马刺1997-98赛季实录（680+篇）

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-28, By Johnny Ludden

第四场还有很多座位 - 周三的比赛还有 8000 张票

截至周一开球前，周三晚上的第四场还有 8000 多张票。球迷可以在今天和周三上午 8 点到下午 6 点到阿拉莫体育馆的票务处购买门票。

周三的比赛将在晚上 7 点开始。

周一晚上的比赛预计会售罄，在开球前四个小时只剩下不到 400 张票。自从 1995 年对阵丹佛的系列赛以来，马刺队还没有售罄过 20,000 人以上的首轮比赛。

• 马刺队对阵太阳队的赛后笔记：高尔夫球手菲尔·米克尔森(Phil Mickelson) 周一晚上出现在阿拉莫体育馆，他是太阳队的球迷。

米克尔森就读于亚利桑那州立大学，是菲尼克斯太阳队的季票持有者。

• 菲尼克斯队的中锋奥拉西奥·利亚马斯(Horacio Llamas) 是 NBA 历史上第一位出生于墨西哥的球员。

身高 6 英尺 11 英寸的利亚马斯出生于西诺拉的埃尔罗萨里奥，就读于大峡谷大学。太阳队去年 2 月与他签署了一份自由球员合同。由于背部伤痛等一系列伤病，他本赛季只打了 8 场比赛。

菲尼克斯队没有将利亚马斯列入他们的季后赛名单，而是选择了后卫马可·米利奇(Marko Milic) 和老将中锋迈克·布朗(Mike Brown)。

布朗是一名 12 年的老将，过去三个赛季只打了 15 场 NBA 比赛，他于 4 月 18 日加入太阳队，专为季后赛而战。

• 马刺队前锋查克·珀森(Chuck Person) 对邓肯被评为 NBA 年度最佳新秀的消息做出了假装惊讶的反应。

“他赢了？”珀森问道。“我还以为是基思·范霍恩(Keith Van Horn) 赢了呢。”

点击查看原文：Lots of seats left for Game 4 - 8,000 tickets still available for Wednesday's encounter

Lots of seats left for Game 4 - 8,000 tickets still available for Wednesday’s encounter

More than 8,000 tickets remained for Wednesday night’s Game 4 prior to tipoff Monday. Fans can purchase tickets at the Alamodome ticket office today and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday’s tipoff is 7 p.m.

Monday night’s game was expected to sell out, with less than 400 tickets remaining four hours before tipoff. The Spurs had not sold out a first-round game of 20,000 or more since the 1995 series against Denver.

- Spurs-Suns notes: PGA Tour member Phil Mickelson was among the Suns’ fans in attendance Monday night at the Alamodome.

Mickelson attended Arizona State and is a season ticket-holder for Phoenix.

- Phoenix center Horacio Llamas is the first Mexico-born player in the NBA’s history.

The 6-foot-11 Llamas, who was born in El Rosario, Sinola, attended Grand Canyon University. The Suns signed him to a free-agent contract last February. He appeared in only eight games this season because of an assortment of injuries that included a sore back.

Phoenix did not put Llamas on their playoff roster, electing to go with guard Marko Milic and journeyman center Mike Brown.

Brown, a 12-year veteran who has appeared in just 15 NBA games the past three seasons, joined the Suns on April 18 exclusively for the playoffs.

- Spurs forward Chuck Person reacted with mock surprise to the news that Duncan had been named NBA Rookie of the Year.

“He won?” Person asked. “I thought Keith Van Horn won.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-28, By Kevin O’Keeffe

麦克戴斯在菲尼克斯的决胜局中发威

安东尼·麦克戴斯(Antonio McDyess)在太阳队将比赛掌控局面的过程中完成了一次扣篮，随后他“瞪视”了大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)。

这场面持续的时间并不长……只有几秒钟。但这不是一个非常高雅的举动，尽管双方没有进行言语上的交流。

我想麦克戴斯是想确保罗宾逊注意到他以及他的表现。这对这位三年级的前锋来说非常重要，因为首轮季后赛系列赛在周一晚上于阿拉莫穹顶继续进行。

麦克戴斯，绰号“骰子”，这是他首次参加季后赛系列赛，在太阳队以 108-101 获胜后的周日比赛中，他承认自己在第一场比赛中注意力分散，那场比赛太阳队输了，马刺队的蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)砍下了 32 分。

“所有围绕（邓肯）的炒作，我想说这让我有点困扰，”麦克戴斯在第三场比赛开始前说道。“而且，说实话，整个季后赛需要一段时间来适应。我承认我有点紧张。”

如果他没有感到紧张，那他就不算个人。

麦克戴斯在前两个赛季在丹佛掘金队效力，他习惯了在四月份的时候已经回到密西西比州奎特曼的家。

麦克戴斯听说并读到过 NBA 季后赛是不同级别的比赛。在第一场比赛中表现挣扎——14 分，6 个篮板——麦克戴斯在第二场比赛中做好了更好的准备。

从一开始就展现出来了，他在首节比赛的前 6 分钟内就拿到了 6 分和 6 个篮板。

“我感觉很自信，”麦克戴斯说，在比赛结束后，他似乎比面对邓肯和罗宾逊时更难以应对四位记者在他衣柜旁的提问。

“有人必须站出来帮助我们，”麦克戴斯说，指的是太阳队最佳球员丹尼·曼宁(Danny Manning)因膝伤缺席整个赛季。

最令人印象深刻的是，在周六下午美国西部球馆的最后一节比赛中，麦克戴斯在太阳队连续五次进攻中的四次得分，从而化解了马刺队的反攻势头。

“我是不是打得更好了？”麦克戴斯重复了一个问题。“我不确定我是不是打得更好，但我更有信心了。”

这从 4 月 10 日湖人队在洛杉矶赢得一场重要比赛时他个人生涯最高的 37 分表现中就可以看出来，那是太阳队在没有曼宁的情况下进行的第一场比赛。

为什么麦克戴斯，一位从阿拉巴马州提前进入 NBA 的球员，会成为“四月先生”？到目前为止，他的场均得分、篮板、盖帽和抢断分别达到了队内最高的 19.3 分、7.1 个、2.1 次和 1.8 次。他的场均上场时间略低于 33 分钟。

“本赛季的前 15 场比赛，”太阳队主教练丹尼·安吉(Danny Ainge)说，“（麦克戴斯）可能是队中最糟糕的球员。他根本不值得我给他那么多上场时间。”

如今，安吉谈到这位新晋进步的麦克戴斯时说，“这很愉快。”

从自私的角度来看，麦克戴斯无法选择一个比现在更好的时机来提升状态，因为他的合同将在季后赛结束后到期。他希望加入年薪达到 1 亿美元的球员俱乐部。

据丹佛出版的报道，麦克戴斯和他的经纪人阿恩·特勒姆(Arn Tellem)已经拒绝了掘金队提供的为期六年的 7000 万美元的续约合同，掘金队在 10 月份将其交易。

“当我刚到（菲尼克斯）的时候，”麦克戴斯说，“我给自己施加了很大的压力。我想打出精彩表现，我还想让球队因为交易而看起来不错。当你这么想并且打得不好时，压力只会更大。”

但那些日子似乎已经过去了。

“我更放松了，对自己的比赛也更有信心了，”麦克戴斯说。“就像我说的，我是一个更有自信的球员。”

当然，也是一个更好的球员。

点击查看原文：'Dice' on roll down stretch for Phoenix

‘Dice’ on roll down stretch for Phoenix

Punctuating a dunk as the Suns were in the process of putting Game 2 out of reach for the Spurs, Antonio McDyess gave “The Stare” to David Robinson.

It didn’t last long … only a few seconds. But it wasn’t a particularly classy move, although no words were exchanged.

I guess McDyess wanted to make sure Robinson noticed who he was and what he did. That’s important to third-year forward as the first- round playoff series continued at the Alamodome late Monday night.

McDyess, nicknamed “Dice” and playing in his first postseason series, admitted after his 21-point, 11-rebound performance in the Suns’ 108-101 victory on Sunday that he was distracted in Game 1, a Suns loss highlighted by a 32- point game from the Spurs’ Tim Duncan.

“All of the hype (Duncan) was getting, I guess that bothered me,” McDyess said before tipoff of Game 3. “And, really, the whole playoff thing took a little getting used to. I’ll admit I was a little nervous.”

He wouldn’t have been human had he not been.

Having spent the first two years of his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets, McDyess was used to being already home in Quitman, Miss., by this time in April.

McDyess heard and read about the NBA playoffs being a different level of play. After struggling through Game 1 - 14 points, six rebounds - McDyess was better prepared in Game 2.

It showed from the outset as he had six points and six rebounds before the opening quarter was six minutes old.

“I felt confident,” said McDyess, who appeared to have more trouble dealing with the four-deep group of reporters by his locker after the game than dealing with Duncan and Robinson during it.

“Somebody has to step up for us,” said McDyess, referring to the absence of the Suns’ best player, Danny Manning, who is out for the year with a knee injury.

What was most impressive was that in the final period Saturday afternoon at America West Arena, McDyess scored on four of five Phoenix possessions to stave off a Spurs rally.

“Am I a better player?” said McDyess, repeating a question. “I’m not sure I’m better, but I am more confident.”

That was evidenced by a career- high 37-point showing April 10 when the Lakers captured a huge game in Los Angeles, the Suns’ first without Manning.

Why McDyess, who left Alabama early for the NBA, has been Mr. April thus far. He’s averaged a team-high 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.8 steals. He is averaging just less than 33 minutes per game.

“The first 15 games this season,” said Suns coach Danny Ainge, “(McDyess) might have been the worst player on the team. He didn’t deserve the minutes I was giving him.”

Today, Ainge says of the new, improved McDyess, “It’s pleasant.”

From a selfish standpoint, McDyess couldn’t pick a better time to heat up since his contract ends at the conclusion of the playoffs. He’d like to reach the $100 million contract club.

According to published reports in Denver, McDyess and his agent, Arn Tellem, already had turned down a six-year, $70-million deal to stay with the Nuggets, who traded him in October.

“When I first arrived (in Phoenix),” McDyess said, “I put a lot of pressure on myself. I wanted to look good, and I wanted the organization to look good for the trade. When you do that and have a bad game, well, that just makes the pressure even worse.”

But those days seem long ago.

“I’m relaxing more and feeling better about my game,” McDyess said. “Like I said, I’m a more confident player.”

And a better player, too.

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

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-28, By Jerry Briggs

邓肯获得应得的荣誉

马刺队前锋蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)，身穿一件宽松的米色T恤和短裤，在周一下午的新闻发布会上走上讲台，有些不好意思地问了一个问题，对象是没人：“我需要演讲吗？”

一排微型摄像机嗡嗡作响。媒体记者们拿着笔记本和录音机坐好，准备记录下也许是球队历史上最不令人惊讶的事情。

邓肯，这位22岁的美属维尔京群岛人，刚刚获得了埃迪·戈特利布奖杯，成为当年的NBA年度最佳新秀。他整理了一下思绪，向帮助他实现目标的人表达了简短的敬意。

“我要感谢我的队友、教练组和所有让我保持理智的人，”邓肯说。

邓肯在常规赛中一路高歌猛进，带领球队取得了56场胜利，并且每天似乎都将比赛水平提升一个档次，这令马刺球迷欣喜若狂。

“我很幸运，因为我不用来拯救球队，”他说。“这里已经有很多很棒的球员。我只需要融入球队，学习如何打球。”

到四月，邓肯已经学会了如何统治球场。多位联盟观察员将他列为最有价值球员的候选人，并认为他最有希望入选NBA年度最佳阵容一阵。

邓肯表示，他希望在职业生涯的某个时候能够获得MVP奖杯。

“我认为每个人都有这样的梦想，”他说。“我希望能够不断进步，并取得这样的成功，当然。”

年度最佳新秀的投票毫无悬念。邓肯从遍布美国和加拿大的体育记者和播音员组成的评审团中获得了116票中的113票（97.4%）。

新泽西篮网队前锋基思·范霍恩(Keith Van Horn)以三票排名第二。邓肯的胜利是自1992-93赛季沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)获得98%的选票以来的最大优势。

“基思今年表现出色，”邓肯说。“他带伤作战。我认为，也许我表现得更加稳定。如果他保持健康，结果可能会不一样。”

邓肯是上个夏天NBA选秀大会上的状元秀，他平均每场得分21.1分，篮板11.9个，助攻2.7次，盖帽2.51次。投篮命中率54.9%，场均出场时间是39.1分钟。

作为状元秀加入联盟，邓肯希望证明自己的价值。

“这是我一直以来的愿望，”他说。“这绝对是我的目标之一，我想要实现它。”

马刺队教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)表示，他从未遇到过与邓肯有关的任何影响球队化学反应的问题。波波维奇特别提到了中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)，这位前年度最佳新秀和MVP，是帮助邓肯的天赋发展和绽放的关键人物。

“他们都支持他，”波波维奇说。“他们希望他迅速成长，尤其是大卫。那是戴夫的性格。他希望他成功。”

到了四月，邓肯已经成为马刺队进攻的核心人物。在常规赛最后一个月中的九场比赛中，这位身高6英尺11英寸的前锋场均得到27分，12个篮板和2.56次盖帽。

“他是我见过的最好的新秀，”西雅图队教练乔治·卡尔(George Karl)最近说。“我在回想，是的，我认为他是最好的……他是一个安静的杀手……在比赛的各个方面都很娴熟。”

菲尼克斯太阳队的老将约翰·“热棒”·威廉姆斯(John “Hot Rod” Williams)说，在他看来，邓肯应该入选NBA年度最佳阵容一阵。

“我在联盟待了13年，但我从未见过有人像他一样在低位打球，”威廉姆斯说。“他在左侧低位打，在右侧低位打，他可以运球突破，可以用左手，也可以用右手。他投跳投，传球——无所不能。”

上个夏天，邓肯刻苦练习他的左手勾手。

“在我大学最后一年，我的教练（维克森林大学的戴夫·奥多姆(Dave Odom)）对我真的很严格，”邓肯说。“他说，‘你必须学会使用（左手），否则你无法提升到下一个水平。’所以我整个夏天都在练习，直到我能够在比赛中使用它。

“它（有帮助）。以前，人们会让我偏向一边，迫使我去证明自己。现在，他们不得不更加正面地防守我。这对我很大的帮助。”

波波维奇预测，邓肯在不久的将来会掌握更多的技巧。

“他会从很多方面得到提升，”波波维奇说。“因为他像魔术师·约翰逊(Magic Johnson)一样，想要提升自己的技术。艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)是另一个例子。艾弗里是每年夏天都会提升自己技术的人。我认为蒂姆也会这样。

“没有人认为魔术师能够投三分球。蒂姆拥有同样的竞争精神。他想要成为最棒的球员。”

历届年度最佳新秀获奖者

1953年：唐·迈尼克(Don Meineke)，韦恩堡队

1954年：雷·费利克斯(Ray Felix)，巴尔的摩队

1955年：鲍勃·佩蒂特(Bob Pettit)，密尔沃基队

1956年：莫里斯·斯托克斯(Maurice Stokes)，罗切斯特队

1957年：汤姆·海因索恩(Tom Heinsohn)，波士顿队

1958年：伍迪·索尔兹贝里(Woody Sauldsberry)，费城队

1959年：埃尔金·贝勒(Elgin Baylor)，明尼阿波利斯队

1960年：威尔特·张伯伦(Wilt Chamberlain)，费城队

1961年：奥斯卡·罗伯特森(Oscar Robertson)，辛辛那提队

1962年：沃尔特·贝拉米(Walt Bellamy)，芝加哥队

1963年：特里·迪斯金格(Terry Dischinger)，芝加哥队

1964年：杰里·卢卡斯(Jerry Lucas)，辛辛那提队

1965年：威利斯·里德(Willis Reed)，纽约队

1966年：里克·巴里(Rick Barry)，旧金山队

1967年：戴夫·宾(Dave Bing)，底特律队

1968年：厄尔·门罗(Earl Monroe)，巴尔的摩队

1969年：韦斯·昂塞尔德(Wes Unseld)，巴尔的摩队

1970年：勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)，密尔沃基队

1971年：戴夫·考恩斯(Dave Cowens)，波士顿队和杰夫·佩特里(Geoff Petrie)，波特兰队

1972年：西德尼·威克斯(Sidney Wicks)，波特兰队

1973年：鲍勃·迈卡杜(Bob McAdoo)，布法罗队

1974年：厄尼·迪格雷戈里奥(Ernie DiGregorio)，布法罗队

1975年：基思·威尔克斯(Keith Wilkes)，金州队

1976年：阿尔文·亚当斯(Alvan Adams)，菲尼克斯队

1977年：阿德里安·丹特利(Adrian Dantley)，布法罗队

1978年：沃尔特·戴维斯(Walter Davis)，菲尼克斯队

1979年：菲尔·福特(Phil Ford)，堪萨斯城队

1980年：拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)，波士顿队

1981年：达雷尔·格里菲斯(Darrell Griffith)，犹他队

1982年：巴克·威廉姆斯(Buck Williams)，新泽西队

1983年：特里·卡明斯(Terry Cummings)，圣地亚哥队

1984年：拉尔夫·萨姆森(Ralph Sampson)，休斯顿队

1985年：迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)，芝加哥队

1986年：帕特里克·尤因(Patrick Ewing)，纽约队

1987年：查克·珀森(Chuck Person)，印第安纳队

1988年：马克·杰克逊(Mark Jackson)，纽约队

1989年：米奇·里奇蒙德(Mitch Richmond)，金州队

1990年：大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)，圣安东尼奥队

1991年：德里克·科尔曼(Derrick Coleman)，新泽西队

1992年：拉里·约翰逊(Larry Johnson)，夏洛特队

1993年：沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)，奥兰多队

1994年：克里斯·韦伯(Chris Webber)，金州队

1995年：格兰特·希尔(Grant Hill)，底特律队和杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)，达拉斯队

1996年：达蒙·斯塔德迈尔(Damon Stoudamire)，多伦多队

1997年：艾伦·艾弗森(Allen Iverson)，费城队

1998年：蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)，圣安东尼奥队。

点击查看原文：Duncan receives his just reward

Duncan receives his just reward

Spurs forward Tim Duncan, dressed in a loose-fitting, beige T-shirt and shorts, stepped to the podium at a Monday afternoon news conference and asked a sheepish question to no one in particular.

“Do I give a speech or something?”

A bank of minicams whirred. The media sat with notepads and tape recorders poised, ready to chronicle perhaps the least-surprising development in the team’s history.

Duncan, a 22-year-old native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, had just been presented with the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the NBA Rookie of the Year. He gathered his thoughts and offered a short tribute to the people who helped him achieve one of his goals.

“I’d like to thank my teammates and coaching staff and everyone who kept me sane this year,” Duncan said.

Duncan drove Spurs fans crazy with delight as he progressed through the regular season, carrying the team to 56 victories and seemingly raising the level of his performances each day.

“I was fortunate because I didn’t have to come in and save the team,” he said. “There were great players who were already here. All I had to do was fit in and learn my way.”

By April, Duncan had learned to domi- nate. He was being mentioned by several league observers as a most valuable player candidate and a serious contender for All- NBA first- team recognition.

Duncan said he hoped he could win the MVP trophy at some point in his career.

“I think everyone has that dream,” he said. “I’d hope to be able to improve and succeed to that point, definitely.”

The rookie of the year voting was no contest. Duncan received 113 out of a possible 116 votes (97.4 percent) from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

New Jersey Nets forward Keith Van Horn finished second with three votes. Duncan’s victory was the biggest landslide since Shaquille O’Neal received 98 percent in 1992-93.

“Keith had a great year,” Duncan said. “He played through a lot of injuries. I think maybe I just had a more consistent year. It might have been different if he had been healthy.”

Duncan, the first selection in the NBA draft last summer, averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.51 blocked shots during the regular season. He shot 54.9 percent from the field in 39.1 minutes.

Coming into the league as the top pick, Duncan wanted to prove his worth.

“This was a long time coming,” he said. “It was definitely a goal of mine, something I wanted to achieve.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he never had to deal with any Duncan-related problems involving team chemistry. Popovich singled out center David Robinson, a former rookie of the year and MVP, as a player instrumental in helping Duncan’s talents develop and blossom.

“They all rooted for him,” Popovich said. “They wanted him to come on quickly, particularly David. That’s Dave’s personality. He wanted him to succeed.”

By April, Duncan had become the focal point of the Spurs’ offensive attack. In nine games during the last month of the regular season, the 6-foot-11 forward averaged 27 points, 12 rebounds and 2.56 blocks.

“He’s the best rookie I’ve ever seen,” Seattle coach George Karl said recently. “I’m thinking back and, yes, I would say he’s the best. … He’s a quiet assassin … skilled in all aspects of the game.”

Phoenix Suns veteran John “Hot Rod” Williams said Duncan should be a first- team All-NBA selection, in his estimation.

“I’ve been in the league 13 years, and I haven’t seen nobody else play on the block like he does,” Williams said. “He plays on the left block, the right block, he can drive the ball and use his left hand, right hand. He shoots the jump shot, passes the ball - everything.”

Last summer, Duncan worked extensively on his left-handed hook shot.

“In my last year in college, my coach (Wake Forest’s Dave Odom) really got on me,” Duncan said. "He said, ‘You can’t get to the next level until you learn how to use that (left hand).’ So I worked on it the whole summer to get to the point where I could use it in the games.

“It has (helped). Used to be, people played you to one side and made me try to prove it. Now, they have to play me a little more square. That’s been a big help to me.”

Popovich predicted that Duncan would add more tricks to his arsenal in the near future.

'He’ll improve in a lot of ways," Popovich said. "Because he’s a guy like Magic Johnson, who wants to add to his game. Avery Johnson is another guy. Avery is a guy whose added to his game every summer. I think Tim will do the same thing.

“Nobody thought Magic would be able to shoot a three-point shot. Tim’s got the same sort of competitive spirit. He wants to be the best.”

Past Rookie of the Year Winners

1953: Don Meineke, Fort Wayne

1954: Ray Felix, Baltimore

1955: Bob Pettit, Milwaukee

1956: Maurice Stokes, Rochester

1957: Tom Heinsohn, Boston

1958: Woody Sauldsberry, Philadelphia

1959: Elgin Baylor, Minneapolis

1960: Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia

1961: Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati

1962: Walt Bellamy, Chicago

1963: Terry Dischinger, Chicago

1964: Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati

1965: Willis Reed, New York

1966: Rick Barry, San Francisco

1967: Dave Bing, Detroit

1968: Earl Monroe, Baltimore

1969: Wes Unseld, Baltimore

1970: Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee

1971: Dave Cowens, Boston and Geoff Petrie, Portland

1972: Sidney Wicks, Portland

1973: Bob McAdoo, Buffalo

1974: Ernie DiGregorio, Buffalo

1975: Keith Wilkes, Golden State

1976: Alvan Adams, Phoenix

1977: Adrian Dantley, Buffalo

1978: Walter Davis, Phoenix

1979: Phil Ford, Kansas City

1980: Larry Bird, Boston

1981: Darrell Griffith, Utah

1982: Buck Williams, New Jersey

1983: Terry Cummings, San Diego

1984: Ralph Sampson, Houston

1985: Michael Jordan, Chicago

1986: Patrick Ewing, New York

1987: Chuck Person, Indiana

1988: Mark Jackson, New York

1989: Mitch Richmond, Golden State

1990: David Robinson, San Antonio

1991: Derrick Coleman, New Jersey

1992: Larry Johnson, Charlotte

1993: Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando

1994: Chris Webber, Golden State

1995: Grant Hill, Detroit and Jason Kidd, Dallas

1996: Damon Stoudamire, Toronto

1997: Allen Iverson, Philadelphia

1998: Tim Duncan, San Antonio.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-28, By Kevin O’Keeffe

杰克逊远距离主导“恋情”

在系列比赛中，哪支球队的阵地赛预计会更有优势？

根据专家的说法，太阳队。

根据首轮决战第三场比赛后的统计数据显示，是马刺队。

由于时来运转，马刺队距离晋级季后赛第二轮仅差一场胜利。

马刺队的第五场比赛将于周三晚上在阿拉莫穹顶球场举行。

没错……马刺队的第五场比赛将于周三晚上举行。

对于太阳队来说，这可能是第四场比赛，但马刺队需要在周三晚上终结比赛，因为周日返回菲尼克斯对马刺队来说会很危险。

当然，如果马刺队的外线球员——贾伦·杰克逊、查克·帕森和文尼·德尔·内格罗——继续保持周一晚上的出色表现，那么马刺队将在周末休息。

“更衣室里的每个人都会在周三晚上拿出同样的强度，”帕森说，他三分球7投3中的表现令人惊叹，考虑到他的背部疼痛给他带来的痛苦。

但在马刺队100-88获胜的那场胜利中，有很多英雄，而他们最年轻的英雄被评为NBA年度最佳新秀。

蒂姆·邓肯，他应该考虑成为最有价值球员，在赛前仪式中高高举起奖杯，让阿拉莫穹顶球场的20486名球迷兴奋起来。

当马刺队从一开始就控制比赛节奏，派出更小的阵容——杰克逊作为小前锋首发，德尔·内格罗作为得分后卫——这让太阳队感到沮丧。

杰克逊击败了太阳队的控球后卫杰森·基德，后者在第一节得了6分，但只有一个助攻。

当然，当你的队友没有命中投篮时，很难得到助攻。

太阳队太糟糕了，以至于在下半场他们只有29%的命中率。

而且，“出色的外线团队”的三分球命中率只有2投11中。其中一个三分球是由乔治·麦克劳德投进的，而问题已经不再是疑虑。

对于太阳队来说，特别奇怪的是，他们坚持一个小阵容，但没有进行包夹或紧逼——你会认为一支球队会用这样的阵容来采取这样的行动。

太阳队教练丹尼·安吉给了很多机会来猜测他在本系列赛中的策略。

然而，在周一晚上，安吉是一个绝望的人，试图找到一个能命中投篮的人。他的领先得分手雷克斯·查普曼9投1中。

马刺队周一晚上的唯一担心是确保他们在这场系列赛最重要的比赛中打出他们系列赛中的最佳战绩。

他们做到了。

杰克逊象征着马刺队的成功。

他5投4中的三分球表现让他以职业生涯季后赛最佳的18分结束了比赛。

“你爱谁？”杰克逊在回到球场接受赛后采访时自言自语道。

留在主场的人向杰克逊展示了他是他们所爱的人。

杰克逊说：“球迷们今晚就是区别。”“他们一直伴随我们左右，我们需要他们周三再到场。”

杰克逊从未放弃，尽管参加了比耐克代表更多的NBA训练营，但他错过了在周六的第二场比赛中成为英雄的机会，当时他的三分球偏出篮筐。

那将把比赛打成104平，并可能给马刺队一个以2-0领先离开菲尼克斯的机会。

杰克逊说：“当我们回到圣安东尼奥时，我就不再想那次投篮了。”“那是一次很好的投篮。我会再投一次。它只是没有投进。”

在周一晚上，很多球都投进了——三分球命中率为53.8%。

帕森说：“我们外线的表现全年都不稳定。”

周一有所提升。

这就是为什么太阳队可能在周三出局。

点击查看原文：Jackson keys long-distance 'love' affair

Jackson keys long-distance ‘love’ affair

Now, which team in this series was supposed to have the better perimeter game?

According to the pundits, it was the Suns.

According to the stat sheet following Game 3 of the opening- round duel, it was the Spurs.

And because of that reversal of fortune, the Spurs are one win away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

Game 5 for the Spurs is Wednesday night in the Alamodome.

That’s right … Game 5 for the Spurs is Wednesday night.

For the Suns, it may be Game 4, but the Spurs need to end things Wednesday night because a return trip to Phoenix on Sunday would be hazardous to the Spurs.

Of course, should the Spurs’ perimeter men - Jaren Jackson, Chuck Person and Vinny Del Negro - continue their superior play from Monday night, the Spurs should have the weekend off.

“Everyone in this locker room will come out with the same intensity Wednesday night,” said Person, whose 3-for-7 reading from behind the arc is awesome considering the pain his back is causing him.

But there were heroes aplenty in the Spurs’ 100-88 victory on a night when their youngest hero was honored as NBA Rookie of the Year.

Tim Duncan, who deserves consideration for MVP, got the 20,486 in the Alamodome in the mood by raising his trophy high above his head in a pregame ceremony.

The patrons’ cheering was only beginning as the Spurs controlled the tempo of the game from the outset, utilizing a smaller lineup - Jackson started at small forward and Del Negro at shooting guard - to frustrate the Suns.

Jackson drew Suns point guard Jason Kidd, who had six points in the first quarter, but had but one assist.

Of course, it’s difficult to get assists when your teammates aren’t hitting shots.

So pathetic were the Suns that they managed only a 29 percent reading from the floor in the second half.

And, the “superior perimeter team” was but 2 for 11 from three- point range. One of those treys was by George McCloud when the issue was no longer in doubt.

What was particularly odd for the Suns was that they stuck with a small lineup, but did not trap or press - things you’d figure a team would do with such an alignment.

Suns coach Danny Ainge has given many a chance to second- guess his strategy in this series.

Monday night, though, Ainge was a desperate man, trying to find someone who could hit a shot. His leading scorer, Rex Chapman, was 1 for 9.

The only worry the Spurs had Monday night was to make sure they played their best game of the series in the most important game of the series.

They did.

And Jackson epitomized the Spurs’ success.

His 4-for-5 reading from three- point range sparked him to a career-playoff best 18-point game.

“Who do you love?” Jackson sang to himself as he walked back onto the floor for a postgame interview.

Those who remained in the dome showed Jackson he was the one they loved.

“The fans were the difference tonight,” Jackson said. “They were with us from the beginning and we need them to be there again Wednesday.”

Jackson, who never quit despite being to more NBA camps than the Nike representative, just missed being the hero in Game 2 on Saturday when his trey skidded off the rim.

That would have tied the game at 104 and might have given the Spurs the chance to leave Phoenix up 2-0.

“I stopped thinking about that shot when we got back to San Antonio,” Jackson said. “It was a good shot. I’d shoot it again. It just didn’t fall.”

Monday night, many fell - 53.8 percent from three-point range.

“Our perimeter game has been in and out all year,” Person said.

It was in Monday.

Which is why the Suns may be out Wednesday.

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

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-28, By Buck Harvey

与戴夫共舞：职业生涯的舞步

我不知道他们星期一对他说了什么，但我知道这个赛季他们对他说过什么。他们让大卫·罗宾逊休息，并像对待其他人一样对待他。

有时罗宾逊想知道他们在谈论什么，并且几乎每次他都会做出回应。所以星期一——当罗宾逊罚球不中，上篮不进并恰好为马刺队提供他们想要的能量时——那一晚对他的职业生涯舞步和他的教练来说意义重大。

“今晚大卫是一个怪物，”格雷格·波波维奇说。

这个怪物吓了教练们十年了。罗宾逊赢得了所有可能的奖项，但即使是那些奖项也挂在他身上。星期一，罗宾逊轻描淡写地说这件事。当蒂姆·邓肯收到他年度最佳新秀奖杯时，罗宾逊说他想起了他自己的奖杯。他记得这些事情总是让他分心。

罗宾逊一边摇头一边说：“人们为你鼓掌，拍你的后背。这让我忘记了我在做什么。”

没错。阿基姆·奥拉朱旺在1995年西部决赛中几乎夺走了罗宾逊的MVP奖杯并用它猛击了他。

所以教练们看到了这种困惑并试图解决它，每个人解决的方式各不相同。拉里·布朗指导他，约翰·卢卡斯赋予他权力，鲍勃·希尔恳求他。据消息来源称，杰里·塔卡尼安认出了他。

罗宾逊在周六的失利中得到23分和16个篮板，这还不够。教练们想要更多，以及他意识到这一时刻的迹象。所以每个教练都以自己的方式尝试过，并且每个人都取得了一定的成功。这可能是卢卡斯最大的成就。波波维奇总是这么说。

波波维奇带着自己的想法来了。他一直认为罗宾逊需要确信防守最重要，当邓肯带着奥拉朱旺的背身动作到来时，这一点就更有意义了。因此，当罗宾逊在这个赛季没有做到这一点时，波波维奇让他坐在替补席上，就像他是卡尔·赫雷拉一样。

这并不是唯一被弯曲的肘部。维尼·德尔·内格罗可能和任何人一样想念鲍勃·希尔的体系。所以当马刺队找到一名名叫贾伦·杰克逊的强悍后卫来接替德尔·内格罗的部分时间时，他也被调整了。星期一可能也显示了这一点，当德尔·内格罗与杰克逊一起在新的阵容中首发。德尔·内格罗这个赛季的表现是否有所改善？

尽管如此，罗宾逊的舞步从未见过这些舞步。以前从未有人这样对待罗宾逊。

这次没有发生如此剧烈的事情，根据罗宾逊的说法是这样。只是通常的提醒。所以罗宾逊以一次突破、失手、跟进和扣篮开始。封盖克里夫·罗宾逊。进入安东尼奥·麦克戴斯的视线。当第一节比赛结束时，罗宾逊迫使克里夫·罗宾逊投出一个不可能作为技巧投篮尝试的弧线跳投。

罗宾逊将继续与邓肯进行一场精彩的高位挡拆配合，但数据从未反映出马刺队随后对他所说的。怪物？以防守这样的方式开场对马刺来说意味着什么？

“毫无疑问，”罗宾逊随后说。“我们已经利用我们的体型施压。所以如果我们以一个盖帽开场，如果我们盯着他们的射手，他们就会开始想，‘好吧，我们进不去。’我必须设定基调。”

他对这个想法很买账。意识到他需要做什么。于是万事都解决了。

现在到了星期三。

点击查看原文：Dancing with Dave: Steps of a career

Dancing with Dave: Steps of a career

I don’t know what they told him Monday, but I know what they told him this season. They sat David Robinson and treated him as they would anyone else.

Sometimes Robinson wondered what they were talking about, and almost all the time he responded. So Monday - when Robinson missed free throws, blew layups and provided precisely the energy the Spurs wanted - the night said as much about his career dance as it did his coach.

“David was a monster tonight,” said Gregg Popovich.

The monster has scared coaches for a decade. Robinson has won every award possible, yet even those have hung on him. Robinson made light of that Monday. When Tim Duncan received his rookie- of-the-year trophy, Robinson said he remembered his own. He remembered how these things always distracted him.

“People applaud you, slapping you on the back,” said Robinson, shaking his head. “It made me forget what I was doing.”

Nod. Hakeem Olajuwon all but took Robinson’s MVP trophy in the 1995 Western Conference finals and clubbed him with it.

So coaches saw the confusion and tried to solve it, each differently. Larry Brown instructed him, John Lucas empowered him and Bob Hill pleaded with him. Jerry Tarkanian, according to sources, recognized him.

Robinson getting 23 points and 16 rebounds, as he did in the loss on Saturday, has never been enough. Coaches have wanted more, as well as a sign that he realized the moment. So each coach has tried in his own way, and each has had some success. It might have been Lucas’ great achievement. Popovich always said that.

Popovich came at it with his own ideas. He always believed Robinson needed to be convinced that defense mattered most, which made even more sense when Duncan arrived with a made-by- Hakeem post-up moves. So when Robinson didn’t have it this season, Popovich put him on the bench as if he was Carl Herrera.

It wasn’t the only elbow-bending going on. Vinny Del Negro might have missed the Bob Hill system as much as anyone. So he got tweaked, too, when the Spurs found a rugged guard named Jaren Jackson to take some of Del Negro’s minutes. Monday might have showed the result of that as well, when Del Negro started with Jackson in a new lineup. Has Del Negro been better this season?

Still, the Robinson dance had never seen these steps. No one ever treated Robinson this way before.

Nothing so drastic happened this time, not according to Robinson. Just the usual reminders. So Robinson started with a drive, miss, follow and dunk. Blocked Cliff Robinson. Got in Antonio McDyess’ face. And when the first quarter ended, Robinson had forced Cliff Robinson to arc a jumper he wouldn’t have tried as a trick shot.

Robinson would go on to play a nice high-low game with Duncan, but the stats never reflected what the Spurs were saying about him afterward. Monster? Does starting this way on defense mean that much to the Spurs?

“No question,” said Robinson afterward. “We’re already imposing with our size. So if we start the game off with a block, if we stare down their shooters, they start thinking, ‘Well, we’re not getting much inside.’ I have to set that tone.”

He’s sold on the idea. Realizes what he needs to do. And so everything is solved.

Now comes Wednesday.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-28, By Johnny Ludden

备注

**现在购买：**截至周一开球前，周三晚上的第四场比赛还有超过 8000 张票。粉丝可以在今天和周三上午 8 点到下午 6 点之间在阿拉莫穹顶西南售票处购买门票。

周三开球时间为下午 7 点。

周一晚上的比赛预计会售罄，在开球前四个小时只剩下不到 400 张票。自 1995 年对阵丹佛的系列赛以来，马刺队还没有售罄过一场 20000 人或以上的首轮比赛。

**没有鸟儿在这里：**高尔夫球手菲尔·米克尔森(Phil Mickelson)是周一在穹顶观看比赛的太阳队球迷之一。米克尔森就读于亚利桑那州立大学，是菲尼克斯队的季票持有者。

**家门口：**菲尼克斯队的中锋奥拉西奥·利亚马斯(Horacio Llamas)是 NBA 历史上首位出生于墨西哥的球员。

这位身高 6 英尺 11 英寸的利亚马斯出生于西诺拉州埃尔罗萨里奥，就读于大峡谷大学。太阳队在去年 2 月与他签署了一份自由球员合同。本赛季他只打了 8 场比赛，因为各种伤病，包括背部疼痛。

菲尼克斯队没有将利亚马斯列入季后赛名单，而是选择让后卫马尔科·米利奇(Marko Milic)和老牌中锋迈克·布朗(Mike Brown)代替他。

布朗是 12 年的老将，过去三个赛季只打了 15 场 NBA 比赛，他连续第二年在 4 月 18 日加入太阳队，专为季后赛而战。他今年年初在意大利打球。

点击查看原文：Notes

Notes

Buy them now: More than 8,000 tickets remained for Wednesday night’s Game 4 before tipoff Monday. Fans can purchase tickets at the Alamodome’s southwest ticket office from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Wednesday.

Wednesday’s tipoff is 7 p.m.

Monday night’s game was expected to sell out with less than 400 tickets remaining four hours before tipoff. The Spurs had not sold out a first-round game of 20,000 or more since the 1995 series against Denver.

No birdies here: PGA Tour member Phil Mickelson was among the Suns’ fans in attendance Monday at the dome. Mickelson attended Arizona State and is a season-ticket holder for Phoenix.

Close to home: Phoenix center Horacio Llamas is the first Mexico- born player in NBA history.

The 6-foot-11 Llamas, who was born in El Rosario, Sinola, attended Grand Canyon University. The Suns signed him to a free-agent contract last February. He appeared in only eight games this season because of an assortment of injuries that included a sore back.

Phoenix did not include Llamas on its playoff roster, electing to go with guard Marko Milic and journeyman center Mike Brown instead.

Brown, a 12-year veteran who has appeared in just 15 NBA games the past three seasons, joined the Suns on April 18 exclusively for the playoffs for the second straight year. He spent the first part of the year playing in Italy. - Johnny Ludden

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-29, By Jerry Briggs

马刺欲主场淘汰太阳

马刺一直相信他们在季后赛第一轮可以战胜菲尼克斯太阳队。只是最近，他们自己的球迷才开始相信这一点。

在五场三胜制系列赛中，马刺队在首三场比赛中战胜了太阳队两次，士气高涨。今晚7点，他们将在阿拉莫穹顶进行主场决胜战。

“最后一步永远是最难的一步，”马刺中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)说，“这一步很艰难。你知道那些家伙，他们在第一场比赛结束后是怎样回应的。他们会全力以赴，并且会很兴奋。”

太阳队也将会拼尽全力。圣安东尼奥队获胜将使马刺队晋级西部半决赛，并将结束太阳队的赛季。

“这将是一场全新的比赛，”太阳队控球后卫杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)说。“我们已经在一起很久了，我们会团结一致。当我们背水一战时，这支球队有信心做到这一点。比赛还没结束。”

如果太阳队获胜，系列赛将回到菲尼克斯，将在周日进行第五场比赛，届时喧闹的美国西部球馆将成为战场。但马刺队的球迷预计将在今晚的第四场比赛中发挥重要作用，并且预计他们会发出巨大的声音。

“值得庆幸的是，我们将在主场作战，”罗宾逊说。“我们必须利用好这股势头。我们必须利用主场优势——第六人——然后全力以赴。”

在这个系列赛中，出现了比六十年代舞会还多的转折——7尺高的前锋在防守外线控球后卫，而控球后卫则在内线防守前锋——最引人入胜的可能是马刺球迷热情重新燃起的景象。

在常规赛结束时，球队官员低声说，他们希望他们能够在第一轮季后赛的比赛中售罄穹顶的底层座位。

周二，球队宣布他们将开放上层看台的北端座位，这将使今晚的观众人数达到26000-27000人。

“在菲尼克斯的第一场胜利（102-96）意义重大，”马刺队业务副总裁拉斯·布克宾德(Russ Bookbinder)说。“然后是第二场比赛结束时的反击（108-101失利）。球迷们想看到一支有竞争力的球队。”

此外，在季后赛中，马刺队场均得分达到了101分，这让他们在周一晚上以100-88战胜太阳队后赢得了球迷的欢呼。

尽管马刺队在常规赛中领跑联盟防守榜，但他们场均92.5分的得分让一些观众即使在轻松获胜时也昏昏欲睡。

“我们正在得分，而且我们还有像蒂姆(Duncan)这样的球员，”布克宾德说。“他带来了新的活力。我们有像大卫这样的球员，人们已经认识他了，然后你再加入像蒂姆这样的球员。这给了我们一剂强心剂。”

周一晚上，只有底层座位坐满了20486名观众，他们的声音是每个人都记得的。

“球迷们兴奋起来，声音很大，”太阳队前锋安东尼奥·麦克戴斯(Antonio McDyess)说。“然后，作为回应，马刺队也很快兴奋起来，打乱了我们的节奏。这肯定打乱了我的节奏。前三次出手，我都投了三不沾。”

罗宾逊说，他不认为太阳队会感到害怕。

“他们不会放弃，”他说。“这就是他们本赛季打得如此出色的原因。比赛还没结束。你只需要全力以赴，完成任务。”

基德说，人们对马刺队身高优势的夸大太过了。

“这与身高无关，”他说。“这取决于渴望和决心。这就是决定比赛的关键。”

上赛季，太阳队在三场比赛过后以2-1领先的情况下，在第一轮比赛中失利。他们最终输给了西雅图超音速队，超音速队在客场赢得了第四场比赛，并在主场的决赛中以3-2的比分获胜。

点击查看原文：On verge of eclipse Spurs look to deliver knockout blow at home against Suns

On verge of eclipse Spurs look to deliver knockout blow at home against Suns

The Spurs have believed all along they could handle the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs. Only recently, their own fans started to believe it as well.

Riding an emotional high after beating the Suns in two of the first three games in this best-of-five series, the Spurs will move in for the clincher at 7 tonight in the Alamodome.

“That last step is always the biggest step,” Spurs center David Robinson said. “It’s a hard one. You know those guys, how they responded after the first game. They’re going to come out, and they’re going be excited.”

The Suns also will be desperate. A San Antonio victory would vault the Spurs into the Western Conference semifinals - and end the Suns’ season.

“It’s a whole new day and a whole new game,” Suns point guard Jason Kidd said. “We’ve been together long enough to pull together. This team has the confidence to do that when our backs are up against the wall. This isn’t over.”

A Suns victory would send the series back to Phoenix and noisy America West Arena for Game 5 on Sunday. But Spurs fans are expected to have their say in the matter, and they are expected to say it with considerable volume tonight in Game 4.

“The one good thing, they’re on our home court,” Robinson said. “We’ve got to take advantage of the momentum. We’ve got to take advantage of the home crowd - the sixth man - and just go to work.”

In a series with more twists than a 1960s dance party - 7-foot forwards have defended point guards on the perimeter, and point guards have checked forwards in the post - the most intriguing may have been the rejuvenation of a lethargic Spurs fan base.

Near the end of the regular season, team officials whispered about how they hoped they could sell out the lower bowl of the dome for the first-round playoff games.

On Tuesday, the team announced it will open the north end of the upper section of seats, which would allow for a crowd of about 26,000- 27,000 tonight.

“The first win in Phoenix (102- 96) meant a lot,” said Russ Bookbinder, Spurs vice president of business. “Then there was the rally at the end of the second game (a 108-101 loss). The fans want to see a team that’s competitive.”

Also, the playoff Spurs are averaging a crowd-pleasing 101 points in the playoffs after whipping the Suns 100-88 Monday night.

Although the Spurs led the league in defense in the regular season, their 92.5-point average left some in attendance yawning even at runaway victories.

“We’re scoring, and we also have a guy like Tim (Duncan),” Bookbinder said. “He’s brought in some new life. We have players like David, who people already know, and then you add someone like Tim. It just gives us a spark.”

The crowd of 20,486, seated only in the lower bowl of the dome, was as loud as anyone could remember Monday night.

“The fans got into it and got loud,” Suns forward Antonio McDyess said. “Then, in response to that, the Spurs got into it quick and threw us off balance. It certainly threw me off balance. The first three plays, I was shooting airballs.”

Robinson said he didn’t think the Suns would be intimidated.

“They have no quit in them,” he said. “That’s why they’ve had a fantastic season. It’s not over. You’ve just got to come out and get the work done.”

Kidd said too much has been made of the Spurs’ height advantage over the Suns.

“It doesn’t come down to height,” he said. “It comes down to desire and determination. That’s what will decide it.”

Last season, the Suns lost in the first round when they led 2-1 after three games. They eventually fell to the Seattle SuperSonics, who captured Game 4 on the road and went on to clinch a 3-2 victory at home in the finale.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-29, By Staff Reports

Spurs-Suns Notes

- Hit and run: Avery Johnson was hit in the chin by a Rex Chapman elbow in the second quarter Monday night.

Chapman hit Johnson while trying to clear out with his forearm, but Johnson was called for the foul. He had to be moderately restrained from arguing with the official before being sent to the bench with his second foul.

“I had to apologize to the referee because I was really mad,” Johnson said. “I didn’t talk to him in my normal Avery Johnson-nice language.”

- Who’s the biscuit? Johnson was reunited with his longtime “Red Beans and Rice” side dish, Vinny Del Negro, in Monday night’s starting lineup. Jaren Jackson moved to small forward and Will Perdue came off the bench to make room for Del Negro.

“Vinny was getting a little jealous because since Jaren is my home boy, they started saying that Jaren and I was a little ‘Red Beans and Rice,’” Johnson said. "I told Jaren we have to be ‘Red Beans and Red Beans’ since he’s black. He’s not white.

“Vinny was getting kinda jealous so I think he want back to Pop and told him he wanted to get back to being ‘Rice’ again.”

- Clippers eye Hill: Former Spurs coach Bob Hill is being mentioned as a candidate for the Los Angeles Clippers’ head coaching vacancy. The Clippers fired Bill Fitch on April 20.

Hill has maintained his San Antonio residence since the Spurs fired him on Dec. 10, 1996.

- Del Negro hobbled: Spurs guard Vinny Del Negro said he twisted an ankle in Monday night’s game, but said he expected to play tonight. - Staff Reports

By Staff Reports, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-29, By Johnny Ludden

太阳队的射手们时间不多了

艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson) 说塞德里克·塞巴罗斯(Cedric Ceballos) 讨厌这个地方。深度感知很糟糕。视线很差。水枪里装满了水。还有乔治·格文(George Gervin)，30 英尺高，从房顶上用指尖挑篮。

塞巴罗斯会来到阿拉莫穹顶，抱怨和失误不断。不一定是按顺序。

最近，一家全国性杂志加入了这场争论，称阿拉莫穹顶是联盟中对于射手来说最糟糕的地方之一。(沙蒙德·威廉姆斯(Shammond Williams) 不在接受调查的人员之列。)

周一晚上，看起来太阳队认同了这种说法。菲尼克斯队仅命中了 11 次三分球中的 2 次，全场投篮命中率仅为 41.2%，他们在第三场比赛中输掉了比赛。

但与他们以前队友不同的是，太阳队目前的两位射手，雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman) 和乔治·麦克劳德(George McCloud) 拒绝将他们的困境归咎于阿拉莫穹顶。他们没有将此归因于逆风和视力不良，而是归咎于良好的防守、运气不好和腿筋受伤。

这种组合现在有可能结束菲尼克斯队的赛季。对于一支主要依靠中距离和外线投篮的球队来说，太阳队今晚在第四场比赛中的任务很明确。

“我们必须投篮命中，”麦克劳德说。“这是底线。”

菲尼克斯队在前两场比赛中做到了这一点，两场比赛的投篮命中率为 47.9%，远高于马刺队在常规赛中对对手的投篮命中率纪录 41.1%。在第二场比赛中，麦克劳德连续命中了 6 个三分球。

周一的情况完全不同。在决定性的第三节比赛中，圣安东尼奥队将菲尼克斯队的投篮命中率限制在 19 投 5 中 (26.3%)。在那段时间内，马刺队将领先优势从两分扩大到 12 分，太阳队错失了 7 次 17 英尺到 26 英尺之间的投篮。

当他们在外线命中时，太阳队能够打出快节奏的比赛，从而抵消了马刺队在身高上的优势。

“我们必须命中外线投篮，才能将比赛保持在快节奏的对抗中，”麦克劳德说。“昨天的比赛中，所有我们需要的那些松球和二次进攻机会，我们都没有把握住。我们无法打出转换进攻。”

查普曼的左腿筋受伤并没有帮助。他错失了最后 8 次投篮，并且在第四节全场都没有上场。查普曼接受了针灸治疗，并花费了一些时间在氧气室里加速愈合，但周二他的伤势仍存在问题，他能否出战今晚的比赛尚待观察。

“我得到了不错的投篮机会，”查普曼说。“我只是感觉不太好。我的投篮没有力量。我想我可能比投篮更担心我的腿。

“圣安东尼奥队防守很好。我并不是要贬低他们。我不会找借口。”

太阳队主教练丹尼·安吉(Danny Ainge) 也没有。在观看比赛录像后，安吉表示菲尼克斯队糟糕的投篮表现可以用他们缺乏拼劲来解释。

“圣安东尼奥队在第三节比赛中压制了我们，我们没有很好地做出回应，”安吉说。“我认为我们认输了。我对此有点沮丧。我并不是说他们不应该这样做。这会发生在伟大的球队身上。

“你看过犹他在他们与休斯顿队的系列赛第一场比赛中的表现。我在一些夺冠的球队 (波士顿) 中打过球，这种情况也发生过。这也发生在芝加哥公牛队身上。”

但与公牛队不同的是，太阳队距离休假只有一场比赛。而且他们今晚回到了阿拉莫穹顶。

点击查看原文：Time running out on Suns' shooters

Time running out on Suns’ shooters

Avery Johnson said Cedric Ceballos hated the place. The depth perception was bad. The sight lines were faulty. The water cannons too full of water. Then there was George Gervin, 30 feet tall and finger rolling from the rafters.

Ceballos would come to the Alamodome to clang and complain. Not always in that order.

As recent as last week a national magazine joined the fray, calling the Alamodome one of the worst places in the league for shooters. (Shammond Williams was not among those polled.)

Monday night, it looked liked the Suns bought the argument. Phoenix hit only a pair of its 11 three- point attempts and shot 41.2 percent from the field overall in its Game 3 loss.

But unlike their former teammate, two of the Suns’ current gunners, Rex Chapman and George McCloud, refused to blame their troubles on the Alamodome. Instead of backdraft and bad vision, it was good defense, bad luck and a sore hamstring.

That combination now threatens to end Phoenix’s season. For a team that relies mainly on mid- range and perimeter jumpers, the Suns’ mission in Game 4 tonight is clear.

“We have to make shots,” McCloud said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Phoenix did in the first two games of the series, shooting a combined 47.9 percent, well above the NBA-record 41.1 percent the Spurs held opponents to during the regular season. In Game 2, McCloud knocked down six straight three-pointers.

It was a far different case Monday. San Antonio held Phoenix to 5 of 19 from the field (26.3 percent) in the decisive third quarter. During one stretch in the period when the Spurs increased their lead from two points to 12, the Suns missed seven shots from between 17 and 26 feet.

When they hit from the outside, the Suns are able to force an up- tempo game and negate some of the Spurs’ height advantage.

“We have to make our outside shots to keep the game in up-and- down situations,” McCloud said. “Yesterday’s game all the loose balls and all the second shots we needed to convert, we didn’t. We couldn’t get our transition game going.”

Chapman’s sore left hamstring didn’t help matters. He missed his last eight shots and didn’t play the entire fourth quarter. Chapman, who has undergone acupuncture and spent time inside an oxygenated chamber to speed the healing, was still having problems with the injury Tuesday and he is questionable for tonight.

“I was getting good looks,” Chapman said. "I just didn’t feel real good. I didn’t get any lift on my shot. I think I was probably thinking more about my leg than my shot.

“San Antonio played good defense. I’m not taking anything away from them. I’m not making excuses.”

Neither did Suns coach Danny Ainge. After reviewing the game film, Ainge said Phoenix’s poor shooting was more easily explained by the team’s lack of hustle.

“San Antonio took it to us in the third quarter and we didn’t respond very well,” Ainge said. "I thought we gave in. I’m a little discouraged by that. It’s not like I’m down on them. It’s not like I’m saying that should never happen. It happens to great teams.

“You saw Utah play that way in the first game of their series against Houston. I played on some championship teams (with Boston) where that happened. It happens to the Chicago Bulls.”

But unlike the Bulls, the Suns are one game away from vacation. And tonight they are back in the Alamodome.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-30, By Johnny Ludden

马刺 3-1 击沉太阳

当他走下球场时，埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)让27528名球迷的欢呼声淹没了他，然后他露出了灿烂的笑容，向阿拉莫穹顶的观众比出了“1”的手势。

在“小将军”的带领下，马刺队继续攀登NBA顶峰，周三晚上以99-80击败菲尼克斯，锁定胜局。

约翰逊职业生涯最高的30分帮助圣安东尼奥以四场比赛结束五场制的系列赛，晋级西部半决赛。

“我已经三天没睡了，”约翰逊说道。“现在也许我可以回家休息了，明天醒来，继续努力练习我的比赛。”

马刺队将等待最终的结果，看他们将在七场制的半决赛中面对犹他爵士还是休斯敦火箭。

如果马刺队面对爵士队 - 他们在周三晚上以85-89负于火箭队，在系列赛中落后2-1 - 他们将在最早的周日于盐湖城开启半决赛。

面对休斯敦，圣安东尼奥将在阿拉莫穹顶进行前两场比赛。

圣安东尼奥在西部半决赛中前两场主场比赛的门票将于今天上午8点在马刺队票务处发售。

太阳队终于在第四节中段对约翰逊 - 一直以来困扰菲尼克斯的刺儿 - 忍无可忍。在太阳队控球后卫杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)用恶意犯规将约翰逊撞倒在地后，控球后卫史蒂夫·纳什(Steve Nash)也紧随其后，将马刺队的控球后卫推倒在地。

约翰逊推了纳什一把，两队球员迅速加入这场短暂的争吵。当纳什立即再次犯规约翰逊时，约翰逊走上罚球线，迎接的是“埃弗里，埃弗里，埃弗里”的欢呼声。

“你还能对埃弗里说什么呢？”马刺队前锋蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)说道。“他有一颗冠军的心。”

点击查看原文：Spurs sink Suns San Antonio takes series, 3-1

Spurs sink Suns San Antonio takes series, 3-1

As he walked off the court, Avery Johnson let the roar of 27,528 fans fall over him before he broke into a wide grin and flashed the No. 1 sign to the Alamodome crowd.

With the “Little General” guiding them every step of the way, the Spurs continued their climb to the top of the NBA, polishing off Phoenix 99-80 Wednesday night.

Johnson’s career-high 30 points helped San Antonio wrap up its best-of-five series in four games and advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

“I haven’t slept in three days,” Johnson said. “Now maybe I can go home, rest and wake up tomorrow and get ready to work on my game some more.”

The Spurs will wait to find out whether they will play Utah or Houston in the best-of-seven semifinals.

If the Spurs face the Jazz - who were beaten 89-85 by the Rockets Wednesday night to fall behind 2-1 in their series - they will open the semifinals in Salt Lake City on Sunday at the earliest.

Against Houston, San Antonio would play the first two games at the Alamodome.

Tickets for San Antonio’s first two home games in the conference semifinals go on sale at 8 a.m. today at the Spurs ticket office.

The Suns finally had their fill of Johnson - a thorn in Phoenix’s backside the entire series - in the middle of the fourth quarter. After Suns point guard Jason Kidd dropped Johnson under the basket with a flagrant foul, guard Steve Nash followed suit by pushing the Spurs’ point guard to the floor.

Johnson shoved Nash as players from both teams quickly joined the brief skirmish. When Nash immediately fouled Johnson again, Johnson went to the free-throw line to a chorus of “Avery, Avery, Avery.”

“What can you say about Avery?” Spurs forward Tim Duncan said. “He has the heart of a champion.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-30, By Jerry Briggs

马刺燃烧太阳晋级

埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)和查克·珀森(Chuck Person)，这两位在常规赛最后几周被马刺队医务人员拼凑起来的伤病员，在周三晚上带来了拯救。

在比赛的大部分时间里，马刺队的进攻都咳嗽不止，气喘吁吁，看起来像是需要住院治疗。

但约翰逊和珀森带领球队走出低迷，在阿拉莫穹顶27,528名观众面前，以99-80战胜菲尼克斯太阳队，取得了第四场比赛的胜利。

此外，大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)贡献了防守和篮板球，帮助马刺队以3-1的总比分赢得了五场三胜制的首轮系列赛。

“我们很兴奋，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说。“两支球队在所有四场比赛中都非常积极。我们只是幸运地在今晚结束比赛时投出了好球。”

马刺队也松了一口气。如果输掉比赛，系列赛将回到菲尼克斯，在周日进行第五场比赛。

“那将是一场可怕的演出，”波波维奇说。“那将是难以置信的恐怖。”

在整个系列赛中，约翰逊对太阳队来说就像是一个人组成的恐怖片。他是弗兰肯斯坦、德古拉伯爵和黑潟湖怪兽的合体，身高只有5英尺11英寸。

在决胜局中，他创下了职业生涯最高的30分，在四场比赛中平均得到20.5分。当马刺队的进攻陷入停滞时，约翰逊挺身而出，15投11中。

他的许多进球都是从内线突破后的勾手投篮。其他的则是从15到18英尺外的后撤跳投。约翰逊感谢他在南方大学的教练本·乔布(Ben Jobe)，他在当天早些时候给他打了个激励电话。

“他告诉我，我是他执教生涯中最伟大的领袖，”约翰逊说。“他希望我带领球队。无论是得分、助攻还是让大家做好比赛准备，他都希望我这样做。这份赞扬让我感觉很好。”

珀森得到18分，三分球8投6中。他和约翰逊在第三节末和第四节前半段发动了一波猛烈的34-7的得分狂潮。

这是让球迷们欢欣鼓舞的10分钟，他们兴奋的欢呼声几乎震碎了穹顶的连接部位。当这波得分潮结束时，马刺队从平局中摆脱出来，并在比赛还剩5分06秒时以84-57领先。

“我对埃弗里的表现赞不绝口，”珀森说。“有人说，‘他不会投篮。’有人说，‘他不会防守。他什么也做不了。’但他总是让我感到震惊和惊叹。”

约翰逊、珀森和罗宾逊（15分、21个篮板）都带着赛季末的伤病苦战，帮助马刺队赢得了这场比赛，这也是马刺队自1996年以来首次赢得季后赛系列赛。

波波维奇说，他担心约翰逊在周六的第二场比赛之后。右髋屈肌拉伤加重，让教练组非常担心。

“我告诉（马刺队队医）大卫·施密特(David Schmidt)医生，我们需要埃弗里参加下一场比赛，让他保持健康，如果需要的话，让他待在房间里，”波波维奇说。“施密特医生和（马刺队训练师）约翰·安德森(John Andersen)都出色地完成了准备工作。”

“我当时不认为我会在这里，”珀森说。“医生和训练师为我做了很多工作。希望我能尽我所能，无论是打15分钟还是20分钟，努力找到空位，投进一些球。”

在比赛结束阶段，约翰逊和菲尼克斯队的史蒂夫·纳什(Steve Nash)发生了冲突。纳什在抢断时从背后撞倒了约翰逊，两人都摔倒在地。

约翰逊跳起来，与纳什发生激烈的言语冲突，导致两队的球员都围了上来。裁判分开这两个高个子后，判纳什犯规，并对纳什和约翰逊各吹了一个技术犯规。

“我理解他们想犯规，”约翰逊说。“但这有点太粗暴了。……他们很沮丧，我理解这一点。我和史蒂夫·纳什，以及那个队的任何人都没有问题。但我不允许别人粗暴对待我。”

纳什承认他故意身体接触。

点击查看原文：S.A. burns Phoenix to advance

S.A. burns Phoenix to advance

Avery Johnson and Chuck Person, veterans who were patched together by the Spurs’ medical staff in the final weeks of the regular season, provided the cure Wednesday night.

For the better part of three quarters, the Spurs’ offense coughed and wheezed and generally looked like it needed hospitalization.

But Johnson and Person pulled the team out of its funk and paced a 99-80 Game 4 victory over the Phoenix Suns in front of 27,528 at the Alamodome.

In addition, David Robinson supplied the defense and the rebounding as the Spurs clinched the best- of-five, first-round playoff series 3- 1.

“We’re thrilled,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Both teams were very aggressive all four games. We were just fortunate enough to shoot it like we did at the end tonight.”

The Spurs also were relieved. A loss would have sent the series back to Phoenix for Game 5 on Sunday.

“That would have been a fright show,” Popovich said. “It would have been uncanny horror.”

Johnson was a one-man horror show for the Suns in the series. He was Frankenstein and Count Dracula and the Creature from the Black Lagoon rolled into one, 5- foot-11 frame.

He scored a career-high 30 points in the clincher, giving him a 20.5 average in the four meetings. When the Spurs’ offense sagged, Johnson picked it up by hitting 11 of 15 from the field.

Many of his baskets were running hooks through the lane. Others were step-back jumpers from 15 to 18 feet. Johnson thanked Ben Jobe, his former coach at Southern University, for calling him with a motivational message earlier in the day.

“He told me I was the greatest leader he had ever coached in his career,” Johnson said. “He wanted me to just lead the club. Whether that was points, assists or just getting people emotionally ready to play. That compliment made me feel good.”

Person scored 18 points, nailing 6 of 8 from beyond the three-point arc. He and Johnson sparked a monstrous 34-7 run that started at the end of the third quarter and lasted halfway through the fourth.

It was 10 minutes of pure euphoria for the fans, who threatened to unhinge the joints in the dome with their thunderous roars. By the time the streak had run its course, the Spurs had broken from a tie and had assumed an 84-57 lead with 5:06 remaining.

“I can’t speak enough about Avery,” Person said. “People have said, ‘He can’t shoot.’ They said, ‘He can’t defend. He can’t do anything.’ And he just continues to astound and amaze me.”

Johnson, Person and Robinson (15 points, 21 rebounds) all battled through end-of-the-season injuries to spark the Spurs to the win, which clinched the team’s first playoff-series victory since 1996.

Popovich said he was worried about Johnson after Game 2 on Saturday. A right-hip strain had flared up, creating considerable anxiety for the coaching staff.

“I told (Spurs team physician) Dr. (David) Schmidt that we needed Avery in the next game and to stay with him, stay in his room if he had to,” Popovich said. “Both Dr. Schmidt and (Spurs trainer) John (Andersen) did a great job getting him ready.”

“I didn’t think I’d be here,” Person said. “The doctors and trainers did a tremendous job with me. Hopefully, I’ll just give what I can, whether it’s 15 or 20 minutes, try to get open and hit some shots.”

In the waning moments of the rout, tempers flared between Johnson and Phoenix’s Steve Nash. Going for a steal, Nash hit Johnson hard from behind, and the two tumbled to the floor.

Johnson jumped up and confronted Nash with a heated exchange of words, prompting players from both teams to circle the two. After referees separated the mass of tall bodies, they assessed a flagrant foul on Nash and technical fouls on both Nash and Johnson.

“I understood they were trying to foul,” Johnson said. “But that was a little too harsh. … They were frustrated, and I understand that. I don’t have a problem with Steve Nash or anybody on that team. But I will not be mishandled.”

Nash admitted that he intended to make contact.

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-30, By Kevin O’Keeffe

忘记邓肯，马刺队的季后赛MVP是AJ

如果马刺队按照预期在周三晚上结束与菲尼克斯太阳队的首轮系列赛，那么谁将被认为是圣安东尼奥的MVP将毫无疑问：蒂姆·邓肯(Timothy Theodore Duncan)。

考虑到他在系列赛的前三场比赛中分别得到32分、16分和22分，这很难反驳。

邓肯在第一场比赛中得到32分，帮助马刺队在菲尼克斯取得了令人震惊的胜利，从而剥夺了太阳队的“主场优势”。您可能还记得，邓肯在第四节就得到了18分。

但是，马刺队能够让邓肯取得如此成绩，是因为我心目中的系列赛MVP——埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)的贡献。

是的，就是那个不会投篮、个子太矮无法防守、总是被太阳队控球后卫杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)吃死的埃弗里·约翰逊。

就是那个埃弗里·约翰逊是我的MVP。

为什么？

很简单。

你们当中有谁期待太阳队能找到针对蒂姆·邓肯的答案？

你们当中有谁期待太阳队能找到针对大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)的答案？

啊……但是你们当中有谁认为埃弗里·约翰逊在本系列赛中会比杰森·基德发挥更大的作用？

请放下手。

除了埃弗里·约翰逊的家人，没有人会认为他在本系列赛中会比杰森·基德发挥更大的作用。

但是AJ做到了。

他之所以能做到，是因为在这个神奇的小个子球员的10年NBA生涯中，他最享受的事情就是证明人们错了。

从他在第一场比赛中得到的22分开始，如果不是邓肯的表现太惊人，这原本会成为头条新闻，AJ就表明了他在本系列赛中不容忽视。

“我已经学会了如何坚持不懈，”AJ在阿拉莫穹顶第四场比赛开球前说道。

“我的意思是，”他接着说，“你必须学会如何坚持不懈。”

在第一场比赛前被评论家们一如既往地批评后，AJ震惊了太阳队——也可能震惊了部分马刺队球员——他在第一节得了11分，他反复轻松地突破篮筐，没有一个人能阻止他。

也许身高只有5尺11寸的AJ在太阳队防守球员眼中根本看不见。

截至第三场比赛，他们仍然没有找到他。

在第一节的比赛中，AJ的得分超过了基德和凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)的总和。上半场结束时，AJ已经得到了15分，在邓肯发挥出色之前，他一直保持着马刺队的竞争力。

虽然马刺队输掉了第二场比赛，但这并非因为AJ，他得到了20分。

这是本赛季他第一次连续两场比赛得到20分。而他在整个常规赛中只得到了6次20分。

而且……他在与太阳队的四场常规赛交手中只得到了21分，太阳队在四场比赛中赢了三场。

“埃弗里·约翰逊得分太多了，”太阳队主教练丹尼·安吉(Danny Ainge)指出。

最重要的是，从安吉的角度来看，AJ得分太轻松了。

AJ并不以远距离投篮著称，在首场比赛中，他只有一次投篮距离超过17英尺。他剩下的得分都是通过上篮得到的。

哦，AJ在本系列赛中还完美地掌握了在罚球线附近投篮的半钩动作。

“我的角色一直都是突破防守，”AJ解释道。“我不会坐在外面投篮。我的角色是寻找突破防守的机会。”

甚至基德也表示埃弗里是圣安东尼奥在本系列赛中的“生命线”。基德自从1994-95赛季作为新秀来到达拉斯小牛队以来，就经常给AJ制造麻烦。

他无疑是圣安东尼奥的心脏。

点击查看原文：Forget Duncan, Spurs' playoff MVP is AJ

Forget Duncan, Spurs’ playoff MVP is AJ

If the Spurs close out their opening-round series with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night as expected there will be little question who will be considered S.A.'s MVP: Timothy Theodore Duncan.

Hard to argue with that, considering he scored 32, 16 and 22 points in the first three games of the series.

The 32 points paced the Spurs to the upset in Game 1 in Phoenix, which stripped the Suns of the home-court advantage. Duncan, you may recall, netted 18 points in the fourth quarter alone.

But the Spurs were in position for Duncan to do those things because of the work of my choice for series MVP - Avery Johnson.

Yes, the Avery Johnson who can’t shoot, is too small to defend and is always eaten alive by Suns’ point guard Jason Kidd.

That Avery Johnson is my MVP.

Why?

Simple, really.

Who among you expected the Suns to have an answer for Tim Duncan?

Who among you expected the Suns to have an answer for David Robinson?

Ah … but who among you thought Avery Johnson would play a larger role in this series than Jason Kidd?

Put your hands down.

The answer is no one outside of the Avery Johnson house expected him to play a larger role in this series than Jason Kidd.

But AJ did.

And he did because throughout the 10-year NBA career of this wonderful little man, he has enjoyed nothing better than proving people wrong.

From his 22-point performance in Game 1, which would have made headlines had it not been for Duncan’s unreal showing, AJ established that he was not to be overlooked in this series.

“I’ve learned how to persevere,” AJ said prior to the tipoff of Game 4 in the Alamodome.

“I mean,” he continued, “you have to learn how to persevere.”

Stung by the usual review of the critics before Game 1, AJ shocked the Suns - and likely some of the Spurs - with an 11-point first quarter when he repeatedly breezed to the basket untouched by human hands.

Perhaps at 5-foot-11, AJ couldn’t be seen by Suns’ defenders.

As of Game 3, they still hadn’t found him.

Why in that first quarter of Game 1, AJ outscored Kidd and Kevin Johnson combined. AJ had 15 by intermission, keeping the Spurs in the hunt before Duncan clicked in.

And while the Spurs dropped Game 2, it wasn’t because of AJ, who netted 20 points.

That marked the first time this season that he had back-to-back 20- point games. Why AJ had just six 20-point games during the entire regular season.

And … he scored only 21 points in all four regular-season meetings with the Suns, who took three of four from the Spurs.

“Avery Johnson is scoring too many points,” noted Suns coach Danny Ainge.

Most importantly, AJ was scoring too many points too easily as far as Ainge was concerned.

Not known for his outside shooting prowess, AJ hit but one shot from farther out than 17 feet in his big opening-game performance. The rest of his tallies were via layups.

Oh, AJ also has perfected the sweeping semi-hook while drifting through the free-throw circle in this series.

“My role always has been to break down the defenses,” AJ explained. “I’m not going to sit outside and hit shots. My role is to look for spots where I can break down the defense.”

Even Kidd, who has made life miserable for AJ often since arriving as a rookie with the Dallas Mavericks in 1994-95, stated that Avery was San Antonio’s “lifeline” in the series.

He’s certainly San Antonio’s heart.

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

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-30, By Jerry Briggs

备忘

上限层开放：星期三下午晚些时候，马刺队为对阵菲尼克斯太阳队的季后赛第四场比赛在阿拉莫体育馆开放了 1,700 个额外的座位。东西两边上限层的头七排座位以 5.50 美元出售。

此前周二傍晚球队宣布已在体育馆北侧开放 5,600 个座位。这些门票以 9.50 美元的价格出售。

这些调整将入座人数增加到大约 27,500 人。

毫不意外：马刺队后卫文尼·德尔·内格罗表示，他并不惊讶种子排名第七的明尼苏达森林狼队在西部联盟首轮系列赛中以 2-1 领先种子排名第二的西雅图超音速队。

德尔·内格罗说：“不会，因为他们有一个很好的比赛计划。” “他们似乎真的让西雅图队措手不及。现在是季后赛了。你一鼓作气，什么事情都可能发生。

“森林狼队有年轻队员，他们真的投得很好。”

明尼苏达队连续两次击败西雅图队，其中包括周二晚上在明尼阿波利斯的 98-90 胜利。

现在不是粉丝：马刺队助理教练迈克·布登霍尔泽在亚利桑那州的霍尔布鲁克长大。他在周三晚上向菲尼克斯太阳队广播员阿尔·麦考伊介绍了自己。

布登霍尔泽在第四场比赛前在新闻发布会上对麦考伊说：“我一直在收听你的节目。” “但现在我已转换忠诚。”

滚动的数字：在星期三晚上，马刺队中锋大卫·罗宾逊在 NBA 季后赛得分方面排名第 12 位（22.0 分），篮板方面排名第二（14.3 个），盖帽方面排名第二（3.33 个）。

马刺队新秀前锋蒂姆·邓肯在得分方面排名第八（23.3 分），篮板方面并列第六（11.3 个），盖帽方面排名第三（3.00 个）。

作为一个团队，马刺队在季后赛得分方面令人惊讶地排名第二（101 分），在投篮命中率方面排名第一（50.9%）。

点击查看原文：Notes

Notes

Upper deck open: Late Wednesday afternoon, the Spurs opened up 1,700 additional seats at the Alamodome to Game 4 of their playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. Seats in the first seven rows of the East and West ends of the upper deck went for $5.50.

The move came after the team announced early Tuesday evening that it had opened 5,600 seats in the north end of the dome. Those tickets were sold for $9.50.

The adjustments increased seating capacity to approximately 27,500.

No surprise here: Spurs guard Vinny Del Negro said he is not surprised that the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves have taken a 2-1 lead on the No. 2 Seattle SuperSonics in a Western Conference first-round series.

“No, because they’ve got a good game plan,” Del Negro said. "It seems that they’re really spreading Seattle out. It’s playoff time. You get on a roll and anything can happen.

“The Timberwolves have those young legs and they are really shooting the ball well.”

Minnesota has whipped Seattle twice in a row, including a 98-90 victory Tuesday night at Minneapolis.

Not a fan now: Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer grew up in Holbrook, Ariz. He introduced himself to Phoenix Suns broadcaster Al McCoy on Wednesday night.

“I always listened to you,” Budenholzer told McCoy at press row before Game 4. “But now I’ve switched allegiances.”

Rolling up numbers: Going into Wednesday night, Spurs center David Robinson ranked 12th in NBA playoff scoring (22.0), second in rebounding (14.3) and second in blocked shots (3.33).

Spurs rookie forward Tim Duncan was eighth in scoring (23.3), tied for sixth in rebounding (11.3) and third in blocks (3.00).

As a team, the Spurs were a surprising second in playoff scoring (101 points) and first in field goal percentage (50.9). - Jerry Briggs

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-30, By Johnny Ludden

老枪手再显神威 老将的远投证明他宝刀不老

查克·帕森(Chuck Person)自己说，他的横向移动已经消失了。据更衣室目击者证实，他的肚子已经尝过不少“嘟嘟泡泡糖”的滋味了。

他的双腿偶尔会消失，所以他的射程也不如以前了。大家都知道他的腰部支撑问题。这个赛季他已经四次背部受伤，最近一次是在比赛中倒地，他不得不坐在轮椅上被推回家。

所以，查克·帕森认为自己还能继续打球真是幸运。无论伤势如何，马刺队都非常高兴能再次启用这位老枪手。

在周三晚上，帕森重拾昔日辉煌，为马刺队提供了他们迫切需要的远投，他投进了球队季后赛历史上的单场最高6个三分球。他拿下了18分，加上艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)创职业生涯新高的30分，是圣安东尼奥能够避免在周日回到菲尼克斯的主要原因。

大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)说：“查克表现很棒。他是一位老将，为球队带来了经验。他知道什么时候手感火热，他做得很好。

“他看到了比赛中我们无法得分的情况，于是决定：‘嘿，这是我的机会。我会完成我们需要的任务。’”

贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)前7次三分球出手都失手，而帕森在第一节后半段替补上场后15秒就命中了他的第一个三分球。他在第二节连续投进两个三分球，然后在第三节后半段与约翰逊联手将太阳队彻底打垮。

帕森在第三节还剩3分半钟时投进了一个24英尺的球，将比分追平至50分。三分钟后，他又投进了一记弧线球，将圣安东尼奥的领先优势扩大到8分。这个致命的投篮 - 你还会怎么称呼它呢 - 出现在第四节开始不到一分钟的时候，帕森从25英尺外命中了一记三分球。

他的8次三分球出手也创造了球队季后赛纪录，但赛后帕森最想知道的是自己的篮板球数量。他在22分钟的比赛时间里抢下了5个篮板球。

对于一位33岁的球员来说，这已经很不错了，尤其是考虑到他一个月前在底特律的比赛中背部受伤，一度认为自己的职业生涯将要结束。他被抬下了球场，随后缺席了接下来的9场比赛，这个赛季因伤缺席了19场比赛。他的赛季场均得分也降到了职业生涯新低的6.7分。

“我变慢了很多，”帕森说。“我的背部伤病让我更慢。所以我尽量选择时机出手。”

周三，他命中了靶心。

点击查看原文：Aging Rifleman provides a lift Person's long-distance shooting proves he's got something left

Aging Rifleman provides a lift Person’s long-distance shooting proves he’s got something left

The lateral movement, in Chuck Person’s own words, is gone. The gut, according to locker-room witnesses, has seen its share of Tootsie Pops.

The legs occasionally disappear. So the range isn’t what it used to be, either. And everyone knows about the lumbar support. Four times and counting this season, Person’s back has given way. The last time it folded, he had to be rolled home in a wheelchair.

So, yes, Chuck Person believes he is lucky to still be firing. And wounded or not, the Spurs were just happy to dust off the aging Rifleman one more time.

In a throwback to his glory days, Person gave the Spurs the outside shooting they desperately needed Wednesday night, hitting a franchise playoff record six three- pointers. His 18 points, along with Avery Johnson’s career-best 30, are the main reasons San Antonio can skip a return trip to Phoenix on Sunday.

“Chuck was great,” David Robinson said. "He’s a veteran and he brings experience to this team. He did a great job on knowing when he was on a roll.

“He saw a situation in the game where we wasn’t getting the ball in the hole and decided, ‘Hey, this is my time. I’ll do what we need to get done.’”

With Jaren Jackson misfiring on his first seven three-pointe attempts, Person hit his first trey 15 seconds after he came off the bench late in the first quarter. He added back-to-back three-pointers in the second period, before teaming with Johnson late in the third quarter to put away the Suns.

Person’s 24-footer with 31/2 minutes left in the third broke a tie at 50. Three minutes later another rainbow pushed San Antonio’s lead to eight. The backbreaker - what else would you call it - came less than a minute into the final quarter when Person buried one from 25 feet.

His eight attempts also set a franchise playoff mark, but the first thing Person wanted to know after the game was his number of rebounds. He had five in 22 minutes.

Not bad for a 33-year-old who thought his career was in jeopardy a month ago when his back gave out in Detroit on March 25. After being carried off the court, he missed the next nine games, sitting out 19 for the season with the injury. He averaged a career-low 6.7 points on the season.

“I’ve slowed down a lot,” Person said. “And my back has slowed me down even more. So I try to pick my spots.”

He hit the bull’s-eye Wednesday.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-04-30, By Buck Harvey

医师AJ：治愈一切的左手？

当艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)在六月份绕过迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)的时候，他依然会记得那些矮个子的人。因为他也是其中之一。

到那时，阿拉莫穹顶(Alamodome)的观众将会正确地喊出口号。现在，每个人都因喊“艾弗里，艾弗里”而被原谅，毕竟AJ更朗朗上口。他说，之前只有在十年前的西雅图，有人喊过他的名字，那时他只是个相当于吉祥物的球队第12人。

所以，当他一手拿着奖杯，另一手抱着他年幼的儿子时，他会对NBC的摄像机用一种路易斯安那式的腔调说出一个音节，听起来像是十：“谢-谢”，AJ会说。

只有到那时我们才会明白真相。AJ修复了查克·珀森(Chuck Person)的脊柱，帮助大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)恢复了膝盖，还给雷克斯·查普曼(Rex Chapman)的腿筋施了魔法，所有这些都在预约之间穿插着偶尔的30分得分。

毕竟，上个月发生了某种来自上天的安排——所有事情都对太阳队不利，对马刺队有利。如果有人能改变这种命运，难道不是AJ吗？

格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)可能也在纳闷。去年冬天，波波维奇说了些正确的话。但当他晚上回家时，后悔也随之而来。随着蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)每一天都展现出更多实力，这支球队不应该凭借一位前MVP、一位像查克·珀森这样的射手和一位前全明星前锋，让一些人感到害怕吗？

但大卫·罗宾逊的背部变得僵硬，珀森在结束一次客场之旅时坐上了轮椅，肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)接受了手术。波波维奇晚上回家，知道他的球队将在季后赛中早早回家。

接下来发生的事情，在很大程度上说明了运气，以及一个对伤病过于熟悉的球队可能获得的公正待遇。罗宾逊的脊柱至少20场比赛都没有问题。珀森的背部出了问题，严重程度前所未有，但时机再好不过了；治疗后，他一直处于最佳状态。即使是埃利奥特赛季结束的手术，也是一种解脱。

问问菲尼克斯太阳队吧。太阳队本月失去了丹尼·曼宁(Danny Manning)，没有时间调整；马刺队已经习惯了没有埃利奥特的生活，他们已经记不清他以前是什么样了。然后是查普曼，他拉伤了腿筋，可能也伤透了球队的心。

这将永远是这个系列赛的注脚。当马刺队和太阳队在第三节陷入僵局时，也许查普曼会改变一切。

但这就是NBA的生活。火箭队及时恢复了健康，公牛队利用篮网队的伤病，横扫了系列赛。

除此之外，还有另外两个明显的事实，都表明无论菲尼克斯队的健康状况如何，马刺队都会赢得这个系列赛。一个是罗宾逊在第二场比赛失利后，如马刺队教练组所愿，专注于防守。另一个是在控球后卫位置上的改变。

杰森·基德(Jason Kidd)打了一个不错的系列赛。AJ是系列赛的MVP。

波波维奇在赛后总结得最好：“想象一下艾弗里的感受，”他说，“在他听了九年不能做的事之后。”

职业生涯中的关键时刻，很少有如此恰如其分的定义。面对拥有基德、凯文·约翰逊(Kevin Johnson)和史蒂夫·纳什(Steve Nash)三位被认为更宝贵的控球后卫的太阳队阵容，AJ投进了柔和的跳投和更柔和的勾手。当太阳队再也无法忍受，纳什对AJ犯规时，AJ像他一生中那样站了起来，将自己5英尺10英寸的身躯尽可能地伸展。

然后，他说了一些可以作为他终生座右铭的话：“我不会被粗暴对待。”

未在选秀大会上被选中，被裁掉过很多次，被忽视，AJ几乎凭着自己的意志将自己的水平提高到与任何首轮控球后卫一样好。考虑到这一点，医学奇迹似乎并不那么不可能。

点击查看原文：Doctor AJ: The left hand that heals all?

Doctor AJ: The left hand that heals all?

When Avery Johnson zips around Michael Jordan in June, he will still remember the little people. Because he is one.

By then the Alamodome crowd will get the chant right. For now, everyone can be excused for chanting “Av-er-ry, Av-er-ry,” when AJ is the catchier phrase. The only time anyone ever chanted his name before, he says, is in Seattle a decade ago. There he was a 12th-man mascot.

So with trophy in one hand and his toddler son in the other, he will tell an NBC camera one syllable that sounds like 10 in Louisiana- ese. “Tha-yanks,” AJ will say.

Only then we will learn the truth. That AJ realigned Chuck Person’s spine, rehabed David Robinson’s knee, hexed Rex Chapman’s hammie, all while scoring an occasional 30 between appointments.

After all, something from above happened this past month - all of it bad for the Suns and good for the Spurs. If anyone could will such fate, didn’t it have to be AJ?

Gregg Popovich probably wonders himself. Last winter Popovich said the right things. But when he went home at night, regret went with him. With Tim Duncan showing more with every passing day, shouldn’t this team scare some people with a former MVP, a shooter such as Chuck Person and a former All-Star forward?

But David Robinson’s back stiffened, Person ended a road trip in a wheelchair and Sean Elliott underwent surgery. Popovich went home at night, knowing his team would be home early enough in the playoffs.

What followed says a lot about luck, and maybe justice for a franchise too familiar with injuries. Robinson’s spine hasn’t been a problem for at least 20 games. Person’s back went out, as severely as it ever has, but the timing couldn’t have been better; he’s been at his best after treatment. And even Elliott’s season-ending surgery was a break.

Ask Phoenix about that. The Suns lost Danny Manning this month and didn’t have time to adjust; the Spurs have lived without Elliott for so long now, they can’t remember what he used to be like. And then came Chapman, tearing a hamstring and probably the heart out of the roster.

That will always be the asterisk of this series. And when the Spurs and Suns bogged down in the third quarter, maybe Chapman changes everything.

But that’s life in the NBA. The Rockets got healthy just in time, and the Bulls took advantage of injuries to the Nets to sweep that series.

Besides, two other factors were also clear, and both indicate the Spurs would have won this series no matter the health of Phoenix. One was Robinson committing to defense, just as the Spurs’ staff wants, after the Game 2 loss. The other was the change at point.

Jason Kidd had a nice series. AJ was the MVP of it.

Popovich summed it up best afterward. “Imagine how Avery feels,” he said, “after hearing what he couldn’t do for nine years.”

Career nights are rarely so fittingly defined. Against a Phoenix roster with three point guards considered more valuable - Kidd, Kevin Johnson and Steve Nash - AJ threw in soft jumpers and softer hooks. And when the Suns couldn’t take it anymore and Nash gave AJ a hard foul, AJ stood up as he has his entire life, stretching his 5-foot-10 frame as high as it goes.

Then he said something that could stand for his lifetime motto: “I will not be mishandled.”

Undrafted, cut a handful of times, overlooked, AJ all but willed his game to a level as good as any first-round point guard. Medical miracles, given that, don’t seem more improbable.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-05-01, By Kevin O’Keeffe

爵士的节奏应该让马刺继续跳舞

周三晚上，马刺队主席彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)从更衣室出来时，声音沙哑得像是含着石子说话。

他用几乎听不见的声音说出了他希望马刺队在西区半决赛中遇到的对手。

"休斯顿上半场领先，"霍尔特说，指的是周三晚上进行的爵士队和火箭队首轮系列赛第三场比赛。“我们必须为休斯顿加油。”

嗯…

我认为霍尔特是用钱包在思考，而不是用脑袋。

正如你所知，如果火箭队淘汰爵士队，马刺队将拥有主场优势，因为休斯顿队是西部第八种子。

这意味着有可能会在阿拉莫圆顶球场举办四场比赛。这意味着更多门票售出，更多付费观看比赛，更多$$$$$。

由于利润是首席执行官最关心的问题，因此可以理解霍尔特的出发点。

但是，除了可能增加的收入外，火箭队将是马刺队最不愿意遇到的对手。

想想看。

如果火箭队真的在首轮击败了爵士队，难道他们不是比爵士队打得更好吗？

火箭队在五场三胜制系列赛中以2-1领先，他们有机会在今晚的主场比赛中结束系列赛。

如果他们做到了，西区半决赛的第一场比赛将在周日于阿拉莫圆顶球场举行。

如果爵士队今晚获胜，系列赛第五场将在周日于盐湖城进行。因此，西区半决赛最早将在周二开始。

爵士队是整个季后赛中的头号种子，将在七场四胜制系列赛中拥有对阵马刺队的主场优势。

尽管如此，我相信马刺队会击败爵士队，他们在前三场对阵火箭队的比赛中表现都不好。

爵士队的卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)看起来老了，兴趣缺缺，而约翰·斯托克顿(John Stockton)则病怏怏的。他的背伤让他无法在第二场和第三场比赛之间进行的三天训练。

除了他们，爵士队还有谁让你感到害怕？

此外，如果马刺队的戴维·罗宾逊(David Robinson)真的要展现出摧毁对手的火焰，难道不是马龙吗？他曾在4月8日盐湖城比赛中让罗宾逊陷入沉睡。

还记得那次肘击吗！

马刺队的情緒将在与爵士队的战斗中爆发，爵士队似乎已经带着空空的激情油箱进入季后赛。

火箭队则不同。

这个赛季战绩为41胜41负的两届NBA总冠军(1994年和1995年)被所有人批评。

他们在12天前对阵菲尼克斯的最后一场常规赛中，被留到最后的少数球迷嘘声不断。

他们成为了媒体的攻击对象，甚至在黯淡的1997-98赛季中彼此指责。

举例来说：

"伙计，我不知道这支球队怎么了，"马里奥·伊利(Mario Elie)说。“除非我们改变比赛方式，否则季后赛就会打三场就被淘汰。”

克莱德·德雷克斯勒(Clyde Drexler)说：“我们曾经像冠军一样打球。现在，我们的姿态像个失败者。”

什么改变了？

那个火箭队主教练鲁迪·汤姆贾诺维奇(Rudy Tomjanovich)喜欢谈论的冠军之心又开始跳动了。

别忘了，哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)、查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)和德雷克斯勒等关键球员的伤病，在很大程度上导致了他们平庸的常规赛战绩。

现在他们都恢复健康了。

当然，火箭队只与马刺队在赛季系列赛中平分秋色。但他们并不害怕马刺队，因为马刺队在阿拉莫圆顶球场没有主场优势。

当这两支球队在1995年西部决赛中相遇时，球馆里似乎有更多休斯顿球迷。火箭队在那场比赛中在圣安东尼奥的三场比赛中都获胜。

谁会忘记奥拉朱旺是如何击败罗宾逊的？罗宾逊的MVP奖杯一直是奥拉朱旺的动力，他在六场比赛中有四场得分达到或超过39分。

同样值得记住的是，在7英尺高的凯文·威利斯(Kevin Willis)身上，火箭队拥有一个可以困扰蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)的人。

太阳队系列赛的MVP埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)无法对阵休斯顿队时再用同样的“我会打败他们”的心态。你看，AJ已经比火箭队控球后卫马特·马洛尼(Matt Maloney)更出色了。

马刺队在季后赛中与火箭队的历史都是糟糕的，他们在拥有主场优势的情况下输掉了两次七场四胜制的系列赛。

火箭队很饥饿。

火箭队很专注。

火箭队…可以击败马刺队。

因此，这场系列赛中的额外主场比赛将是霍尔特在11月之前获得的最后一场主场比赛。

点击查看原文：A Jazzy beat should keep Spurs dancing

A Jazzy beat should keep Spurs dancing

Emerging from the Spurs’ locker room late Wednesday night, Chairman of the Board Peter Holt sounded as though he’d been gargling gravel.

With a voice that could barely be heard, Holt said who he wished the Spurs would face in the Western Conference semifinals.

“Houston’s ahead at the half,” Holt said, referring to Game 3 of the first-round duel between the Utah Jazz and the Rockets that also was played Wednesday night. “We’ve gotta root for Houston.”

Well …

I believe Holt was thinking with his wallet instead of his head.

As you are aware, if the Rockets oust Utah, the Spurs will have the home-court advantage since Houston is the No. 8 seed in the West.

That means there is a chance for four dates in the Alamodome. That means more tickets sold, more pay-per-view games, more $$$$$$$.

Since the bottom line is the primary concern of the CEO, it’s understandable where Holt is coming from.

But save for the possible added revenue, the Rockets would be the least desirable foe for the Spurs.

Think about it.

If the Rockets do defeat the Jazz in the opening round, are they not playing better than the Jazz?

The Rockets, who lead the best- of-five series 2-1, have a chance to close it out tonight at home.

If they do, Game 1 of the West semis will be Sunday in the Alamodome.

Should Utah prevail tonight, Game 5 of that series would be in Salt Lake City on Sunday. Thus, the earliest the West semis would begin would be Tuesday.

Utah, top seed in the entire playoffs, would have the home- court advantage in the best-of- seven set with the Spurs.

Despite that, I believe the Spurs would defeat the Jazz, who haven’t looked good in any of the first three games against the Rockets.

The Jazz’s Karl Malone appears old and uninterested, while John Stockton is ailing. His bad back kept him from practicing the three days between Games 2 and 3.

After them, who else on the Jazz scares you?

Besides, if the Spurs’ David Robinson is ever going to display the fire to destroy an opponent, would it not be Malone, who put Robinson to sleep April 8 in Salt Lake City?

Remember The Elbow!

The Spurs’ emotions would runneth over in a battle with the Jazz, who seemed to have reached the playoffs with their intensity tank empty.

Not so with the Rockets.

At 41-41 this season, the two-time NBA champs (1994 and '95) have been ripped by one and all.

They were booed lustily by the few fans who stayed until the end of their final regular-season game against Phoenix 12 days ago.

They have been the media’s punching bag and even have turned on each other during the dismal '97-98 campaign.

To wit:

“Man, I don’t know what it is with this team,” Mario Elie said. “Unless we change how we are playing, it’s going to be three-and-out in the playoffs.”

Said Clyde Drexler: “We used to play like champions. Now, our posture is that of a loser.”

What changed?

That heart of a champion Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich likes to talk about began pumping again.

Lest we forget, injuries to key men Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Drexler had much to do with the mediocre regular- season record.

All are healthy now.

Sure, the Rockets only split the season series with the Spurs. But they have no fear of the Spurs, who have no home-court advantage in the Alamodome.

When the teams met in the West finals in 1995, it sounded as though there were more Houston fans in the dome. The Rockets won all three games in S.A. in that series.

Who can forget the way Olajuwon drubbed Robinson, whose MVP trophy was a constant motivation for Olajuwon, who scored 39 or more points in four of the six games.

Remember, too, in 7-foot Kevin Willis the Rockets have someone to bother Tim Duncan.

And Suns’ series MVP Avery Johnson can’t have the same “I’ll- Show-Them” mentality against Houston. You see, AJ’s already better than Rockets point guard Matt Maloney.

The Spurs’ history with the Rockets in the postseason is all bad, losing two best-of-seven series when having the home-court advantage.

The Rockets are hungry.

The Rockets are focused.

The Rockets … can beat the Spurs.

So the additional home game in this series would be the last home game Holt would get until November.

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

[这也将成为过去]

1998-05-01

今年是马刺冲进总决赛的年头吗？

我们知道，他们以前也曾走到这一步，也曾功亏一篑。但今年的 NBA 季后赛，存在着马刺队一路杀进总决赛，让当地球迷欢欣鼓舞的可能性。

首先，这支球队与以往不同了。蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)——身高七尺，攻防俱佳，荣获最佳新秀——为球队增添了新的维度。

此外，在周三战胜夺冠热门菲尼克斯太阳队时，马刺队的小个子控卫艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)彻底压制了太阳队的后场组合。一些当地评论员曾预测结果会截然相反。

与此同时，休斯顿火箭队正在给上赛季的西部冠军犹他爵士队制造巨大压力；明尼苏达森林狼队有可能爆冷击败 1995-96 赛季的冠军西雅图超音速队；而洛杉矶湖人队在与波特兰开拓者的系列赛中表现不佳。

可以充分地论证，大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)和他的队友们有可能让当地球迷忘却过往的挫折，一路夺冠。

不过，在我们过于兴奋之前，一个巨大的障碍横亘在我们面前：芝加哥公牛队和有史以来最伟大的运动员迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)。

这是一个令人清醒的警示，但无论如何，我们都要喊出“加油，马刺队！”！

点击查看原文：Could this be the year for Spurs to make finals?

Could this be the year for Spurs to make finals?

We know. They’ve been here before, and they’ve fallen short before. But there is a scenario whereby the Spurs are going somewhere in this year’s NBA playoffs, and for local fans to get psyched.

First of all, this isn’t the same team that has slipped in the past. Tim Duncan, a 7-foot offensive and defensive whiz and the Rookie of the Year, adds another dimension.

And, in dispatching the favored Phoenix Suns Wednesday, Avery Johnson, the Spurs little guard, ate up the Suns’ backcourt. Certain local pundits had predicted it would be the other way around.

Meanwhile, Houston is pushing last year’s Western Conference champs, the Utah Jazz, to the hilt; Minnesota could upset 1995-96 champ Seattle; and the Los Angeles Lakers are not playing well in their series with Portland.

A very good argument could be made that David Robinson & Co. could make local fans forget the frustrations of the past and go all the way.

Before we get too excited, one major obstacle lies in the way: the Chicago Bulls and the world’s greatest athlete of all time, Michael Jordan.

That’s a sobering thought - but Go Spurs! anyway.

via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-05-01, By Johnny Ludden

休息日：马刺展望未来

随着太阳队被淘汰，马刺队的注意力转向了休斯顿队。

在职业生涯的首个季后赛系列赛胜利尘埃落定后，格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich) 在周四早上采取了合乎逻辑的下一步行动。

他翻了个身，按下了闹钟的贪睡按钮。

在连续一周早出晚归后，马刺队主教练抓住难得的机会睡了个懒觉，即使只睡到上午 10 点。

“这是一个很棒的夜晚和早上，可以尽情享受，”波波维奇说道，“但到了中午，就该刷牙洗脸，回到工作岗位了。”

刷完牙后，波波维奇在周四的部分时间里准备选秀事宜，并处理其他一些总经理的工作，同时他的助手们分析比赛录像，为西部半决赛准备球探报告。

与此同时，球员们在周三晚上在阿拉莫圆顶球场以 99-80 击败菲尼克斯太阳队后，获得了休息日。他们的下一个对手可能会在今晚揭晓，届时落后 2-1 的犹他爵士队将造访休斯顿。

如果火箭队今晚获胜，七场四胜制的西部半决赛很可能将于周日开始，地点为阿拉莫圆顶球场。如果犹他队将比赛拖入第五场，马刺队的下一轮系列赛最早也要等到周二才能开始。如果头号种子爵士队战胜休斯顿队，马刺队也将失去主场优势。

至少今天，圣安东尼奥将为迎战休斯顿队做好准备。如果火箭队最终爆冷击败犹他队，这将让马刺队抢占先机。如果首轮系列赛拖到周日，圣安东尼奥还有足够的时间将注意力转向爵士队。

“专注于一支球队更好，”波波维奇说道，“如果同时准备面对两支球队，很难集中注意力。”

休战也给了马刺队时间让伤员休息。查克·珀森（背部）、大卫·罗宾逊（右膝）和艾弗里·约翰逊（右髋）今天可能会缺席训练，以缓解他们持续一整季的伤痛。维尼·德尔·尼格罗也扭伤了左脚踝，卡尔·埃雷拉在周二训练中右膝受伤，周三晚上没有上场。

“我们非常需要（这场胜利），”珀森说道，“显然，我们需要时间来康复。艾弗里、大卫和我都有点伤。”

马刺队从未在犹他州三角洲中心取得过五场比赛的胜利，他们在半决赛 2-2-1-1-1 的赛制中，将会受益于对阵休斯顿队的主场优势。然而，火箭队和爵士队近年来在季后赛中都让圣安东尼奥队苦不堪言。

在连续两年获得 NBA 总冠军的路上，休斯顿火箭队在 1995 年的西部决赛中以 6 场比赛淘汰了马刺队，那也是圣安东尼奥队唯一一次在季后赛中赢得两个系列赛。火箭队本赛季与马刺队的系列赛战成 2-2，但现在拥有处于巅峰状态的哈基姆·奥拉朱旺、查尔斯·巴克利和克莱德·德雷克斯勒。

爵士队在 1996 年的半决赛中以 6 场比赛淘汰了圣安东尼奥队，在 1994 年的首轮比赛中以 4 场比赛淘汰了他们。罗宾逊缺席了马刺队对阵犹他队的 3 场比赛中的 2 场，其中包括臭名昭著的 4 月 8 日比赛，卡尔·马龙用肘击他的头部，导致他昏倒。

比赛结束后，马刺队新秀蒂姆·邓肯誓言，“如果两队在季后赛中再次相遇，情况将会不同”，这场比赛已经被炒作成为“记住那个肘击”系列赛。

“这不在我们的控制范围内，”德尔·尼格罗谈到马刺队的未来时说，“三角洲中心是一个很难打球的地方，但如果休斯顿击败犹他队，他们将会势不可挡。

“无论面对哪支球队，我们都需要做出选择。显然我们希望面对休斯顿队时拥有主场优势，但我想我们内心深处也希望与犹他队较量一番。”

点击查看原文：A day of rest as Spurs look ahead With Suns off backs, focus is on Houston

A day of rest as Spurs look ahead With Suns off backs, focus is on Houston

With the first playoff series victory of his career safely in the books, Gregg Popovich took the next logical step Thursday morning.

He rolled over and hit the snooze button.

After a week of in-at-3, up-at-7, the Spurs coach embraced the rare opportunity to sleep in late. Even if it only lasted until 10 a.m.

“It was a great evening and a great morning to enjoy,” Popovich said. “But once it hit noon, it was time to brush our teeth and get back to work.”

After flossing, Popovich spent part of Thursday preparing for the draft and handling other assorted GMish duties while his assistants broke down game film and prepared scouting reports for the Western Conference semifinals.

The players, meanwhile, earned the day off after closing out Phoenix with a 99-80 victory Wednesday night at the Alamodome. Their next opponent could be determined as early as tonight when Utah, down 2-1, visits Houston.

If the Rockets win tonight, the best-of-seven conference semifinals most likely would begin Sunday at the Alamodome. If Utah forces a fifth game, the Spurs’ next series won’t start until Tuesday at the earliest. The Spurs also would lose the home- court advantage if the top-seeded Jazz get past Houston.

For today at least, San Antonio will prepare for Houston. That puts the Spurs ahead of schedule if the Rockets go on to upset Utah. San Antonio then has plenty of time to turn its attention to the Jazz if the first-round series drags on until Sunday.

“It’s better to concentrate on only one team,” Popovich said. “It’s tough to focus if you’re trying to prepare for both of them.”

The break also gives the Spurs time to rest their wounded. Chuck Person (back), David Robinson (right knee) and Avery Johnson (right hip) may skip practice today to recuperate from their season-long problems. Vinny Del Negro also has a sprained left ankle and Carl Herrera did not suit up Wednesday night after hurting his right knee in practice Tuesday.

“We needed (the win) bad,” Person said. “Obviously, we needed time to heal. Avery and David and I are hurting a little bit.”

The Spurs, who have never won in five playoff games at Utah’s Delta Center, would benefit from having the home-court advantage against Houston in the semifinals’ 2-2-1-1-1 format. Both the Rockets and Jazz, however, have kept San Antonio miserable in the postseason in recent years.

En route to its second of back-to- back NBA titles, Houston bounced the Spurs out of the Western Conference finals in six games in 1995, the only year San Antonio ever won two playoff series. The Rockets split this season’s series with the Spurs 2-2, but now have Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler in peak form.

The Jazz eliminated San Antonio in six games in the 1996 semifinals and in four games in the first round in ‘94. Robinson was sidelined for two of the Spurs’ three losses against Utah this season, including the infamous April 8 game in which Karl Malone knocked him cold with a elbow to the head.

After the game, Spurs rookie Tim Duncan vowed “things will be different” if the teams met in the playoffs for what is already being hyped as a “Remember the Elbow” series.

“It’s out of our control,” Del Negro said of the Spurs’ future. "The Delta Center is a tough place to play, but if Houston beats Utah, it’s going to be on a major roll.

“You pick your poison with either one of those. Obviously you want the home court with Houston, but I think in the back of our minds we want a little piece of Utah, too.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-05-01, By Glenn Rogers

火箭队有望制造首轮爆冷

休斯顿 - 这座城市见证了篮球的起起伏伏。

火箭队曾在休斯敦这个“Clutch City（关键时刻的城市）”和“Choke City（关键时刻容易崩溃的城市）”之间徘徊。本赛季，他们经历了伤病和更衣室矛盾，战绩起伏不定，最终以41胜41负的战绩收尾。

然而，现在他们却站在了淘汰西部冠军犹他爵士队的边缘。他们在五场三胜制的系列赛中以2-1领先，第四场比赛将于今晚8点30分在康柏中心举行。

“永远不要低估一个冠军的心脏，”这是休斯敦主教练鲁迪·汤姆贾诺维奇(Rudy Tomjanovich)的口号。

然而，悬念依然存在。如果爵士队在本场比赛获胜，系列赛将回到他们的主场三角洲中心，那里是联盟所有球队都忌惮的地方。但爵士队并非毫无办法，他们在常规赛中两度在休斯敦获胜，并在去年的西部决赛中以6-1淘汰了火箭队。

“如果我们下一场比赛输了，我们就没资格赢下这个系列赛，”查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)在周四上午的训练前说道。当然，如果火箭队最终需要去盐湖城进行周日的决胜局，巴克利将会露出笑容，并再次调侃一番。

主教练杰里·斯隆(Jerry Sloan)则保持着低调的态度。

“如果我们再次试图打单挑，我们很可能会输，”他说。“不，没有压力。这只是一场篮球比赛。压力是你早上9点上班，晚上7点下班。

“如果我们输了这个系列赛，我可能会被解雇，但他们不会砍掉我的胳膊和腿。”

爵士队现在成为了不被看好的那一方——这是一个他们可能更喜欢的定位，而且他们多年来都习惯了这种局面。他们还记得，火箭队在周三晚上第四节中几乎有9分钟时间没有得分，而他们却从落后9分的劣势中反超，最终以89-85取得胜利。

“双方都承受着压力，”火箭队中锋哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)说道。“两支球队都会努力去打好这场比赛。”

犹他队的卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)只得到了16次出手，如果算上罚球，大约是20次，火箭队预计他将在周五获得更多球权。

但凯文·威利斯(Kevin Willis)只得到了6次出手，火箭队可能会尝试让他更多地参与到进攻中。

“我想得到更多出手的机会。主要原因是，迫使卡尔在防守端付出更多努力总是最好的。你不想让他在那里放松；你想让他疲劳，”威利斯说道。

犹他队著名的挡拆战术在三场比赛中被遏制了两场。马特·马洛尼(Matt Maloney)和布伦特·普莱斯(Brent Price)盯防约翰·斯托克顿(John Stockton)，而当马龙进入挡拆位置时，他会遭到撞击。

斯托克顿一直带着背部肌肉拉伤的伤病，但他拒绝讨论此事。周四，他又一次没有参加训练。

“我们在比赛中稍微改变了一下（防守），以干扰他们，”马洛尼说，他与斯托克顿有过肢体接触，甚至还互相顶撞。“基本上，我们想进入这场比赛时，就好像我们输掉了上一场一样，带着最大的强度。”

马洛尼在周三晚上表现镇定。在比赛还剩8.5秒时，他抓下了马龙错失的三分球篮板，被犯规后罚进了一球，让火箭队在比赛还剩7.6秒时领先4分。

在周四的训练前，爵士队似乎并没有受到太大影响。

“不，如果我们输了这个系列赛，我肯定不会自杀，”马龙说道。“实际上，这样会更容易让我们在明年卷土重来。但这个系列赛还没有结束，你知道。”

斯隆似乎将重点放在奥拉朱旺和格雷格·奥斯特塔格(Greg Ostertag)的防守上。

“你不能只是让（奥拉朱旺）获得他想要的位置，然后说，‘现在，我将开始防守他。’你必须让他难以获得那个位置，让他为此付出努力。那些在场上努力拼搏的人，就是那些能得到裁判判罚的人。在篮球比赛中，一直都是这样。”

• 爵士队-火箭队赛后报道：威利斯表示，他怀疑他和火箭队是否会像马刺队那样应对马龙对大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)的肘击。

“他们像职业球员一样处理了这件事，”威利斯说的是马刺队。“如果他们的性格不允许他们做出过激的行为，那么他们的做法就对了。但我是在亚特兰大学会打球的。我不会容忍这样的行为；太不应该了。我会疯了。你打我的队员，我们也会打回去。

“如果我曾经打出过这样的肘击，我就会被禁赛三场，罚款3万美元。”

点击查看原文：Rockets primed for first-round stunner

Rockets primed for first-round stunner

HOUSTON - This is some up- and-down basketball town.

The Rockets have dribbled through Clutch City and Choke City. This season, they bobbled through a 41-41 season, rife with injuries and locker-room unrest.

Now look at 'em. They are on the brink of eliminating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs. They hold a 2-1 edge in the best-of- five series with Game 4 scheduled at 8:30 tonight at the Compaq Center.

“Never underestimate the heart of a champion” has been Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich’s cry.

But the brink looms for both teams. A Utah victory here would send the series back to the Delta Center, a venue dreaded by all league teams. But the Jazz are not without resources; they won here twice in the regular season and eliminated the Rockets in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals last year.

“If we don’t win the next game, we don’t deserve to win the series,” Charles Barkley repeated before Thursday morning’s practice. Of course, Barkley will smile and offer another quip if the Rockets do have to journey to Salt Lake City for Sunday’s clincher.

Coach Jerry Sloan maintained his low-key approach.

“If we try again to play one-on-one, we’ll probably lose,” he said. "No, there’s no pressure. This is a basketball game. Pressure is when you go to work at 9 a.m. and get off at 7 a.m.

“I may get fired if we lose this series, but they won’t cut off my arms and legs.”

The Jazz now find themselves as underdogs - a position they probably prefer and are used to enduring over the years. They can remember that the Rockets went almost nine minutes in the fourth quarter without a basket Wednesday night, and that they rallied from a nine-point deficit to take the lead in the final quarter en route to the 89-85 victory.

“The pressure is on both teams,” Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon said. “Both teams will try to come out and just play basketball.”

Utah’s Karl Malone only got 16 shots, about 20 attempts if you count his free throws, and the Rockets expect the ball to wind up in his hands more often Friday.

But Kevin Willis got only six shots, and the Rockets may attempt to get him more involved in the offense.

“I’d like to get more shots. The main reason is it’s always best to force Karl to work on defense. You don’t want him relaxing down there; you want to tire him some,” Willis said.

The vaunted Utah pick-and-roll has been stymied in two of the three games. Matt Maloney and Brent Price have keyed on John Stockton and Malone gets bumped when he drifts into his rolls.

Stockton has been nursing a strained lower back but refuses to even discuss it. He again didn’t practice Thursday.

“We changed (defense) a little through the game to throw them off some,” said Maloney, who has exchanged bumps, grinds and elbows with Stockton. “Basically, we want to go into this game feeling like we lost the last one, with as much intensity as we can have.”

Maloney was calm under fire Wednesday night. He grabbed the rebound of Malone’s missed three- point try with 8.5 seconds left, was fouled and hit one free throw to give the Rockets a four-point lead with 7.6 seconds to go.

The Jazz didn’t seem to be that off-stride before Thursday’s workout.

“No, I certainly won’t kill myself if we lose the series,” Malone said. “Actually, it would make it easier to come back again next year and try again. But this series isn’t over yet, you know.”

Sloan seemed keyed on Olajuwon and Greg Ostertag’s defense.

“You can’t just let (Olajuwon) get the position he wants and then say, ‘Now, I’ll work on defending him.’ You have to make it difficult for him to get there, make him work for it. The guys who work hard out there are the guys who get the breaks (refs’ calls). It’s always been like that in basketball.”

- Jazz-Rockets notes: Willis said he doubted if he and the Rockets would have reacted to Malone’s elbow to David Robinson’s head the same way the Spurs reacted.

“They handled it like professionals,” Willis said of the Spurs. "If it’s not their makeup to be physical, then they handled it right. But I learned how to play in Atlanta. I wouldn’t have settled for that; it was so uncalled for. I would have been crazy out there. Hit our guy and we’ll get back.

“If I had ever delivered an elbow like that, I would have been suspended for three games, fined maybe $30,000.”

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1998-05-02, By Jerry Briggs

马刺淡化复仇因素，瞄准西部半决赛

马刺队在周五早上训练时，回顾了他们在第一轮季后赛中战胜菲尼克斯太阳队的意义，并展望了他们在西部半决赛中的挑战。

在两轮系列赛之间，他们将专注于治疗轻微伤病和调整比赛状态。至于复仇，马刺队将其淡化，认为它并非重要的激励因素。

马刺队将在七场四胜制的第二轮比赛中对阵休斯顿火箭队或犹他爵士队。令他们的球迷沮丧的是，他们从未在季后赛系列赛中击败过火箭队或爵士队。

“至于复仇，我可能无法说它不会（被考虑），”马刺队中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)说道。“你知道，我们希望回来，为我们过去对他们的经历赎罪。”

然而，报仇似乎并非马刺队的首要目标。

“我们的目标是继续进步，一场接一场，”罗宾逊说道。“我的意思是，我们喜欢我们的球队。我们喜欢我们能做的事情的可能性。我们只想变得越来越好。我对对阵任何一支球队的可能性都感到兴奋。”

火箭队在季后赛中三次击败马刺队，最近一次是在1995年西部决赛中的一场高风险战斗中。

爵士队两次淘汰马刺队，分别是在94年的第一轮和96年的半决赛中。如果你算上卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)在4月8日用肘击打罗宾逊的那次，则是三次。

训练结束后，马刺队前锋查克·珀森(Chuck Person)表示，他更愿意与火箭队交手。

“我们的目标是晋级西部决赛，”珀森说道。“但就次要故事而言，我们更愿意与休斯顿交手，因为我们拥有主场优势。这可能就是唯一的理由。

“如果我们碰巧遇到了犹他队，显然那里也有一些故事。但无论如何，你都必须充满热情地去比赛。”

珀森表示，他不喜欢在重要的季后赛系列赛之前谈论复仇。

“复仇，以及所有这些东西，都带有一定的负面情绪，”他说。“当你恨某人或恨一支球队时，它有时会影响你的判断。所以我们不会试图用任何复仇因素来打击我们的对手。”

马刺队在周三晚上以四场淘汰了太阳队，结束了五场三胜制的首轮比赛，这让他们有时间休息他们疼痛的身体。罗宾逊（膝盖疼痛）、珀森（下背部疼痛）和艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)（右髋部拉伤）都需要休息。

这三个人在对阵菲尼克斯的比赛中发挥了关键作用，尤其是约翰逊，他在最后一战中砍下了职业生涯新高的30分。珀森在系列赛的最后两场比赛中摆脱了投篮低迷，投进了9个三分球——最后一战进了6个。

“正常情况下，你会想马上比赛，”珀森说道。“但在我们的情况下，球员们都有伤，我们更愿意休息一下。尤其是戴夫和艾弗里。另外，我认为（新秀）蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)也需要休息。他是个年轻人，但他已经打了许多比赛。”

备注

• 罗宾逊平纪录：大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)已经追平了马刺队传奇人物乔治·格文(George Gervin)的季后赛出场次数纪录，为57场。

罗宾逊将在马刺队与犹他爵士队或休斯顿火箭队的胜者进行第二轮比赛时打破纪录。

• 数据对比：马刺队在常规赛中对阵休斯顿火箭队取得2胜2负，对阵犹他爵士队取得1胜3负。

对阵休斯顿，马刺队在主场战胜了火箭队，并在客场惨败。

他们在12月20日和1月26日的阿拉莫穹顶比赛中分别以13分和15分的优势获胜。

但在康柏中心，马刺队在12月9日和1月24日分别以108-78和112-87的比分被击败。火箭队中锋哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)因伤缺席了所有四场比赛。

对阵犹他队，马刺队在赛季的第四场比赛中以7分的优势在穹顶击败了爵士队。两周后，爵士队在11月22日在盐湖城以103-74的比分击败了马刺队。爵士队后卫约翰·斯托克顿(John Stockton)因膝伤缺席了这两场比赛。

犹他队在2月21日在圣安东尼奥以79-77的比分险胜马刺队。随后，在卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)用肘击打大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)头部的那场比赛中，爵士队以98-88的比分获胜。 - 球队报道

点击查看原文：Spurs downplay revenge factor for Western semis

Spurs downplay revenge factor for Western semis

The Spurs showed up for practice Friday morning contemplating the meaning of their first- round playoff victory over the Phoenix Suns and looking ahead to their challenge in the Western Conference semifinals.

Rehabilitating minor injuries and tightening up their game will be the focus in between the two series. As for revenge, the Spurs downplayed it as a motivational factor.

The Spurs will play either the Houston Rockets or Utah Jazz in the best-of-seven second round. Much to their fans’ dismay, they never have beaten the Rockets or Jazz in a playoffs series.

“As far as revenge goes, there’s probably no way I can say it won’t (be considered),” Spurs center David Robinson said. “You know, we’d like to come back and redeem ourselves for some of the experiences we’ve had in the past against them.”

Still, getting even doesn’t seem to be tops on the Spurs’ agenda.

“Our goal is to continue to get better, game by game,” Robinson said. “I mean, we like our team. We like the possibilities of what we can do. We just want to get better and better. I’m excited about the possibilities against either team.”

The Rockets have whipped the Spurs three times in the playoffs, most recently in a high-stakes battle for the 1995 Western Conference championship.

The Jazz have knocked the Spurs out twice, in the '94 first round and in the '96 conference semifinals. Three times, if you count the elbow that Karl Malone used to deck Robinson on April 8.

After practice, Spurs forward Chuck Person said he would rather play the Rockets.

“The incentive will be to advance to the Western Conference finals,” Person said. "But as far as the sub-stories go, we’d rather play Houston because we’d have home- court advantage. That would probably be the only reason.

“If we happen to draw Utah, obviously there is a story there, too. But either way, you have just have to go out and play with enthusiasm.”

Person said he doesn’t like the idea of talking about revenge going into an important playoff series.

“With revenge, and all that stuff, you have certain amount of negativity,” he said. “When you hate somebody, or hate a team, sometimes it clouds your judgment. So we’re not going to try to hit our opponent with any revenge factor.”

The Spurs finished off the Suns on Wednesday night in four games in the best-of-five first round, leaving them time to rest their aching bodies. Robinson (sore knee), Person (lower back soreness) and Avery Johnson (right hip strain) all needed the break.

The three played key roles against Phoenix, particularly Johnson, who torched the Suns for a career-high 30 points in the clincher. Person came out of a shooting slump in the last two games of the series, hitting nine three-pointers - six in the final game.

“On a normal basis you’d want to play right away,” Person said. “But in our situation with the players having injuries, we’d rather take some time off. Especially Dave and Avery. Also, I think (rookie) Tim Duncan needs some rest. He’s a young guy, but he’s played in a lot of games.”

Notes

- Robinson ties record: David Robinson has tied Spurs legend George Gervin for most playoff games played in a career with 57.

Robinson will break the record when the Spurs play the Utah Jazz- Houston Rockets winner in the second round.

- Numbers game: The Spurs went 2-2 against the Houston Rockets and 1-3 against the Utah Jazz in the regular season.

Against Houston, the Spurs dominated the Rockets at home and got whipped soundly on the road.

They won by 13 points on Dec. 20 and by 15 on Jan. 26, both at the Alamodome.

But at Compaq Center, the Spurs were thrashed 108-78 on Dec. 9 and 112-87 on Jan. 24. Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon sat out all four of the meetings with injuries.

Against Utah, the Spurs - in their fourth game of the season - beat the Jazz by seven at the dome. The Jazz turned around two weeks later on Nov. 22 to thrash the Spurs 103-74 in Salt Lake City. Jazz guard John Stockton sat out both games with a knee injury.

Utah nipped the Spurs 79-77 on Feb. 21 in San Antonio. Subsequently, in the game when Karl Malone knocked out David Robinson with an elbow to the head, the Jazz won 98- 88 on April 8. - Staff Reports

By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News