1998-04-26, By Jerry Briggs
马刺的猛攻功亏一篑 - 太阳吸取教训，赢得第二场
菲尼克斯 - 如果你在生活中喜欢支持个子矮的人，那你肯定会在周六下午美国西部球馆为菲尼克斯太阳队欢呼。但如果你对马刺队生死攸关，你可能已经老了几岁。
比喻地说，身材矮小的太阳队把马刺队踢得鼻青脸肿，以 108-101 的比分取得胜利，将这场五场三胜制的首轮系列赛的比分扳成 1-1。
从更字面意义上来说，太阳队在下午的大部分时间里对蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)和大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)采取了双人包夹战术，迫使马刺队将进攻方式转向围绕外线传球。
事实证明，这种进攻方式远不如马刺队在周四晚上第一场比赛中使用的进攻方式有效。很多时候，球根本没有传到外线。
太阳队迫使马刺队出现了 17 次失误，并将这些失误转化为 24 分。
“太阳队造成的失误以及由此产生的得分是一个重要的关键，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说道。“我们已经很久没有遇到过这样的问题了。对阵太阳队，如果你在快攻中出现这样的失误，他们大部分时间都会将其转化为得分。”
尽管马刺队遇到了各种问题，但他们还是从第二节落后 16 分的劣势中反超，并在最后几秒钟，当后卫贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)投出一个三分球时，他们有机会扳平比分。
但球弹出了篮筐的后沿，让马刺队夺取 2-0 领先优势的希望破灭了。
“球是直线飞出去的，感觉很舒服，”杰克逊说道。“只是没有进。”
总的来说，马刺队更衣室里有一种失望的情绪，他们没有能够将比赛拉回来，并掌握比赛的主动权。但另一方面，他们也承认对平局感觉还不错。
如果他们能够在周一和周三在阿拉莫穹顶主场赢下第三场和第四场比赛，他们就可以晋级到第二轮，与犹他爵士队或休斯敦火箭队争夺晋级资格。
“如果我们 2-0 领先，我会更高兴，”马刺队后卫埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)说道，他在本场比赛中再次凭借 20 分和 8 次助攻给马刺队带来伤害。“我们打得不太好。但能够以平局结束比赛，感觉棒极了。”
太阳队的前锋乔治·麦克劳德(George McCloud)投进了三分球，而控球后卫杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)则带领球队进攻，他们在下午的大部分时间里给马刺队制造了很大的麻烦。
菲尼克斯队逐渐建立了领先优势，在第三节结束时领先了 16 分，并在第四节中段将领先优势保持在 14 分，直到马刺队开始逐渐获得能量。
当马刺队在比赛还剩 7 分 9 秒时，以 94-80 的比分落后时，他们开始为反超奠定基础。
当两支球队回到球场时，太阳队似乎没有像之前那样热衷于包夹邓肯和罗宾逊。马刺队抓住了机会，打出了一波惊人的 21-9 攻势。
突然之间，太阳队的球迷们开始为他们缩水的领先优势而感到担忧，因为邓肯在比赛还剩 22.5 秒时命中了一个短距离转身投篮，太阳队的领先优势缩小到 103-101。
在那个时刻，马刺队有机会犯规基德，并让他站在罚球线上。但他们让宝贵的时间流逝，直到基德传球给雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman)，后者在比赛还剩 12.9 秒时被犯规。
查普曼罚球命中一球，让太阳队领先了 3 分。
作为回应，马刺队叫了一个暂停，并在边线处制定了一个战术。查克·珀森(Chuck Person)将球传给罗宾逊，后者将球传回给站在侧翼的杰克逊。
球弹出了篮筐后沿，直接落入了前锋马克·布莱恩特(Mark Bryant)手中，后者被犯规。布莱恩特罚球命中两球，终止了马刺队的反攻。他在比赛结束前又罚进两球，为太阳队取得了最终的胜利。
“我们希望在这里赢下两场，”马刺队在第一场比赛中的明星球员邓肯说道。“但能带着一场胜利回家，我还是很高兴的。”
麦克劳德凭借他的外线投篮击溃了马刺队。他投出了 7 投 6 中的三分球，得到 22 分，成为带领 6 名队友得分上双的球员。
麦克劳德后来表示，太阳队的进攻整体上更加流畅，这是因为球队得分王查普曼的回归，后者因腿筋拉伤缺席了第一场比赛。
“我得到了一些不错的投篮机会，并且命中了一些，”麦克劳德说道。“我找到了自己的节奏，但雷克斯的回归真的让所有人都有了更多空间。他需要很多关注。”
查普曼首发出场，得到 16 分，虽然他只在 35 分钟的出场时间里投出了 14 投 5 中。
在第一场比赛中，邓肯和罗宾逊合力得到 58 分和 25 个篮板。邓肯在季后赛首秀中，凭借一对一防守优势，得到 32 分。
但在第二场比赛中，两人的表现远不如第一场比赛。邓肯得到 16 分和 10 个篮板。罗宾逊得到 23 分和 16 个篮板。他们的大部分得分是在比赛后期，当太阳队不再对他们在内线进行包夹时取得的。
在上半场结束前，马刺队的两位核心球员合计只得到 4 分，并出现了 6 次失误。
“太阳队找到了一种方法来阻止我们的内线球员，”邓肯说道。“他们速度很快，而且防守很强硬（采取了双人包夹战术）。我们必须找到像第一场比赛那样取得胜利的方法。”
在某些情况下，马刺队利用了太阳队的轮换，并轻松得分。他们全队的 50.7% 的投篮命中率表明他们取得了一些成功。约翰逊在突破上篮和转身勾手上的快速得分也非常有帮助。
但失误给了太阳队太多机会。他们 82 投 40 中，投篮命中率为 48.8%。他们成为自 3 月 25 日的底特律队以来，第一支在马刺队身上得分超过 100 分的球队，而马刺队在联盟中排名防守第一。
“我对防守表现永远不会感到满意，”波波维奇说道。“但实际上，我们展现出来的能量是伟大的。执行力是另一回事。我认为我们可以在接下来的两场比赛中比前两场做得更好。”
点击查看原文：Spurs' surge falls short - Suns learn lesson, capture Game 2
Spurs’ surge falls short - Suns learn lesson, capture Game 2
PHOENIX - If you root for short people in life, you cheered for the Phoenix Suns on Saturday afternoon at America West Arena. But if you live and die with the Spurs, you probably aged a few years.
Metaphorically speaking, the undersized Suns kicked the Spurs in the shins, emerged with a 108-101 victory and evened a best-of-five, first-round playoff series at 1-1.
In a more literal sense, the Suns’ double-team pres- sure on Tim Duncan and David Robinson for most of the afternoon forced the Spurs into an offense based on ball movement around the perimeter.
It was an offense that turned out to be far less effective than the one the Spurs used to steal a 102-96 victory Thursday night in Game 1. Many times, the ball never made it around the perimeter.
The Suns forced 17 turnovers and converted those mistakes into 24 points.
“The turnovers that the Suns caused and the points that resulted were a big key,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We haven’t had that problem in awhile. Against Phoenix, if you turn it over in the open court like that, they’re going to convert it most of the time.”
For all the Spurs’ problems, they battled back from a 16-point, second-half deficit and had a chance to tie when guard Jaren Jackson fired up a three in the final seconds.
But it bounced off the back of the rim, ending the Spurs’ hopes of taking a commanding 2-0 lead.
“It was on a line and it felt good,” Jackson said. “It just didn’t go in.”
Overall, there was a sense of disappointment in the Spurs’ locker room that they failed to pull it out and take charge of the series. Then again, they admitted feeling pretty good about the split.
If they can win Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Wednesday at home in the Alamodome, they can advance to the second round against either the Utah Jazz or the Houston Rockets.
“I’d be happier if we were 2-0,” said Spurs guard Avery Johnson, who hurt the Spurs again with 20 points and eight assists. “We didn’t play very well. But it’s a great feeling to come out of this with a split.”
The Suns, with forward George McCloud hitting three-pointers and point guard Jason Kidd running the attack, made it tough on the Spurs for most of the afternoon.
Phoenix gradually built a 16- point lead late in the third quarter and held the advantage by 14 midway through the last period, before the Spurs started to pick up momentum.
The Spurs began to lay the foundation for a comeback when they called out - trailing 94-80 - with 7:09 remaining.
When both teams returned to the floor, it didn’t seem like the Suns were as intent on swarming Duncan and Robinson. The Spurs took advantage, manufacturing a stunning 21-9 run.
All of a sudden, Suns fans were wringing their hands at a lead that had shrunk to 103-101 when Duncan hit a short turnaround with 22.5 seconds remaining.
At that juncture, the Spurs had an opportunity to foul Kidd and put him on the free line. But they allowed precious time to run off the clock before Kidd passed to Rex Chapman, who was fouled with 12.9 seconds left.
Chapman hit one of the freebies at the stripe, giving the Suns a three-point spread.
In response, the Spurs called time and set up a play on the side. Chuck Person inbounded to Robinson, who passed back out to Jackson on the wing.
It bounced off the back iron - straight into the hands of forward Mark Bryant, who was fouled. Bryant hit two free throws to stop the rally. He added two more at the end for the final points.
“We wanted to get two here,” said Duncan, the Spurs’ star in Game 1. “But I’m happy to go home with one.”
McCloud killed the Spurs with his perimeter shooting. He hit six of seven three-point shots and finished with 22 points to lead six of his teammates in double figures.
Later, McCloud said that the Suns’ offense had a better flow in general because of the return of Chapman, the team’s scoring leader who sat out the first game with a hamstring pull.
“I got some good looks and made some,” McCloud said. “I got in my rhythm, but Rex coming back really opens it up a lot for everybody. He demands a lot of attention.”
Chapman started and scored 16 points, although he hit only 5 of 14 from the field in 35 minutes.
In Game 1, Duncan and Robinson combined for 58 points and 25 rebounds. Duncan, benefiting from the one-on-one coverage, scored 32 in his playoff debut.
But the two were far less effective in Game 2. Duncan finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Robinson had 23 points and 16 boards. Most of their offense came late when the Suns stopped pressuring them on the post.
At one point late in the first half, the Spurs’ duo had four points and six turnovers between them.
“The Suns found a way to stop our big guys today,” Duncan said. “They came quickly and they came hard (with the double teams). We have to find ways to get it done like we did in the first game.”
In some instances, the Spurs capitalized on the Suns’ rotations and scored easy baskets. Their 50.7 percent shooting as a team was evidence that they had some success. Johnson’s quick strikes on drives to the basket and running hooks were also helpful.
But the turnovers gave the Suns too many opportunities. They hit 40 of 82 shots for 48.8 percent from the field. And they became the first team since Detroit on March 25 to score more than 100 on the Spurs, ranked No. 1 in the league in defense.
“I’m never pleased with the defensive effort,” Popovich said. “But really, the energy we displayed was great. The execution was a different matter. I think we can execute a lot better than we did in the first two games.”
By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News