严格执行这些战术。

前锋肖恩·艾利奥特说：“我不会说快速执行是正确的，我会说精确执行。我们追求整体上的精确性。我们想知道自己在球场上的位置。我们需要间距。我们希望降低传球角度。”

点击查看原文：Spurs try to solve offense, Blazers - S.A. simplifying schemes, looking for aggressiveness

Spurs try to solve offense, Blazers - S.A. simplifying schemes, looking for aggressiveness

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Spurs managed to fly out of the Seattle winter wonderland without too much incident Saturday. The team’s chartered plane was about an hour late arriving in Seattle, putting the players into Portland about two hours behind their scheduled touch-down time.

They arrived in freezing rain and now sit here, braced with the rest of the population, for possible ice storms that have been forecast to hammer the coast of Oregon, Washington and Western Canada.

The Spurs are scheduled to play the Trail Blazers at 9 tonight and then the Grizzlies at 9 p.m. Monday in Vancouver, assuming air traffic resumes up the frigid northern coast.

San Antonio has lost its last two games to Miami and Seattle and again is just trying to absorb the mental blow of losing David Robinson to still another injury.

In addition, the Spurs are expected to be without more offensive punch - guard Vinny Del Negro is nursing a bruised right shoulder.

He hurt it during the game against the Sonics when center Jim McIlvaine set a pick and rammed into Del Negro, sending him to the floor. Vernon Maxwell will start in his place and newcomer Gaylon Nickerson probably will see time off the bench behind Maxwell.

Forward Dominique Wilkins, nursing a contusion on his knee, didn’t practice Thursday or Friday, but he is listed as probable.

The guys know what we have to do to win,'' said Coach Gregg Popovich during a bus ride back from practice in Seattle. We have to be more aggressive, we have to execute what we do.‘’

The practice emphasis has been to simplify the offensive schemes and nail down the exact movement through the attacking rhythms.

As many things as I saw that needed improvement during the Seattle game, we still were in that game in the fourth quarter, we still had a chance to win it,'' Popovich said. What is showing is that these guys can play and get better.‘’

They must.

San Antonio can’t afford a continuing drop through the standings and some players already are concerned about making the playoffs. The Spurs are in the lottery section of the Western Conference, and David Robinson’s reappearance in six to eight weeks might not be enough to push them back into the ranks of the top eight.

You know, two years ago, all we had on our minds was the title,'' guard Avery Johnson said. It’s different when you go through this. You saw other teams with 6-19 records and you knew it was because of injuries or the lack of talent.

``Now we’re in that situation and it’s not a good feeling. Portland has been losing games just like us. We’re down 0-2 to them, but we’ve had our chances against them. I just hope we’re able to dress eight guys.‘’

The Blazers, who snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night, present problems for the Spurs. Even without forward Rasheed Wallace, they are big on the boards, and they have a young and talented backcourt in Kenny Anderson and Isaiah Rider.

They are very physical, they are a powerful rebounding team,'' Popovich said. We will have matchup problems with Cliff Robinson at the three spot and Rider at shooting guard.

``If we can’t match their power, we at least can try to prevent the power from dominating us. We want to try to keep them in a transition game, run on them. Then, when we are in the half-court game, we want to execute.‘’

The Spurs have been toiling at fine-tuning their offensive sets. The attack plans have been stripped to fewer plays with options, and the players have been working to nail them down tightly.

I wouldn't say that quick execution is right, I'd say precise execution,'' forward Sean Elliott said. We’re looking for overall precision. We want to know where we are on the floor. We need spacing. We want to have the passing angles down.

By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-29, By David King Express-News Staff Writer

马刺队成为了新闻的焦点 - 但本地 NBA 球队面临着激烈竞争

如往常一样，马刺队在 1996 年成为了圣安东尼奥所有体育活动中最大的新闻头条，获得了最多篇幅的报道和最长的专栏。从创纪录的 17 连胜到呼吁建造新球馆，再到解雇教练鲍勃·希尔 (Bob Hill)，马刺队从一开始就频繁地出现在新闻中。

但 1996 年，圣安东尼奥的体育迷们除了本地“高个子俱乐部”外，还有其他事情可读：

• 这个城市成为了废除北美自由贸易协定的典型代表，在加拿大和墨西哥的职业联赛中都吃了亏。

• 体坛中最热门的人物——老虎·伍兹 (Tiger Woods)——和最酷的人物——乔治·格文 (George Gervin)——都登上了头条。

• 圣安东尼奥任务队再次未能进入季后赛，但道奇队另一位潜在的新秀在德州联盟中大杀四方。

• 在弗里曼体育馆爆发了一场比任何冰上打架都更大的冰球战争——并将持续到新的一年。

当年最大的新闻是希尔的解雇，因为马刺队在伤病困扰下开局糟糕，战绩仅为 3 胜 15 负。最大的伤病是戴维·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 的背部伤痛，这使得他在鲍勃·希尔执教时代的最后 18 场比赛中都无法上场。

罗宾逊曾在亚特兰大奥运会上参加梦之队三号阵容，在赢得金牌后接受了疝气手术，然后可能恢复得太快，并在训练营中伤了腰部。

希尔被总经理格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 替代，正是他解雇了希尔。

在 1995-96 赛季中，马刺队经历了低谷——在季后赛第二轮惨败于犹他队——和高峰——在马刺队取得 17 连胜并主办了阿拉莫穹顶的 NBA 全明星赛时，圣安东尼奥位居 NBA 顶峰。

在全明星赛活动期间，前马刺队主席罗伯特·麦克德莫特 (Robert McDermott) 被引用说，球队需要一个新的球馆来保持财务稳定。马刺队甚至史无前例地公开财务状况，以展示他们所面临的困境。

但这并没有阻止当地卡特彼勒经销商彼得·霍尔特 (Peter Holt) 在当年晚些时候收购球队的大部分股份，包括 USAA 和麦克德莫特控制的股份。

在球场外和董事会房间之外，马刺队历史上最伟大的球星乔治·格文入选了篮球名人堂。

圣安东尼奥的另一支篮球队——墨西哥联赛 CIMEBA 的 Tejanos 队——消失在了边境以南，留下当地官员拿着空袋子——并损失了数千美元的未报销费用。这支球队在墨西哥很受欢迎，但一位铁腕的墨西哥老板让球队在圣安东尼奥始终无法找到观众——或者一个家。

这座城市来自北部联盟的球队境况也好不到哪去。加拿大足球联盟在 2 月份解散了包括圣安东尼奥德州人队在内的三支美国球队。

圣安东尼奥在亚特兰大奥运会上获得了国际曝光，这得益于乔希·戴维斯 (Josh Davis)——一位丘吉尔高中毕业生——在三项游泳接力比赛中取得了胜利。

本月，贾德森火箭队在本十年中第五次打进了州足球决赛，圣安东尼奥龙队加强了他们在国际冰球联盟中西部赛区的领先优势。

今年早些时候，中央冰球联盟的伊瓜纳队在联盟决赛第七场比赛中输给了俄克拉荷马城队。但伊瓜纳队最大的战斗可能是在法庭上，弗里曼体育馆董事会试图解除与该队的租约，为龙队腾出空间。

两支球队最终都在弗里曼体育馆比赛，但伊瓜纳队和董事会将在明年初就租约争议进行法庭诉讼。

当 PGA 巡回赛在 10 月份来到拉·坎特拉时，谁是最受欢迎的高尔夫球手毫无争议。新秀老虎·伍兹在仅仅半个赛季中就获得了五次前五名，帮助德州公开赛的观众人数创下历史新高。花园岭的戴维·奥格林 (David Ogrin) 在他认为的主场获得了冠军。

汤姆·魏斯科普夫 (Tom Weiskopf) 在 3 月份赢得了另一项当地职业高尔夫赛事——SBC Dominion 锦标赛。

任务队继续在沃尔夫体育场吸引着创纪录的观众，但他们在 8 月份冲到第一名后，在赛季末表现不佳，最终落后于埃尔帕索队。一垒手保罗·科内尔科 (Paul Konerko) 在大多数进攻数据中都领先球队，甚至差点获得了德州联盟的三冠王。

任务队——以及当地的球场——在夏天还有另一个担忧。1996 年的干旱导致了灌溉限制，并威胁要切断球场的灌溉。雷塔马公园虽然在财务上恢复了元气，但仍然在票房上苦苦挣扎，也遇到了漏水的问题。

点击查看原文：Spurs found a way to hog the news - But local NBA franchise had plenty of competition

Spurs found a way to hog the news - But local NBA franchise had plenty of competition

As usual, the Spurs grabbed the biggest headlines, the most ink and the longest columns of all sporting activities in San Antonio in 1996. From a club-record 17-game winning streak to calling for a new arena to firing Coach Bob Hill, the Spurs were in the news early and often.

But San Antonio sports fans had more than the local tall-man’s club to read about in 1996:

-The city became a poster child for the repeal of the North American Free Trade Agreement, getting the shaft from professional leagues in both Canada and Mexico.

-The hottest figure in sports -Tiger Woods - and the coolest - George Gervin - were in the headlines.

-The San Antonio Missions once again did not make the playoffs, but another potential rookie of the year for the Dodgers tore through the Texas League.

-A hockey war bigger than any on-the-ice fight broke out at Freeman Coliseum - and will continue into the new year.

The year’s biggest story was Hill’s firing, as the Spurs had staggered to a 3-15 start while playing through more injuries than an episode of ``ER.‘’ The biggest injury was David Robinson’s sore back, which kept him out of the lineup for the last 18 games of the Bob Hill Era.

Robinson, who played on Dream Team III at the Atlanta Olympics, had hernia surgery after winning the gold medal, then probably came back too soon and injured his lower back in training camp.

Hill was replaced by General Manager Gregg Popovich, the man who fired him.

During the '95-96 season, the Spurs saw the lows - losing badly to Utah in the second round of the playoffs - and the highs - San Antonio was on top of the NBA world when the Spurs won 17 straight games and hosted the NBA All-Star Game at the Alamodome.

In the middle of the All-Star activities, former Spurs chairman Robert McDermott was quoted as saying that the team needed a new arena to stay afloat financially. The Spurs even made the unprecedented move of opening their books to show just how tough things were.

That didn’t stop local Caterpillar dealer Peter Holt from buying up a big chunk of the team, including the share controlled by USAA and McDermott, later in the year.

Off the court and away from the board room, the biggest star in Spurs history, George Gervin, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

San Antonio’s other basketball team, the Tejanos of the Mexican league CIMEBA, disappeared somewhere south of the border, with local officials left holding the bag - and out thousands of dollars in unreimbursed expenses. The team was a major draw in Mexico, but a tight-fisted Mexican owner kept the franchise from ever finding an audience - or a home - in San Antonio.

The city’s team from a league north of the border fared little better. The Canadian Football League folded three U.S. franchises, including the San Antonio Texans, in February.

San Antonio got some international exposure in the Atlanta Olympics, thanks to three swimming relay victories involving Churchill graduate Josh Davis.

This month, the Judson Rockets made the state football finals for the fifth time this decade, and the San Antonio Dragons strengthened their hold on first place in the International Hockey League’s Midwest Division.

Earlier in the year, the Central Hockey League’s Iguanas fell in the seventh game of the league finals to Oklahoma City. But the Iguanas’ biggest battle might be in court, where the Freeman Coliseum board tried to break its lease with the team to make room for the Dragons.

Both teams wound up playing at the Coliseum, but the Iguanas and the board are headed for court early next year on the lease dispute.

There was no dispute over who was the most popular golfer in the world when the PGA Tour came to La Cantera in October. Rookie Tiger Woods, who sprang onto the game with five top-five finishes in just part of a season, helped boost Texas Open crowds to record numbers. Garden Ridge’s David Ogrin won the title on what he considered his home course.

And late addition Tom Weiskopf won the other local pro golf event, the SBC Dominion Seniors in March.

The Missions continued to quietly attract record crowds to Wolff Stadium, but after surging into first place in August, the team faded down the stretch and finished behind El Paso. First baseman Paul Konerko led the team in most offensive categories, even flirting with the Texas League Triple Crown.

The Missions - and local golf courses - had another worry during the summer. The drought of '96 led to watering restrictions and a threatened cutoff of irrigation for the courses. Retama Park, which managed to right itself financially but still struggled at the gate, also had water woes with a leaky infield lake.

By David King Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-29, By LeAnna Lake Express-News Staff Writer

波波维奇有机会展示他的能力

马刺队无需挖掘太深就能找出借口——他们没有时间沉入储物箱底部。没错，这又来了：大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)没有参加阵容。

周一，在对阵迈阿密的比赛第四节快结束时，罗宾逊因左脚骨折而倒下，全城都能听到骨头断裂的声音。他将缺阵6-8周。

尽管只缺席了六场比赛，但罗宾逊单单出现在黑银色阵容中就足以让球迷们重燃希望：主场球队有可能在3-15开局后进入季后赛。

我的意思是，当你的球队明星球员回到球场上，一切皆有可能，对吗？

但随着罗宾逊再次缺阵，这些可能性都变得黯淡。其他人必须担起重担，而标准的承载者还没有经过考验。

在没有罗宾逊的情况下，格雷格·波波维奇率领一支围绕“海军上将”建立的球队，他比鲍勃·希尔高出多少？

让我们来看看他必须合作的人。

首先，有肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)，马刺队的另一位全明星。当罗宾逊不在身边鼓舞士气，转移防守队员注意力时，埃利奥特几乎没有取得成功。在进入迈阿密比赛之前，他场均得到15.7分，但他在罗宾逊复出后的最高分——29分——出现在他复出之后。

然后是多米尼克·威尔金斯。他在没有罗宾逊的情况下表现得很好；当然，他从未有机会学会依赖这个大个子。他在球队中篮板和得分方面领先。然而，作为罗宾逊的补充，而不是替代者，他的效果会更好。

威尔·珀迪是马刺队在禁区唯一的真正存在感。在周一比赛中，珀迪场均仅得到9.4分，尽管他抓下了131个篮板和盖掉了25个投篮。

配角名单包括弗农·麦克斯韦尔、维尼·德尔内格罗、艾弗里·约翰逊、卡尔·埃雷拉、蒙蒂·威廉姆斯和科里·亚历山大…谁会挺身而出填补空白？

他们以前没有做到这一点，但也许波波维奇的激励方法会带来不同的结果。

这位教练/总经理表示，球队获胜所需的一切就是相信纪律的教练。现在，我们将有机会看到这个理论付诸实践。加油吧，波波。

或者，也许，“纪律”应该换成“彩票”。

点击查看原文：Popovich has chance to display his ability

Popovich has chance to display his ability

The Spurs won’t have to dig too deep to pull out their excuses - they haven’t had time to sink to the bottom of the storage bins. That’s right, here we go again: David Robinson is out of the lineup.

With a crack heard around the city, Robinson went down with a broken bone in his left foot late in the fourth quarter against Miami on Monday. He will be out 6-8 weeks.

Although he was back for only six games, Robinson’s mere presence in the black-and-silver helped revive fans’ hopes the home team might just make the playoffs after a 3-15 start.

I mean, with your franchise player back on the court, anything is possible, right?

But with Robinson out again, those possibilities are dim. Others are left to carry the burden and the standard-bearer is untried.

Just how much better than Bob Hill will Gregg Popovich be, leading a Robinsonless team created around the Admiral?

Let’s look at what he’ll have to work with.

First, there’s Sean Elliott, the Spurs’ other All-Star. When Robinson has not been there to boost his morale and draw defenders’ attention, Elliott has had little success. Coming into the Miami game, he was averaging 15.7 points per game, but his high game - 29 - came after Robinson’s return.

Then there’s Dominique Wilkins. He did well without Robinson; of course, he never had a chance to learn to depend on the big guy. He leads the team in rebounds and scoring. However, he would be most effective as a complement to Robinson, not a replacement.

Will Perdue is the only real presence the Spurs can muster in the lane. Coming into the game Monday, Perdue was averaging only 9.4 points, although he did have 131 rebounds and 25 blocked shots.

The list of supporting characters includes Vernon Maxwell, Vinny Del Negro, Avery Johnson, Carl Herrera, Monty Williams and Cory Alexander . . . which one will step up to fill the void?

They didn’t do it before, but maybe Popovich’s method of motivation will make the difference.

The coach/general manager said all the team needed to win was a coach who believed in discipline. Now we’ll get a chance to see that theory in action. Go to it, Pop.

Or maybe, instead of discipline,'' the key word should be lottery.‘’

By LeAnna Lake Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-30, By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer

耻辱的火焰：开拓者队在波特兰痛击马刺队

俄勒冈州波特兰市——波特兰开拓者队只用了六分钟就在周日晚上玫瑰花园球馆展现了谁将取得胜利。开拓者队击溃了出人意料地脆弱的圣安东尼奥的防守，阻止了马刺队并非出人意料地软弱的进攻，并在首节比赛进行到中段时以21-4领先。最终以110-86大胜。

开拓者队本赛季已经击败了马刺队三次——但没有一次像这次这么轻松——将圣安东尼奥的战绩降至6胜20负。

马刺队在上半场进行了几次进攻和防守，将分差缩小到10分以下，但不可避免地进一步陷入两位数的失利深渊，在第二节比赛中落后30多分。

主教练格雷格·波波维奇认为在周四晚上西雅图的比赛中（当时他的球队至少与音速队进行了合理的比赛）所看到的希望在一阵开拓者队快速突破、穿插上篮、后转身投篮、扣篮和空位跳投中消失了。

“他们狠狠地打击了我们，”波波维奇说。“我们很糟糕，他们很好——这差不多可以概括一切了。”

马刺队看起来十分危险，就像在对阵金州勇士队和温哥华灰熊队的比赛中大比分落败并分崩离析的那支球队。那些失利和整体糟糕的表现导致了主教练鲍勃·希尔的解雇。

现在，波波维奇将带领他的球队前往温哥华在今晚与垫底的灰熊队比赛。

“在进攻上，我们很无能，”波波维奇说。“但肖恩·埃利奥特在上半场不能上场（他在第二节开始后的第一分钟得到了第三次犯规），维尼（德尔内格罗）不在那里，多米尼克（威尔金斯）因为膝盖瘀伤而撞上了墙，那么我们会很困难。”

波波维奇表示，只要他的全攻阵容上场，情况就可以得到纠正。

“不，我当然希望这不是长期的；不，我不这么认为，”他谈到球队的表现时说。“我们的机枪没有参与进攻，所以我们可以预料到我们会很艰难。”

“我们没有保持过去几场比赛的强度，我们必须在明天重新找回来。”

马刺队的首发球员只得到25分。开拓者队的克利夫·罗宾逊得到了8分，是开拓者队首发球员中最少的，但比任何马刺队首发球员都多。

圣安东尼奥在第三节的目标是尝试缩小开拓者队的领先优势，让比赛在第四节恢复到某种可控的状态。

没有发生。

开拓者队继续统治比赛，圣安东尼奥队继续混乱地比赛。开拓者队在第三节中段将领先优势扩大到75-41，很少上场的球员开始获得上场时间。

开拓者队以一波8-0的致命冲击结束了上半场，让他们以58-31领先。

马刺队在前两节比赛中完全失去了同步，而且跑动不够积极。他们在上半场追平了本赛季的半场最低得分（31分）和半场最低投篮命中率（7%）。

开拓者队在篮板上以24-13占据优势。圣安东尼奥队有13次失误，不是失去对球的控制，就是把它扔掉，或者被迫失误。开拓者队将这些失误转化为19分。

开拓者队通过快速突破、突破或传球撕破了马刺队的防守。开拓者队在上半场在禁区内得到30分，快速突破得到12分。

开拓者队以55%的命中率对抗乏力的防守。马刺队命中率为28%。

伊塞亚·赖德以上半场13分的成绩领跑开拓者队。加里·特伦特首发出场取代拉希德·华莱士，得到12分。

阿尔维达斯·萨博尼斯得到7分和8个篮板。

点击查看原文：Inglorious blaze: Spurs hammered in Portland

Inglorious blaze: Spurs hammered in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. - It took all of six minutes for the Portland Trail Blazers to show who was going to bloom Sunday night at the Rose Garden. Portland shredded the surprisingly porous San Antonio defense and stymied the Spurs’ not-so-surprisingly anemic offense and led 21-4 midway through the opening period of what wound up a 110-86 romp.

Portland, which now has defeated the Spurs three times this season - but none as easily as this -dropped San Antonio to a 6-20 record.

The Spurs made a few offensive and defensive forays in the first half, cutting the deficit under 10 points, but inexorably slipped further and further into the depths of double-digit deficits, in the 30s in the second half.

The promise that Coach Gregg Popovich thought he saw Thursday night in Seattle, when his team at least played the Sonics a reasonable game, vanished under a deluge of Blazers fast breaks, threading layups, post-up turnarounds, dunks and wide-open jumpers.

They laid it on us good,'' Popovich said. We were poor, they were very good - that about sums it up.‘’

The Spurs looked dangerously like the team that crumbled and fell in lopsided losses to Golden State and Vancouver. Those defeats and the overall poor play led to the firing of Coach Bob Hill.

Now Popovich will take his team to Vancouver to play the cellar- dwelling Grizzlies tonight.

Offensively, we were inept,'' Popovich said. But when Sean Elliott is not going to be on the floor in the first half (he picked up his third foul in the opening minute of the second period), Vinny (Del Negro) is not there and Dominique (Wilkins) hits the wall with his bruised knee, then we will struggle.‘’

Popovich said matters can be rectified with his full offense on the floor.

No, I certainly hope this is not long-term; no, I don't think so,'' he said of his team's showing. Our machine guns were not involved in the offense, and so we can expect to struggle.

``We didn’t keep up the intensity that we’ve had the past few games and we have to get that back by tomorrow.‘’

The Spurs’ starters scored only 25 points. The Blazers’ Cliff Robinson scored eight, least among Blazers starters, but more than any Spurs starter.

San Antonio’s objective in the third period was to try and whittle down the Blazers’ lead and get the game back into some type of manageable shape for the fourth period.

Didn’t happen.

Portland continued its domination, San Antonio continued its helter-skelter play. The Blazers pushed their lead to 75-41 midway through the third and seldom-seen players began finding playing time.

The Blazers ended the first half with a killing 8-0 run that put them up 58-31.

The Spurs were hopelessly out of synch and outhustled through the first two quarters. They tied season lows for points in a half (31) and field goals in a half (nine).

The Blazers dominated on the boards 24-13. San Antonio had 13 turnovers, either just losing control of the ball, tossing it away or being forced into bobbles. The Blazers converted the miscues into 19 points.

The Blazers tore up the Spurs’ defense with fast breaks, drives or passes through the defense. Portland scored 30 first-half points in the paint, 12 off the fast breaks.

Portland hit 55 percent of its shots against the weak defense. The Spurs hit 28 percent.

Isaiah Rider led the Blazers in the first half with 13 points. Gary Trent, starting in place of Rasheed Wallace, had 12 points.

Arvydas Sabonis had seven points and eight rebounds.

By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-30, By Buck Harvey

马刺的下一步：蹒跚进入乐透？

在波特兰的雨中，格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich) 却找到了阳光。他被要求假设一下，如果他只是一名总经理，他会怎么做。他答应了。如果给你一个回到更快乐时光的机会，你不会答应吗？

然后，一个问题随之而来，这个问题萦绕在圣安东尼奥，因为马刺没有了大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)，大家都在讨论这支球队是否应该故意输球，蹒跚进入乐透，寻找下一个大卫·罗宾逊。

这位总经理的回答是：“告诉我，有多少届选秀大会上有球队选中了真正的领袖，或者说是有多少届选秀大会上有球员在一到四顺位被选中后表现出色？”

1984年的选秀大会是一个例外。那届选秀大会有两位领袖球员在第一顺位和第三顺位被选中（哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon) 和迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)），还有个叫查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley) 的胖小子在第五顺位被选中。至于整体质量，上个夏天的选秀大会很不错，斯蒂芬·马布里(Stephon Marbury) 在第四顺位被选中，他的表现有时甚至超过了状元艾伦·艾弗森(Allen Iverson)。

但波波维奇的观点很明确。对于每一个马布里，都有两个珀维斯·埃利森(Pervis Ellison)。本周的例子也证明了这一点，小牛队交易了杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)。现在，输球太多只会让你得到一个二年级生，他需要你教导很久才会有所贡献。

尽管如此，对于一支已经触及工资帽上限、而且明显需要另一个球星与罗宾逊搭档的球队来说，还有什么比再次与大卫·斯特恩(David Stern) 在舞台上相遇更好呢？有些人梦想着在西部联盟中获得第八号种子。更好的梦想是获得选秀大会的第八顺位。

马刺队比大多数球队都更能制造一场跌入乐透的“事故”，因为波波维奇既控制着球队管理层，也控制着更衣室。而且，马刺队需要多努力才能输球？一种方法是：如果他们告诉罗宾逊，他除了休息第四和第三跖骨外，还要休息第五跖骨。

但是罗宾逊不会撒谎。一些助理教练也会注意到，球员们也会注意到。消息会传出去。如果说联盟不愿意宣传的事情，那就是“摆烂”。

然而，波波维奇不需要鼓励来保持正规的比赛。“无论如何，我们都不会放弃一个赛季，”他说。“我们希望竞争，我们的球迷也希望我们竞争。如果我们进入乐透，那就进入乐透吧。”

从西部的形势来看，罗宾逊可能会缺席 10 周，而马刺队仍然有可能进入季后赛。但这不是保证。如果马布里能让明尼苏达成为一支季后赛球队，那么只剩下两个名额了。马刺队能从后面追赶上金州、菲尼克斯、萨克拉门托和达拉斯吗？

达拉斯成为一个更加奇怪的对手，因为小牛队在进行了一次匆忙而愚蠢的交易后，可能会在短时间内变得更好。基德太优秀了，不应该在他 23 岁的时候将他交易，换取一些补充球员。

然而，基德总结了乐透的风险。尽管他看起来很有潜力，但他身上也有很多缺点，这些缺点比他的技能增长得更快。基德拒绝做最基本的工作。他投篮很差，但他认为，如果他很少练习投篮，他可能会在这一方面有所提高。

今年的乐透奖品，来自维克森林大学的蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)，没有这样的包袱。但乐透抽签的几率对马刺队不利。更有可能的是，他们会排在乐透中游的位置，得到像切罗基·帕克斯(Cherokee Parks) 和托德·戴(Todd Day) 这样的球员。

但乐透的另一面也是存在的。湖人队在第十顺位选中了埃迪·琼斯(Eddie Jones)，猛龙队在第七顺位选中了达蒙·斯塔德迈尔(Damon Stoudamire)，雄鹿队在第八顺位选中了文·贝克(Vin Baker)。马刺队可能在阵容中为他们中的一个腾出位置。

马刺队意识到了这些可能性。三周前，他们的球探改变了预期，他们认为球队不可能在第 20 位之前选中球员。上周，他们再次改变了预期。现在，他们正在关注所有可能在第四顺位到第 16 位之间被选中的球员。

如果输球不值得，那么波波维奇作为总经理和波波维奇作为教练会在一件事上达成一致。更多的人才可以缓解一切痛苦。

点击查看原文：The Spurs' next move: A limp to the lottery?

The Spurs’ next move: A limp to the lottery?

In the Portland rain, Gregg Popovich found sunshine. He was asked to pretend, for a moment, he was once again a mere GM. He agreed. Given a chance to return to happier times, wouldn’t you?

And then came a question prompted by his Robinson-less existence, one that floats around San Antonio now, about whether this franchise would be better off limping to the lottery in search of another David Robinson.

The general manager’s answer: ``Name how many drafts where a franchise player has been there, or those where even solid quality has been there one through four.‘’

The 1984 draft is an exception. It had franchise players taken No. 1 and No. 3 (Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan), and a fat kid named Charles Barkley went fifth. As for overall quality, last summer’s draft is promising, with Stephon Marbury going fourth and looking, at times, better than No. 1 Allen Iverson.

But Popovich’s point is clear. For every Marbury there are two Pervis Ellisons. And this week says the same, as the Mavericks dumped Jason Kidd. These days, losing too often buys you a sophomore who won’t contribute until you school him.

Still, for a capped-out franchise clearly knowing it needs another star next to Robinson, could anything be better than another day on stage with David Stern? Some dream for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. The better dream is for the No. 8 pick in the draft.

The Spurs could facilitate a dive to the lottery better than most teams, since Popovich controls both the front office and the locker room. Besides, how hard would the Spurs have to try to lose? One way: If they told Robinson to rest the fifth metatarsal along with the fourth and third.

But Robinson couldn’t tell a lie. A few assistants would notice, too, as would players. Word would get out. And if there is one thing the NBA would rather not sell, it’s tanking.

Popovich, though, doesn’t need encouragement to play this one straight. Under no circumstance would we throw a season,'' he said. We expect to compete, our fans expect us to compete. If the lottery happens, it happens.‘’

The way the West looks, Robinson could miss 10 weeks and the Spurs still might make the playoffs. But that’s no guarantee. If Marbury makes Minnesota a playoff team, then that leaves two slots left. Could the Spurs come from behind to catch Golden State, Phoenix, Sacramento and Dallas?

Dallas becomes the more curious foe, since the Mavericks might momentarily be better even after making a hasty, silly trade. Kidd is too good to trade at age 23 for complementary players.

Still, Kidd sums up lottery dangers. As sure-thing as he seemed, he came with warts that grew faster than his skills. Kidd refused the most basic work. A poor shooter, Kidd decided he might improve in that area if he rarely practiced it.

This year’s lottery prize, Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan, shows no such baggage. But the lottery odds would be against the Spurs getting him. More than likely, they would be in line for the mid-lottery blahs that have produced names such as Cherokee Parks and Todd Day.

But there’s another side to the lotto, too. The Lakers found Eddie Jones at No. 10, Toronto found Damon Stoudamire at No. 7, Milwaukee found Vin Baker at No. 8. The Spurs might find room on the roster for one of them.

The Spurs are aware of the possibilities. Three weeks ago their scouts changed expectations; they figured there was no way the team could draft any lower than 20. Last week they changed again. Now they are looking at everyone who might be drafted from No. 4 to about No. 16.

And if losing isn’t worth it, then Popovich the GM and Popovich the coach will agree on one thing. More talent eases all pain.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1996-12-31, By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer

马刺克服严寒战胜灰熊 - 火热手感的圣安东尼奥终结连败

温哥华，不列颠哥伦比亚省 - 马刺周一晚上战胜灰熊，这不仅仅是摆脱了连败的阴影，更像是一只摆脱了熊爪的猎物。圣安东尼奥以 95-88 击败温哥华灰熊，终结了三连败。他们也避免了本赛季第三次输给灰熊的尴尬。

在如此寒冷的天气下，如果输掉比赛，球队可能会陷入自我怀疑。相反，马刺展现了出色的进攻和防守表现，至少拉开了他们（7-20）与中西部联盟垫底的灰熊（6-25）之间的差距。

“不，这不是仅仅为了自尊，”马刺主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich) 说。“这个联盟的球员在每场比赛中都充满自豪。他们都渴望赢球。”

圣安东尼奥在比赛的大部分时间都领先，开局时领先微弱，中段时领先较大，最后时刻也保持着足够的领先优势。

马刺在第四节中段经历了来自温哥华的威胁。罗伊·罗杰斯(Roy Rogers) 灌篮并完成了一个三分打，将灰熊的比分追至 79-71，落后 8 分，还剩 5 分 20 秒。

但艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson) 立刻用一个罕见的三个三分球回应。当他举起双手向篮筐致敬时，约翰逊似乎像在场的所有人一样，对这球投进感到惊讶。

灰熊随后在另一端未能得分，约翰逊随后命中一个两分球，将圣安东尼奥的领先优势扩大到 84-81，还剩 4 分 37 秒。

马刺当时面对的是联盟中最差的球队之一，但他们的进攻和防守态度与他们在周日以 110-86 输给开拓者的糟糕表现截然不同。

马刺用了三节才在开拓者身上得到 57 分，而在对阵温哥华的比赛中，他们上半场就得到了 50 分。他们在对阵开拓者的比赛中只有 14 次助攻，而在对阵灰熊的比赛中，他们上半场就获得了 14 次助攻。

“这是一场艰苦的比赛，比比分显示的还要艰难，”波波维奇说。“我们只是在几次进攻中变得火热。”

而维恩·麦克斯维尔(Vernon Maxwell) 确实很火热。这位后卫命中率极高，拿下了赛季最高的 23 分。他投进了三个三分球，这使他的职业生涯三分球总数达到 949 个，排名联盟历史第四位。

“麦克斯维尔表现出色，”波波维奇说。“他积极地对位，在防守端保持了冷静，并且命中了一些投篮。”

约翰逊也很火热，他拿下了 23 分，并送出了 13 次助攻。

“艾弗里是一位伟大的领袖，”波波维奇说。“他掌控着球队，一直在帮助球队保持团结。”

“我认为这是一场非常激烈的比赛，”约翰逊说，他花了不少时间与裁判休·霍林斯(Hue Hollins)、汤米·伍德(Tommie Wood) 和格雷格·威拉德(Greg Willard) 交谈。“李·梅伯里(Lee Mayberry) 对我进行了非常强硬的防守。我只是和裁判沟通，因为我总是可以与他们进行公开的交流。”

这一次，马刺成功锁定了布莱恩特·里夫斯(Bryant Reeves)。这位温哥华中锋在第一场对阵马刺的比赛中命中了决定胜负的转身跳投，并在本月早些时候在阿拉莫穹顶对阵圣安东尼奥的比赛中拿下了 29 分。但这一次，他只得到了 4 分。

“我们想要快速对他进行包夹，双人夹击，我们做得还不错，”波波维奇说。里夫斯只出手了 5 次。

马刺在第一、第二节的进攻流畅，他们在中场休息时以 50-37 领先。

马刺在无球状态下不断穿梭于球场，让灰熊难以猜测，或者让他们措手不及。

圣安东尼奥在第一节的投篮命中率高达 65%，他们以 25-21 领先。马刺在上半场保持了 54% 的命中率。

点击查看原文：Spurs brave cold to bag Grizzlies - Hot-shooting San Antonio breaks skid in frozen Northwest

Spurs brave cold to bag Grizzlies - Hot-shooting San Antonio breaks skid in frozen Northwest

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - That wasn’t just a monkey the Spurs got off their backs Monday night - that was a bear. San Antonio snapped a three-game losing streak with a 95-88 victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies. The team also avoided the embarrassment of losing to the Grizzlies three straight times this season.

A loss here in the frozen conditions could have sent this team spinning into self-doubt. Instead, the Spurs spun a decent offensive and defensive display that at least widened the space between them (7-20) and the Midwest Division’s last-place Grizzlies (6-25).

No, it just wasn't a matter of pride,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. The players in this league have pride in every game. They want to win each one.‘’

San Antonio led most of the way, by a little early in the game, by a lot in the middle and by enough at the end.

The Spurs had to hold off somewhat of a Vancouver threat midway through the final period. Roy Rogers dunked and completed a three- point play to bring the Grizzlies to within eight, 79-71, with 5:20 left.

But Avery Johnson answered immediately with a rare three-point shot. Johnson seemed perhaps as surprised as anybody in General Motors Place that the shot went down as he raised his arms to salute the bucket.

The Grizzlies then missed at the other end and Johnson hit a two- pointer that put San Antonio ahead 84-81 with 4:37 remaining.

The Spurs were playing one of the league’s worst teams, but their offensive and defensive attitudes were a far cry from the dismal effort in a 110-86 loss at Portland on Sunday.

It took the Spurs three quarters to score 57 points against the Blazers - they had 50 at the half against Vancouver. They had 14 assists against Portland - they had 14 in the first half against the Grizzlies.

It was a hard-fought game, more so than the score indicates,'' Popovich said. We just managed to get hot a few times.‘’

And Vernon Maxwell got hot. The guard was on target, scoring a season-high 23 points. He put down three three-pointers, which gave him 949 for his career and put him in fourth place in league history.

Maxwell did a great job,'' Popovich said. He got after guys and stayed under control on defense and he hit some shots.‘’

Johnson also was hot, scoring 23 points and dishing out 13 assists.

Avery is a great leader,'' Popovich said. He runs the club and he’s been helping to keep it together.‘’

I thought it was a very physical game,'' said Johnson, who spent quite a bit of time talking to the referees Hue Hollins, Tommie Wood and Greg Willard. Lee Mayberry really played me physical. I just talked to the refs because that’s one crew I’ve always had open communication with.‘’

And this time the Spurs clamped down on Bryant Reeves. The Vancouver center nailed a game-deciding turnaround jumper down the stretch in the first game here and scored 29 points against San Antonio at the Alamodome earlier this month. But he was held to four points this time.

``We wanted to get to him quickly, double him, and we did pretty good at that,‘’ Popovich said. Reeves only took five shots.

The Spurs’ offense was clicking smoothly through the first two quarters and San Antonio led 50-37 at the intermission.

The Spurs dove and crisscrossed the lane without the ball, keeping the Grizzlies guessing or catching them flat-footed.

San Antonio hit 65 percent from the field in the first quarter and built a 25-21 advantage. The Spurs finished the half with 54-percent accuracy.

By Glenn Rogers Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1997-01-01, By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer

威尔金斯出战爵士不太可能

在球队结束三场客场比赛后，马刺队前锋多米尼克·威尔金斯在周四晚上对阵犹他爵士队的比赛中的出场情况仍不确定。“我们稍后（今天）会知道更多，”马刺队教练格雷格·波波维奇周二说道。“看起来威尔金斯的右膝髌腱有一些刺激。”

当晚，波波维奇在他的广播节目中说，威尔金斯可能不会对阵爵士队（22-7）。

此外，马刺队后卫文尼·德尔·内格罗因右肩瘀伤，在对阵犹他爵士的比赛中可能会被列为出战存疑。

马刺队（7-20）周二下午抵达圣安东尼奥。他们在客场之旅中1胜2负，包括周一晚上95-88战胜温哥华。

他们上周四在西雅图以94-86输给西雅图超音速队，然后在周日以110-86惨败给波特兰开拓者队。

马刺队在没有中锋大卫·罗宾逊的情况下进行了三场客场比赛，罗宾逊在周五的左脚骨折手术后将再休养6-8周。

更糟糕的是，威尔金斯和德尔·内格罗都在对阵西雅图时受伤。

威尔金斯在与超音速队前锋肖恩·坎普的碰撞中膝盖撞伤。德尔·内格罗与超音速队中锋吉姆·麦克伊尔韦恩相撞。

德尔·内格罗没有参加对阵波特兰或犹他的比赛。威尔金斯对阵波特兰打了21分钟，对阵温哥华只打了16分钟。

在对阵灰熊队（6-25）的第四节开始不久，威尔金斯跳起来抢进攻篮板。当他转身准备上场时，他跑不动了，不得不退赛。

这支球队的主要得分手和第三篮板手在下半场剩下的时间里坐在场下，膝盖上敷着冰袋。

美联社

卡尔·埃雷拉（左）和马刺队最终击败了沙里夫·阿杜尔-拉希姆和灰熊队。

点击查看原文：No Wilkins against Jazz fairly likely

No Wilkins against Jazz fairly likely

The playing status of Spurs forward Dominique Wilkins for Thursday night’s home game against Utah is uncertain following the team’s return from a three-game road trip. We'll find out more (today),'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Tuesday. It looks like there’s some irritation of the patella tendon (in Wilkins’ right knee).‘’

Later that night on his radio show, Popovich said Wilkins probably will not play against the Jazz (22-7)

In addition, Spurs guard Vinny Del Negro will probably be listed as doubtful for Utah with a bruised right shoulder.

The Spurs (7-20) arrived in San Antonio Tuesday afternoon. They went 1-2 on the road trip, including a 95-88 victory over Vancouver on Monday night.

They lost 94-86 at Seattle last Thursday, then took a 110-86 whipping at Portland on Sunday.

The Spurs played the three games on the road without center David Robinson, who will be out for another 6-8 weeks following surgery Friday on a fractured bone in his left foot.

To make matters worse, both Wilkins and Del Negro suffered injuries against Seattle.

Wilkins banged his knee in a collision with SuperSonics forward Shawn Kemp. Del Negro collided with Sonics center Jim McIlvaine.

Del Negro did not dress for either the Portland or Utah games. Wilkins played 21 minutes against Portland and only 16 against Vancouver.

Early in the fourth period against the Grizzlies (6-25), Wilkins leaped for an offensive rebound. When he turned to go up court, he couldn’t run and had to leave the game.

The team’s leading scorer and third-leading rebounder sat out the remainder of the game with an ice bag on the knee.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Carl Herrera (left) and the Spurs finally handled Shareef Adbur- Rahim and the Grizzlies.

By Jerry Briggs Express-News Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News