马刺1997-98赛季实录（680+篇）

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-19

球迷看台

马刺队应该早点开始战斗。周一晚上的比赛简直是笑话——我说的是马刺队的战斗精神。蒙蒂·威廉姆斯(Monty Williams)试图单挑所有湖人球员——拜托。

所有马刺球员那天晚上都带着斗志比赛，但这是因为他们已经连续第四次输给湖人了吗，还是因为他们在弥补四天前对阵犹他爵士队的失误？

马刺队应该在卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)肘击大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)头部，导致他退出比赛并缺席数天的那个晚上就开始战斗。

马刺队现在不应该试图看起来像硬汉。其他 NBA 球队都在嘲笑他们没有为他们的最佳球员罗宾逊挺身而出。

马刺队永远不会被认为是一支不可战胜的球队。这就是为什么他们将在季后赛中早早出局。C.史密斯(C. Smith)，环球城

别浪费邓肯和罗宾逊的天赋

又一次，马刺球迷有更多理由相信球队不会走得比首轮更远，但他们还是会感到高兴，因为他们至少走到了这一步。我们听到的都是如果查克·珀森(Chuck Person)、艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)、肖恩·“别让我进场”·艾略特(Sean “Don’t make me go inside” Elliott)和大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)都百分百健康，我们可能会走多远。

我可以告诉你，我们会走多远——首轮就被淘汰，就像我们本来就会那样。马刺队已经证明，即使拥有两位联盟最佳中锋，他们也无法获胜，因为如果你无法在外面投篮，那么这两位全明星就等于浪费。

我不想相信马刺队会浪费大卫·罗宾逊和蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)的天赋。但这不会发生。邓肯太聪明了，不会留下来让马刺队浪费他的职业生涯，就像他们浪费罗宾逊的天赋一样。当他的首份合同期满时，他会去到那些球队老板对篮球非常认真，并且愿意引进合适的球员来赢得总冠军的地方。

马刺队能为大卫或蒂姆做的最好的事情就是交易其中一个。考虑到每支球队会得到什么（假设有智慧的人为马刺队完成交易），两支球队都会变得更好，大卫和蒂姆也会有机会获得总冠军。

也许格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)是一位非常棒的总经理，也许他也是一位好教练，但他已经证明他不能同时做好这两件事；这让人想起关于走路和嚼口香糖的故事。彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)，请帮助大卫和蒂姆有机会争夺总冠军——交易其中一个，并为我们找一位教练。

但话说回来，也许明年马刺队会全部健康，我们可以打进第二轮。杰克·霍夫曼(Jack Hoffman)，贝格海姆

对马龙的肘击处罚过轻

我很生气，因为大卫·罗宾逊的队友在卡尔·马龙用肘击将他击倒后没有为他辩护。几乎每个人都能明显看出这是故意的。我们听到了一些马刺球员表达了他们的愤怒，但没有人与马龙对质。

NBA 对此类行为的处罚如此轻微，因此这类事件将一再发生。马龙被禁赛一场，因为肘击导致大卫退场。如果大卫去世了，应该如何处罚？我敢打赌，NBA 高级副总裁罗德·桑(Rod Thorn)会认为，对于如此严重的意外事故，禁赛三场是合适的。

我认为马龙应该被禁赛整个常规赛。如果你开始评估与情况相符的适当处罚，这类事情可能会停止。兰迪·佩帕德(Randy Peppard)，圣安东尼奥

马刺队有硬汉，他的名字叫珀杜

在圣安东尼奥，有人注意到，自从加入了一位拥有三次总冠军经验的球员——威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)之后，马刺队开始摆脱在罗宾逊时代一直被贴上的“软弱”标签了吗？

他打球的方式——侵略性，不忍受来自其他 NBA 超级巨星，如卡尔·马龙和沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)的任何胡闹——树立了基调。称他为“偷袭艺术家”或“黑客”，但我喜欢这种方式。

我想，从 1992 年与公牛队对阵尼克斯的七场系列赛中，他了解所有的技巧，并对自己说：“我不会再被欺负，我要成为施暴者。”在马刺队与湖人队的比赛中，雷吉·吉尔里(Reggie Geary)，甚至沉默的蒙蒂·威廉姆斯都释放了一些情绪，并带着比赛应有的热情比赛（比如 84 年的凯尔特人）。这一切都要归功于马刺队的执行者，41 号，威尔·珀杜。克里斯·卡里略(Chris Carrillo)，圣安东尼奥

疯狂的球迷呼吁

但不要担心，马刺球迷。马刺队在首轮被淘汰也有一线曙光，就像去年球队赢得 20 场比赛，并因此得以选秀蒂姆·邓肯一样。也许这一次，球队能够得到一位真正的篮球教练，他不会在比赛最后两分钟不断被对手压制，并且拥有与其球员相匹配的个性、道德和伦理。查克·约翰逊(Chuck Johnson)，圣安东尼奥圣安东尼奥应比 WPHL 和 CHL 更高水平

这是对艾伦·彭(Alan Penn)和杰瑞·杰拉奇(Jerry Geraci)的信件的回应，这些信件显示出这种“乡下联赛”的态度，这种态度将继续在这个城市存在，因为像他们这样的人仍然渴望小型体育运动。

杰拉奇先生提倡的西部职业曲棍球联盟非常类似于滚轴溜冰和职业摔跤，而龙队所在的国际曲棍球联盟比国家曲棍球联盟低一个级别。

《快报》体育专栏作家汤姆·奥斯本(Tom Orsborn)说得对，他说圣安东尼奥应该拥有最高水平的曲棍球运动。如果由彭先生和杰拉奇先生来决定，圣安东尼奥将拥有一个大陆篮球协会球队，而不是马刺队。

尽管龙队今年表现不佳，但他们最糟糕的比赛也比鬣蜥队的比赛好十倍。丹·麦克唐纳(Dan McDonald)，圣安东尼奥奥斯本的曲棍球报道受到称赞

汤姆·奥斯本在圣安东尼奥报道曲棍球做得非常出色。他是一位很棒的作家，他的文章总是很有见地。我期待着在《快报》上阅读他的文章。鲍勃·埃文斯(Bob Evans)，圣安东尼奥贝勒报道更好；现在怎么办？

我想赞扬《快报》对贝勒大学体育和圣安东尼奥任务队的报道有所改善。

贝勒大学在德州大学四大联盟中一直受到第四位的报道，我很高兴看到这种情况正在改变。本学年，贝勒大学在体育方面表现出色，应该得到同等对待。

我还希望该报刊登所有德克萨斯联盟比赛的比分，并改善对 UTSA 篮球的报道。我知道 UTSA 需要更好地将自己的项目推销给这座城市，但《快报》可以通过更好的报道来帮助这一努力。马克·索皮塞特(Mark Soupiset)，圣安东尼奥

点击查看原文：FANSTAND

FANSTAND

Spurs should have done fighting earlier Monday night was a joke - the Spurs’ fighting, that is. Monty Williams trying to take on all the Lakers - please.

All of the Spurs were playing with attitude that night, but was it because they were losing to the Lakers for the fourth straight time, or because they were making up for what they did not do four nights earlier against Utah?

The Spurs should have been fighting the night Karl Malone bashed David Robinson in the head, knocking him out of the game and the lineup for several days.

The Spurs shouldn’t try to look like tough guys now. The rest of the NBA teams are laughing at them for not standing up for their best player, Robinson.

The Spurs will never be known as a team to be reckoned with. That’s why they’ll make an early exit in the playoffs. C. Smith, Universal City Don’t waste Duncan’s, Robinson’s talents Once again, Spurs fans have more reasons to believe the team will go no farther than the first round, and yet will come away feeling happy to have made it that far. All we hear is how far we might have gone if only Chuck Person, Avery Johnson, Sean “Don’t make me go inside” Elliott and David Robinson were 100 percent.

I can tell you how far - out in the first round, same as we will anyway. The Spurs have proven they can’t win with two of the best big men in the NBA, because if you can’t shoot from the outside, then those two All-Stars are wasted.

I hate to think the Spurs will waste the talents of David Robinson and Tim Duncan. But that won’t happen. Duncan is way too smart to stay around and let the Spurs waste his career the way they have wasted the talents of Robinson. When his initial contract is fulfilled, he will go to where the team owners take their basketball very seriously and are willing to bring in the right players to win a championship.

The best thing the Spurs could do for either David or Tim is trade one of them. Considering what each team would be getting (assuming someone with intelligence makes the trade for the Spurs), both teams would be better off and David and Tim would have a chance at the championship.

Maybe Gregg Popovich is a very good general manager, and maybe he is a good coach, but he has proven he can’t do both at the same time; reminds me of a story about walking and chewing gum. Peter Holt, please help David and Tim have a shot at a championship - trade one of them and get us a coach.

But then again, maybe next year the Spurs will all be healthy, and we can make it to the second round. Jack Hoffman, Bergheim Punishment too light for Malone’s elbowing I am upset because David Robinson’s teammates did not come to his defense after Karl Malone decked him with an elbow. It was apparent to almost everyone that this was intentional. We heard from several of the Spurs who were plenty angry, yet no one got into Malone’s face.

The NBA has such minimal punishment for such acts, and so they will continue happening again and again. For knocking David out, Malone was suspended for one game. What would have been the proper punishment had David died? I bet NBA senior vice president Rod Thorn would have felt three games was appropriate for such a terrible accident.

I think Malone should have been suspended for the remainder of the regular season. If you start assessing the proper punishment that fits the situation, this sort of thing might stop. Randy Peppard, San Antonio Spurs have enforcer and his name’s Perdue Has anyone in San Antonio noticed yet that the Spurs are starting to shed that “soft” label the team has had during the Robinson Era since adding one player who has three championships: Will Perdue.

The way he plays - aggressively without standing for any nonsense from other NBA superstars, such as Karl Malone and Shaquille O’Neal - sets the tone. Call him a cheap-shot artist or a hacker, but I love it.

I guess, from that seven-game series in 1992 against the Knicks when he was with the Bulls, he knows all the tricks and has said to himself, “I will not be bullied around, but become the bully.” In the Spurs-Lakers game, Reggie Geary and even the quiet Monty Williams let some emotions out and played with the same passion the game should be played with (such as the ‘84 Celtics had). And it’s all thanks to the Spurs’ enforcer, No. 41, Will Perdue. Chris Carrillo, San Antonio Rabid fan calling for

But don’t fret, Spurs fans. There is a silver lining to the Spurs getting bounced in the first round, just as there was in last year’s 20- win season when the team was able to draft Tim Duncan. Maybe this time, the team will be able to get a real basketball coach who won’t continually get outcoached in the last two minutes of a game, with the personality, morals and ethics to match those of his players. Chuck Johnson, San Antonio S.A. deserves higher level than WPHL, CHL This is in response to letters by Alan Penn and Jerry Geraci that show the “bush-league” attitude that will continue in this town as people like them hang on to wanting small-time sports.

The Western Professional Hockey League that Mr. Geraci espouses is very much like roller derby and pro wrestling, whereas the International Hockey League, of which the Dragons are a member, is one level below the National Hockey League.

Express-News sports writer Tom Orsborn is right when he states that San Antonio deserves to have the highest level of hockey possible. If it were up to Messrs. Penn and Geraci, San Antonio would have a Continental Basketball Association team instead of the Spurs.

Even though the Dragons had a bad year, their worst game was 10 times better than the hockey played by the Iguanas. Dan McDonald, San Antonio Orsborn’s coverage of hockey draws kudos Tom Orsborn has done a fantastic job covering hockey in San Antonio. He is a wonderful writer and his stories are always insightful. I look forward to reading his stories in the Express-News. Bob Evans, San Antonio Baylor coverage better; Now how about these? I would like to commend the Express-News for its improved coverage of Baylor University athletics and the San Antonio Missions.

Baylor consistently has received fourth-place coverage among the four Texas schools in the Big 12, and I am glad to see that is changing. Baylor has more than held its own in sports this school year and deserves equal treatment.

I also would like the paper to publish box scores of all Texas League games and to improve its coverage of UTSA basketball. I realize UTSA needs to do a better job of marketing its program to the city, but the Express-News could aid that effort with better coverage. Mark Soupiset, San Antonio

via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-19, By Buck Harvey

家破人亡？对于马刺来说，重要的是什么

一切都要看今天。当什么都无关紧要的时候。想想体育界最宏伟的琐事——脑海中浮现出七个小时的电视直播的梅尔·基珀(Mel Kiper)——它们与德克萨斯州的两个周日比赛的微不足道相比。

马刺对掘金，太阳对火箭。获胜者获得一张洗车券。

根据过去几周的讨论，这些比赛的意义远不止此。马刺在周五晚上击败了超音速，然后迅速在更衣室的电视上关注着太阳和爵士。当太阳输球的时候？那真的有可能发生。马刺真的有可能获得对阵菲尼克斯的主场优势。

暂停一下，直到鸡皮疙瘩消失。

老马刺应该更清楚。他们在德克萨斯理工大学招生办公室的运作下，在主场开始了多个季后赛系列赛。三年前，马刺非常慌张，他们考虑留在圣安东尼奥的酒店，这样他们就会感觉自己不在城里。

他们最终放弃了这个计划，认为在去阿拉莫穹顶的路上，有人会注意到熟悉的城市天际线，并会告诉其他人。

马刺已经身处两端。他们在 1993 年以 5 号种子的身份获胜，并在 1994 年以 4 号种子的身份失利，这与趋势相符。在七场制的系列赛中，主场优势有所帮助。但在这十年中，4 号种子和 5 号种子之间大约一半的系列赛都是由所谓的弱者获胜的。

动力学很容易解释。根据分组的性质，4 号种子和 5 号种子实力相当。排名第四或第五通常也意味着你有一些缺陷（当布拉德·洛豪斯(Brad Lohaus) 在赛季最后两周进入你的轮换阵容时，你就有缺陷）。

这个系列赛也不例外。如果马刺在赛季的最后一天以某种方式赢得了主场优势，他们仍然需要在主场连续赢得两场比赛，而对手是太阳队，他们在此前周五的比赛中取得了 10 连胜，包括在西雅图和湖人客场取得胜利。

令人恐惧的事情——尤其是考虑到阿拉莫穹顶。一个寒冷的四分之一会带来寒冷的穹顶沉默，两年前总结了这一点。马刺在对阵菲尼克斯的系列赛中获胜后，在该系列赛的第一场比赛中对阵犹他州时遇到了困难。中场休息之前，嘘声四起，而当时的马刺主教练是深受喜爱的天才鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)。

比地点更重要的是什么？如何，谁和为什么。这就是周五晚上的分量。马刺不仅击败了超音速——这可能是过去两年中最重大的情感时刻。

他们获得了篮板、防守和运气。查克·珀森(Chuck Person) 和大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 可能不像以前那样出色，但他们回来了，而且恰逢最后的真正考验。如果丹佛是他们回来的第一场比赛，他们下周会有同样的信心吗？

时间安排并没有就此结束。马刺在 2 月份在圣安东尼奥击败了超音速，当时马刺也放弃了一个界外球。超音速当时在终场哨响前得分了，但在周五的终场哨响前没有得分。

交换这些比赛——把周五昏昏欲睡的超音速球员的头上的毛巾拿下来，放在马刺球员头上——马刺本周不会带着不确定性的感觉去客场吗？

相反，他们将去客场对阵一支刚刚在主场输球的太阳队。菲尼克斯已经没有丹尼·曼宁(Danny Manning) 了。现在雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman) 因为在对阵犹他州的比赛中拉伤了腿筋而一瘸一拐地走着。问问丹尼·安吉(Danny Ainge) 他更希望拥有主场优势，还是他最好的射手。

他会选择谁而不是在哪里。因此，在完成了 81 场比赛后，今天确实发生了一些事情。他们称之为季后赛赛程。

点击查看原文：Homewrecked? What matters for the Spurs

Homewrecked? What matters for the Spurs

It all comes down to today. When nothing comes down. Think of the grandest trivialities in sports - seven televised hours of Mel Kiper come to mind - and they compare to the insignificance of two Sunday games in Texas.

Spurs-Nuggets, Suns-Rockets. Winner gets a car-wash token.

According to the talk of the past few weeks, these games mean far, far more. The Spurs beat the Sonics on Friday night, then quickly tuned to the Suns and the Jazz on a locker-room TV. And when the Suns lost? Then it really could happen. The Spurs really could get the home-court advantage against Phoenix.

Pause until the goose bumps pass.

The older Spurs ought to know better. They’ve opened several playoff series at home with the clockwork of the Texas Tech admissions office. The Spurs were so flustered three years ago that they considered staying in a San Antonio hotel so they’d feel like they were out of town.

They eventually scrapped the plan, figuring that, on the bus ride to the Alamodome, somebody would notice the familiar skyline and would tell others.

The Spurs have been on both sides. They won as a No. 5 seed in 1993 and lost as a No. 4 in 1994, and that goes along with the trend. The home court helps in a best-of-seven series. But about half of the series this decade between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds have been won by the so-called underdog.

The dynamics are easy enough to explain. By the nature of the bracket, the fourths and fifths are evenly matched. Being fourth or fifth also usually means you have a few flaws (when Brad Lohaus enters your rotation in the last two weeks of the season, you are flawed).

This series would be no different. Should the Spurs somehow win the home court on the last day of the season, they still would be trying to win two straight at home against a Suns club that had won 10 in a row before Friday, including road wins at Seattle and the Lakers.

Scary stuff - especially considering the Alamodome. A cold quarter produces a cold, dome silence, and two years ago summed that up. Fresh from a series win against Phoenix, the Spurs struggled against Utah in the first game of that series. Before halftime there were boos, and that was when the Spurs were coached by the beloved genius, Bob Hill.

What matters more than where? How, who and why. And that was the weight of Friday night. The Spurs didn’t just beat Seattle - it might have been the biggest emotional moment of the last two years.

They came up with rebounds, defense and luck. Chuck Person and David Robinson might not be themselves, but they were back, and just in time for the last, real test. Had Denver been their first game back, would they feel the same confidence next week?

The timing doesn’t end there. The Spurs had the Sonics beaten in San Antonio in February when then, too, the Spurs threw away an inbound pass. Seattle converted at the buzzer then, but didn’t at the buzzer Friday.

Switch those games - pull the towels off the heads of the stunned Sonics on Friday and put them on the Spurs - and wouldn’t the Spurs go on the road this week not sure of what awaits them?

Instead they would go on the road against a Suns team coming off its own home loss. Phoenix already is without Danny Manning. Now Rex Chapman limps with a hamstring pulled in the Utah loss. Ask Danny Ainge whether he would rather have home-court advantage, or his best shooter.

He’d take who over where. So with 81 games finished, something comes down today, all right. They call it the playoff schedule.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-19, By Glenn Rogers

马刺队对阵掘金队，太阳队对阵火箭队，决定主场优势

今天，圣安东尼奥将会涌现大量休斯顿火箭队的球迷 - 其中相当一部分人将在阿拉莫圆顶体育馆关注记分牌。

让人惊讶的是，马刺队发现自己已处于在即将到来的针对菲尼克斯太阳队的季后赛系列赛中占据主场优势的位置。简而言之，如果马刺队获胜，而太阳队今天在休斯顿输球，那么这场五局三胜制的首轮系列赛将在圣安东尼奥举行。

马刺队将在下午 6 点面对来自丹佛的相对疲软的掘金队。太阳队和火箭队的比赛将于下午 5 点开始。

马刺队后卫埃弗里·约翰逊在周六表示：“我知道休斯顿的比赛将在什么时候开始，但我认为我们会的让其他人查看比分牌。我们不想任何分散我们注意力的事情发生。”

这听起来不错，但你可以打赌球员们仍然会偷偷查看比分牌，并留意圆顶场馆内人群爆发的任何异常的欢呼或哀号声。

马刺队通过上周五晚上在西雅图以 89-87 战胜超音速队，将自己置于这种位置。太阳队发现自己正在艰苦奋战，原因是主场 102-99 负于犹他队。

“也许他们有内线优势，但发生过更有趣的事情，”约翰逊在谈及马刺队在西部联盟获得第四种子机会时说道。“但是，无论是否占据主场优势，我们的球员健康才是至关重要的。”

并且这已经显示出显着进步。

马刺队教练格雷格·波波维奇说：“埃弗里和大卫（罗宾逊）似乎在（超音速队）比赛中表现良好。”

由于髋部深处的肌肉逐渐衰竭，约翰逊一直在有限的时间内上场。罗宾逊在犹他被卡尔·马龙的肘部击倒，扭伤左膝后，已经缺席了三场比赛。

波波维奇说道：“查克（帕森）在比赛结束后有点僵硬和酸痛。他将拜访医生（周六），做一些工作，让我们看看他今天的感觉如何。他没有重新受伤，或者任何事情，但他很酸痛。”

帕森因下背部疼痛，于周四马刺队前往温哥华参加比赛时从伤病名单中消失。

在球队的两场客场比赛期间，文尼·德尔·内格罗一直待在家里，以从上呼吸道疾病中恢复。

波波维奇说：“文尼每天都在好转，他在过去几天一直在投篮。他很有可能在（今天）有限的出场时间内上场。西雅图的比赛很重要，因为我们让大卫、蒂姆（邓肯）和埃弗里同时在场上，在进攻和防守上找到一定的节奏。让大卫上场真是太好了。他在防守中是终结者。他是我们在那里的基础。

“正如我昨晚所说，这场胜利对我们来说意义重大，对超音速队来说是毁灭性的，但两支球队在下周开始季后赛时都会忘记那场比赛。”

约翰逊说：“我们在西雅图的胜利意义重大，因为他们将成为季后赛中的头号种子之一，我们需要证明我们可以在客场战胜这些类型的球队。”

约翰逊还指出，马刺队仍然有机会展示他们是联盟中最好的球队之一。

约翰逊说：“当我们起草蒂姆时，很多人都开始谈论冠军。然后我们受伤了，我们没有赢得 60 场或更多比赛，人们的期望有点降低。嗯，我们觉得我们仍然有很多东西需要证明，我们有机会今年做一些特别的事情。我们很高兴能参加季后赛，与最好的球队交锋。这是本年度最令人兴奋的时刻。”

如果马刺队今天能够带着阿拉莫圆顶体育馆的胜利离开，那么这种兴奋感将进一步提升。

点击查看原文：Spurs turn to Houston for help - Win over Nuggets, Suns loss to Rockets secures home-court edge

Spurs turn to Houston for help - Win over Nuggets, Suns loss to Rockets secures home-court edge

There will be a lot more Houston Rockets fans in San Antonio today - and a good number of them will be watching the scoreboard at the Alamodome.

The Spurs, surprisingly enough, find themselves in position to grab the home-court advantage in their upcoming playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. In brief, if the Spurs win and the Suns lose at Houston today, the best-of-five, first-round series gets underway in San Antonio.

The Spurs will be facing the not-so-sparkling Nuggets from Denver at 6 p.m. The Suns-Rockets game starts at 5 p.m.

“I know exactly what time the Houston game starts, but I think we’ll let somebody else watch the scoreboard,” Spurs guard Avery Johnson said Saturday. “We don’t want anything to distract us.”

That sounds good, but you can bet the players still will be stealing looks and listening for any unusual explosions of cheers or moans from the gathering at the dome.

The Spurs put themselves in this position with a stunning, 89-87 victory over the SuperSonics in Seattle on Friday night. The Suns find themselves fighting to the end, thanks to a 102- 99 home loss to Utah.

“Maybe they had the inside track, but funnier things have happened,” Johnson said of the Spurs’ chance to land the fourth seed in the Western Conference. “But, home court or not, the health of our players is what’s vital.”

And that has shown marked improvement.

“Avery and David (Robinson) seemed to come through the (Sonics) game in good shape,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

Johnson had been seeing limited time because of a deteriorating muscle deep in his hip. Robinson had sat out three games after twisting his left knee when he was felled by Karl Malone’s elbow in Utah.

“Chuck (Person) was a little stiff and sore after the game,” Popovich said. “He’ll see the doctor (Saturday), get some work done, and we’ll see how he feels (today). He’s not reinjured, or anything, but he is sore.”

Person, suffering from lower-back pain, came off the injured list when the Spurs departed for the game in Vancouver on Thursday.

Vinny Del Negro stayed home during the team’s two-game road trip to recover from an upper-respiratory ailment.

“Vinny improved every day, and he’s been shooting the last couple of days,” Popovich said. "He is probable for some limited minutes (today). The Seattle game was important because we had David, Tim (Duncan) and Avery on the floor together, getting some rhythm on offense and defense. It’s great to have David out there. He’s the terminator on defense. He’s our base back there.

“As I said last night, the win was big for us, devastating for the Sonics, but both teams will forget all about that game next week (when the playoffs begin).”

Said Johnson: “Our win in Seattle was big because they’ll be one of the top seeds in the playoffs, and we need to show we can win against those types of teams on their home court.”

Johnson also noted that the Spurs still have the opportunity to show they are one of the top teams in the league.

“When we drafted Tim, a lot of people started talking about a title,” Johnson said. “Then we had our injuries, we didn’t win 60 or more games, and people’s expectations fell back a little. Well, we feel we still have a lot to prove, and we have the opportunity to do something special this year. We’re glad to be in the playoffs, meeting the best teams. This is the most exciting time of the year.”

The excitement will be boosted if the Spurs can leave the Alamodome with a victory today.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-19, By Glenn Rogers

赛季结束之后，常规赛依然重要

“你可以把常规赛抛诸脑后，它无关紧要。”

你难道不想掐死第一个说出这句话的教练、球员或 NBA 专家吗？或者更确切地说，是第一个说出这句话，并且不知何故让它听起来很有深意的人。

好吧，收起你的刀子和枪，这句话已经被说过了，并且会在季后赛开始的第一天被无限次地重复。

这句话确实有一定的道理，尽管它建立在显而易见的事实之上（我们又开始重复老生常谈了）：任何一支 NBA 球队都有可能在任何一个夜晚战胜另一支球队，或者忘掉过去，努力赢得比赛。

即使是对篮球联赛毫无兴趣，并且永远都不会感兴趣的人也能明白这一点，所以当他们一本正经地说出这句话时，你一定会忍俊不禁。

然而，通常情况下，实力较弱的球队会在一场比赛中输掉比赛，而这种趋势将在接下来的季后赛中持续出现。

尽管如此，那些实力强大的热门球队，例如 1 号种子对阵 8 号种子，仍然会面带微笑地提起上面提到的那句话。

他们说出这句话的原因有以下几点：(1) 在出现意外情况时保护自己；(2) 避免队员过于自信；(3) 表现得像个好人；(4) 避免激怒实力较弱的对手。

8 号种子球队可能不会经常使用这句话，除非是在更衣室私底下。他们更喜欢尽可能地保持“弱者”的姿态。

2 号种子和 7 号种子球队也应该这样做。

但是你会发现，在其他季后赛比赛开始之前，都会出现同样的评论。这些球队的支持者会坚持认为，常规赛毫无意义，只有比赛开始之后，才能讨论真正重要的事情。

然后，他们会在第一场比赛结束后，继续使用同样的理念。如果弱者获胜，支持者会欢呼：“我们早就告诉过你们，别在意常规赛！”如果热门球队获胜，他们会高喊：“这只是一场比赛，我们还有很长的路要走。”

如此循环往复。

当然，联盟办公室和所有球队的营销人员会尽可能地使用这句话，以便吸引全国的目光，使比赛的早期阶段更加引人注目。明智的球迷会在见证几场意外的胜利之后，才会熬夜观看一些比赛。

这些公关高手已经准备好应对赛季末期任何可能出现的状况。

以周五晚上的马刺队对阵超音速队，爵士队对阵太阳队的比赛为例。

如果马刺队输了，公关人员就会淡化比赛结果，并指出这场比赛唯一的意义在于让查克·珀森和大卫·罗宾逊在季后赛开始之前获得一些上场时间。

但马刺队的胜利给这场比赛赋予了全新的意义，它表明马刺队已经准备好在一轮系列赛中展现自己的实力。这场比赛突然变得意义重大。

同样，公关人员也准备好根据爵士队和太阳队比赛的结果，发布相应的评论。

常规赛是否重要？

当然重要。它告诉你，公牛队是东部最强大的球队，而爵士队和湖人队是西部不可战胜的巨人。它让你明白，超音速队看起来有些疲软，而马刺队的强壮阵容可能会给对手带来极大的麻烦。

常规赛可以帮助你在季后赛中占据有利位置，确保你不会遇到最让你头疼的对手。

所以放心吧，你没有浪费时间和金钱观看 NBA 的马拉松比赛。你享受了比赛，并且你可能已经对这些球队在接下来几周的表现有了很好的感觉。

点击查看原文：After it's all said and done, regular season does matter

After it’s all said and done, regular season does matter

“You can take the regular season and throw it out the window. It’s irrelevant.”

Wouldn’t you like to murder the first coach, player or NBA whiz who utters this phrase? Or better, the first one who ever uttered it and for some reason sounded profound.

Well, put the knives and guns away, it’s already been said and will be repeated ad infinitum throughout the first days of the playoffs.

There’s some merit to the phrase, although it rests in the obvious (and here we go again with another cliched mouthing): One NBA team can defeat another on any given night, or put the past behind and try to win some games.

The fellow who has absolutely no interest in the league and never expects to have any can figure that out, so you have to get a kick out of those who wear such serious expressions when they say it.

However, normally the weaker squad tends to come out of a game in the loss column and this will come true during most of the coming postseason skirmishes.

The heavy favorites, the No. 1 seeds taking on the No. 8 seeds, nevertheless will smile and note the aforementioned phrase.

They say it (1) to protect themselves in case of disaster, (2) to keep their guys from getting overconfident, (3) to sound like nice guys, and (4) to keep from riling their weaker foes.

The No. 8 seeds probably won’t use the phrase too often, except in the privacy of their lockerrooms. They will prefer to maintain as strong a sense of “underdogness” as they can.

The same should hold true for the No. 2 and No. 7 seeds.

But you’ll find the exact same comments before the rest of the playoff games also. The adherents of these teams will insist the regular season was meaningless and nothing of importance can be discussed until the games get under way.

They then will use the same philosophy after Game 1. If the underdog wins, the winner boosters will yelp, “We told you to forget the regular season.” If the favorite wins, “It’s just one game. We’ve got a long way to go,” will be chanted.

And so on and so forth.

The league office, of course, and the marketeers of all teams will use the phrase as often as possible to pump national attention into the early rounds. Knowledgeable fans will wait for a few unexpected victories before staying up too late to catch some contests.

The spin doctors are ready for just about any development down the stretch of the season.

Take the Spurs-Sonics, Jazz-Suns games Friday night.

If the Spurs had lost, the docs would have pooh-poohed the result, noting the only value of the game was getting Chuck Person and David Robinson some playing time before the playoffs.

The win cast a whole new light on the contest, showing now that the Spurs were ready to flex some strong biceps in the first round. It suddenly had great meaning.

Pretty much the same tones were held in reserve for the spinners awaiting the result of the Utah-Phoenix game.

Does the regular season mean anything?

Obviously. It tells you that Chicago is the team to beat in the East, and Utah and the Lakers are the behemoths in the West. It lets you know that the Sonics suddenly are looking a little frail, and the Spurs’ big lineup can cause serious consternation.

The regular season can help you position yourself in the playoffs to make sure you don’t meet the one team whose matchup problems present the most problems.

So take heart. You didn’t waste your time or your money watching the NBA’s marathon. You enjoyed yourselves and you probably got a nice feel on just how these teams will fare during the coming weeks.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-20, By Johnny Ludden

创纪录者现转战季后赛

为纪念这一 NBA 历史上的分水岭时刻，马刺队并没有在阿拉莫圆顶球场屋顶悬挂横幅。他们没有在中场合影留念，也没有计划举办香槟派对。

所有赞扬球队这一里程碑事件的，只是一篇简短的新闻稿，在周日晚上战胜丹佛的比赛结束前夕发布：“凭借今晚的胜利，马刺队创下了 NBA 历史上单赛季最大的进步纪录。”

哇太棒了。快停印吧。蒂姆和大卫一夜之间就进入名人堂了。波波维奇签四年吧。

周四晚上季后赛在菲尼克斯揭幕，球员们更关心它，马刺队周日晚上并没有沉浸在破纪录的喜悦中。

“这是一个了不起的成就，”前锋蒂姆·邓肯说，“但我们知道我们会变得更好。”

这并不是说赛季进步 36 场或他们创造的另一项 NBA 赛季纪录（联盟最佳投篮命中率防守，41.1%）对马刺队不重要。关于进步的有趣之处在于，它通常出现在一个赛季惨败之后。从上赛季 20 胜 62 负的惨败开始，球队非常欢迎反思他们的 56 胜 26 负常规赛结果。

“我们去年比赛了吗？”文尼·德·内格罗面无表情地说，“我不记得去年比赛了。”

当然，马刺队去年这个时候已经停止比赛了。本赛季的进步带来了前往亚利桑那州参加季后赛的机会。

“我们都喜欢嘉年华，”教练格雷格·波波维奇说。“但如果我们参加嘉年华，那就意味着我们没有进入季后赛。本赛季错过嘉年华会很不错。”

圣安东尼奥队 36 场的进步比球队上一次创下的纪录多一场，那是 1989-90 赛季大卫·罗宾逊进入联盟的时候。马刺队最新的新秀周日晚上贡献了 25 分，也为本赛季的复苏做出了贡献。健康状况相对较好的罗宾逊也是如此，他在周日获胜的比赛下半场没有上场，为进入季后赛做了一点额外的休息。

“这好多了，”罗宾逊说，“我对这支球队和我前进的方向感到非常兴奋。我认为我们准备好了。我认为我们可以达到我们想要的任何高度。”

马刺队热情高涨的部分原因是他们本赛季创造的防守纪录。圣安东尼掘金队迫使掘金队 74 投 43 失，36 次让对手投篮命中率低于 40%。

“这是对波波维奇的称赞，”控球后卫埃弗里·约翰逊说。“他上任时说，他希望我们更强壮，做得更好。这证明了他为让我们做好准备所做的所有功课。”

虽然他的大多数队友都对他们目前的成就假装漠不关心，但约翰逊并不准备忽视它们的意义。

“我认为这意义重大，”约翰逊说。“我们达到了拥有最佳投篮命中率防守和最佳进步的地步。当我们达到这些事情让我们无动于衷的时候……我不知道那是傲慢还是什么。

“你永远应该为此感到兴奋。”

点击查看原文：Record-breakers now turn to postseason

Record-breakers now turn to postseason

The Spurs did not lower a banner from the Alamodome rafters to commemorate this watershed occasion in NBA history. They did not pose for a postgame Kodak moment at midcourt or plan any champagne-slurping celebration parties.

All that trumpeted the franchise’s landmark event was a one-paragraph news release distributed in the waning minutes of Sunday night’s victory over Denver: “With tonight’s win, the Spurs set an NBA record for the largest single-season turnaround in league history.”

Whoopee. Stop the presses. Overnight Tim and David to the Hall of Fame. Lock up Pop for four more years.

With Thursday night’s playoff opener at Phoenix weighing more on their minds, the Spurs didn’t exactly spend Sunday night basking in the glory of their record-breaking pendulum swing.

“It’s something great to accomplish,” forward Tim Duncan said. “But we knew we were going to get better.”

That’s not to say the 36-game improvement or their other NBA season record - the league’s best field-goal percentage defense (41.1 percent) - don’t matter to Spurs. The interesting thing about turnarounds is that they usually come on the heels of a train wreck of a season. And after last season’s 20-62 disaster, the team welcomed the opportunity to reflect on the culmination of their 56-26 regular season.

“Did we play last year?” Vinny Del Negro deadpanned. “I don’t remember playing last year.”

The Spurs, of course, were done playing by this time last year. This season’s improvement rewards them with a trip to Arizona for the playoffs.

“We all love Fiesta,” Coach Gregg Popovich said. “But if we’re going to Fiesta that means we’re not in the playoffs. It’s going to be nice to miss Fiesta this season.”

San Antonio’s 36-win turnaround betters by one game the previous record the team enjoyed when David Robinson broke into the league during the 1989-90 season. The latest Spurs rookie, who contributed a healthy 25 points Sunday night, also had a little to do with this season’s resurrection. As did a relatively healthy Robinson, who sat out the second half of Sunday’s victory for a little extra rest heading into the playoffs.

“This is much better,” Robinson said. “I’m pretty excited about this ballclub and the direction we’re heading. I think we’re ready. I think we can go as far as we want.”

Part of the reason for the Spurs’ enthusiasm is the record-setting defensive job they performed this season. San Antonio, which forced the Nuggets into misfiring on 43 of 74 shots, held opponents below 40-percent shooting 36 times.

“That’s a tribute to Pop,” point guard Avery Johnson said. “When he took over the job he said he wanted us to be more physical and play better defense. This is a testament to all the homework he did to get us ready.”

While most of his teammates feigned indifference about their current accomplishments, Johnson wasn’t ready to overlook their significance.

“I think it means a lot,” Johnson said. "We get to the point where we have the best field- goal percentage defense and the best turnaround. When we get to the point where those things don’t faze us … I don’t know if that’s arrogance or what.

“You always have to be excited about that.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-20, By Kevin O’Keeffe

阳光普照：凤凰城占据优势

休斯顿 - 多亏了火箭队主教练鲁迪·汤姆贾诺维奇(Rudy Tomjanovich)送来的圣诞礼物——他让“受伤”的哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)在周日休息——太阳队在第一节结束后就可以开始考虑与马刺队的季后赛系列赛了。

对于已经缺少查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)的火箭队来说，他们的竞争力只持续了大约一节的时间。

“我们可以看得出来，这场比赛对我们来说更重要，”太阳队主教练丹尼·安吉(Danny Ainge)在球队以 123-93 大胜后慷慨地表示。

这场胜利让太阳队（56-26）锁定了与马刺队的五场系列赛中的主场优势，马刺队将在周四前往美国西部竞技场进行第一场比赛。

但太阳队并没有表现出过度的自信，他们在本赛季的美国西部竞技场中曾两次以 18 分和 21 分战胜圣安东尼奥。

在周日康柏中心更衣室里，所有人都真诚地表现出谦虚。

“对我来说，我们现在对马刺队是 0-0，”太阳队控球后卫杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)说道，他将在即将到来的系列赛中扮演关键角色，因为他的突破和传球，更不用说他偶尔的得分爆发了。他在对火箭队的比赛中得到 27 分。

“所有三场胜利（对阵圣安东尼奥）都让我们获得了主场优势，”基德说道，“我们真的希望第一场比赛有球迷支持我们。”

中锋克里夫·罗宾逊(Cliff Robinson)表示同意，他认为太阳队将在揭幕战中占据主场优势，从而在防守上占据主导地位。

然而，安吉想要的是在可能的第五场比赛中拥有主场优势。

“那才是…主场优势真正发挥作用的时候，”他说。

安吉认为，两队头牌球员的表现将是关键。

“人们总是说最好的球员会互相抵消，”他说。“但我从不相信这个。谁的最佳球员占据主导地位，谁就会获胜。”

有趣的是，两支球队中最佳球员的匹配并不相同。

马刺队的戴维·罗宾逊(David Robinson)和蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)是前场的强力组合，而基德、凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)、雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman)（尽管周日因腿筋酸痛缺席，但将对阵圣安东尼奥）和乔治·麦克劳德(George McCloud)则引领了太阳队的外线进攻。

“我知道我们必须投篮命中率高，而且必须想办法控制篮板球，”安吉说道，他的球队在赛季对阵圣安东尼奥的系列赛中篮板球以 198-166 落后。

对于如何应对罗宾逊和邓肯，太阳队前锋马克·布莱恩特(Mark Bryant)只是翻了翻白眼。

“协防，”布莱恩特说道。“他们是当今联盟中最好的两名大个子球员。他们得分，他们抢篮板，他们防守。你想到的…他们都能做到。”

克里夫·罗宾逊表示同意，并补充道：“你不能放松警惕，因为球要么传到戴维手中，要么传到蒂姆手中。你只是想阻止他们轻松得分。”

尽管缺少因膝盖受伤而赛季报销的丹尼·曼宁(Danny Manning)，但太阳队还可以让安东尼奥·麦克戴斯(Antonio McDyess)和“热火轮”威廉姆斯(Hot Rod Williams)来对位马刺队的两位大个子。

老将凯文·约翰逊在被问及即将到来的系列赛时，用力地拍了几下手。

“我们以 12 场比赛赢了 11 场结束了这个赛季，”KJ 说。“我们已经做好了准备…但我们当然不会轻视圣安东尼奥。”

不过，KJ 知道，如果太阳队能够与马刺队在场上跑起来，他们将能够获胜。

“现在，如果我是马刺队，”他说，“我会相信自己可以将球打进内线，并真正压制他们。

“但我还是会选择与他们一战。”

随着凤凰城占据主场优势，我也会选择与他们一战。

点击查看原文：Sun baked: Give the edge to Phoenix

Sun baked: Give the edge to Phoenix

HOUSTON - Thanks to an early Christmas present from Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich - he sat an “injured” Hakeem Olajuwon on Sunday - the Phoenix Suns could begin thinking about the playoff series against the Spurs after one quarter.

That’s about as long as the Rockets, who were already without Charles Barkley, stayed competitive.

“We did need this game more, you could tell that,” Suns coach Danny Ainge offered generously after his team’s 123-93 rout.

The win enabled the Suns (56-26) to clinch the home-court advantage in the best-of-five series with the Spurs, who journey to America West Arena on Thursday for Game 1.

But there was no sign of overconfidence from the Suns, who had wins of 18 and 21 points against S.A. in America West this season.

And the modesty was sincere from all in the locker room in the Compaq Center on Sunday.

“To me, we’re 0-0 with the Spurs now,” said Suns point guard Jason Kidd, a key figure in the upcoming series because of his penetrations and passing, not to mention his occasional big scoring game. He had 27 against the Rockets.

“All those three wins (against S.A.) did for us was get us home court,” Kidd said. “And we really wanted the crowd with us for the first game.”

Center Cliff Robinson agreed, suggesting that the Suns would be able to set the tone defensively by playing at home in the opener.

Ainge, though, wanted the home court for a possible Game 5.

“That’s … when the home court is the edge,” he said.

Ainge believes the play of both teams’ top men will be the key.

“People always say the best players cancel each other out,” he said. “I never believed that. Whoevers best players dominate will win.”

Curiously, each team’s best players don’t match up.

The Spurs’ David Robinson and Tim Duncan are the power up front, while Kidd, Kevin Johnson, Rex Chapman (who will play against S.A. despite missing Sunday with a sore hamstring) and George McCloud spark the Suns’ perimeter game.

“I know we have to shoot well and have to somehow be able to rebound,” said Ainge, whose team was outrebounded 198-166 in the season series with S.A.

On handling Robinson and Duncan, Suns forward Mark Bryant, who may draw the starting nod if Ainge opts to go big, just rolled his eyes.

“Help defense,” Bryant said. “Those are two of the best big men in the game today. They score, they rebound, they play defense. You name it … they do it.”

Cliff Robinson agreed, adding, “You can’t let up for a moment because the ball is either going to come to David or come to Tim. You just want to keep them from getting easy baskets.”

While missing the injured Danny Manning, out for the season with a knee injury, the Suns also can run Antonio McDyess and Hot Rod Williams at the Spurs’ big men.

Veteran Kevin Johnson clapped his hands with emphasis when asked about the upcoming series.

“We finished the year winning 11 of 12,” KJ said. “We’re ready … but we’re certainly not looking past San Antonio.”

Still, KJ knows if the Suns get up and down the floor on the Spurs, they will be able to win.

“Now, if I’m the Spurs,” he said, "I’m believing that I can pound the ball inside and really dominate us.

“But I’ll take our chances against them.”

With Phoenix owning the home- court advantage, I will, too.

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

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-21, By Johnny Ludden

马刺队处理不可避免的问题：Elliott 无缘季后赛名单

星期一，马刺队在希尔乡村凯悦酒店的豪华环境中开始其季后赛征程。他们举行了一场为时两小时的团队会议，共进晚餐，并宣布肖恩·艾利奥特的赛季结束了 - 这一消息让人们略感意外。

随着艾利奥特和威利·伯顿继续出现在伤病名单中，圣安东尼奥的季后赛阵容不会与常规赛结束时有所不同。艾利奥特自 1 月 21 日以来一直缺阵，自 1 月 27 日进行左股四头肌肌腱手术以来一直进行康复。

“如果他已经准备好了，他肯定会进入季后赛名单，”马刺队教练格雷格·波波维奇说。“我们想念他就像菲尼克斯队想念丹尼·曼宁一样。他还没有准备好上场。

“明年才是他的时间。我想确保他全面回归。我不想让他陷入一个错失整个夏天且无法参加训练营的情况。这才是最重要的。

“这个团队把我们带到了今天所处的位置，而我们就将与之同行。”

在缺席了 36 场比赛的艾利奥特的情况下，马刺队取得了 32 胜 14 负的战绩。因此，关于他将不会在星期四晚上在菲尼克斯开始的季后赛中重新加入该团队的消息并不令人震惊。

“如果你在常规赛中不上场，那么在季后赛中上场并做出重大贡献将会很困难，”大卫·罗宾逊说。“每个人都说常规赛无关紧要。它确实无关紧要。这意味着你恢复了自己的节奏。

“我知道从去年回来后 - 缺席了整个赛季 - 我无法立即找回我的时机和节奏。我花了好长时间。

“我知道（艾利奥特）很难过。他一直努力试图在今年复出。他非常沮丧。但对于我们而言，我们必须着眼于长远利益。我们希望他健康，我们希望他坚强。这才是关键。”

考虑到马刺队在过去几周遭受的伤病，波波维奇对他的球队的健康状况持乐观态度，因为他们将在星期四晚上在美西球馆迎战五局三胜制的系列赛揭幕战。罗宾逊（左膝受伤）、后卫文尼·德尔内格罗（呼吸道感染）和控球后卫艾弗里·约翰逊（右髋部受伤）在星期日晚上战胜丹佛的比赛中出场时间不长，以便略微休息。

马刺队本赛季在四场比赛中唯一一次战胜菲尼克斯是在 3 月 22 日在阿拉莫圆顶球场。太阳队在最初的三场较量中平均以 17.3 分的优势获胜，但罗宾逊错过了 2 月 14 日以 94-81 失利比赛的下半场，以及 2 月 22 日以 97-79 惨败的整场比赛，因为他身受重伤。

“我不得不承认，我们现在可能比以往任何时候都更健康，”波波维奇说。“文尼看起来准备好了，大卫看起来也准备好了。我最为担心艾弗里。那是时不时让他感到困扰的事情。”

马刺队将在凯悦酒店进行隔离，并将在今天和星期三在博恩进行训练。他们将在星期三的训练结束后飞往菲尼克斯。

“我们不想走得太远并成为马乔先生，把他们关在南佛罗里达监狱里，把他们打得落花流水，然后给他们扔肉，”波波维奇说。“我们只想稍微走开一点。”

邓肯横扫： 马刺队前锋蒂姆·邓肯被评为 4 月份的 NBA 最佳新秀，成为继该奖项于 1981 年首次颁发以来，继拉尔夫·萨姆普森和队友大卫·罗宾逊之后第三位在每个月都赢得这一殊荣的球员。邓肯在四月中场均得到 26.9 分、12 个篮板和 2.56 次盖帽，是唯一横扫这一奖项的球员。彭博新闻社为本报告做出了贡献。

点击查看原文：Spurs deal with inevitable: Elliott not on playoff roster

Spurs deal with inevitable: Elliott not on playoff roster

The Spurs began their playoff push Monday holed up in the lush surroundings of the Hyatt Hill Country Resort. They held a two- hour team meeting, ate dinner together and - with little surprise or fanfare - announced that Sean Elliott’s season is over.

With Elliott and Willie Burton remaining on the injured list, San Antonio’s playoff roster will not differ from the end of the regular season. Elliott, out since Jan. 21, has been undergoing rehabilitation since having surgery on his left quadriceps tendon on Jan. 27.

“If he was ready to go, he would certainly be on the playoff roster,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We miss him as much as Phoenix misses Danny Manning. He’s just not ready to go.

"Next year is his time. I want to make sure he comes back whole. I don’t want to get him in a situation where he misses the summer and is not ready for training camp. That’s more important.

“This team has gotten us to where we are today and that’s who we’re going to go with.”

The Spurs went 32-14 without Elliott, who appeared in only 36 games. So the news that he won’t be rejoining the team for the playoffs, which begin Thursday night in Phoenix, came without shock.

“If you don’t play in the regular season, it’s going to be tough to come into the playoffs and really make a big contribution,” David Robinson said. "Everybody says the regular season doesn’t mean a whole lot. It does mean a whole lot. It means that you’ve gotten your rhythm together.

"I know coming back off of last year - missing the whole year - I wasn’t able to get my timing and my rhythm down right away. It took me quite a while.

“I know (Elliott) is upset. He’s been working very hard to try and get back this year. He’s very upset. But for us, we have to look at the long term. We want him healthy, and we want him strong. That’s got to be the key.”

Considering the run of injuries the Spurs endured over the past few weeks, Popovich is optimistic about his team’s health heading into the best-of-five series opener Thursday night at America West Arena. Robinson (strained left knee), guard Vinny Del Negro (respiratory infection) and point guard Avery Johnson (right hip) played sparingly in Sunday night’s win over Denver to get a little extra rest.

The Spurs’ only victory over Phoenix in four games this season came March 22 at the Alamodome. The Suns won the first three meetings by an average of 17.3 points, but Robinson missed the second half of the 94-81 loss on Feb. 14 and all of the 97-79 defeat on Feb. 22 with injuries.

“I’d have to say we’re probably healthier now than we have been in a while,” Popovich said. “Vinny looks ready to go, and David looks ready to go. I’m most worried about Avery. That’s something that has given him problems off and on.”

The Spurs will be sequestered at the Hyatt while practicing in Boerne today and Wednesday. They will fly to Phoenix after Wednesday’s workout.

“We don’t want to go too far and be Mr. Macho and put them down in a jail in southern Florida and beat them to death and throw them meat,” Popovich said. “We just want to get away a bit.” Sweep for Duncan: Spurs forward Tim Duncan was named the NBA Rookie of the Month for April, becoming the third player in history to win the accolade each month of the season.

Duncan, who averaged 26.9 points, 12 rebounds and 2.56 blocks during the month of April, joins Ralph Sampson and teammate David Robinson as the only players to sweep the award, which was first handed out in 1981. Bloomberg News contributed to this report.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-21, By Buck Harvey

教练杀手系列？个人恩怨

如果你喜欢讨厌格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)，你就会喜欢这个系列。太阳队会以更快的、更小的阵容击败马刺队，这会让菲尔·杰克逊(Phil Jackson)看起来很糟糕。

保证：当马刺队在四场比赛中输掉时，人们会呼吁解雇这位教练，如果是在其他城市或其他时间，他可能会得到一些年度最佳教练的提名。

在这个城市和这个时代，NBA历史上最伟大的复兴甚至还没有开始改变波波维奇的形象。这说明了风格胜于实质的力量。波波维奇在伤病困扰下，用七尺长人组成了富有创意的阵容，被视为手无寸铁的巴里·斯威策(Barry Switzer)。

本赛季，他因为各种事情而受到媒体批评，从带蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)参加犹他夏季联赛（好像练习有什么不好），到解雇播音员科比·迪特里希（Dietrick说波波维奇实际上为他争取过），到没有打造替补阵容（难道波波维奇没有被迫让替补球员首发？），到没有给蒙蒂·威廉姆斯(Monty Williams)、科里·亚历山大(Cory Alexander)和威利·伯顿(Willie Burton)足够的上场时间（真的吗）。

就在上周，当他的马刺队在西雅图击败了西雅图超音速队时，网络上和报纸上的信件都宣称波波维奇应该被解雇。

波波维奇自己也做了一些事情。但对于那些认为波波维奇冤枉了鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)的人来说，问题究竟在哪里？是波波维奇的表现还是波波维奇的个性？

波波维奇作为总经理的表现不如波波维奇作为教练的表现好，因为工资帽的限制。但两个波波维奇都在用菲尼克斯人用来吃午饭的预算运营。去年夏天，马刺队因为钱的问题无法得到他们想要的控球后卫（鲍比·菲尔斯(Bobby Phills)）。

因此，波波维奇通过与他的团队合作、研究、表现得不像斯威策，从而克服了困难。他们找到了三名最低工资的球员（贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)、雷吉·格里(Reggie Geary)和马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)），波波维奇把他们安排在了有时至关重要的位置。与此同时，拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)让他的老将球员上场，因此获得了年度最佳教练的提名。

但波波维奇的天赋没有救他。是邓肯救了他。这要归功于波波维奇最明智的决定：他赢得了选秀抽签。

然而，这就是NBA教练的本质。如果波波维奇因为罕见的天赋而幸存下来，那么芝加哥的杰克逊也因为拥有天赋而幸存下来。教练的方程式是如此令人困惑，以至于那些被认为是最优秀的教练往往是那些知道如何塑造认知的教练。

这个系列赛展现了对比。丹尼·安吉(Danny Ainge)像他曾经的播音员一样，表现得十分有框架感。周一，亚利桑那共和党报吹嘘了表现超群的太阳队，安吉还讲了一个关于自己的故事，说他从来没有想过太阳队会赢下56场比赛。

事实是：如果对这两个阵容进行选秀，在邓肯和大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)之后，接下来的六七名球员将是太阳队的。安东尼奥·麦克戴斯(Antonio McDyess)、杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)、凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)、雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman)——表现超群？

波波维奇在最糟糕的情况下会咆哮。通常至少会有一个电视记者在接受完采访后摇头离开。即使波波维奇的球员按照他的要求努力打球，即使他践行了反希尔的防守承诺，他也把事情变得很私人。今天，他在职业教练生涯中赢了和输了同样多的比赛，但他并没有与报道他的那些人达成一致。

因此，准备好迎接预料之中的火球吧。太阳队的身高足以让罗宾逊和邓肯减速。当太阳队更好地控制球并更好地投篮时，这将意味着太阳队看起来更聪明。

所以，当小小的菲尼克斯击败了强大的圣安东尼奥？如果你以前喜欢讨厌，那就尽情享受吧。

点击查看原文：Coach killer of a series? Getting personal

Coach killer of a series? Getting personal

If you love to hate Gregg Popovich, you will love this series. The Suns will beat the Spurs with a faster, smaller lineup that would make Phil Jackson look bad.

Guaranteed: When the Spurs lose in four games, the cry will be to fire a coach who, in any other city or any other time, would get some coach-of-the-year consideration.

In this city and in this time, the greatest turnaround in NBA history hasn’t even begun to turn around Popovich’s image. And it shows the power of style over substance. Popovich, scrambling through injuries with a creative lineup of 7-footers, is seen as an unarmed Barry Switzer.

He’s been criticized in print this season for everything this side of El Nino. From taking Tim Duncan to the Utah summer league (as if there is a downside to practice). To firing announcer Coby Dietrick (Dietrick says Popovich actually fought for him). To not building a bench (wasn’t Popovich forced at times to start his bench?). To not giving enough minutes to Monty Williams, Cory Alexander and Willie Burton (really).

And just last week, while his Spurs beat Seattle in Seattle, on- line stories and letters to newspapers declared Popovich should be fired.

Popovich did a lot of this to himself. But what is the issue for those who believe Popovich wronged Bob Hill? Popovich’s performance or Popovich’s personality?

Popovich the GM didn’t do as well as Popovich the coach, since the salary cap strangles. But both Popoviches operate on a budget that Phoenix would use for meal money. Last summer, the Spurs couldn’t obtain the guard they wanted (Bobby Phills) because of money.

So Popovich made do by working with his staff, researching, acting like anything but Switzer. They found three minimum-wage bargains (Jaren Jackson, Reggie Geary and Malik Rose), and Popovich plugged each into sometimes vital roles. Larry Bird, meanwhile, gets coach-of- the-year votes for letting his vets play.

But Popovich’s genius didn’t save him. Duncan did. And that goes back to Popovich’s smartest move. He won the lottery.

Still, that’s the nature of NBA coaching. If Popovich survives because of rare talent, then Chicago’s Jackson survives because he has some talent, too. The coaching equation is so confusing that the coaches who are perceived as the best are often those who know how to mold perception.

This series shows the contrast. Danny Ainge frames like the ex- announcer he is. The Arizona Republic waxed in Monday’s editions about the overachieving Suns, and Ainge told a story on himself, how he never, ever saw the Suns winning 56 games.

The hoop truth: Hold a draft of these two rosters and, after Duncan and David Robinson, the next six or seven would be Suns. Antonio McDyess, Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson, Rex Chapman - overachieving?

Popovich, at his worst, snarls. Usually there’s at least one TV guy leaving the interview session shaking his head. Even as Popovich’s guys play hard for him on his terms - even as he lives up to his promise of anti-Hill defense - he makes it personal. Today he has exactly as many wins as losses in his pro coaching career, yet has evened nothing with those who cover him.

Prepare, then, for the predictable fireball. The Suns’ size has enough mobility to slow Robinson and Duncan. And when the Suns handle the ball better and shoot better, that will translate into the Suns looking smarter.

So when little Phoenix beats big San Antonio? If you loved to hate before, enjoy.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-22, By Jerry Briggs

太阳队的武器并非秘密 - 基德和约翰逊是马刺队的重点关注对象

博恩 - 似乎总有一位超级巨星控球后卫挡在马刺队通往季后赛梦想的道路上。

在 20 世纪 80 年代，由魔术师约翰逊(Magic Johnson)领衔的洛杉矶湖人队四次淘汰了马刺队，其中包括两次在西部决赛中淘汰他们。

在 20 世纪 90 年代，犹他爵士队的约翰·斯托克顿(John Stockton)两次为他的队友送出助攻，并最终导致马刺队赛季结束。

本周，圣安东尼奥将面临联盟中两名最优秀的控球后卫，他们在同一支球队。

在周四晚上菲尼克斯美国西部球馆进行的西部首轮系列赛第一场比赛中，太阳队控球后卫杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)和凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)将联手展示联盟中最具爆炸性的进攻火力。

五场三胜制系列赛将在周六继续进行，比赛将在菲尼克斯进行，然后在周一转移到圣安东尼奥。

“太阳队会试图比马刺队跑得更快，”湖人队主教练德尔·哈里斯(Del Harris)说道。“我知道这一点，因为他们的速度可以与任何球队媲美。杰森·基德和凯文·约翰逊能够打破任何防守。这就是他们弥补缺乏统治级中锋的方式。”

约翰逊在 NBA 效力了 11 年，三次入选全明星阵容。他拥有极快的第一步和出色的远投能力。在几乎任何其他球队，他都将是首发球员。

但他在基德身后替补出场——基德是一位第四年的职业球员，两次入选全明星阵容，也是太阳队快节奏进攻的核心。

“没有人能阻止杰森，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说道。“他在联盟后卫中处于顶尖水平。没有人像他一样从自己的位置上抢篮板。你必须把他排在顶尖，因为他无所不能，而且在场上两端都表现出色。”

尽管这两位球员在快攻中表现最佳，但他们在本赛季的半场进攻中也摧毁了马刺队强大的防守。

约翰逊喜欢使用太阳队的挡拆战术。太阳队的内线球员会在球场顶部附近挡住约翰逊的防守球员。

除非马刺队及时上前阻止他，否则约翰逊会绕过挡拆，并利用他的技巧进行投篮、传球或突破上篮。这对于马刺队来说是一个非常有效的战术，他们在常规赛中输给了太阳队四场比赛中的三场。

“他们在前三场比赛中对我们使用了这种战术，并且取得了不错的效果，”马刺队控球后卫埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)说道。“这是他们进攻中非常重要的部分，约占 35%。我们必须对他们进行不同的防守。我们不能一直使用相同的防守策略。”

基德曾经效力于达拉斯小牛队，他利用长传在快攻中给马刺队制造了麻烦。

但他在 2 月 22 日菲尼克斯的比赛中，在比赛的最后几分钟几乎凭借一己之力击败了马刺队。两队一直僵持不下，直到基德开始背打埃弗里·约翰逊。

由于在体型上占据优势，基德迫使马刺队派人包夹他，以阻止他接近篮筐。当这种情况发生时，他把球传遍了整个球场，在边线附近为射手创造了投篮机会。最终太阳队以 97-79 获胜。

“杰森在单打中非常难防守，”波波维奇说道。“他在体型上占据优势（比埃弗里·约翰逊高出 5 英寸），他们经常让他背打。你会想到包夹他，但如果你这样做，他就会很好地找到其他进攻方法。我相信我们会改变防守策略。如果我们一直使用相同的防守策略，这会让他们很容易得分。”

马刺队新闻：埃弗里·约翰逊在周二上午博恩的球队两小时训练中站着观看了大部分训练。这是一个预防措施，因为球队希望避免他右髋部拉伤的复发，这导致他在过去一个月中缺席了七场比赛。

• 马刺队将在今天早上进行最后一次训练，然后在今天下午前往菲尼克斯。

• 一位官员表示，阿拉莫穹顶的上层看台预计在下周的第三和第四场比赛中不会开放。

• 太阳队得分后卫雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman)由于左腿筋拉伤而行动不便，他在周二与太阳队进行了训练。查普曼是球队的主要得分球员，预计他将参加系列赛。

太阳队在周日的常规赛最后一场比赛前将查普曼列入了伤病名单，并清理了一个名单位置，签下了前锋迈克·布朗(Mike Brown)，这位球员身高 6 英尺 10 英寸，体重 260 磅。

当太阳队在周一提交了他们的 12 人季后赛名单时，他们激活了查普曼，但没有将中锋奥拉西奥·拉马斯(Horacio Llamas)列入名单，他一直在养伤脚踝。

点击查看原文：Weapons for Suns no guarded secret - Kidd, Johnson point of Spurs' focus

Weapons for Suns no guarded secret - Kidd, Johnson point of Spurs’ focus

BOERNE - It seems that a superstar point guard always stands in the way of the Spurs and their playoff dreams.

In the 1980s, the Magic Johnson- led Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Spurs four times, including twice in the Western Conference finals.

Twice in the 1990s, Utah’s John Stockton has served up assists to his Jazz teammates and season- ending losses to the Spurs.

This week, San Antonio will be confronted with two of the NBA’s best playmakers on the same team.

As Game 1 of the first-round Western Conference series unfolds Thursday night at Phoenix’s America West Arena, Suns point guards Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson will be running one of the most explosive offensive shows in the league.

The best-of-five series continues Saturday in Phoenix before shifting Monday to San Antonio.

“The Suns will try to outrun the Spurs,” Lakers coach Del Harris said. “I know that because they can get up and down the court as well as anyone. Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson can break a defense down. That’s how they make up for a lack of a devastating big man.”

Johnson is in his 11th year in the NBA, with three All-Star Games on his resume. He has an explosive first step to the basket and long- distance shooting capabilities. On just about any other team, he would be the starter.

But he comes off the bench behind Kidd - a fourth-year pro, two-time All-Star and centerpiece of Phoenix’s run-and-gun attack.

“Nobody is going to stop Jason,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s right in the top echelon of guards in this league. Nobody rebounds as well as he does (from his position). You have to put him near the top because he does everything well and plays both ends of the floor.”

Although both players are at their best in the open court, both have cut up the Spurs’ vaunted defense in half-court sets this season.

Johnson likes to run the Suns’ high pick-and-roll play. A member of the Suns’ frontcourt will come out to set a pick on Johnson’s man near the top of the key.

Unless the Spurs step up to stop him, Johnson will dribble around the pick and use his skills to either shoot, pass or drive to the rim. It was a highly effective play against the Spurs, who lost three of four to the Suns in the regular season.

“They had more success against us with it the first three games,” Spurs point guard Avery Johnson said. “It’s a huge part of their offense, about 35 percent. We’ve got to give them different looks on it. We can’t play it the same way all the time.”

Kidd, formerly of the Dallas Mavericks, has hurt the Spurs with long, radar passes through traffic on the fast break.

But he nearly beat the Spurs single-handedly in the half court during the waning minutes of a Feb. 22 contest in Phoenix. The teams had battled to a virtual deadlock until Kidd started posting up Avery Johnson.

With his size advantage against the San Antonio playmaker, Kidd forced the Spurs to send double- team help to keep him away from the basket. When that happened, he sprayed passes all over the floor, setting up shooters on the wings in a 97-79 Suns victory.

“Jason is a handful to guard one- on-one,” Popovich said. “He’s got a big size differential (5 inches on Avery Johnson), and they do post him up a lot. You do think about double-teaming him, but you do that and he does a good job of finding other things. I’m sure we’ll change it up. If we stay with a steady diet of (defenses on) any one thing, it’ll make it easy on them.” Spurs notes: Avery Johnson stood and observed most of the team’s two-hour workout Tuesday morning in Boerne. It was a precautionary measure, as the team wants to avoid a flareup of the right hip strain that caused him to sit out seven games in the last month.

- The Spurs will practice once more this morning before departing for Phoenix this afternoon.

- The upper deck of the Alamodome is not expected to be open for Games 3 and 4 next week, an official said.

- Phoenix shooting guard Rex Chapman, slowed with a strained left hamstring, worked out with the Suns on Tuesday. Chapman, the team’s leading scorer, is expected to play in the series.

The Suns put Chapman on the injured list before the final regular- season game Sunday and cleared a roster spot to sign forward Mike Brown, a physical 6-foot-10, 260- pounder.

When the Suns submitted their 12-man playoff roster Monday, they activated Chapman but left off center Horacio Llamas, who has been nursing a heel injury.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-22, By Glenn Rogers

顾问参与官方事务 - 裁判经常求助于电视/广播解说员

那么，在你做出决定之前，你会向谁求助呢？

真实动作破坏者。

裁判可能在场上做出决定，但有时他们会寻求一些帮助。有时他们不介意从非“傻瓜盒”那里得到一点帮助。

纽约教练杰夫·范甘迪(Jeff Van Gundy)暗示，电视本可以帮助他避免输给迈阿密的那场比赛。计时器装置显然出现了故障，裁判取消了一次投篮，而实际上这球在时间到之前就已经出手了。

范甘迪提醒说，裁判经常依靠电视解说员来确认他们的决定。

“解说员总是告诉我，裁判会看着他们，他们会给出‘不’或者‘是’的答复，”他说。“我和几个解说员谈过，他们都表示，（所有裁判）都会这样做 - 在节末的时候，或者类似的时候。如果我是裁判，我也想做出正确的决定。

“让我们受伤的是（NBC）转播了休斯顿对西雅图的比赛。如果他们没有这样做，我认为我们应该能赢。”

也许吧。

“哦，（咨询）一直都在进行，”TNT分析师道克·里弗斯(Doc Rivers)说。“他们总是会看看你的意见。在这种情况下，似乎没有时间这样做。在比赛结束的时候，没有办法弥补错误。

“杰克·拉姆齐(Jack Ramsay)（ESPN广播员）今年早些时候参与了一次咨询，当时裁判看了他的意见，然后改变了他们的决定。但这并不是在比赛结束的时候。” 大西洋赛区

早期努力：尼克斯队的巴克·威廉姆斯(Buck Williams)，以对任何犯规判罚的皱眉而闻名，已经开始提醒裁判他将要面临的困境。

谈到防守迈阿密的阿隆佐·莫宁(Alonzo Mourning)的可能性，威廉姆斯说：“防守他非常困难。他在挥舞手臂，到处乱撞。如果你不能碰他，就无法防守他。你不能让一个球员有身体接触，而又不允许其他球员有身体接触。”

当然，尼克斯队之所以得到威廉姆斯，就是因为他强硬的风格。 中部赛区

垃圾话开场：当夏洛特和亚特兰大在第一轮系列赛中交锋时，将会出现大量的垃圾话。

黄蜂队的安东尼·梅森(Anthony Mason)很早就开始了，在又一次输给老鹰队之后，他说：“你知道你球队的问题吗？你没有心。”

安德森说：“这是在我们从落后18分追平之后。我无法相信这个家伙。”

亚特兰大中锋迪肯贝·穆托姆博(Dikembe Mutombo)，以他的手指挥舞和嘴巴臭名昭著，也加入了战斗。

“我们将在星期五晚上，当他们来到亚特兰大时，向他们展示谁拥有真正的内心，”穆托姆博说。“让他们去说垃圾话，我们会去打球。”

两边都会有很多垃圾话和精彩的比赛。 中西部赛区

非常乐观的早期展望：在球队以20胜62负的战绩惨淡收场之后，达拉斯教练唐·尼尔森(Don Nelson)已经可以去夏威夷度假了。也许他在梦想着复制他以前助理教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)本赛季取得的惊人逆转。

这将仍然是一个梦想。

“这对我来说很罕见，但我可能整个夏天都会对这支球队充满兴奋，”尼尔森说。“我说的是真的。我们真的正在朝着一些特别的事情前进。我希望训练营明天就开始了。”

尼尔森拥有迈克尔·芬利(Michael Finley)这样的球星，但他希望将拉特雷尔·斯普雷维尔(Latrell Sprewell)加入球队，但这显然只是一个愿望。

“我认为那不会发生，”小牛队总裁兼首席执行官特德玛·乌瑟里(Terdema Ussery)说。“如果到了那一步，我会投反对票，我代表球队说，有其他更好的获胜方式。毫无疑问，他很有能力，但从球队的角度来看，性格是一个主要问题。” 另一枚火箭？丹佛掘金队的拉方索·埃利斯(LaPhonso Ellis)将在今年夏天成为自由球员，休斯顿火箭队表示对 er 有一定的兴趣。

“我很荣幸能来这里，和大梦(哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon))一起打球，”埃利斯说。“谁会不愿意和史上最伟大的球员之一一起打球呢？我会认真考虑这件事。” 太平洋赛区

谁知道呢？波特兰开拓者队预计中锋阿尔维达斯·萨博尼斯(Arvydas Sabonis)将在季后赛中恢复良好的状态，但这位身体状况不佳的萨博尼斯通常让观察者想知道他到底处于什么状态。

“我认为，当萨博尼斯受伤的时候，谁也不知道他到底伤得有多严重？”开拓者队后卫达蒙·斯塔德迈尔(Damon Stoudamire)说。“他不是世界上跑得最快的人。但如果他整场比赛只是在场上走来走去，他可能仍然能够拿到两双。”

波特兰队必须担心萨博尼斯在湖人队的沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)开始和他纠缠的时候，不要犯规，还要担心伊赛亚·莱德(Isaiah Rider)不要被裁判盯上。

裁判蒙蒂·麦卡臣(Monty McCutchen)用两个快速的技术犯规将莱德罚下，第二个技术犯规是在距离大约65英尺远的地方发生的，当时麦卡臣看到莱德从板凳席上用恶狠狠的眼神盯着他。

“我想那是在互相瞪着，”莱德说，“因为我肯定没有从那么远的地方说什么，除非他能读懂我的唇语。而且我不知道有人能从65英尺远的地方读懂唇语，即使是聋子也不行。” 值得一提的是

及时的告别：拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)说，怀旧不能阻碍一点现代化。这位前凯尔特人队的巨星认为，波士顿老花园球馆是时候被拆除队拆除掉了。

“我在那里度过了很多时光，但最后一次去的时候，我向它致敬，然后就离开了，”伯德说。“这将会是一件好事。现在人们可以在舰队中心外面有地方活动了。”

关于邓肯的更多消息：蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)来得太晚了，错过了特里·卡明斯(Terry Cummings)在马刺队的职业生涯。但卡明斯喜欢他所看到的东西。

“你对他的数据以及防守控卫之类的事情会有疑问，主要是因为他身后还有另一个7尺高的球员，”他说。“但我对他的印象非常深刻。我打了他15次，这个孩子几乎没有动摇。一句也没说，一次也没有。他只是继续打球。（他）非常强硬。”

点击查看原文：Consultants part of official business - Referees turn to TV/radio announcers quite often for support on calls

Consultants part of official business - Referees turn to TV/radio announcers quite often for support on calls

So, who ya gonna call, before you make the call?

Real-Motion Busters.

Referees may make the call on the floor, but sometimes they look for a little help. Sometimes they don’t mind a little aid from the not-so-booby tube.

New York coach Jeff Van Gundy implies that television could have saved him that lost game to Miami. The shot-clock apparatus apparently malfunctioned and officials waved off a shot that actually left the shooter’s hands before time expired.

Van Gundy reminded that officials often rely on TV announcers to give them the OK that supports their calls.

“Announcers always tell me that officials look at them, and they give them the ‘no’ or ‘yes,’” he said. "I’ve talked to a few announcers who called, and they said, to a man, that (every referee) does it - at the end of quarters, times like that. If I’m an official, I want to get it right, too.

“What hurt us was (NBC) cut away to that Houston-Seattle game. If they hadn’t, we would have had a win, I think.”

Maybe.

“Oh, (consultation) goes on all the time,” TNT analyst Doc Rivers said. "They always look over for your opinion. It seems there was just no time to do it in this case. And in that end-of-game situation, there’s no way to make up for a mistake.

“Jack Ramsay (of ESPN radio) was involved in one earlier this year, when referees looked over, and they changed their decision. But that wasn’t at the end of the game.” Atlantic Division

Early effort: The Knicks’ Buck Williams, famed for his grimacing on any foul call, already is alerting refs to his coming plight.

On the prospect of defending Miami’s Alonzo Mourning, Williams said: “It’s very difficult to guard him. He’s flailing away, throwing his arms. There is no way to guard him if you can’t bump him. You can’t allow one player to be physical and not allow other players to be physical.”

The Knicks, of course, acquired Williams because of his toughness. Central Division

Bring in the trash: There will be plenty of yapping when Charlotte and Atlanta tangle in their first-round series.

The Hornets’ Anthony Mason began early, coming at the end of still another loss to the Hawks. Mason told Atlanta’s Greg Anderson: “You know what’s wrong with your team? You got no heart.”

Said Anderson: “This is after we come back from 18 down to tie. I couldn’t believe the guy.”

Atlanta center Dikembe Mutombo, noted for his finger-waving as well as his mouth, jumped right in.

“We will show him when they come to Atlanta (on) Friday night who has heart,” Mutombo said. “We’ll let them do the trash-talking, and we’ll do the playing.”

There will be plenty of both on each side. Midwest Division

Very early optimism: Dallas coach Don Nelson already can vacation in Hawaii after his team’s crunching 20- 62 season. Maybe he’s dreaming of matching the turnaround his former assistant, Gregg Popovich, enjoyed this season.

That will remain a dream.

“It’s rare for me, but I’ll probably stay excited about this team all summer,” Nelson said. “I mean it. We’re really head ed toward something special. I wished training camp started tomorrow.”

Nelson has Michael Finley blossoming into a star, but his wishes to add Latrell Sprewell to the fold apparently will remain just that.

“I don’t see that happening,” said Terdema Ussery, the Mavericks’ president and CEO. “If it gets to that point, I’d vote no, and I speak on behalf of the organization when I say that. There are other, better ways to win. There’s no doubt about his ability, but, from an organization standpoint, character is a major issue.” Another Rocket? The Denver Nuggets’ LaPhonso Ellis will be a free agent this summer and the Houston Rockets have indicated some interest.

“I’d be honored to come down and play with Dream, (Hakeem Olajuwon),” Ellis said. “Who wouldn’t be honored to play with one of the greatest players of all time? I’ll take a good look at it.” Pacific Division

Who can tell? The Portland Trail Blazers expect center Arvydas Sabonis back in fine form for the playoffs, but the rickety Sabonis usually leaves observers wondering what kind of shape he’s in.

“I guess when Sabonis gets injured, who’s to know how injured he is?” said Blazers guard Damon Stoudamire. “He’s not the fastest guy in the world. But if he just walked up and down the court the whole game, he’d still probably be able to get double- doubles.”

Portland has to worry about Sabonis staying out of foul trouble when the Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal starts banging on him and about Isaiah Rider staying out of eyesight of the officials.

Referee Monty McCutchen ejected Rider with a pair of quick technicals, the second coming from about 65 feet away, when McCutchen saw the Blazer giving him the evil eye from the bench.

“It was a stare-down, I guess,” Rider said, “because I sure didn’t say anything from that far, unless he can read lips. And I don’t know anybody that can read lips from 65 feet away, not even a deaf person.” For what it’s worth

Timely farewell: Larry Bird said nostalgia can’t stand in the way of a little modernization. The former Celtics great believes it was high time for the old Boston Garden to meet the demolition squads.

“I spent a lot of time there, but the last time I was (there), I paid my respects and got out,” Bird said. “It’s going to be a good thing. Now people will have room to move around outside the FleetCenter.”

More on Duncan: Tim Duncan arrived a few years too late for Terry Cummings’ career with the Spurs. But Cummings likes what he sees.

“You have your doubts about his numbers and things like guarding point guards and all that, mostly because he has another 7-footer behind him,” he said. “But I came away extremely impressed. I popped him a good 15 times, and the kid hardly flinched. Didn’t even say a word, not once. Just kept playing. (He’s) very tough.”

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-23, By Jerry Briggs

马刺-太阳比赛报告

季后赛历史
1992 年：菲尼克斯以 3-0 赢得了第一轮系列赛
1993 年：菲尼克斯以 4-2 赢得了西部半决赛系列赛
1996 年：马刺以 3-1 赢得了第一轮系列赛
笔记
波波维奇负责：马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇将自己的战绩提升至 73-73。作为教练兼总经理，波波维奇在他的第一个完整赛季中取得了 56-26 的战绩。在 1996 年 12 月 10 日接替被解雇的鲍勃·希尔后，他在上个赛季的 64 场比赛中取得了 17-47 的战绩。

季后赛中：太阳队两次将马刺队淘汰出季后赛，一次是在 1992 年的第一轮中，另一次是在 1993 年的西部半决赛中。马刺队在 1996 年的第一轮中对太阳队进行了报复。

4 对 5：自 NBA 在 1984 年采用 16 支球队季后赛形式以来，第五种子在第一轮对阵第四种子的系列赛中取得了 17-11 的战绩。马刺队在 1994 年作为第四种子输给了犹他爵士队。他们在 1993 年作为第五种子战胜了波特兰开拓者队。他们在 1992 年作为第五种子输给了菲尼克斯太阳队。

海军上将领导下：大卫·罗宾逊时代，马刺队在第一轮季后赛系列赛中取得了 4-3 的战绩。

重要的揭幕战：当马刺队输掉第一场比赛时，他们在 NBA 季后赛系列赛中取得了 0-13 的战绩，但当他们赢得揭幕战时，他们的战绩为 8-4。

令人印象深刻的首次亮相：马刺队新秀前锋蒂姆·邓肯成为联盟历史上第 19 位记录“20-10”赛季的新秀。邓肯场均得到 21.1 分和 11.9 个篮板。威尔特·张伯伦在其新秀年表现最佳，1959-60 赛季，他为费城勇士队场均得到 37.6 分和 27 个篮板。

一瘸一拐地前进：尽管有 167 场比赛因伤缺席，马刺队仍然取得了 56-26 的战绩。去年马刺队因伤失去了 347 场比赛，并创下了 20-62 的战绩，这是球队历史上的最差战绩。今年的胜负战绩是俱乐部历史上的第三好战绩，与拉里·布朗教练执教的 1989-90 赛季马刺队持平。

重新洗牌：马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇经常对阵容进行洗牌。他使用了 16 种不同的首发阵容。当马刺队派出他们三名 7 英尺长的球员大卫·罗宾逊、威尔·珀杜和蒂姆·邓肯首发时，他们取得了 16-5 的战绩。

没有肖恩：马刺队弥补了肖恩·艾利奥特的损失，在前全明星球员因伤缺席 32-14 的比赛中取得了 32-14 的战绩。

表现出色
蒂姆·邓肯在他的最后六场比赛中的三场比赛中得分 30 分或更多，并且在 4 月的场均得分是 26.9 分，场均篮板是 12 个。贾伦·杰克逊在最后五场比赛中场均得到 16.2 分。

表现不佳
查克·帕森在从伤病名单中复出参加最后三场比赛以来，19 次投篮命中 3 次。卡尔·埃雷拉在最后四场比赛中 21 次投篮命中 4 次。

引述

“这需要文尼（德尔内格罗）、贾伦（杰克逊）甚至 AJ（艾弗里·约翰逊）投进一些外线球。我会把它比作休斯顿赢得其第一个冠军的时候。如果那三个人在季后赛中表现出色，那么就有无限的可能。”——丹佛掘金队前锋拉方索·埃利斯谈论马刺队的夺冠机会。

“你不能把马刺队排除在外。他们有那么高的阵容和篮板能力。此外，（蒂姆）邓肯最近罚球命中率提高了很多。这很重要。”——波特兰开拓者队主教练迈克·邓利维。

“我们一整年都是一支强壮的球队。我们凭借成为一支软弱的球队而进入联盟的防守位置。我们没有想要出去打你的头的个人。但他们打得很努力。而且他们做得很有风度。”——马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇。

“他不是 MTV 型选手，每个耳朵上戴着八个耳环。他将真正很好地代表我们的国家。”——马刺队后卫艾弗里·约翰逊谈论蒂姆·邓肯入选美国篮球世界杯队。

“我参加过全美大学体育协会锦标赛。我看到那种比赛（大学比赛）发生了怎样的变化。我可以在其中和（NBA）季后赛看到一些相似之处。但我无法说出它是什么或不是什么，直到我参与其中。”——马刺队新秀前锋蒂姆·邓肯。

“我是一名职业运动员，因此有时你只需要冒险一试。”——马刺队前锋查克·帕森谈论因背部椎间盘突出而冒着未来健康风险参加比赛。

点击查看原文：Spurs-Suns report

Spurs-Suns report

Playoff history 1992: Phoenix won first-round series, 3-0 1993: Phoenix won Western Conference semifinal series, 4-2 1996: Spurs won first-round series, 3-1 Notes Popovich in charge: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has improved his record to 73-73. Popovich was 56-26 in his first full season with dual responsibilities as coach and general manager. He was 17-47 in 64 games last season after taking over on Dec. 10, 1996, for the fired Bob Hill.

In the postseason: The Suns eliminated the Spurs from the playoffs twice, in the 1992 first round and in the 1993 Western Conference semifinals. The Spurs returned the favor against the Suns in the 1996 first round.

4 vs. 5: Since the NBA went to a 16- team playoff format in 1984, the fifth seeds have a 17-11 record in first- round series against the fourth seeds. The Spurs lost as a fourth seed in 1994 to Utah. They won as a fifth seed in 1993 against Portland. They lost as a fifth seed to Phoenix in 1992.

Under the Admiral: The Spurs are 4- 3 in first-round playoff series during the David Robinson era.

Important openers: The Spurs are 0- 13 in NBA playoff series when they have lost the first game, but they are 8-4 when they have won the opener.

Impressive debut: Spurs rookie forward Tim Duncan became the 19th rookie in league history to record a “20-10” season. Duncan averaged 21.1 points and 11.9 rebounds. Wilt Chamberlain had the best rookie year of any player when he averaged 37.6 points and 27 rebounds for Philadelphia Warriors in 1959-60.

Limping through: The Spurs went 56-26 despite 167 player-games lost to injury. Last year the Spurs lost 347 player-games to injury and posted a 20-62 record, the worst in team history. This year’s win-loss record was third best in club history, tying the 1989-90 Spurs of Coach Larry Brown.

Shuffling the deck: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich shuffled his lineup often. He used 16 different starting fives. The Spurs were 16-5 when they started their three 7-footers - David Robinson, Will Perdue and Tim Duncan.

Sans Sean: The Spurs made up for the loss of Sean Elliott, going 32-14 in games the former All-Star sat out with injuries. Who’s hot

Tim Duncan scored 30 or more points in three of his last six games and averaged 26.9 points and 12 rebounds per game in April. Jaren Jackson averaged 16.2 points in his last five. Who’s not

Chuck Person hit 3 of 19 shots from the field since he came off the injured list for the final three games. Carl Herrera is 4 of 21 in his last four. Quotes

“It’s gonna take Vinny (Del Negro), Jaren (Jackson) and even AJ (Avery Johnson) to hit some outside shots. I would compare it to when Houston won its first title. If those three guys get hot during the playoffs, then the sky is the limit.” - Denver Nuggets forward LaPhonso Ellis, talking about the Spurs’ chances.

“You can’t count the Spurs out. They’ve got all that length and rebounding ability. Plus (Tim) Duncan is shooting his free throws a lot better lately. That’s going to be important.” - Portland Trail Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy.

“We’ve been a physical team all year. We’re not where we are defensively in the league by being a soft team. We don’t have individuals that want to go out and knock your head off. But they play hard. And they do it with class.” - Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

“He’s not an MTV guy, with eight earrings in each ear. He’s going to represent our country really well.” - Spurs guard Avery Johnson, talking about Tim Duncan making the USA Basketball world championship team.

“I’ve been through the NCAAs. I’ve seen how that kind of changes (the college games). I can see some similarities in that and the (NBA) playoffs. But I’m not going to be able to say what it is, or what it isn’t, until I get out there.” - Spurs rookie forward Tim Duncan.

“I’m a professional athlete, so sometimes you just have to roll the dice.” - Spurs forward Chuck Person, talking about risking his future health by playing with a herniated disk in his back.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-23, By Jerry Briggs

自信满满的马刺队开启新征程——太阳队于周日迎来季后赛的第一个考验

菲尼克斯——去年 12 月份时，马刺队看上去像一支不入流的球队，他们或许需要一些运气才能以西部赛区的低顺位种子身份晋级季后赛。

直到今天，球员们在回忆起在休斯顿遭遇的令人难堪的 30 分落败时，依然会摇头叹气，当时他们的战绩仅有尴尬的 10 胜 10 负，人们质疑他们是否重拾决心、团结一心以及是否足够强悍。

仅仅 4 个月后，大多数问题都已迎刃而解。

他们将带着 56 胜 26 负的战绩和第五顺位的种子席位进入季后赛首轮。在西部赛区半决赛五局三胜制比赛的首场比赛中，马刺队将在美国西部体育馆对战第四顺位的菲尼克斯太阳队。

尽管与太阳队在关键对决中还有诸多困难等待他们，但马刺队对自身实力充满信心。

4 月 17 日，他们客场战胜利太平洋赛区冠军西雅图队，为自己的季后赛之旅增添了几分底气。他们不仅畅谈击败太阳队，还暗示自己有望在季后赛中走得更远。

马刺队中锋大卫·罗宾逊表示：“我认为从年初至今，我们的球队已经走过了漫长的道路。我们对彼此的信心水平显著提升。”

“如今，我认为我们觉得自己在防守端大有可为。我们可以阻止对方得分。与西雅图队的比赛非常重要。我们展示了自己在防守端的实力。”

他们觉得自己能够走多远呢？

罗宾逊说：“我认为我们能够走得尽我们所愿。关键在于在头几轮比赛中不断成长，因为一旦我们在防守端奠定基调，并且能够在每场比赛中都做到这一点，凭借我们出色的阵容厚度，我认为没有什么球队能够真正与我们抗衡。”

在头几轮比赛中？

你很好奇太阳队怎么看待马刺队的这种态度。毕竟马刺队在面对西部赛区其他强队时，并没能展现出多高的水平。

马刺队在对阵西部赛区前四顺位的球队时战绩为 4 胜 12 负，其中 1 胜 3 负是对阵太阳队，但马刺队在过去一个月中赢得了其中三场比赛。3 月 22 日，马刺队在圣安东尼奥以 10 分之差战胜太阳队，极大提振了球队的信心。

过去两周中，马刺队对阵超音速队的两场胜利让球队重新燃起了昔日那种昂扬的斗志，而那场最重大的胜利正是帮助他们在去年 5 月的选秀抽签大会中赢得新人大前锋蒂姆·邓肯。

马刺队后卫艾弗里·约翰逊表示：“去年夏天，当我们得到蒂姆，并且知道戴夫健康归队时，每个人都开始谈论夺冠。然后这一年过得异常艰难。开局 10 胜 10 负，然后 13 胜 12 负。然后我们遭受了一系列伤病。”

结果，随着赛季逐渐深入，支持马刺队的球迷越来越少。

约翰逊说：“突然之间，没有人再选择我们了。我认为这正是最近激励我们的动力。我们知道自己是一支好的队伍。我对我们夺冠的机会感到兴奋。”

马刺队的战绩与太阳队相同。但是太阳队在 4 月 2 日时还以 21.5 场的差距落后西部赛区第五名，但他们一直都在发挥出色，赢下关键比赛。最终，他们赢得了过去 12 场比赛中的 11 场，追平了马刺队的战绩。

凭借对阵马刺队的交战纪录优势，太阳队赢得了第四顺位种子和主场优势，但并非所有人都认为主场优势会那么重要。

前波特兰开拓者队教练杰克·拉姆齐最近在 ESPN 电台表示：“我认为圣安东尼奥会闯过菲尼克斯这关，尽管我认为太阳队会打得很有悬念。马刺队拥有 NBA 独一无二的两名大个球员。”

“太阳队在常规赛中以 3 比 1 击败了马刺队，但是阵中还有（前锋）丹尼·曼宁（因膝伤将缺席季后赛）。马刺队正在逐渐恢复健康，最近战胜西雅图队的比赛也给人留下了深刻的印象。”

洛杉矶湖人队教练德尔·哈里斯似乎更看好太阳队，因为他看到了球队阵容的深度和整体能力。

哈里斯说：“菲尼克斯拥有联盟最好的阵容深度。他们有 9 名球员进入选秀乐透区（包括曼宁），以及另一位全明星球员克利夫·罗宾逊。”

“他们的球队中有更多球员的能力非常全面——会传球、运球和投篮。他们可能是联盟中能够拿到 30 分以上的球员最多的球队。”

马刺队一定会用尽一切办法控制比赛节奏，努力消磨杰森·基德、凯文·约翰逊和神射手雷克斯·查普曼的速度优势。

前丹佛掘金队教练比尔·汉兹利克说：“这是一场经典的对决，速度与力量的较量，哪支球队获胜取决于他们想出怎样的比赛计划。马刺队拥有邓肯这一最佳球员，而太阳队拥有最好的得分手。”

两个赛季前，有人暗示说有比罗宾逊更出色的马刺队球员，他可能会被身穿白大褂的人带离篮球讨论的现场。

罗宾逊是 1995 年联盟的 MVP，在他的九个赛季中，他带领球队八次进入季后赛。由于海军上将因背部和脚部伤势缺席了 76 场比赛，马刺队没有获得上个赛季季后赛的资格。

本赛季，邓肯的崛起以及罗宾逊的回归让球队迎来了两位经过证实的天才球星。这对组合帮助马刺队创造了联盟历史上最大的单赛季战绩改善（36 场比赛），并且帮助建立了 NBA 球队投篮命中率防守方面的历史纪录（41.1）。

马刺队明白，邓肯已经成为了至少与罗宾逊同样有价值的球员。

在西雅图队的比赛之后，约翰逊说马刺队在第四节“凭借我们的罚球得分，以及我们的‘主食’蒂姆和大卫赢得了比赛。嗯，准确地说，是‘大卫和蒂姆’。”

这两人在这个赛季的统计数据几乎完全一致。罗宾逊的数据是 21.6 分、10.6 个篮板以及 2.63 次盖帽。邓肯的数据是 21.1 分、11.9 个篮板以及 2.51 次盖帽。

这位来自维克森林大学的新秀在进攻端表现得更加出色，投篮命中率达到 54.7%，而罗宾逊为 51.1%。然而，邓肯在防守端的表现比不上罗宾逊。

尽管邓肯的盖帽比海军上将更多，但罗宾逊总是防守对方最好的大个球员。就在全明星周末之前，马刺队迎来了本赛季表现最好的时期，当时他们的两名顶级球员状态正佳，并且大多数的角色球员都保持健康。

在全明星周末之前的两个月里，他们的战绩是 24 胜 4 负。全明星周末之后，罗宾逊、约翰逊、查克·珀森和文尼·德尔内格罗都因伤倒下。肖恩·艾利奥特没有进入季后赛阵容，并在 1 月 27 日因股四头肌肌腱手术而缺阵。

结果，球队在阵容方面出现了问题，因为他们需要从训练室中抽出球员，并将其安排到阵容中来凑数。球队过去七场比赛的战绩是 4 胜 3 负，包括主场输给波特兰队和湖人队，以及客场输给犹他爵士队，这给许多球迷留下了不安的情绪。

但马刺队对自己感觉很好，而这可能是现在最重要的事情。

教练格雷格·波波维奇说：“这些球员全年都表现出色，他在 167 场球员因伤缺席的比赛中拼凑出了 16 个首发阵容。没有人抱怨伤病。他们只是上场打球。”

罗宾逊形容这种态度非常乐观。

罗宾逊说：“你知道，信心和节奏就是一切。如果你（进入季后赛）知道自己能阻止对方得分和投进篮球，那么你与任何人都一样有形。这将成为我们的关键。我们有蒂姆这样的球员。他所了解的只是上场，然后每晚拿到那些漂亮的数据。（如果你）有这样的球员，任何事情都有可能发生。”

点击查看原文：Confident Spurs start new journey - Suns up in what S.A. hopes will be first of many tests

Confident Spurs start new journey - Suns up in what S.A. hopes will be first of many tests

PHOENIX- At one point in December, the Spurs looked like a below-average team that might need some luck to finish with a low seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

To this day, players still shake their heads as they recall a 30- point loss at Houston that left them at an embarrassing 10-10, with questions lingering about their resolve, togetherness and toughness.

A little more than four months later, most of the questions have been answered.

They will take a 56-26 record and a fifth seed into the first round of the playoffs. The No. 5 Spurs will meet the fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns on the road in Game 1 of the best-of-five series at 9:30 tonight in America West Arena.

Even though major matchup dilemmas await them against the Suns, the Spurs have expressed confidence in themselves.

A come-from-behind road win at Pacific Division champion Seattle on April 17 has provided them with a bit of a strut going into the postseason. They not only talk about beating the Suns. They also suggest that they expect to go deep in the playoffs.

“I think our team has come a long way since the first of the year,” Spurs center David Robinson said. "Our confidence level has really risen in one another.

“And now I think we feel like we can do something defensively. We can make stops. The game against Seattle was pretty important. We showed how we can really play defensively.”

How far do they think they can go?

“I think we can go as far as we want to,” Robinson said. “The key, really, is developing through the first couple of rounds. Because once we set that tone defensively, and we’re able to do that night in and night out, with our great, big lineup, I don’t think there’s really a lot of teams that can really match very well against that.”

Through the first couple of rounds?

You wonder what the Suns think about that sort of attitude from the Spurs, who didn’t exactly burn up the West with high-caliber play against the top teams.

The Spurs went 4-12 against the top four seeds in the West, including 1-3 against the Suns. But the Spurs have won three of those games in the last month. A 10-point win against the Suns in San Antonio on March 22 gave the Spurs a boost.

Two more victories against the Sonics in the last two weeks have rejuvenated some of the spirit that buoyed the team in the days following their biggest win - the May draft lottery last year, which produced rookie power forward Tim Duncan.

“Last summer, when we got Tim and we knew Dave was coming back healthy, everyone started talking championship,” Spurs guard Avery Johnson said. “Then the year rolled on. We started off 10-10, then 13-12. Then we got hit with a lot of injuries.”

The bandwagon, as a result, carried fewer and fewer supporters as the season dragged on.

“All of a sudden,” Johnson said, “nobody was picking us any more. I think that’s what has motivated us recently. We know we have a good team. I’m excited about our chances.”

The Spurs finished with a record identical to the Suns. But the Suns, trailing in fifth place in the West by 21/2 games on April 2, kept making big plays and winning big games. In all, they won 11 of their last 12 to catch the Spurs.

The Suns gained the fourth seed and the home-court advantage by virtue of their head-to-head record against the Spurs, but not everyone thinks the home court will play all that big of a factor.

“I think San Antonio will squeeze it out past Phoenix,” former Portland coach Jack Ramsay said on ESPN radio recently, "even though I think the Suns will make it interesting. The Spurs have two big men who are unparalleled in the NBA.

“The Suns beat the Spurs 3-1 in the season series, but that was with (forward) Danny Manning (who is out with a knee injury). The Spurs are getting healthy, and that (last) win over Seattle was very convincing.”

Los Angeles Lakers coach Del Harris seemed to favor the Suns because of their depth and overall ability.

“Phoenix has the best depth in the league,” Harris said. "They have nine players, including Manning, who were in the lottery range originally (when they were drafted), and another - Cliff Robinson - who has been an All-Star.

“They have more guys on their team who have an all-around game - that’s pass, dribble and shoot. They probably have more players capable of scoring 30 than any team in the league.”

The Spurs will make all efforts to keep the games at a controlled pace in an effort to neutralize speedsters Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson and sharpshooter Rex Chapman.

“It’s a classic matchup of big vs. quick, and either team can win depending on what kind of game plan they come up with,” former Denver coach Bill Hanzlik said. “The Spurs have the best player in Duncan and the Suns have the best scorers.”

Two seasons ago, if anyone had suggested there was a better Spurs player than Robinson, he might have been led away from the basketball discussion by men in white coats.

Robinson, the league’s MVP in 1995, has carried the team to eight postseason appearances in his nine seasons. The Spurs didn’t qualify for the playoffs last season because the Admiral sat out 76 games with back and foot injuries.

This season, the emergence of Duncan and the return of Robinson has given the team two proven stars. The duo led the Spurs to the greatest one-season turnaround in league history (36 games) and helped establish an NBA record for team field-goal percentage defense (41.1).

The Spurs understand that Duncan has become at least equally as valuable as Robinson.

After the Seattle game, Johnson said the Spurs won it in the fourth quarter “with our free-throw shooting and with our bread and butter, Tim and David. Well, make that David and Tim.”

The duo’s statistics for the season came out almost identical. Robinson produced 21.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.63 blocked shots. Duncan averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.51 blocks.

The rookie out of Wake Forest University, a more polished offensive player, shot 54.7 percent to Robinson’s 51.1. Duncan was not in Robinson’s league, however, on the defensive end.

Even though he averaged more blocks than The Admiral, Robinson always guarded the opposition’s best big man. The Spurs made their best run of the season just before the All-Star break, when both of their top players were clicking and when most of the role players were healthy.

They went 24-4 in two months leading up to the All-Star break. After the break, Robinson, Johnson, Chuck Person and Vinny Del Negro all went down with injuries. Sean Elliott, who didn’t make the playoff roster, was knocked out on Jan. 27 with left quadriceps tendon surgery.

As a result, the team struggled with cohesion as it shuffled players out of the training room and into the lineup. A 4-3 record in the last seven games, including losses at home against Portland and the Lakers, and on the road at Utah, left many fans with an uneasy feeling.

But the Spurs feel good about themselves, and that may be all that matters at this point.

“These guys have been great all year,” said Coach Gregg Popovich, who patched together 16 starting lineups in the wake of 167 player- games lost to injuries. “Nobody’s complained about injuries. They’ve just gone and played.”

Robinson described the attitude as upbeat.

“You know,” Robinson said, “confidence and rhythm are everything. You go in (to the playoffs) knowing you can make stops and score the basketball, you’re in as good a shape as anybody. That’s going to be the key for us. We have guys like Tim. All he knows is to go out there and put up those great numbers every night. (If) you got guys like that, anything can happen.”

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-23, By Jerry Briggs

Hobbled Spurs at close to full speed

PHOENIX- Spurs center David Robinson pronounced himself fit on the eve of tonight’s playoff opener against the Phoenix Suns.

“I feel great,” he said after Wednesday’s workout in San Antonio. “This is about as good as I’d want to feel right now. In the last part of the season I got a lot of rest - partially because of getting knocked out (by Utah’s Karl Malone). But I feel fresh. I feel good.”

The Spurs had several players go down with injuries and illnesses during the course of the season.

One of the scariest mishaps in team history unfolded at Salt Lake City on April 8 when Malone decked Robinson with an elbow in the low post.

Two minutes into the game, Robinson was knocked unconscious and was dispatched to a hospital with a concussion. He also suffered a twisted left knee in the fall, which caused him to sit out the next three games.

To the relief of the Spurs, Robinson returned to play the final two games of the regular season. He looked especially agile last Friday at Seattle when he scored 22 points in 31 minutes in an 89-87 victory over the Pacific Division co- champions.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who considers Robinson his defensive “terminator,” said the team tried to turn the negative at Salt Lake City into a positive.

“You don’t have control over some things,” Popovich said. “You never wish for someone to get knocked out. But we made the best of it.”

The health of the Spurs will be a major factor against the Suns in the best-of-five, Western Conference quarterfinals. There’s the matter of Robinson’s knees. Avery Johnson’s strained right hip. And Chuck Person’s back.

Johnson did not run at practice on Tuesday as a precautionary measure, but he returned to full- speed by Wednesday.

“As you can see, everyone practiced today,” said Johnson, the team’s starting point guard. “How many times did that happen this year?”

Johnson’s hip strain flared up unexpectedly twice in the last six weeks and caused him to sit out seven games.

But he came back to play the last five in the regular season, including a 13-point, six-assist performance in 32 minutes at Seattle.

Battling back problems all season, Person went down in severe pain March 25 at Detroit. He sat out the next eight games and then returned to play in the last three.

Spurs guard Vinny Del Negro, who stayed home from the West Coast trip with an upper respiratory infection, said he feels fine. Del Negro returned to play the season finale against Denver and shot the ball well at practice this week.

Apparently, the Spurs will go with their big lineup of 7-footers Will Perdue, Robinson and Tim Duncan, along with Jaren Jackson and Johnson in the backcourt.

Suns coach Danny Ainge isn’t tipping his hand on his starters, but he went with Cliff Robinson (6- 10), Antonio McDyess (6-9) and George McCloud (6-7) in the frontcourt in the last six games of the season.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-23, By Glenn Rogers

对立面交锋：太阳队的速度 vs 马刺队的身高 菲尼克斯相信自己能战胜圣安东尼奥的巨塔

你喜欢什么？速度球还是力量球？

菲尼克斯太阳队别无选择，选择了速度，现在他们将看看这速度是否足够快，能够克服几乎是原型的力量战术。

太阳队和马刺队将在星期四晚上 9:30 在美国西部球馆进行五场系列赛的第一场比赛。

赔率制造者看好速度快的太阳队。他们想象菲尼克斯的后卫阵容——杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)，雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman)和凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)，有时会同时在场——在马刺队的巨型前线球员大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)和威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)周围和中间穿梭。

太阳队也看好自己的机会，但比赔率制造者更谨慎。

“我认为这将是一场势均力敌的系列赛，”教练丹尼·安吉(Danny Ainge)说。“我们必须从外线投篮，并努力找到一种方式去抢篮板。他们是联盟中场均失分率最低的防守球队。这将是一场对我们来说很艰难的比赛。”

大多数观察者认为马刺队在对阵分析中处于劣势，但马刺队的“三塔”前线拥有罗宾逊和邓肯两位最有天赋和最敏捷的大个子。

“我们知道我们必须找到一种方法来限制他们的中锋，”约翰逊说。“我们在西部大多数球队中都能找到对手。我们根本无法与湖人队抗衡，因为他们有沙克（沙奎尔·奥尼尔）。”

菲尼克斯在本赛季四场比赛中赢了马刺队三场，包括在美国西部球馆的两场比赛，这表明太阳队的主场优势的重要性。

但太阳队非常清楚罗宾逊在菲尼克斯的第二场比赛中没有上场，而邓肯在 1 月 9 日的比赛中还没有进入赛季末的最佳状态。太阳队担心马刺队巨大的篮板球优势。

“他们现在是一支更强大的球队，”安吉说。“他们接近赛季初大家认为他们会成为的那支球队。我们主要关注的是抢篮板。”

“主场很重要，尤其是如果比赛进行到第五场，”基德说。“这很重要，因为如果你有任何伤病，你可以在家里多休息一天，不用旅行。另外，我们真的很想让球迷在第一场比赛中为我们加油。球迷的热情对我们来说很重要。”

菲尼克斯仍然担心查普曼的腿筋拉伤，他在星期五对阵犹他队的比赛最后几秒钟加重了伤势，导致他缺席了常规赛的最后一轮比赛。但安吉表示，他预计查普曼会上场。

“在第五场或第七场，在比赛的最后时刻，我不会希望有比他更出色的球员。他为我们赢得了很多比赛，”安吉说。

查普曼将是必不可少的。他在对阵马刺队的三场比赛中投进了 45 球中的 25 球，包括 14 球中的 6 球来自三分线外。他在阿拉莫穹顶的第一场比赛中只打了 15 分钟，然后就因为腿部受伤离场。

太阳队在那场比赛中以 94-81 获胜，但罗宾逊下半场没有上场，他自己的膝盖也有问题。

菲尼克斯并不完全局限于速度快、体型小的球员。大前锋安东尼奥·麦克戴斯(Antonio McDyess)和中锋克里夫·罗宾逊(Cliff Robinson)，马克·布莱恩特(Mark Bryant)和约翰·“热杆”·威廉姆斯(John “Hot Rod” Williams)都能得分和抢篮板。

但麦克戴斯已经与邓肯交手过，他会谨慎对待再次相遇。

“当他们每次都把球传给邓肯的时候，你会感到很累，”麦克戴斯说。“和他对抗，穿过他们为他设下的掩护，这很难。”

麦克戴斯的特长是快速奔跑和扣篮得分。他凭借着自己修长的双臂和惊人的弹跳能力，在低位也能造成麻烦，但太阳队担心邓肯和罗宾逊会剥夺他的大部分进攻手段。

克里夫·罗宾逊也很有运动能力，但他面对马刺队的罗宾逊时通常会被犯规困扰。安吉将面临一个难题，他需要弄清楚马刺队哪位速度快的大个子更容易对付罗宾逊或麦克戴斯，以便让他们留在场上。

所有季后赛比赛中都会出现这种情况，比赛很快就变成了半场对决，一系列围绕着战术、挡拆、突然突破和传球的争夺战。

太阳队可以打这种比赛。他们拥有技术娴熟、速度快的控球后卫，但他们必须制定一种节奏，包括利用马刺队的失误和失误进行快攻。

“我们的进攻很难打出来。我们遇到了麻烦，因为我们进行了很多阵容调整，”安吉说。“我们没有打出我喜欢的风格，也没有按照我喜欢的方式执教。我们更多地打一些战术配合，比我喜欢的快攻要少。”

菲尼克斯还将带来强势的防守。

“我们的防守这次更好了，因为我们引进了更多防守意识更强、防守技术更强的球员，”安吉说。

马刺队可以用他们无情的内线进攻来消耗太阳队，但太阳队可以用他们自己的无情进攻来消耗马刺队的锋线球员。

基德和约翰逊可以突破圣安东尼奥的外线防守，获得几次罚球机会，完成他们冲向篮筐的突破，或者为那些战术跑位射手传球。

每支球队都会对对方在第一场比赛的首发阵容感到惊讶。菲尼克斯和圣安东尼奥在四场常规赛中都没有用过相同的首发阵容。

太阳队一直都在培养丹尼·曼宁(Danny Manning)成为首发球员，但在季后赛中，他们失去了宝贵的第六人以及场上的领袖，原因是膝盖受伤。

失去这位身高 6 英尺 10 英寸的球员的得分、篮板球和控球能力，可能让太阳队在对阵西部联盟体型更大的球队时，季后赛前景变得更加黯淡。

点击查看原文：Opposites attack: Suns' quickness vs. Spurs' size Phoenix believes it can top San Antonio's trees

Opposites attack: Suns’ quickness vs. Spurs’ size Phoenix believes it can top San Antonio’s trees

What’s your fancy? Speed ball or power ball?

The Phoenix Suns, having little choice, picked speed and now will see whether or not it’s speedy enough to overcome an almost prototypical muscle strategy.

The Suns and Spurs tangle in Game 1 of the best-of-five series at America West at 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

The oddsmakers like the speedy Suns. They envision Phoenix’s corps of guards - Jason Kidd, Rex Chapman and Kevin Johnson, sometimes on the floor at the same time - running around and through the Spurs’ giant frontline of David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Will Perdue.

The Suns like their chances, too, but with a tad more caution than the line-makers.

“I think it’s a toss-up series,” Coach Danny Ainge said. “We have to shoot the ball from the perimeter and try to find a way to rebound. They’re the best defensive team in the league in terms of field-goal percentage. It’s going to be a tough matchup for us.”

Most observers see the Spurs getting the short end of the matchup analysis, but the Spurs’ Tri- Towers frontline has two of the most gifted and swift big guys in Robinson and Duncan.

“We know we have to find a way to neutralize their big men,” Johnson said. “We match up with most of the teams in the West. We don’t match up well at all against the Lakers because of Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal).”

Phoenix defeated the Spurs in three of four meetings this season, including both games at America West, signaling the importance of the Suns’ home-court advantage.

But the Suns are more than aware that Robinson didn’t play in the second game in Phoenix and Duncan had yet to hit his late-season stride in the Jan. 9 game. The Suns are worried about the Spurs’ huge rebounding advantage.

“They are a much better team now,” Ainge said. “They are close to the team that everybody figured they would be at the beginning of the year. One of our main concerns will be getting to the glass.”

“The home court is important, especially if it goes to five games,” Kidd said. “It’s a key because if you have any injuries, you get an extra day at home without any traveling. Plus, we really wanted to have that crowd for the first game. The energy of the fans is big for us.”

Phoenix is still concerned about Chapman’s hamstring pull, an injury he aggravated in the final seconds of Friday’s game against Utah and that kept him out of the regular-season finale. But Ainge says he expects Chapman on the floor.

“There isn’t a player I’d rather have in Games 5 or 7, down the stretch. He’s won a lot of games for us,” Ainge said.

Chapman will be a must. He hit 25 of his 45 shots in three games against the Spurs, including 6 of 14 from beyond the arc. He played only 15 minutes in the first game at the Alamodome, leaving with a leg injury.

The Suns won that game 94-81, but Robinson didn’t play in the second half, out with his own knee problem.

Phoenix isn’t totally limited to speedy, small players. Power forward Antonio McDyess and centers Cliff Robinson, Mark Bryant and John “Hot Rod” Williams can score and rebound.

But McDyess already has had his hands full of Duncan, and he will be wary of repeat meetings.

“It kind of wears you down when they get the ball to Duncan down low every time,” McDyess said. “Banging with him, getting through those screens they try to set for him, it’s tough.”

McDyess’ forte is running the floor and scoring with ringing slam dunks. He can be troublesome in the low post with his long arms and leaping ability, but the Suns are afraid Duncan and Robinson will take away most of his game.

Cliff Robinson also is athletic, but foul trouble usually plagues him when he faces the Spurs’ Robinson. Ainge will have problems figuring out which of the Spurs’ quick big men will be easier to handle for Robinson or McDyess in order to keep them on the floor.

The word on all playoff games is they settle quickly into a halfcourt battle, a series of skirmishes pivoting on set plays, pick and rolls, sudden penetrations and feeding the ball inside.

The Suns can play this game. They have skilled and quick floor generals, but they will have to set a pace that includes running off Spurs misses and turnovers.

“Our offense has been difficult to get. We’ve had problems because we’ve had so many lineup changes,” Ainge said. “We don’t play the style I’d love to play or coach. We play a lot more set-up things and less transition then I like.”

Phoenix also brings an aggressive defense.

“We’re better defensively this time because we’ve brought in more defensive-minded, more defensively skilled players,” Ainge said.

The Spurs can wear Phoenix down with their relentless inside play, but the Suns can wear out the Spurs’ frontliners with their own relentless attacks.

Kidd and Johnson can break down the San Antonio perimeter defense, pick up some trips to the free-throw line, finish their scoots to the hoop or feed those set-up shooters.

Each team will be a little surprised at the other’s starting lineup in Game 1. Neither Phoenix nor San Antonio started the same five in any of the four regular-season games.

The Suns had been grooming Danny Manning for a starter’s try in the playoffs, but they lost their valued sixth man and floor leader to a knee injury.

The loss of the 6-foot-10 Manning’s scoring, rebounding and ballhandling skills may have doomed Phoenix’s playoff chances against the bigger Western Conference frontlines.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-23, By Johnny Ludden

有跳投，就会旅行 杰克逊的道路把他带到了圣安东尼奥，还有季后赛

30 码的弹药库，由微型摄像机和麦克风组成，将马刺队与酒店大堂隔离开来。大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)停下来闲聊，威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)瘫坐在椅子上，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)戴着墨镜，面带微笑。杰伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)则没有。杰克逊板着脸，继续前行，拖着他的绿色行李箱。

“我得把行李放好，”他说。“我会回来的，但我得先把行李放好。”

请原谅他的粗鲁，但如果一个人在九年内为 13 支球队效力，那么解开行李就会成为一种珍贵的仪式。对于那些职业生涯以 10 天合同和 CBA 公共汽车代金券为衡量标准的人来说，行李很重要。家具则无所谓。

在杰伦·杰克逊的世界里，公寓要么配有家具，要么就根本租不出去。拉克罗斯意味着在威斯康星州打球，而不是在约翰霍普金斯大学打球，AAA 会员资格是绝佳的圣诞节礼物，而俄亥俄州的代顿，在所有地方中，算是一个不错的夏季度假胜地。

自 1989 年从乔治城大学毕业以来，杰克逊作为一名篮球游牧民族，走遍了全国：稳健的防守者。不错的跳投手。愿意旅行。他参加了三个联盟，其中一个已经倒闭，在八个州和首都领取了薪水。

他曾效力于新泽西篮网队、金州勇士队、洛杉矶快船队、波特兰开拓者队、费城 76 人队、休斯顿火箭队和华盛顿子弹队。他四次在赛季结束前被裁掉。这还不包括芝加哥，他在公牛队首场比赛开始之前就被裁掉了。

在 NBA 之间穿插着的是五个赛季、154 场比赛和两个联赛冠军，分别在维奇塔福尔斯、拉克罗斯、匹兹堡和韦恩堡的 CBA 定居点。1991 年夏天，他在代顿翅膀队参加了世界篮球联赛。

所有这些现在都把杰克逊带到了圣安东尼奥，以及 NBA 季后赛的美妙世界。当马刺队今天在凤凰城对阵太阳队的豪华后卫阵容，即杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)、凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)和雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman)时，杰克逊很可能将在圣安东尼奥的后场与他的队友，同样是落选新奥尔良球员的艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)搭档。

“我一直觉得我能在这个联盟打球，”杰克逊说。“毫无疑问。我从未想过其他可能性。

“我一直都明白这个行业的本质。我们可能想把它看作是一场游戏——这很好，但我觉得它是一门生意。一个去工作的地方。”

作为回报，马刺队从这位 30 岁的员工身上获得了超值回报，他们亲切地称他为“老爸”。为了寻找一位能够替代弗农·麦克斯韦尔(Vernon Maxwell)，弥补后场防守不足的球员，圣安东尼奥队以联盟最低的 272,250 美元签下了杰克逊。他来自华盛顿，正处于职业生涯的巅峰状态，在 75 场比赛中场均上场 15.1 分钟，贡献 5.0 分。“我们把他招来是为了他的防守能力，而不是他在进攻方面的表现，”马刺队主教练兼总经理格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说。

杰克逊扩大了自己的射程，成为一名合法的远距离射手，全队三分球命中数领先。在常规赛中，他首发了 44 场比赛，场均上场 27 分钟，贡献 8.8 分，但最近状态回升。4 月 10 日对阵西雅图的比赛中，他投进了 6 个三分球，创下职业生涯新高的 31 分，并在周日帮助圣安东尼奥队在对阵丹佛的比赛中实现逆转，在投丢前四球后，最后六球命中五球。

杰克逊本赛季的 722 分只比他前 7 年在 NBA 的总得分少了 34 分。并不是说他在子弹队之前的日子值得载入史册。他的一些停留时间短至 20 天。他在其他地方待了半个赛季，但从未在一个地方连续待满一年。

“无论何时我不得不离开一支球队，都不是因为我无法打球，”杰克逊说。“而是，‘哦，事情没有按计划进行。哦，我们已经有人签约了。对不起。也许明年吧。’

“所有这些小事都会对你有影响。”

对于一个拥有乔治城大学金融学学位，并且是新奥尔良沃尔特·科恩高中(Walter Cohen High School)的毕业典礼发言人的家伙来说，杰克逊出人意料地决定坚持自己的运动生涯。即使在霍亚队，他也被认为是一个角色球员，在大学生涯中场均贡献 7.5 分和 2.9 个篮板。

“许多人对我没有放弃感到惊讶，”杰克逊说。“还有许多人称赞我坚持了下来。”

杰克逊的漫游经历让他去了很多不太吸引人的地方。他没有在 NBA 的某个地方坐冷板凳，而是选择了 CBA 的韦恩堡，在那里他是上场时间的保障。当他去代顿参加 WBL 比赛时，这是一个现已解散的 6 英尺 4 英寸及以下的夏季联赛，这引发了一个有趣的问题，因为马刺队把他列为 6 英尺 6 英寸。杰克逊有多高？“取决于联盟，”他说。

“我只是需要一些在球场上的时间，这样我就能创造一些数据，让他们对我做出更好的判断，而不是仅仅说，‘他很有天赋，我们看看他，’”杰克逊说。“这比因为有人说，‘哦，我听说过他。他在乔治城大学打球。伟大的教练。’而被选中加入一群人要好。”

在一个地方扎根可以让杰克逊和他的妻子特里(Terri)——她在新奥尔良是一名律师——与他们与朋友一起运营的 Back on the Block 慈善基金会共度更多时间。杰克逊的梦想是看到该组织——它在为新奥尔良的城市贫困儿童教授多种体育运动和创业技能——能够全年开放。

波波维奇表示，他希望杰克逊能在圣安东尼奥待一段时间。杰克逊表示他非常愿意这样做。但根据目前的集体谈判协议，马刺队只能给他加薪 20%，而该协议预计将在今年夏天被撕毁。而停摆也将会限制自由球员的谈判，进一步模糊了杰克逊的未来。

如果需要，杰克逊将求助于他常用的应急计划。

“我的行李还准备着，”杰克逊说。“我随时都能拿到它。我只是希望有一天能把它放进深处的仓库里。”

点击查看原文：Have jump shot, will travel Jackson's road brings him to S.A., playoffs

Have jump shot, will travel Jackson’s road brings him to S.A., playoffs

A 30-yard minefield of mini- cams and microphones separated the Spurs from the hotel lobby. David Robinson stopped to chat, Will Perdue slumped in a chair and Tim Duncan smiled from behind his shades. Not Jaren Jackson. Jackson wore a scowl and kept moving, whisking his green suitcase along with him.

“Got to put up my bags,” he said. “I’ll be back, but I have to put up my bags.”

Forgive the gruffness, but play for 13 teams in nine years and unpacking becomes a cherished ritual. For those whose careers have been measured in 10-day contracts and CBA bus tokens, luggage matters. Furniture doesn’t.

In the world of Jaren Jackson, apartments rent furnished or they don’t rent at all. La Crosse means hoops in Wisconsin not sticks at Johns Hopkins, AAA memberships make great Christmas gifts and Dayton, Ohio, of all places, qualifies as a nice summer retreat.

Since graduating from Georgetown in 1989, Jackson has crisscrossed the country as a basketball vagabond: Solid defender. Decent jumper. Will travel. He has played in three leagues, one of which has since folded, collecting paychecks in eight states plus the nation’s capital.

He has suited up for the New Jersey Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Washington Bullets. Four times he was cut before season’s end. And that doesn’t include Chicago, where he was gone before the Bulls took the court for their opener.

Sandwiched between the NBA stops were five seasons, 154 games and two league championships at CBA settlements Wichita Falls, La Crosse, Pittsburgh and Fort Wayne. The summer of '91 was spent with the Dayton Wings in the World Basketball League.

All of which now brings Jackson to San Antonio and the wonderful world of the NBA playoffs. When the Spurs open the postseason today in Phoenix against the Suns’ glamour guards of Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson and Rex Chapman, Jackson likely will be in the backcourt for San Antonio alongside Avery Johnson, his fellow undrafted New Orleans native.

“I always felt like I could play in this league,” Jackson said. "There was just no question. I never thought otherwise.

“I’ve always understood what this business is all about. As much as we want to look at it as a game - that’s fine and all that - I look at it as a business. A place to go to work.”

In return, the Spurs have received more than their money’s worth from the 30-year-old employee they lovingly call “Pops.” Looking for a replacement to Vernon Maxwell to shore up its defensive shortcomings in the backcourt, San Antonio found Jackson for the league-minimum $272,250. He was coming off a career year in Washington, averaging 15.1 minutes and 5.0 points over 75 games. “We brought him here more for his defensive prowess than what we had seen offensively,” Spurs coach and general

Jackson has extended his range to become a legitimate perimeter shooter, leading the team with 112 three-pointers. During the regular season, he started 44 games and averaging 27 minutes and 8.8 points, but has started to heat up of late. He buried six three-pointers en route to a career-high 31 points against Seattle on April 10 and helped key San Antonio’s comeback against Denver on Sunday, hitting five of his last six shots after missing his first four attempts.

The 722 points Jackson scored this season are just 34 fewer than what he totaled during the first seven years of his NBA career combined. Not that his pre-Bullets days were cause for enshrinement. Some of his stays lasted as little as 20 days. He endured for half a season in others, but never stuck in the same place from one year to the next.

“Anytime I had to leave an organization it wasn’t that I couldn’t play,” Jackson said. "It was, ‘Oh, things just didn’t work out. Oh, we’ve got guys under contract. I’m sorry. Maybe next year.’

“All those little things can have an effect on you.”

For a guy who held a degree in finance from Georgetown and was valedictorian of his class at Walter Cohen High School in New Orleans, Jackson surprisingly decided to persevere with his athletic career. Even with the Hoyas he was considered a role player, averaging 7.5 points and 2.9 rebounds during his college career.

“There have been many people who have been surprised that I haven’t given up,” Jackson said. “And there have been many people who have praised me for hanging in there.”

Jackson’s wanderings have led him to some less-than-exotic locations. Instead of languishing on the end of the bench somewhere in the NBA, he opted for the Fort Waynes of the CBA where he was a lock for minutes. Once he headed to Dayton to play in the WBL, a now-defunct 6-foot-4-and-under summer league, raising an interesting question since the Spurs list him as 6-6. How tall is Jackson? “Depends on the league,” he said.

“I just needed some time on the floor so I could create stats where they could make a better decision on me instead of just, ‘He’s a talented guy, let’s take a look at him,’” Jackson said. “That’s better than being brought in with a group of guys because someone said, ‘Oh yeah, I heard about him. He played at Georgetown. Great coach.’”

Establishing roots in one place would allow Jackson and his wife Terri, who is a lawyer in New Orleans, to spend more time with the Back on the Block charitable foundation they run with a friend. Jackson’s dream is to see the organization - which teaches inner- city youth in New Orleans several different sports and entrepreneurial skills - open year-round.

Popovich said he would like for Jackson to call San Antonio home for a while. Jackson said he would love to do so. But the Spurs can only offer him a 20 percent raise under terms of the current collective bargaining agreement, which figures to be torn up this summer. And a lockout also would restrict free agents from negotiating, further clouding Jackson’s future.

If need be, Jackson will resort to his well-used contingency plan.

“I still got my luggage set,” Jackson said. “And I’m always able to get to it whenever I need to. I’m just hoping for the day when I can put it in deep storage.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-23, By Jerry Briggs

一只眼睛盯球场，另一只眼睛瞄着底线上的自由球员

后卫文尼·德尔·内格罗坚持说，在接下来的几天里，他的注意力将集中在菲尼克斯太阳队，也就是马刺队在 NBA 季后赛中的首轮对手。

这位马刺队老将相信，他的球队可以在季后赛中走得很远，并且每个球员的全力投入对于实现这一梦想都是必要的。

不过，合同在季后赛结束时到期的七名马刺球员的焦虑可能比平时更大。

德尔·内格罗于 1992 年加入马刺队，是即将成为自由球员的七人之一。

“这始终徘徊于我的脑海之中，”拥有八年 NBA 经验的德尔·内格罗说，“但我对自己很有信心。我已经在球队呆了六年了。如果人们现在还没有意识到我对球队价值，那么他们永远不会知道。”

其他几份将于到期包括大前锋蒙蒂·威廉姆斯、后卫贾伦·杰克逊和雷吉·吉尔、大前锋马利克·罗斯以及最近签下的前锋布拉德·洛豪斯和威利·伯顿。

伯顿尚未在季后赛的名册上。

此外，中锋威尔·珀杜和大前锋卡尔·埃雷拉即将进入选择权夏天。

预计马刺队会选择执行珀杜合同的最后一年。埃雷拉拥有最后一年的选择权，允许他决定测试自由球员的水域或留在球队中。

今年夏天的水域可能极其浑浊，尤其是在 NBA 老板们在三月投票决定重新开放集体谈判协议之后。

因此，如果双方在 6 月 30 日之前未达成协议，合约将到期。在这种情况下，球员们认为将会有一个停摆。这意味着业务运营将关闭。

德尔·内格罗只能希望过去的经历在他的个人处境中重演。

“当我成为萨克拉门托的自由球员时（1990 年），事情对我来说很顺利，”他说，“在意大利待了两年之后，我再次成为自由球员（1992 年），事情也进行得很顺利。成为自由球员对我一直都很棒。我不会担心这件事。

“如果马刺队打算做正确的事，那么他们会做。如果不是这样，那么我知道我还有很多其他选择。这只是（选择）是什么的问题。”

据传德尔·内格罗考虑再次考虑海外的选择，他同意说，如果球员和老板继续沿着当前的道路前进，事情可能会“变得有趣”。

“从所有新闻来看，似乎会有一个停摆，事情会朝着那个方向发展，”他说，“但是谁知道会发生什么事？有很多事情涉及其中。我们只需要拭目以待。”

德尔·内格罗对他的马刺队合同还没有延长表示失望。他的经纪人和马刺队在去年夏天正在制定一项协议，但之后谈判中断了。

“我在那里待了六年，”他说，“我本可以很早以前就续约。但我真的不担心这件事。波波（马刺队教练兼总经理格雷格·波波维奇）说他会在合适的时间处理好这件事。我相信这一点。但现在整个焦点应该放在球队上，放在获胜上。”

波波维奇不讨论球员合同。

虽然马刺队的团队目标将受到强调，但个人的季后赛表现可能会对球员的合同状态产生重大影响。像威廉姆斯、杰克逊、吉尔、罗斯和洛豪斯这样的基础不太牢固的球员，如果球队赢得了一两场系列赛，并且他们表现出色，可能会大幅提升他们的价值。

另一方面，所有人都可能因季后赛早早出局而受到伤害，然后是停摆。如果劳工纠纷持续整个夏天到秋天，有人可能会倾向于接受在欧洲工作的机会，而不是等待和观望 NBA 谈判会发生什么。

整个情况如何影响马刺队在赛季后期的冠军争夺中还有待观察。

“我认为你会看到人们的品格，以及我们所代表的一切，”德尔·内格罗说，“我认为我们的团队是关于赢得胜利和相互支持。并不是在任何情况下（在每一支球队中）都是这样的。但这只是为了让个人变得更好，为球队带来成功。”

点击查看原文：One eye on court, one on bottom line for free agents

One eye on court, one on bottom line for free agents

Guard Vinny Del Negro insists that his focus over the next several days will be centered on the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs’ first-round opponent in the NBA playoffs.

The Spurs’ veteran believes his team can go a long way in the postseason tournament, and that total concentration from every player will be a necessity to realize the dream.

Then again, the anxiety may be higher than normal for seven Spurs players whose contracts expire at the end of the playoffs.

Del Negro, who joined the Spurs in 1992, is one of the seven who will take the free-agent plunge.

“It’s always in the back of your mind,” said Del Negro, an eight-year NBA veteran. “But I have a lot of confidence in myself. I’ve been with the team for six years. If people don’t realize my value to the team now, they’re never going to.”

Others whose deals are scheduled to expire include forward Monty Williams, guards Jaren Jackson and Reggie Geary, forward Malik Rose and recently signed forwards Brad Lohaus and Willie Burton.

Burton is not on the active roster for the playoffs.

Additionally, center Will Perdue and forward Carl Herrera are going into option summers.

The Spurs are expected to pick up the option on the final year of Perdue’s contract. Herrera holds the option on his final year, allowing him the decision to test the free-agent waters or remain with the team.

The waters this summer could be extremely murky, especially since the NBA owners voted in March to reopen the collective bargaining agreement.

As a result, if the two sides do not reach agreement by June 30, the contract will expire. In that scenario, the players believe there will be a lockout. That means a shutdown of business operations.

Del Negro can only hope that past history repeats itself in his individual situation.

“When I became a free agent in Sacramento (in 1990), things worked out real well for me,” he said. "When I became a free agent after two years in Italy (1992), it also worked out well. Becoming a free agent has always been good to me. I don’t worry about that.

“If the Spurs are going to do the right thing, then they are. If they’re not, then I know there’s going to be a lot of other options for me. It’s just a matter of what the (options) are.”

Del Negro, rumored to be considering options overseas again, agreed that it might “get interesting” if the players and owners proceed down their current path.

“From all the news, it looks like there will be a lockout, and that that’s the way it will go,” he said, “but who knows what’s going to happen with it? There are a lot of things involved. We just have to wait and see.”

Del Negro expressed disappointment that his Spurs contract has not been extended. His agent and the Spurs were working on a deal last summer before talks broke off.

“I’ve been here six years,” he said. “I could have had an extension a long time ago. But I’m really not worried about it. Pop (Spurs coach and general manager Gregg Popovich) said he would take care of it when the time was right. I believe in that. But right now the whole focus should be on the team and on winning.”

Popovich does not discuss player contracts.

While Spurs team goals will be stressed, individual postseason performances can have a dramatic impact on a player’s contract status. Less-established players like Williams, Jackson, Geary, Rose and Lohaus could improve their stock dramatically if the team wins a series or two, and if they play well.

On the other hand, all could be hurt by an early playoff elimination, followed by a lockout. If a labor stoppage lasts most of the summer and into the fall, there might be some who would be tempted to take the security of a job in Europe rather than wait and see what happens with the NBA negotiations.

How the entire situation affects the Spurs in their postseason title quest remains to be seen.

“I think you look at the character of the people, what we’re all about,” Del Negro said. “And I think our team is about winning and supporting one another. It’s not always like that in every case (on every team). But it’s only for the betterment of the individual for the team to have success.”

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-23, By Buck Harvey

季后赛交易：罗宾逊应得什么

菲尼克斯 - 大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)今晚有充分理由成为明星。蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)站在他旁边。格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)指导他优先考虑防守。而矮小的太阳队球员则阻挡在罗宾逊和篮筐之间。

但是，如果这种情况没有发生——如果这又是罗宾逊没有成为罗宾逊的另一个系列赛——交易是否有意义？难道你不应该抛弃他的薪水和他的32英寸腰围，为蒂姆·邓肯找一些强悍的季后赛帮手吗？

不。

出于篮球的原因。也出于情感上的原因。

如果马刺队在一周内出局，情绪也会对罗宾逊不利。毕竟，上一次在季后赛中，罗宾逊的名声受到了比卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)的任何肘击都要严重得多。1995年，哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)绕过罗宾逊，几乎剥夺了罗宾逊的MVP奖杯，而第二年，马龙时而假摔，时而灌篮。

在盐湖城的背靠背惨败中，罗宾逊在每场比赛中都只得到11分。在第二场中犯规离场，被马龙激怒的罗宾逊做出了他很少做的事情，对裁判大发雷霆。

从那时起发生了很多事情。但罗宾逊说，所有的季后赛失利都让他记忆犹新。周三，他提到了从他新秀赛季开始的每一场失利。“我一遍又一遍地回味，”他说，“我总是想着我应该做得更好。”

当被问及他对自己的季后赛表现如何评价时，他没有手下留情。“一般，”他说。“我不能仅仅一般。”

他的数据并没有那么糟糕。他在季后赛的平均得分比常规赛略低，而且他的篮板数据实际上更好。1996年，罗宾逊确实没有在犹他队表现出色。但在这之前的系列赛中，面对菲尼克斯队，罗宾逊压制了查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)，在一场决定性的比赛中，他得到了40分和21个篮板。

此外，为了了解一个季后赛中的罗宾逊是如何令人失望的，请注意太阳队的克里夫(Cliff)。在1993年对阵马刺队的首场比赛中，当时效力于开拓者队的克里夫·罗宾逊15投1中，10罚7失，只抢到2个篮板。开拓者队以一分之差输掉了比赛。

克里夫在下一场比赛中奋力反击，以12投2中的成绩取得了不错的表现。

关于罗宾逊的失利，还有一些解释。他既是战术的受害者，也是期望的受害者。面对奥拉朱旺和马龙，罗宾逊发现自己被孤立了，几乎没有得到任何帮助。

但季后赛的失利比借口更多。鉴于邓肯的崛起，一个想法也迅速浮现出来。如果罗宾逊表现挣扎，马刺队输给了菲尼克斯队，马刺队不应该交易罗宾逊吗？

只有在两种情况下才会发生交易，而且这两种情况都不能保证任何结果。要么是马刺队收到了一份令人惊讶的、未经请求的报价，要么是罗宾逊在下赛季结束后可以跳出合同，并表示他想要改变。

罗宾逊自然会引起人们的兴趣，但他的伤病很可能降低了他的价值。然后是交易一名年薪1200万美元球员的困境：即使在邓肯的巨额薪水即将到来之际，清理掉这样的薪水是有意义的，但在当今市场上，新球员的薪水实际上可能超过罗宾逊。

例如，关于佩妮·哈达威(Penny Hardaway)和博·奥特劳(Bo Outlaw)的组合怎么样？哈达威的合同很快就要到期了。彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)是否准备给哈达威一份年薪1800万美元的合同？

哈达威可能会有所帮助。但问问邓肯，他是否会怀念一个身高7英尺1英寸的盖帽高手站在他身边。在下个赛季，将经验丰富的邓肯、健康的罗宾逊以及一名自由球员组成搭档更有意义，然后看看会发生什么。

然后是情感方面。罗宾逊拯救了球队免遭搬迁。当他可以使球队破产时，他默默地同意了第二份合同。他向当地的一所学校捐赠了500万美元，使圣安东尼奥成为他的家，不仅仅是一个房子。在过去的这个赛季，他拖着饱受伤病的双膝，打了73场比赛，尽管他的身体已经疲惫不堪，但仍然入选了多家最佳阵容。

因此，在一次冒险的举动中——罗宾逊仅仅是史上50位最佳球员之一——马刺队要交易他吗？邓肯在决定是否续约的时候，会注意到圣安东尼奥是如何对待其最佳球员的。

综上所述，无论今晚发生什么，罗宾逊都有理由留下。他应得更多。

点击查看原文：The playoff deal: What Robinson deserves

The playoff deal: What Robinson deserves

PHOENIX - David Robinson has every reason to star tonight. Tim Duncan stands next to him. Gregg Popovich directs him to think defense first. And little Suns stand between Robinson and the basket.

But if that doesn’t happen - if this is another series where Robinson isn’t Robinson - doesn’t a trade make sense? Don’t you dump his salary and his 32-inch waist to find Tim Duncan some rugged playoff help?

No.

For basketball reasons. For emotional ones, too.

If the Spurs go out in a week, the emotion would also work against Robinson. After all, when last seen in the playoffs, Robinson’s reputation took a blow far worse than any elbow ever thrown by Karl Malone. Hakeem Olajuwon had spun around Robinson in 1995 - all but stripping Robinson of his MVP trophy - and there was Malone the next year, sometimes flopping, sometimes dunking.

In back-to-back blowout losses in Salt Lake City, Robinson scored 11 points in each. Fouling out in the second one, frustrated by Malone, Robinson reacted as he rarely has, lashing out at a ref.

A lot has happened since then. But Robinson says all the playoff losses stay with him. On Wednesday he named each one from his rookie year on. “I relive them,” he said, “and I always think what I should have done better.”

When asked how he grades himself in the postseason, he doesn’t ease up on himself. “Average,” he said. “And I can’t be average.”

His numbers aren’t alarmingly awful. He’s averaged about a point less in the playoffs than he has in his regular seasons, and his rebounding stats are actually better. In 1996 Robinson didn’t light up Utah, all right. But in the previous series, against Phoenix, Robinson cuffed Charles Barkley, and one watershed game included 40 points and 21 boards.

Furthermore, for a look at a true gag by a playoff Robinson, note the Suns’ Cliff. In Game 1 against the Spurs in 1993, then playing for Portland, Cliff Robinson went 1 for 15, missed 7 of 10 free throws and managed only two rebounds. The Blazers lost by one.

Cliff mightily rallied in the next game with a solid 2 for 12.

There are also some explanations about Robinson’s losses. He’s been both a victim of strategy and expectations. Left on islands with both Olajuwon and Malone, Robinson found himself stranded with little help.

But the playoff losses stack higher than excuses. And in light of the emergence of Duncan comes a thought emerging just as quickly. If Robinson struggles and the Spurs lose to Phoenix, shouldn’t the Spurs trade Robinson?

A trade happens under one of only two conditions, and neither guarantees anything. Either a startling, unsolicited offer comes to the Spurs’ door, or Robinson, who can opt out of his contract after next season, signals he wants a change.

Robinson would naturally bring interest, but his injuries more than likely devalue his worth. Then there is the dilemma of trading a $12 million-a-year player: Even if it makes sense to clear such a salary, what with Duncan’s payday coming, the new players might actually exceed Robinson’s money in today’s market.

For example, what about a Penny Hardaway and Bo Outlaw package? Hardaway’s contract will be up soon. Is Peter Holt ready to give Hardaway an $18 million-a- year deal?

Hardaway might help. But ask Duncan if he would miss a 7-foot-1 shot-blocker next to him. It makes more sense next season to pair a seasoned Duncan, a healthier Robinson and a free agent, then see what happens.

Then there is the emotional side. Robinson saved the franchise from leaving. He quietly agreed to a second contract when he could bankrupted the franchise. He pledged $5 million to a local school, making San Antonio his home with more than a house. And this past season he dragged himself through 73 games, with both knees at times inflamed, with enough left to still be named on a number of first- team All-NBA ballots.

So on a gamble - with Robinson merely one of the 50 best players of all-time - the Spurs trade him? Duncan, while trying to decide whether to re-sign, will note how San Antonio treats its best players.

Add it up. Robinson has every reason to stay, no matter what happens tonight. He deserves better.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-23, By Glenn Rogers

联盟巨星倾巢而出 - 季后赛巨星云集

战火即将燃起。

今晚，NBA将正式告别常规赛，你将有机会品味最精粹的比赛。

季后赛的主角们已经登场。

斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen) 和迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan) 来了。沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)、大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)、“海军上将”大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 、孩子们（蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan) 和科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant)）、杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)、穆托姆博(Mutombo)、阿朗佐·莫宁(Alonzo Mourning)、查尔斯·奥克利(Charles Oakley)、雷吉·米勒(Reggie Miller)、卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone) & 斯托克顿(Stockton)，还有“手套”加里·佩顿(Gary Payton) 也都来了。

甚至，你都能叫出大多数场边指挥的名字或绰号：帕特·莱利(Pat Riley)、拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)、丹尼·安吉(Danny Ainge)、鲁迪·汤姆贾诺维奇(Rudy Tomjanovich)、德尔·尼尔(Del Harris)、乔治·卡尔(George Karl)、杰里·斯隆(Jerry Sloan)、杰夫·范甘迪(Jeff Van Gundy)、波波维奇(Pop)、麦克·弗拉特洛(Mike Fratello) 和麦克·邓利维(Mike Dunleavy)、戴夫·乔伊斯(Dave Joerger)、莱尼·威尔肯斯(Lenny Wilkens) 和菲利普·桑德斯(Flip Saunders)。还有来自新泽西的约翰·卡里帕里(John Calipari) 也在这儿。

一些问题的答案很快就会揭晓。

迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan) 会在赢得第六个总冠军后退役吗？沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal) 和他那群狂野的队友是否足够成熟，可以一路过关斩将，杀入西部决赛，并重燃昔日的“Showtime”总决赛大战？

大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 能否最终冲破重重阻碍，杀入东部决赛，还是卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone) 将获得第二次挑战乔丹(Jordan) 的机会？

拉里·伯德(Larry Bird) 能否延续他惊人的新秀表现，还是帕特·莱利(Pat Riley) 将再次杀入总决赛，这一次将面对他的昔日西海岸兄弟？

哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)、查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley) 和克莱德·德雷克斯勒(Clyde Drexler) 会以辉煌的结局还是一声叹息收场？

第7 和第8 顺位的球队能否证明是时候缩减季后赛球队数量了？

尼克斯正在祈祷帕特里克·尤因(Patrick Ewing) 能够从手腕手术中恢复过来，以便在第二轮重振旗鼓。但这是一个难题，因为没有尤因，纽约就无法获胜。

阿朗佐·莫宁(Alonzo Mourning) 戴着面具来保护他骨折的颧骨，准备迎接战斗。他发现自己的首轮对手是尼克斯，这支球队曾经在他的教练帕特·莱利(Pat Riley) 的调教下，精通肘击和手臂对抗。

森林狼将继续在北方咆哮，但距离西部太远了。他们将面对超音速，超音速在过去 29 场比赛中赢了森林狼 28 场。

上一次马刺进入季后赛，他们对阵了太阳，并以 4:0 的比分获胜。当时马刺拥有主场优势，还有大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 和教练鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)。太阳队则拥有巴克利(Barkley) 和凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)。这一次，太阳队拥有主场优势，他们拥有安东尼奥·麦克戴斯(Antonio McDyess) 来代替巴克利(Barkley)，还有杰森·基德(Jason Kidd) 和凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)。马刺队仍然拥有大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)，但现在蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan) 也加入了。

所有这一切，以及更多精彩内容，即将在电视荧屏上或现场呈现。

点击查看原文：League's biggest guns out in full force - Star power rules in the postseason

League’s biggest guns out in full force - Star power rules in the postseason

The stew is coming to a boil.

You can start digging in tonight, when the NBA finally unleashes itself from the regular season and you can savor the choicest of the choice.

The main ingredients have risen to the top for the playoffs.

Scottie and Mike are here. So are Shaq, The Admiral, the kids (Tim and Kobe), Jason Kidd, Mount Mutombo, Mourning, Oakley, Reggie, The Mailman & Stockton, and The Glove.

Heck, you even know most of the sideline maestros by their first names or nicknames: Pat, Larry, Danny, Rudy, Del, George, Jerry, Jeff, Pop, Mike and Mike (Fratello and Dunleavy), Dave, Lenny and Flip. John’s here, too - as in Calipari from New Jersey.

Answers to some questions will start coming soon.

Will Michael Jordan retire after winning his sixth title? Are Shaquille O’Neal and his wild teammates mature enough to grind their way through the Western Conference and renew the Showtime Finals wars of yesteryear?

Will David Robinson finally churn through the rough waters to the Eastern shores, or will Karl Malone get a second chance at Jordan?

Can Larry Bird continue his amazing rookie performance, or will Pat Riley find himself back in the Finals, this time against his former West Coast brethren?

Will Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler go out with a bang or a wheeze?

Will the No. 7 and 8 seeds prove that it’s time to trim back the number of playoff teams?

The Knicks are praying to hold the fort until Patrick Ewing recovers from wrist surgery for the second round. But that’s a conundrum, because New York can’t win without him.

Alonzo Mourning prepares for strife with a mask to protect his fractured cheekbone and discovers his first-round opponents are the fighting Knicks, once trained in the art of elbow and forearm war by his own coach, Pat Riley.

The Timberwolves will still be howling up North - but too far West - against the Sonics, who have lowered their boom on Minnesota in 28 of their last 29 meetings.

The last time the Spurs were in the playoffs, they took on the Phoenix Suns and won in four games. That time the Spurs had the home- court advantage, Robinson and Coach Bob Hill. The Suns had Barkley and Kevin Johnson. This time, the Suns have the home court, and they have Antonio McDyess instead of Barkley and Jason Kidd with Kevin Johnson. The Spurs still have Robinson, but now Tim Duncan has arrived.

All this and more, coming right up in person or on your T.V. screens.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-23

美国队正式宣布邓肯加入

圣安东尼奥马刺队的新秀前锋蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)于周三正式被任命为美国篮球世界杯国家队队员。

邓肯和迈阿密热火队的控球后卫蒂姆·哈达威(Tim Hardaway)将填补国家队的最后两个空缺，该队伍将于7月29日至8月9日在希腊雅典参加国际篮联世界杯。

这两名球员将加入西雅图超音速队的文·贝克(Vin Baker)和加里·佩顿(Gary Payton)、密尔沃基雄鹿队的特雷尔·布兰登(Terrell Brandon)、明尼苏达森林狼队的凯文·加内特(Kevin Garnett)和汤姆·古里奥塔(Tom Gugliotta)、底特律活塞队的格兰特·希尔(Grant Hill)、纽约尼克斯队的艾伦·休斯顿(Allan Houston)、亚特兰大老鹰队的克里斯蒂安·莱特纳(Christian Laettner)、夏洛特黄蜂队的格伦·莱斯(Glenn Rice)和华盛顿奇才队的克里斯·韦伯(Chris Webber)，组成国家队的12人阵容。

点击查看原文：Team USA officially adds Duncan

Team USA officially adds Duncan

Spurs rookie forward Tim Duncan officially was named to the USA Basketball World Championship Team on Wednesday.

Duncan and Miami Heat point guard Tim Hardaway will fill the final two openings on the team which will compete in the FIBA World Championships, set for July 29-Aug. 9 in Athens, Greece.

The two players join Seattle’s Vin Baker and Gary Payton, Milwaukee’s Terrell Brandon, Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta, Detroit’s Grant Hill, New York’s Allan Houston, Atlanta’s Christian Laettner, Charlotte’s Glenn Rice and Washington’s Chris Webber on the team’s 12-man roster.

via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-24, By Jerry Briggs

邓肯“暴扣”太阳，马刺新秀助球队首战告捷

菲尼克斯 - 马刺新秀蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)在下半场狂砍28分，全场贡献32分，带领球队以102-96战胜菲尼克斯太阳，取得了NBA季后赛首场比赛的胜利。

邓肯在季后赛首秀中展现出世界级的低位技术，在第四节独得18分，帮助马刺在五场三胜制的西部首轮系列赛中取得1-0的领先优势。

在第四节的某一时刻，邓肯为马刺连续命中了12分。

邓肯在上半场表现不佳。他曾在一次被手指戳到眼睛后下场休息，还因为三次犯规被罚下。

不过在下半场，他15投10中，带领马刺发起反击，将美国西部球馆19,023名观众的欢呼声压了下去。

“太棒了，”马刺老将大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)说道，他全场贡献了26分、15个篮板和5次盖帽。“我们一直都在看蒂姆打出这样的表现。他从不气馁。”

系列赛第二场比赛将于本周六下午2:30在此进行。季后赛将移师圣安东尼奥，第三场比赛将于周一晚上在阿拉莫圆顶球馆举行。

凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)以18分领衔太阳队。太阳队的控球后卫杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)贡献了17分、11次助攻和6次抢断。太阳队在常规赛中四战马刺赢了三场。

太阳队的后卫雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman)在比赛开始前因左腿筋拉伤被排除在出场阵容之外。查普曼在下午早些时候进行了热身，并在比赛开始前几分钟被列为先发。

但太阳队还是让他们的得分王轮休，让11年老将约翰逊顶替他首发。由于前锋丹尼·曼宁(Danny Manning)因伤缺阵，太阳队本就人员短缺。

曼宁在当天早些时候获得了NBA最佳第六人奖，他因膝伤赛季报销。查普曼的第二场比赛能否出战尚不清楚。

第四节过半，罗宾逊、邓肯和约翰逊联手打出16-6的攻击波，帮助马刺取得三分领先优势。

罗宾逊罚球命中两罚，并在篮下完成了一次高难度的反手投篮。约翰逊突破至篮下，用左手勾手将球投进，将比分改写为83-82。

邓肯找回手感，连续命中了第四个进球，他投出一记17英尺的擦板球，将比分领先至90-87，并让太阳队的球迷沉默下来，当时比赛还剩4分06秒。

“我的手感很好，所以我开始不停地进攻，”邓肯说道。“我希望能够横扫对手……但我们将会打到最后。”

中场休息后，上半场的快节奏比赛变得沉闷。比赛节奏放慢，变成了马刺队的半场进攻模式。但太阳队适应了这种打法，打出了自己的风格，以75-67领先进入第四节。

太阳队在落后两分的情况下打出12-2的攻击波。他们在这波攻势中7投6中，其中麦克戴斯(McDyess)命中了3球，马克·布莱恩特(Mark Bryant)命中了2球。布莱恩特的转身上篮帮助太阳队将比分领先至69-61。

基德在下半场结束前，快速突破至前场，轻松地从马刺队的两名内线球员之间上篮得分。马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)对此很不满。随着比赛结束的哨声响起，他转过身，踢了记者席。

太阳队在首节比赛中一度落后7分，但他们利用邓肯的犯规麻烦，打出一波13-2的攻击波，将比分反超至40-29。

基德在转换进攻中快速推进，在这波攻势中贡献了3分，并抢下了一个进攻篮板，对手是7尺高的威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)。丹尼斯·斯科特(Dennis Scott)在左侧底角命中了一记三分球，为这波进攻画上了句号。

罗宾逊和艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)在首节比赛中带领马刺队。罗宾逊控制着内线，贡献了3次盖帽和7个篮板。他还得到了8分。约翰逊前四次投篮全部命中，得到了11分。

马刺队打出10-0的攻击波，将比分领先至19-12。罗宾逊在假动作晃过克里夫·罗宾逊(Cliff Robinson)后，完成了一次双手暴扣，为这波进攻画上了句号。

点击查看原文：Slam-Duncan the Suns - Spurs rookie fuels run to Game 1 win

Slam-Duncan the Suns - Spurs rookie fuels run to Game 1 win

PHOENIX - Rookie Tim Duncan scored 28 of his 32 points after intermission as the Spurs knocked off the Phoenix Suns 102-96 Thursday night in the first game of the NBA playoffs.

Showing off world-class post moves in his postseason debut, Duncan produced 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Spurs took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five, first- round Western Conference series.

At one point in the final period, he fired in 12 consecutive points for the Spurs.

Things didn’t go Duncan’s way in the first half. He left the game once after taking a finger in the eye. He came out again after he picked up his third foul.

But he sank 10 of 15 shots in the second half, leading a Spurs rally that silenced the crowd of 19,023 at America West Arena.

“Phenomenal,” said Spurs veteran David Robinson, who had 26 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots. “With Tim, we’ve seen him do that stuff all year. He never gets his head down.”

The second game of the series is scheduled here at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. As the playoffs shift to San Antonio, Game 3 is set for Monday night at the Alamodome.

Guard Kevin Johnson led the Suns with 18 points. Point guard Jason Kidd added 17 points, 11 assists and six steals for the Suns, who won three of four games from the Spurs in the regular season.

Phoenix guard Rex Chapman was scratched from the lineup immediately before tipoff with a strained left hamstring. Chapman warmed up earlier in the afternoon, and was listed as a starter up until a few minutes before game time.

But the Suns held out their leading scorer and started 11-year veteran Johnson in his place. Already, the Suns were short-handed going in without injured forward Danny Manning.

Manning, who received the NBA’s Sixth Man Award earlier in the day, is out for the season with a knee injury. Chapman is questionable for Game 2.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Robinson, Duncan and Johnson sparked a 16-6 stretch for the Spurs that pushed them into a three- point lead.

Robinson sank a pair of free throws and lunged under the hoop for a difficult reverse layup. Johnson, coming across the lane, sank a left-handed hook over Phoenix’s Hot Rod Williams to make it 83-82.

Duncan, finding his rhythm, hit his fourth basket in a row - a 17- footer off the glass - to give the Spurs a 90-87 lead and silence the Suns crowd with 4:06 remaining.

“My shot was falling for me, so I just started going at 'em,” Duncan said. “I’m hoping sweep … but we’ll just play 'em out.”

After halftime, the fast tempo of the first half was stalled. It settled into more of a Spurs-oriented, half- court pace. But the Suns adjusted, played the style and took a 75-67 lead into the fourth quarter.

Down by two, the Suns constructed a 12-2 run. They hit six of seven shots in the stretch, including three by McDyess and two by Mark Bryant. Bryant’s up-and-under move gave the Suns a 69-61 advantage.

Kidd ended the half by streaking coast-to-coast and gliding through the Spurs’ big men for a layup. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn’t like it at all. He turned and kicked the press table as the buzzer sounded.

Trailing by seven points early, the Suns took advantage of burgeoning foul trouble for Duncan and rallied for a 50-45 lead at intermission.

Duncan’s initiation into playoff basketball at first wasn’t what he had hoped for. First, he jammed a finger. Then he was poked in the eye and taken out of the game late in the first period.

Next, he picked up his third foul with 8:38 left in the half, and was forced to the bench again.

The Suns, meanwhile, were in the midst of a 13-2 run that carried them to a 40-29 lead.

Kidd, speeding upcourt in the transition game, scored three points in the streak and pulled down an offensive rebound over 7- foot Will Perdue. Dennis Scott put an exclamation mark on the rally with a three-point shot from the wing.

Robinson and Avery Johnson carried the Spurs in the first quarter. Controlling the lane, Robinson blocked three shots and pulled down seven rebounds. He also scored eight points. Johnson hit his first four shots from the field and scored 11.

The Spurs went on a 10-0 run and took a 19-12 lead. Robinson capped the streak when he faked Cliff Robinson and drove for a two-handed slam.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News