1998-05-10, By Jerry Briggs
虽然赢了，但马刺还有工作要做
马刺中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)对球队周六下午以 86-64 战胜犹他爵士的季后赛胜利感到满意。
但爵士仍然在七场四胜制的西部半决赛中以 2-1 领先。更重要的是，对于马刺来说，爵士仍然是卫冕的西部冠军。
罗宾逊表示，他预计爵士将在今晚 8 点在圆顶体育馆进行的第四场比赛中打出冠军水平。
“他们拥有我们想要的东西，”罗宾逊说。“我们必须拿走他们拥有的东西。我预计他们会出来展示他们的性格，而我们也必须做到同样的事情。”
马刺后卫艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)驳斥了马刺将爵士限制在 64 分（这平了 NBA 季后赛纪录）以及 28.6% 的投篮命中率的说法，认为马刺并未做出任何声明。
“只有在赢得系列赛后，你才能真正做出声明，”约翰逊说。“(如果)他们以 4-3 或 4-2 赢得系列赛，这真的不算什么声明。我们必须努力赢得系列赛，然后我们才会谈论做出声明。”
- 加时赛的戏剧性：球迷们仍然对马刺在周四晚上盐湖城举行的第二场比赛中以 109-106 输给爵士感到沮丧。但就美学和戏剧性而言，这场比赛是球队历史上最精彩的季后赛比赛之一。
第四节最后六分钟的三个方面仍然困扰着我。
挥之不去的记忆 No. 1 - 马刺主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)在查克·珀森(Chuck Person)得到第五次犯规后，在比赛还剩 6 分 3 秒时将他换下。我希望他让“步枪手”留在场上。珀森刚刚投进了一个三分球，帮助马刺取得了三分领先。
珀森的替补贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)上场后，错失了一个空位三分的机会，这本可以将马刺的领先优势扩大到 6 分。
波波维奇在比赛还剩 3 分 36 秒时将珀森换回场上，但“步枪手”手感不佳，错失了一个可能打破平局的三分球。
挥之不去的记忆 No. 2 - 当犹他前锋卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)突破到篮下，命中了最后时刻的扳平球时，如果有人阻止他把球投进篮筐，这对马刺来说将是巨大的帮助。
事实上，马龙对罗宾逊的腹股沟使出了他的高抬腿动作，然后投进了将比分扳平至 98 的 6 英尺球。让马刺感到沮丧的是，马龙还获得了一个罚球机会，因为罗宾逊被判犯规阻挡。
幸运的是，对于马刺来说，马龙错失了罚球，比赛最终进入加时赛。但我忍不住想，罗宾逊的犯规可以更强硬一些。
如果罗宾逊用一个强硬、干净的犯规将马龙按在板凳上，可能一开始就阻止了球进篮筐。这样，马龙就必须通过罚球来扳平比分。
挥之不去的记忆 No. 3 - 我想看到蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)在常规时间投出最后一球。在比赛还剩 2.1 秒时，邓肯在底线发球时接到了球，犹他的安东尼·卡尔(Antoine Carr)紧贴着他。
邓肯立即将球传给了在球场外侧无人防守的杰克逊，后者有机会投出潜在的制胜球。他投失了。我知道，如果邓肯转身投篮，他可能失去平衡。
他接球时，惯性明显将他带离篮筐。但我认为，我宁愿看到一个失去平衡的邓肯转身投出 17-18 英尺的抛投，即使最坏的结果是进入加时赛。
- 海军的职责：罗宾逊在邓肯崛起成为马刺主要进攻威胁后，对自己的角色的态度对球队的化学反应产生了积极的，如果不是至关重要的影响。
罗宾逊最近承认，邓肯的低位技术更好，应该在关键时刻得到球。
“我们都希望在比赛结束时得到球，我们都希望成为球队核心，是球队取得成功的原因，”罗宾逊说。“但你必须咽下这口气。
“如果有人比你更擅长某件事——他比我拥有更好的低位技术——那么为了球队，你必须让他去做那件事。……我只想赢球。我已经在这待了太久，我厌倦了没有胜利。
“每个人都在批评你，因为你还没有赢得总冠军。但除非你身边有能做到的人，你怎么可能赢得总冠军。”
如果罗宾逊抱怨自己没有得到球，马刺会怎么样？可能就在度假。在邓肯因脚踝扭伤而表现挣扎的情况下，罗宾逊在周六成为了球队的“救世主”，在 29 分钟内得到了 21 分。
点击查看原文：Rout was nice, but Spurs have work left
Rout was nice, but Spurs have work left
Spurs center David Robinson was happy with his team’s 86-64 playoff victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday afternoon.
But the Jazz still have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals. And, more important to the Spurs, the Jazz still are the defending conference champions.
Robinson said he expects the Jazz will play like champions in Game 4 at 8 tonight at the dome.
“They’ve got what we want,” Robinson said. “We have to take what they have. I expect they’re going to come out and show the character they have. And we’ve got to do the same thing.”
Spurs guard Avery Johnson dismissed talk that the Spurs made any sort of a statement by limiting the Jazz to 64 points, which tied an NBA playoff record, and 28.6 percent shooting.
“You really don’t make a statement until you win the series,” Johnson said. “(If) they win the series 4-3 or 4-2, this is really no statement. We’ve got to try to win the series, and then we’ll talk about making statements.”
- Overtime drama: Fans still are smarting over the Spurs’ 109-106 loss to the Jazz in the Game 2 overtime thriller Thursday night in Salt Lake City. But as far as aesthetics and drama, it ranked as one of the best playoff games in franchise history.
Three aspects about the final six minutes of the fourth quarter still bother me.
Haunting memory No. 1 - Spurs coach Gregg Popovich took Chuck Person out of the game with 6:03 remaining when Person picked up his fifth foul. I wish he had left the Rifleman in. Person had just hit a three-point shot to give the Spurs a three-point lead.
Jaren Jackson, Person’s replacement, entered the action and missed an open look on a three that would have extended the Spurs’ lead to six.
Popovich shuttled Person back into the game with 3:36 left, only to see the Rifleman - out of rhythm - misfire on a trey that would have broken a tie.
Haunting memory No. 2 - When Utah forward Karl Malone drove into the lane and hit the game- tying shot in the final seconds, it would have helped the Spurs’ cause immensely if someone had prevented him from even getting the ball up to the rim.
As it was, Malone delivered his high-kick move to Robinson’s groin and then sank the 6-footer that tied it at 98. Much to the Spurs’ dismay, Malone also was awarded a free throw because Robinson was called for a blocking foul.
Fortunately for the Spurs, Malone missed the freebie, and the game ended up going to overtime. But I can’t help thinking Robinson’s foul could have been much more forceful.
A hard, clean shot by Robinson that would have planted Malone on the seat of his pants may have prevented the ball from going into the hoop in the first place. That way, Malone would have been forced to hit free throws to tie.
Haunting memory No. 3 - I wanted to see Tim Duncan take the last shot of regulation. On an inbounds play with 2.1 seconds remaining, Duncan caught the pass at the free-throw line, with Utah’s Antoine Carr on his hip.
Duncan immediately passed out to Jackson, who was wide open on the perimeter for the potential game-winner. He missed. I know Duncan might have been off- balance if he had turned to shoot.
His momentum when he made the catch was clearly carrying him away from the hoop. But I think I’d rather have an off-balance Duncan turn and take a fadeaway from 17- 18 feet, especially if the worst-case scenario is overtime.
- Admiral’s role: Robinson’s attitude about his role in the wake of Duncan’s emergence as the Spurs’ primary offensive threat has had a positive - if not critical - impact on the team’s chemistry.
Robinson recently admitted that Duncan has better post moves and should get the ball in crunch time.
“We all want the ball down the stretch, we all want to be the one to say we’re the central part of the team and the reason we’re having success,” Robinson said. "But you’ve got to swallow that.
"If there is somebody who does something better than you - and he’s got better post moves than I have - then you’ve got to let him do that for the betterment of the team. … I just want to win. I’ve been here too long, and I’m tired of not winning.
“Everybody’s on you because you haven’t won a championship. But how can you win a championship unless you have guys next to you who can make it happen.”
Where would the Spurs be if Robinson was griping about not getting the ball? Probably on vacation. With Duncan struggling on a sprained ankle, Robinson turned out to be the “go-to” guy Saturday, scoring 21 points in 29 minutes.
By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News