马刺1998-99赛季实录（780+篇）

[这也将成为过去]

1999-03-31, By Johnny Ludden

胜利之歌奏响 - 马刺战胜超音速，三月战绩14胜2负

蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)拿下26分，大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)贡献18分，马刺周二晚在阿拉莫穹顶球馆以95-87战胜西雅图超音速，现场16,565名观众见证了这场胜利。

超音速（15胜14负）打了三天三场比赛，全场投篮命中率仅为38.8%（80投31中），罚球命中率也只有20中33。

在3月24日于阿拉莫穹顶球馆输给马刺的比赛中，超音速的投篮命中率只有34.2%，并且罚丢了18个罚球。

埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)得到14分，其中第三节的关键时刻连续命中6分，并送出9次助攻。加里·佩顿(Gary Payton)仅得到15分，13投5中。

凭借这场胜利，马刺（20胜10负）结束了他们三月16场比赛中取得14胜的出色战绩。他们唯一一次在一个月中取得更好的战绩是在1995-96赛季的3月，当时他们取得了16胜0负的完美战绩。

超音速队缺少前锋文·贝克(Vin Baker)，他在3月21日撕裂了右手拇指韧带。邓肯在首节就突破了超音速的双人包夹，砍下12分。

然而，超音速的投篮表现是他们最大的问题。他们在首节开局10投仅1中，并在最后一节开局12投1中。

在2月26日于基阿雷纳球馆的比赛中，超音速队凭借第三节的五记三分球和进攻篮板压制了马刺。他们在周二试图复制这一策略。

超音速队在第三节命中3记三分球，并得到10分二次进攻得分。奥尔登·波利尼斯(Olden Polynice)的短距离底线跳投将马刺半场领先8分的优势缩小至58-57，当时距离第三节结束还剩5分35秒。

约翰逊站了出来。当马刺以62-60领先时，约翰逊将球传给邓肯完成灌篮，随后自己连续命中一记中投、一记勾手和一记上篮。

马刺观察

周二：@马刺 95，超音速 87

得分王：马刺 - 邓肯 26；超音速 - 佩顿 15

战绩：马刺 20-10（中西部赛区第三）；西雅图 15-14（太平洋赛区第三）

连胜：2连胜

下一场比赛：周四对阵温哥华，晚上7:30，阿拉莫穹顶球馆（电视：KSAT）

在线：expressnews.com/spurs

点击查看原文：Victory March completed - Spurs handle SuperSonics to go 14-2 for month

Victory March completed - Spurs handle SuperSonics to go 14-2 for month

Tim Duncan scored 26 points and David Robinson added 18 points as the Spurs beat Seattle 95-87 Tuesday night in front of 16,565 at the Alamodome.

Playing their third game in as many nights, the SuperSonics (15- 14) shot just 38.8 percent (31 of 80) from the field. They also made only 20 of 33 free throws.

In their March 24 loss to the Spurs at the dome, Seattle shot 34.2 percent and missed 18 free throws.

Avery Johnson added 14 points, including six straight during a crucial stretch in the third quarter, and nine assists. Gary Payton was held to 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

With the victory, the Spurs (20- 10) ended March with their 14th win in 16 games. The only time they ever had a better record for one month came during March of the 1995-96 season when they went 16-0.

The Sonics were missing forward Vin Baker, who tore ligaments in his right thumb on March 21. Duncan beat Seattle’s double- teams early, scoring 12 points in the first quarter.

The Sonics’ shooting, however, was their main culprit. They made only 1 of 10 shots to start the game, then made only 1 of 12 to start the final quarter.

In their Feb. 26 victory at KeyArena, the Sonics buried the Spurs with five third-quarter three-pointers and offensive rebounding. They tried to do the same Tuesday.

Seattle hit three treys and scored 10 second-chance points in the third quarter. Olden Polynice’s short baseline jumper cut the Spurs eight-point halftime lead to 58-57 with 5:35 left in the period.

Enter Johnson. With the Spurs clinging to a 62-60 lead, Johnson fed Duncan for a dunk, then threw in a runner, a hook and a driving layup.

Spurs watch

Tuesday: @Spurs 95, SuperSonics 87

Top scorers: Spurs - Duncan 26; SuperSonics - Payton 15

Records: Spurs 20-10 (third in Midwest Division); Seattle 15-14 (third in Pacific)

Streak: Won 2

Next game: Thursday vs. Vancouver, 7:30 p.m., Alamodome (TV: KSAT)

Online: expressnews.com/spurs

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-03-31, By Johnny Ludden

马刺队花絮

什么停摆？在周二的比赛之前，马刺队在阿拉莫穹顶的13场主场比赛中平均吸引了20,880名球迷。

这比上赛季的平均19,109名球迷增加了9%以上。

马刺队本赛季的最大观众人数——2月8日对阵洛杉矶湖人的33,788名观众——可能是因为99美分的顶层票价。但总体的增长仍然有些令人惊讶。迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)不再可用以填补阿拉莫穹顶，而且本赛季的比赛都没有在付费观看频道播出。

点击查看原文：Spurs Notes

Spurs Notes

What lockout? Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Spurs were averaging 20,880 fans in their 13 home dates at the Alamodome.

That is an increase of more than 9 percent over last season’s average of 19,109.

The Spurs’ largest crowd of the season - 33,788 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 8 - may have been buoyed by 99-cent upper-level tickets. But the overall increase still is somewhat surprising. Michael Jordan is no longer available to fill the Alamodome, and none of this season’s game are on pay-per-view. - Johnny Ludden

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-03-31, By Glenn Rogers

NBA球迷，收起你的“污点”刷子

所以你认为这是一个充满污点的赛季？

你认为应该在最终的NBA冠军名字旁边加一个星号吗？

我说，严格来说，你们都错了。

首先，让我们去掉第二点，即星号。

当然，这很诱人，但不是因为它是50场比赛的赛季。你可能会看着最终的赢家，略带嘲讽地一笑（除非这是你的家乡），然后说：“如果迈克尔还在风城打球，你永远不可能做到这一点。”

但这只是一时的诱惑，很容易就把那个魔鬼从你的肩膀上掸掉。

当活塞在卡里姆·阿卜杜尔-贾巴尔离开球场后的第二年终于夺冠时，我们没有在活塞的名字旁边加一个星号。

1970年，当纽约夺冠而凯尔特人没有比尔·拉塞尔的时候，我们也没有在纽约的名字旁边加一个星号。

面对现实吧，如果每当一位强大的球星步入晚年时我们都要加一个星号，那么这本书就会布满星号。

但是，你说，他们只打了50场比赛，这怎么办？

我说，看看积分榜，注意一下那些争夺季后赛席位的球队。

在西部，去年大约67场比赛后，我们有犹他爵士、西雅图超音速、洛杉矶湖人、圣安东尼奥马刺、菲尼克斯太阳、波特兰开拓者、休斯顿火箭和明尼苏达森林狼争夺席位。

今年，大约40场比赛后，我们在季后赛名单上看到了谁？波特兰、犹他、休斯顿、湖人、马刺、森林狼、超音速和太阳。

在这两个赛季中，萨克拉门托国王都排在第九位。

万岁，一成不变！

年轻人，如果你想要一些变化，那就去东部吧。

上赛季，芝加哥公牛、迈阿密热火、印第安纳步行者、夏洛特黄蜂、亚特兰大老鹰、克利夫兰骑士、纽约尼克斯和奥兰多魔术——华盛顿奇才——新泽西网队正在争夺季后赛席位。

今年呢？奥兰多、印第安纳、迈阿密、亚特兰大、底特律活塞、密尔沃基雄鹿、费城76人队和纽约尼克斯。

公牛在迈克尔、斯科蒂和丹尼斯的离开后消失得无影无踪。安东尼·梅森、格伦·莱斯和弗拉德·迪瓦茨的受伤让黄蜂失去了锋芒。克利夫兰在扎伊德鲁纳斯·伊尔加斯卡斯受伤后倒下了，而约翰·卡利帕里则毁掉了篮网。

82场比赛的赛程对今年的西部不会有任何影响，除了可能通过迫使球队打几场更多对阵胜率在50%左右或以上的球队的比赛，来降低胜率百分比。

在东部，如果奥兰多不得不打更多客场比赛，他们可能就不会如此肥胖和自命不凡。

因此，我们必须得出结论，缩短的比赛时间对那些没有进入季后赛的球队来说意义不大，除了让他们免受更糟糕战绩的耻辱。

小牛球迷只需听更长版本的唐·尼尔森的风吹笛声，快船队将准备创造世界范围内的失利记录，也许戴夫·考恩斯会坚持更久，如果他认为埃尔登·坎贝尔和埃迪·琼斯会及时提供帮助。

在东部，联合中心将和以前一样寒冷和多风，里克·皮蒂诺将会有更长的羞辱期，而伯尼·比克斯塔夫永远无法打到第42场比赛。

所以，我们必须收起污点刷子吗？

好吧，仔细想想，也许不。

我们可以抱怨和发牢骚关于在全国的球场上为所欲为的千万富翁们的糟糕体能。我们可以惊叹和嘲笑肖恩·坎普的屁股大小，以及布莱恩特·“大洲”里夫斯的体重暴涨。

我们可以对那些让人昏昏欲睡的防守对抗说“不，不”，因为错过了训练营意味着进攻执行力的长期缺失。

我们仍然可以抱怨，或者可能只是开怀大笑，关于罚球线上的旅行。谁会忘记文·贝克的痛苦时刻。

我们谁还记得，16年前，由乔治·格文领衔的马刺场均得分高达114分？那个赛季，由朱利叶斯·欧文领衔的费城场均得分112分，而由魔术师约翰逊领衔的洛杉矶场均得分115分。

费城在总决赛中击败了洛杉矶，而今天的教练们无疑会注意到，防守稍微好一点的球队赢了。

最后，我们都可以问联盟，明年恢复82场比赛的赛程时，他们会怎么说，但他们会想起，今年他们是以每场比赛都很重要为前提进行销售的。

因为事先知道明年每场比赛都不重要，联盟可能会将前41场比赛的票价减半。

罗杰斯的排名

排名，球队，评论

1. 波特兰：邓利维能否让这艘飞船继续高速运转，在球员们对上场时间感到不满之前？
2. 犹他：爵士正在应对中期低迷，快船队给了他们一个粗暴的警钟。
3. 休斯顿：奥拉朱旺和巴克利继续前进，而皮蓬则努力追赶。
4. 印第安纳：老鹰队继续掠夺伯德的巢穴。
5. 奥兰多：哈达威固执己见，但阿姆斯特朗为魔术提供了活力。
6. 迈阿密：热火队的八场失利中有四场是输给了西部球队。
7. 亚特兰大：老鹰不喜欢主场，对手也不喜欢他们去任何地方。
8. 马刺：他们在应该赢的时候赢球，但担心着那些第三节的低迷。
9. 洛杉矶湖人：杰里·韦斯特忘记了莱斯已经习惯了成为主角。
10. 底特律：活塞还没有开始战斗。
11. 密尔沃基：卡尔摆脱了坎普和佩顿……以及胜利。
12. 明尼苏达：很快就会想念一个名叫史密斯的人。
13. 费城：林奇必须证明自己能够坚持整个赛季。
14. 纽约：东部暴徒在西部遭遇了血腥的鼻子。
15. 克利夫兰：骑士需要骑兵来抢夺一个季后赛席位。
16. 西雅图：超音速球迷暂时摆脱了贝克的罚球困境。
17. 多伦多：加拿大人敢不敢梦想着卡特在季后赛中表现出色？
18. 菲尼克斯：这次太阳没有教练候选人在替补席上。
19. 萨克拉门托：韦伯和威廉姆斯看着太阳的黯然失色。
20. 夏洛特：黄蜂只需要说服乔丹本赛季穿上球衣。
21. 华盛顿：国王队会进入季后赛吗，而里奇蒙德会再次坐在家里吗？
22. 金州：勇士队的胜利发生在法庭上，而不是球场上。
23. 达拉斯：小牛队在纳什的带领下发现开车很困难。
24. 波士顿：皮蒂诺渴望回到他老家肯塔基。
25. 丹佛：掘金队及时找到了快船队。
26. 芝加哥：伤病不会影响公牛队的彩票机会。
27. 温哥华：没有“大块头”，犯错的空间更大。
28. 新泽西：季后赛只是新秀马布里的一个遥远记忆。
29. 洛杉矶快船：莫里斯·泰勒一次又一次地上了场。

点击查看原文：NBA fans, put away your 'taint' brushes

NBA fans, put away your ‘taint’ brushes

So you think this is a tainted season?

You think there should be an asterisk placed next to the name of the eventual NBA champion?

I say, strictly speaking, you’re all wet.

Let’s get rid of No.2, the asterisk, first.

Sure, it’s tempting, but not because it’s a 50-game season. You might look at the eventual winner, smirk a bit (unless it’s your home town) and say, “You never would have done it if Mike was still playing in the Windy City.”

But it’s only a momentary temptation, it’s easy to brush that devil off your shoulder.

We didn’t put an asterisk next to Detroit when the Pistons finally pounded home with their title, the year after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left the playing field.

We didn’t put asterisks next to New York in 1970 when New York won but the Celtics didn’t have Bill Russell in the pivot.

Face it, the book would be littered with asterisks if we punched them in whenever an overpowering star trotted off into his dotage.

But, you say, what about the fact they only played 50 games?

I say, take a look at the standings, note, if you will, the teams jockeying for playoff seeds.

In the West, last year after about 67 games we had Utah, Seattle, the Lakers, San Antonio, Phoenix, Portland, Houston and Minnesota fighting for berths.

This year, after about 40 games, who do we see in the playoff picture? Portland, Utah, Houston, the Lakers, San Antonio, Minnesota, Seattle and Phoenix.

In both years, Sacramento was perched in the No.9 spot.

Viva the sameness.

Go East, young man, if you want a little difference.

Last season, Chicago, Miami, Indiana, Charlotte, Atlanta, Cleveland, New York and Orlando- Washington-New Jersey were in the playoff hunt.

This year? Orlando, Indiana, Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and New York.

Chicago has vanished in the vapor trail left by Michael, Scottie and Dennis. Injuries to Anthony Mason, Glen Rice and the loss of Vlade Divac removed the sting from the Hornets. Cleveland went down with Zydrunas Ilgauskas and injuries, and John Calipari doomed the Nets.

An 82-game schedule would make no difference in the West this year, other than perhaps dipping the percentage of wins by forcing clubs to play a few more games against .500 and better clubs.

In the East, maybe Orlando wouldn’t be so fat and sassy if it had to wage a few more wars on the road.

Thus, we have to conclude the abbreviated march meant little to the chances of the also-rans other than escaping the ignominy of even-more embarrassing records.

Maverick fans would have just had to listen to longer versions of Don Nelson’s whistling-in-the-wind tunes, the Clippers would be on course to set a world-wide loss record, maybe Dave Cowens would have hung around longer if he figured help was coming in time from Elden Campbell and Eddie Jones.

In the East, the United Center would be just as cold and windy, Rick Pitino would have longer stretches of humiliation and Bernie Bickerstaff would never have made it to the 42-game point.

So, do we have to put away the taint brush?

Well, on second thought, maybe not.

We can gripe and grump about the horrific conditioning of the gangs of multimillionaires loose on the nation’s courts. We can marvel and laugh at the size of Shawn Kemp’s rear end, the ballooning of Bryant “Big Continent” Reeves.

We can beg no mas, no mas to the mind-deadening defensive contests, wrought because the missed training camps meant the prolonged absence of sharp offensive executions.

We can still wail on about, or perhaps just double up in hilarity over, the trips to the foul line. Will we ever forget the tortured moments of Vin Baker.

Who among us remembers that the Spurs, with George Gervin, averaged 114 points per game just 16 years ago? That season Philadelphia, with Julius Erving, averaged 112 points and Los Angeles, with Magic Johnson, averaged 115 points.

Philadelphia defeated Los Angeles in The Finals and coaches today no doubt will note the slightly more defensive team won.

Finally, we can all ask the league just what it will say next year when it resumes its 82-game schedule but is reminded that it sold this year on the premise that every game counts.

Knowing in advance that every game won’t count next year, perhaps the league will halve the price of tickets to the first 41 games.

ROGERS’ RANKINGS

RANK, TEAM COMMENT

1 Portland: Can Dunleavy keep this rocket sizzling before players sizzle over playing time? 2. Utah:Fighting midway funk, Jazz got rude wake-up call from Clips. 3. Houston: Olajuwon and Barkley carry on while Pippen tries to catch on. 4. Indiana: Hawks continue to plunder Bird’s nest. 5. Orlando: Hardaway is headstrong, but Armstrong provides the Magic. 6. Miami: Half of Heat’s eight losses have come against the West. 7. Atlanta: Hawks don’t like home; foes don’t like them anywhere. 8. SPURS: Chalking up wins when they should while worrying about those third-quarter letdowns. 9. L.A. Lakers: Jerry West forgot Rice is accustomed to being main course. 10. Detroit: Pistons have not yet begun to fight. 11. Milwaukee: Karl’s rid of Kemp and Payton… and victories. 12. Minnesota: Didn’t take long to miss a guy named Smith. 13. Philadelphia: Lynch must prove he can hang for entire season. 14. New York: The Eastern rowdies get a bloody nose out West. 15. Cleveland: Cavs need a cavalry to snatch a playoff berth. 16. Seattle: Sonics fans temporarily rid of Baker’s free-throw travails. 17. Toronto: Dare Canadians dream about Carter in the playoffs? 18. Phoenix: This time the Suns don’t have coach-in-waiting on bench. 19. Sacramento: Webber and Williams watching eclipse of Suns. 20. Charlotte: Hornets just have to persuade Jordan to suit up this season. 21. Washington: Will Kings make playoffs while Richmond again sits at home? 22. Golden State: Warriors’ wins come in court instead of on court. 23.Dallas: Mavericks find driving difficult with a Nash. 24. Boston: Pitino yearns for his ol’ Kentucky home. 25. Denver: Nuggets found Clippers in the nick of time. 26. Chicago: Injuries won’t hurt Bulls’ lottery chances. 27. Vancouver: Even more room forerror without Big Country. 28. New Jersey: Playoffs only a distant memory for newcomer Marbury. 29. L.A. Clippers: Maurice Taylor went to the mat once too often.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-01, By Buck Harvey

马刺队的新球馆在哪儿？

如果马刺队足够幸运，拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)今天就会被人们称为来自赫洛蒂斯的乡巴佬。要么就是迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)在北极星购物中心而不是北卡罗来纳州长大。

他们本可以去外地上大学，然后花上十几年的时间为马刺队效力。

但当他们退役后呢？他们都会受到南德克萨斯的热烈欢迎，回到家乡经营球队，赚大钱，并帮助球队推销新球馆。

问问彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)就知道了。他也需要一位昔日的球星来帮助球队获得一个新的主场。

当然，伯德为印第安纳贡献了更多，因为他也是去年的年度最佳教练。但当步行者队花大价钱聘请这位从未执教过的教练时，他们也买下了一种巨大的情感寄托。

步行者队需要这种寄托。这支前美国篮球协会(ABA)球队也想要一座新球馆，他们也有自己的税收增量融资(TIF)提案正在等待审批。这需要市议会和县议会的投票通过。

于是伯德来了，这个来自附近弗兰奇利克的乡巴佬，依然做着自己。在印第安纳州，投票反对伯德就等于投票反对玉米。难怪这项耗资 1.7 亿美元的球馆提案获得了通过。

步行者队承担了其中约 5000 万美元的费用，但他们最大的投资是什么？是一个名字。

现在轮到黄蜂队和他们自己的家乡英雄了。他们曾经是联盟上座率最高的球队，但最近他们的老板却成了丑闻最多的老板。乔治·辛恩(George Shinn)不是把阿朗佐·莫宁(Alonzo Mourning)和格伦·莱斯(Glen Rice)赶出城，就是自己离开夏洛特，以逃避北卡罗来纳州的资本利得税。

此外，还有几名女性指控他性行为不端。如果辛恩转世成为一名篮球运动员，他一定会是弗农·马克斯维尔(Vernon Maxwell)那样的球员。

所以，想象一下当辛恩的黄蜂队宣布他们需要一座新球馆时，人们会作何反应吧。夏洛特在 12 年前才建了一座球馆。但这座可容纳 2.4 万人的球馆建成还不到一个月，就有人抬头说，呃，他们忘了点东西。在新时代的收入来源尚不明朗之前，夏洛特就已经落后于时代了，他们只有十几间包厢。

如果马刺队也提出类似的要求，圣安东尼奥的球迷一定会嘲笑他们。许多球迷仍然想知道为什么马刺队想要离开阿拉莫穹顶体育馆，毕竟这座球馆既不是为他们建造的，也不是为篮球比赛设计的。

夏洛特的球迷可能也会笑——除非乔丹入股黄蜂队。现在对他来说似乎是入股的最佳时机，因为他退役已经整整 10 周了。上次乔丹厌倦了高尔夫球而转战棒球场，也花了这么长时间。

如果他又感到无聊了，那么给德里克·科尔曼(Derrick Coleman)开支票就能解决这个问题。但指望迪恩·史密斯(Dean Smith)担任球队总裁的宏伟计划，似乎就像菲尔·杰克逊(Phil Jackson)来这里执教一样不可能实现。杰克逊上个月已经拒绝了这个提议。

至于有报道称乔丹将身披那件神圣的蓝绿色球衣：老板乔丹会喜欢这样，但球员乔丹会作呕。如果他复出，他不会选择埃尔登·坎贝尔(Elden Campbell)作为他的二号选择。

不过，乔丹似乎愿意为自己的言论买单。而且他会像伯德在教练席上大放异彩一样，以老板的身份在球馆建设领域大展拳脚。

乔丹也知道这一点。《夏洛特观察家报》报道称，乔丹上周在纽约会见了夏洛特新球馆开发委员会主席。

霍尔特看到了这一切，并开始思考自己球队中的本土传奇人物。乔治·格文(George Gervin)可以执教，但他没有足够的资金成为老板。沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)还太年轻（此外，奥尼尔不喜欢圣安东尼奥，圣安东尼奥也不喜欢奥尼尔）。

然后还有一位与圣安东尼奥颇有渊源的德克萨斯老将。身穿西装、打着领带、戴着鼻环的丹尼斯·罗德曼(Dennis Rodman)？

如果马刺队足够幸运的话……

点击查看原文：New Air-ena: Where's one for the Spurs?

New Air-ena: Where’s one for the Spurs?

If the Spurs were lucky, Larry Bird would be known today as the hick from Helotes. Either that, or Michael Jordan would have grown up touring North Star Mall, not North Carolina.

Both could have gone away to college, then spent a dozen years paddling the Spurs.

But when they quit playing? Either would have been welcomed home to South Texas to run the franchise. Make some money. And help sell an arena.

Ask Peter Holt today. He, too, could use an old star to get a new facility.

Bird gave Indiana more, naturally, since he was also last year’s coach of the year. But when the Pacers paid huge money for a coach who had never coached, they also bought huge sentiment.

The Pacers needed it. This former ABA franchise wanted an arena, too, and they had their own pending TIF proposal. A city/county council vote was required.

So here came Bird, the hick from nearby French Lick, just bein’ hisself. In Indiana, a vote against Bird is a vote against corn. No wonder the proposal passed for a $170 million fieldhouse.

The Pacers are responsible for about $50 million of it, but their greatest investment? In a name.

Now come the Hornets and their own home-state hero. They once led the league in attendance, but lately their owner leads it in scandals. When George Shinn isn’t running Alonzo Mourning and Glen Rice out of town, he’s leaving town himself to avoid North Carolina’s capital-gains taxes.

Then there are accusations by several women of sexual misconduct. If Shinn is reincarnated as a basketball player, he will be Vernon Maxwell.

So imagine the reaction after Shinn’s Hornets declared they needed a new arena. Charlotte had already built one just 12 years ago. But the 24,000-seat structure was about a month old when someone looked up and said, uh, they forgot something. Before the new-age revenue streams were clear, Charlotte was down the river with only a dozen suites.

San Antonio would laugh at the Spurs for a similar plea. Too many fans still wonder why the Spurs want out of the Alamodome, when it was neither built for them nor designed for hoops.

Charlotte fans would probably laugh as well - unless Jordan buys into the Hornets. The timing seems right for him, since it’s been 10 long weeks since he retired. That’s how long it took the last time before Jordan got sick of golf and tried baseball.

If he’s bored again, then writing checks to Derrick Coleman will end that. But grand plans to get Dean Smith to serve as president seem as unlikely as Phil Jackson coaching there. Jackson dismissed that last month.

As for the report that Jordan will wear the hallowed teal: The owner in Jordan would love it; the player in Jordan would vomit. If he comes back to play, it won’t be with Elden Campbell as his second option.

Still, Jordan appears willing to put his money where his tongue is. And he would star as an owner just as Bird starred as a coach. In the arena-building business.

Jordan knows the same. The Charlotte Observer reported that Jordan met last week in New York with the chairman of Charlotte’s committee that’s working on the development of a new arena.

Holt sees this and wonders about his own local legends. George Gervin could coach, but he doesn’t have enough money to be an owner. Shaquille O’Neal is too young (besides, Shaq doesn’t like San Antonio, and San Antonio doesn’t like Shaq).

Then there’s an older Texan with some San Antonio ties. Dennis Rodman in suit, tie and nose ring?

If the Spurs were lucky …

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-01, By Johnny Ludden

马刺准备发起进攻

马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie) 有着最好的装备：家庭影院系统、数字电视、NBA 订阅套餐。

如果埃利没有参加比赛，他通常会看比赛。卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)？沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)？他们只是遥控器上的一个按钮而已。

周二在战胜西雅图后，埃利离开阿拉莫圆顶球馆，打开电视观看金州勇士战胜波特兰，以及萨克拉门托国王爆冷击败犹他爵士。周三早上，他查看了报纸上的排名。

“我是一个篮球迷，”埃利说，“我喜欢了解我们的位置。”

与一个月前相比，马刺队的排名更容易找到。2 月底时，他们还落后于萨克拉门托国王和金州勇士，现在他们开始 4 月份，仅落后于犹他爵士和休斯顿火箭 1 场半，排名西部联盟中西区第一。

今晚将是马刺队继续攀升的又一次机会。当他们在阿拉莫圆顶球馆主场迎战排名垫底的温哥华灰熊时，火箭和爵士将前往盐湖城进行比赛。

“形势开始变得紧张，”埃利说，“我们需要赢下那些我们应该赢的比赛。对于我们来说，四月份会更加艰难。”

在三月份的 16 场比赛中，马刺队取得了 14 场胜利，这是他们第二好的单月战绩。他们在接下来的三场比赛中可以继续保持这种势头。在对阵温哥华之后，马刺队将在周六和周一分别迎战洛杉矶快船和金州勇士，完成他们六场主场比赛。

接下来的赛程将会更加艰难。接下来的八场比赛中有七场将是对阵波特兰开拓者、犹他爵士、休斯顿火箭、菲尼克斯太阳和明尼苏达森林狼。

“我们本赛季初的信心很低，”大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)说，“每个人都在质疑自己正在做什么，以及自己的角色是什么。但当你赢球时，每个人都会更开心。我们只需要继续赢球，这样就没有人能说什么了。”

温哥华灰熊在 3 月 20 日几乎破坏了这些计划。灰熊队将马刺队拖入加时赛，最终在通用汽车球馆以 92-88 惜败。今晚，他们将缺席首发中锋布莱恩特·里夫斯(Bryant Reeves)，他在那场比赛后不久就接受了膝盖手术。

里夫斯的对手罗宾逊在周三的模拟训练中没有参加，因为他左膝出现轻微肿胀。他在场边穿着压缩靴来减轻压力，并服用抗炎药。

罗宾逊表示他感觉良好，马刺队预计他会出战。肿胀被认为是由于本赛季的磨损造成的，而不是他遭受的任何特定伤病。

波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)曾考虑让罗宾逊、肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)或艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)整场比赛休息，但这三名球员在本赛季的出场时间相对有限。

“我认为我们还没有到必须担心那件事的阶段，”波波维奇说。

上周，波波维奇还让埃利、埃利奥特和约翰逊缺席模拟训练。杰罗姆·克西(Jerome Kersey)周一没有参加训练。

“我们会不时这样做，以便让球员们出于不同的原因获得休息，”波波维奇说。

至少，埃利奥特对马刺队周二的比赛方式并不满意。

西雅图超音速队在进攻篮板上抢下 20 个二次进攻得分。马刺队整晚都在让他们的内线球员帮助包夹加里·佩顿(Gary Payton)，有时让他们失去位置去抢篮板。

“我一直都说阿拉莫圆顶球馆不再吓唬人们了，”埃利奥特说，“它不再是以前那样有优势了。我们需要开始在客场战胜强队，为季后赛做好准备。”

点击查看原文：Spurs ready to make move

Spurs ready to make move

Mario Elie has got the hookup. Home theater system. Digital TV. NBA subscription package.

If Elie’s not playing in a game, he’s usually watching one. Karl Malone? Shaquille O’Neal? They’re only a remote click away.

When Elie left the Alamodome after Tuesday’s win over Seattle, he tuned in to watch Golden State beat Portland and Sacramento upset Utah. Wednesday morning he checked the standings in the newspaper.

“I’m a basketball fan,” Elie said. “I like keeping up where we’re at.”

Unlike a month ago, the Spurs are much easier to find. Buried beneath Sacramento and Golden State at the end of February, they begin April 11/2 games behind Utah and Houston for first place in the Midwest Division.

Tonight brings another chance to move up. While the Spurs play last-place Vancouver at the Alamodome at 7:30, the Rockets and Jazz meet in Salt Lake City.

“Things are starting to tighten up,” Elie said. “We need to win these games we’re supposed to win. It gets tougher for us in April.”

The Spurs ripped off 14 wins in 16 games in March for their second-best month ever. They can add to that over their next three games. After Vancouver, the Spurs end their six-game homestand against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday and Golden State on Monday.

The schedule gets decidedly rougher from there. Seven of the next eight games come against Portland, Utah, Houston, Phoenix and Minnesota.

“Our confidence was low at the beginning of the season,” David Robinson said. “Everybody was questioning what they were doing and what their roles were. But when you win, everyone is happier. We just have to keep winning so no one can say anything.”

Vancouver almost put a crimp in those plans on March 20. The Grizzlies took the Spurs to overtime before losing 92-88 at General Motors Place. Tonight they will be missing starting center Bryant Reeves, who underwent knee surgery shortly after that game.

Robinson, Reeves’ counterpart, did not take part in Wednesday’s scrimmage after experiencing slight swelling in his left knee. He wore a compression boot on the sidelines to reduce the pressure and was given anti-inflammatory medicine.

Robinson said he was fine and the Spurs expect him to play. The swelling is believed to be caused by wear from the season and not from any particular injury he sustained.

Popovich has considered sitting Robinson, Sean Elliott or Avery Johnson for an entire game, but all three players have had their minutes relatively limited throughout the season.

“I don’t think we’re at that stage where we have to worry about that yet,” Popovich said.

Popovich also held Elie, Elliott and Johnson out of a scrimmage last week. Jerome Kersey did not practice Monday.

“We’ll do it from time to time to give guys a break for different reasons,” Popovich said.

Elliott, for one, was not too happy with the way the Spurs played Tuesday.

Seattle beat them on the offensive boards for 20 second-chance points. The Spurs spent most of the night having their big men help double- team Gary Payton, sometimes leaving them out of position to rebound.

“I’ve always said the (Alamodome) doesn’t scare people any more,” Elliott said. “It’s not the advantage that it used to be. We need to start beating good teams on the road to get ready for the playoffs.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-02, By Glenn Rogers

灰熊队找到了解决方案，但为时已晚

如果教练布莱恩·希尔(Brian Hill)在上半场对蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)表现出更多尊重，灰熊队也许就能在周四晚上于阿拉莫穹顶(Alamodome)偷走一场胜利。

但事实并非如此。

“事后诸葛亮，但也许我们应该这么做，”希尔谈到他决定在上半场不夹击邓肯时说道。“但当你夹击时，你就把一切暴露了。”

圣安东尼奥仍然以103-91的比分取得了胜利，但过程并不轻松。

灰熊队没有中锋布莱恩特·里夫斯(Bryant Reeves)，但马刺队也尝试着让大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)下场休息，以缓解他左膝的疼痛。

邓肯扛起了大旗，砍下了职业生涯最高的39分，他本有可能取得更高的分数，直到灰熊队决定在下半场派出一到两名球员盯防他。

在上半场，他轻松地突破了温哥华松散的防守，肆意灌篮，在空旷的空间里轻松得分。他上半场得到22分，但没有罚球，这与其说是由于防守乏力，不如说是由于裁判的哨声很少响起，至少在上半场是如此。

马刺队说愚人节快乐，让邓肯为剩下的得分付出努力。

“我能从他们在更衣室里的表情中看出他们还没准备好比赛，”希尔谈到他的球员糟糕的开局，导致他们在上半场落后50-38分时说道。

温哥华在下半场咆哮着冲了出来，前12分全部命中，将比分追平，迫使格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)教练在不到四分钟的时间内叫了两个暂停。

典型的马刺队第三节的低迷表现看起来很不妙，当灰熊队在第三节中段将比分扩大到61-56时，他们取得了最大的领先优势。

两队陷入僵持，直到马刺队在第四节中段开始拉开比分。

邓肯的每一次投篮都受到了挑战，灰熊队开始在内线将他拉来拉去，在投篮时撞击他。邓肯被激怒了，对着裁判咆哮，并被吹了一个技术犯规。他在灌篮后再次发出怒吼，并因为对切罗基·帕克斯(Cherokee Parks)的犯规而被吹罚。

邓肯还在温哥华内线制造了混乱，他封盖了6次投篮，干扰了更多次投篮。

迈克尔·史密斯(Michael Smith)由于里夫斯的缺阵和托尼·马森堡(Tony Massenburg)背部痉挛退场，被迫进入内线，他成为了邓肯窒息防守的主要受害者。

6英尺8英寸的史密斯被牢牢地盯防，被封盖，被迫投出一些尴尬的，毫无希望的球。

“他太高了，”史密斯说。“但我不会放弃，我要么被封盖，要么造成犯规。”

史密斯应该尝试第三种选择，将球传出去。他最终以10投5中的成绩完成了比赛，但5次罚球却罚丢了3个。

6英尺11英寸的帕克斯留着络腮胡和无数纹身，他在内线发挥出色，但他认为灰熊队必须改进他们的轮转防守。

“在下半场，他们要么将球传给蒂姆，要么使用高位挡拆，”帕克斯说。“他很好地将球传了出去，并重新卡位。很难一直这样轮转。”

这晚的球弹出了马刺队的幸运，从篮板上反弹到马刺队球员手中，从挣扎的球员身上弹到马刺队球员的面前。

“是的，他们似乎在关键时刻获得了所有偏转球和所有漏球，”沙里夫·阿卜杜勒-拉希姆(Shareef Abdur-Rahim)说道，他全场得到27分，在下半场11投6中。“在下半场我们拼尽全力。只是我们没有足够的能量赢得比赛。”

点击查看原文：Grizzlies found a solution too late

Grizzlies found a solution too late

Maybe if Coach Brian Hill had shown Tim Duncan even more respect in the first half, the Grizzlies could have swiped a victory at the Alamodome on Thursday night.

But he didn’t, and they didn’t, either.

“Hindsight is 20-20, but maybe we should have,” Hill said of his decision not to double team Duncan during the first two quarters. “But when you double team, you open everything up.”

San Antonio still came away with a 103-91 victory, but it didn’t come easy.

The Grizzlies were without center Bryant Reeves but the Spurs tried to even things a little by sitting down David Robinson to clear up a sore left knee.

Duncan took up the slack with a career-high 39 points and he was on his way to stratospheric numbers until the Grizzlies decided to put a body or two on him in the second half.

He breezed through Vancouver’s light defense during the first two quarters, dunking with abandon and laying it in in wide-open spaces. He had 22 points in the half, but no free throws, an anomaly due more to the lackluster defense than to the absence of the refs’ whistles, at least in the first half.

The Spurs said April Fools and made Duncan work for the rest of his points.

“I could see in their faces in the locker room that they just weren’t ready to play,” Hill said of his players’ sub-par start that led to a 50-38 deficit at the intermission.

Vancouver came out growling in the third quarter and scored the first 12 points to tie the game and force an exasperated Coach Gregg Popovich to call two timeouts within the first four minutes.

The typical Spurs third-quarter slip looked ominous when the Grizzlies snatched their biggest lead, 61-56, midway through the third quarter

The two teams locked into a bear hug until the Spurs began to pull away midway through the final period.

Every Duncan shot was challenged and the Grizzlies began moving him around on the post, bruising him when he shot. Duncan was irritated enough to bark and draw a technical. He growled aloud again after a dunk and a whistle for a foul on Cherokee Parks.

Duncan also created mass confusion in the Vancouver paint, blocking six shots and altering as many more.

Michael Smith, who was forced into the deep-paint action by the absence of Reeves and the leaving of Tony Massenburg (back spasms), was the prime victim of Duncan’s smothering defense.

The 6-foot-8 Smith was blanketed, blocked and forced into awkward, no-hope bricks.

“He’s just so long,” Smith said. “But, no, I wasn’t going to give up. I was either going to get the shot blocked or draw a foul.”

Smith should have tried the third option of firing the ball back out. He did finish by hitting 5 of 10 shots but missed 3 of 5 free throws.

The 6-11 Parks, adorned with a Vandyke beard and numerous tattoos, did a credible job in the middle but figured the Grizzlies had to work more on their rotating defense.

“In the second half, they either fed it into Tim or used the high pick-and-roll,” Parks said. “He did a great job of pitching it back out and reposting. It was hard to keep rotating like that.”

The ball this night took Spurs bounces, caroming off the boards into Spurs hands and smacking off scrambling bodies into Spurs paths.

“Yeah, they seemed to get all the deflections, all the loose ones during that stretch (in tight moments),” said Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who finished with 27 points, hitting 6 of 11 second-half tries. “We got after it after that first half. We just couldn’t put it together enough to get the win.”

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-02, By Johnny Ludden

没有大卫，但蒂姆是巨人——职业生涯新高39分让马刺队浮出水面

NBA 全球宣传机器火力全开。马刺队发布了自己的新闻稿。然后在球员介绍时又发布了一则公告。

如果温哥华在比赛开始前没有收到信息，那么在比赛开始后不久就会收到。在被评为 3 月份联盟最佳球员大约四个小时后，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan) 提前开始了四月份的征程。

由于大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 由于左膝炎症而缺席比赛，邓肯在周四晚上阿拉莫穹顶球馆对阵灰熊队的比赛中砍下职业生涯新高 39 分，带领马刺队以 103-91 的比分战胜了对手。

“他抢走了戴夫的所有出手，”艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson) 说。“那是肯定的。”

并非贪得无厌，但邓肯更希望在罚球线上获得更多机会。他投出了 31 投 19 中——均为职业生涯新高——但罚球次数 (1 次) 与技术犯规次数 (1 次) 相同。

裁判杰斯·柯西(Jess Kersey) 在第三节还剩 6 分 13 秒时对邓肯吹罚技术犯规，因为他对判罚不满。尤其是在马刺队领先 15 分后即将落后 5 分的情况下，这种情况更令人生气。

“他很生气自己没有获得更多罚球机会，”肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott) 说。“他就像一头沉睡的巨兽。他们只是把他唤醒，他就发狂了。”

邓肯灌篮。一次又一次。他在本节最后 5 分 09 秒内得到 11 分，帮助马刺队 (21-10) 重新取得领先优势。当他在切罗基·帕克斯(Cherokee Parks) 头上完成一次三加一的时候，裁判勒罗伊·理查德森(Leroy Richardson) 对约翰逊吼道，邓肯是在试图羞辱他。

然而，最应该感到尴尬的应该是温哥华 (6-25)。除了超过他上赛季对阵金州勇士队砍下的 35 分，邓肯还得到 13 个篮板和 6 次盖帽。他在第二节连续两次封盖了灰熊队的球星沙里夫·阿卜杜勒-拉希姆(Shareef Abdur-Rahim)。

“机会自然而然地降临到我身上，”邓肯说。“我并没有刻意寻找更多的出手，但我得到了好的投篮位置。”

这与温哥华在上半场没有采取包夹战术有关。他上半场的 11 个进球中只有一个距离篮筐超过 3 英尺。当灰熊队在第三节开始采取包夹战术时，他们打出一波 12-0 的进攻高潮，拉开了本节的序幕。

“蒂姆今晚的表现真是太棒了，”帕克斯说。“39 分（只罚了一次球）。这太令人印象深刻了。

“他们在没有大卫的情况下打得很好。”

马刺队在比赛开始前大约 30 分钟宣布罗宾逊因左膝滑膜炎（关节内膜炎症）缺阵。他被列为周六对阵洛杉矶快船队的比赛的疑似出战球员。

罗宾逊是在周二战胜达拉斯队的比赛中伤到膝盖的。周三早上，他的膝盖肿了起来，他在场边穿着加压靴观看了球队的训练。他服用了消炎药来减轻压力。

罗宾逊在周四上午的投篮训练时膝盖仍然有些肿胀。马刺队训练师威尔·塞文宁(Will Sevening) 在比赛开始前大约一个小时让球队队医大卫·施密特博士(David Schmidt) 对他进行了检查。

“我可能可以跑上跑下，但我真的不知道，因为我没有在训练中这么做，”罗宾逊说。“我不知道我能不能承受冲击。”

罗宾逊的大部分问题都与他的右膝有关。他上赛季因右膝软骨软化症缺席了 6 场比赛，在训练中一直戴着护膝。

“我有点担心，因为这是我的左膝，”罗宾逊说。“我的好膝盖。”

威尔·珀迪(Will Perdue) 首发出场，顶替了罗宾逊的位置，但马刺队在采用小阵容，让马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose) 出场时，似乎取得了更大的成功。马刺队的替补球员总共得到 38 分。

罗斯得到 11 分和 8 个篮板。史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr) 为了抢到一个球奋力扑倒在地，并造成犯规，在马刺队的反扑过程中得到 5 分。安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels) 在 19 分钟的出场时间里送出 6 次助攻。杰罗姆·柯西(Jerome Kersey) 前 5 投 4 中。

点击查看原文：No David, but Tim's a Goliath - career-high 39 keeps S.A. afloat

No David, but Tim’s a Goliath - career-high 39 keeps S.A. afloat

The NBA cranked up its global publicity machine. The Spurs distributed their own news release. Then made another announcement during introductions.

If Vancouver didn’t get the message before tipoff, it did shortly after. About four hours after he was named the league’s Player of the Month for March, Tim Duncan got a jump-start on April.

With David Robinson sitting out the game because of inflammation in his left knee, Duncan scored a career-high 39 points to lead the Spurs past the Grizzlies 103-91 Thursday night at the Alamodome.

“He took all of Dave’s shots,” Avery Johnson said. “That’s for sure.”

Not to be greedy, but Duncan would have preferred to have a few more opportunities from the line. He made 19 of 31 shots - both career highs - but finished with the same number of free throws (one) as technicals.

Official Jess Kersey slapped Duncan with a technical with 6:13 left in the third quarter after he complained about a call. It didn’t help that the Spurs, after blowing a 15-point lead, were about to find themselves trailing by five.

“He was ticked off he wasn’t going to the line more,” Sean Elliott said. “He was like a sleeping giant. They just woke him up and he went crazy.”

Duncan dunked. Again. And again. He scored 11 points in the final 5:09 of the quarter to put the Spurs (21-10) back in front for good. When he threw down on Cherokee Parks for a three-point play, official Leroy Richardson barked at Johnson that Duncan was trying to show him up.

No one, however, should have been more embarrassed than Vancouver (6-25). In addition to surpassing the 35 points he hung on Golden State last season, Duncan finished with 13 rebounds and six blocks. He stuffed Grizzlies star Shareef Abdur-Rahim on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter.

“The opportunities just came to me,” Duncan said. “I was not necessarily looking for more shots, but I got the ball in good position to shoot.”

That had something to do with Vancouver failing to double-team him in the first half. All but one of his 11 first-half baskets came within three feet. When the Grizzlies did bring help in the third quarter, they ripped off 12 straight points to start the quarter.

“Tim was just awesome tonight,” Parks said. "Thirty-nine points (with one free throw). That’s impressive.

“They did a good job without David.”

The Spurs scratched Robinson about 30 minutes before the game because of synovitis - an inflammation of the lining - of his left knee. He is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Robinson banged the knee during Tuesday’s win over Dallas. After it swelled up Wednesday morning, he wore a compression boot on the sideline while the team scrimmaged. He was given anti-inflammatory medicine to also help reduce the pressure.

Robinson still had some swelling when he arrived at Thursday morning’s shootaround. Spurs trainer Will Sevening had team physician Dr. David Schmidt examine him about an hour before the game.

“I probably could have run up and down the floor, but I really don’t know because I didn’t do it at practice,” Robinson said. “I don’t know if I could have taken the pounding.”

Most of Robinson’s problems have been with his right knee. He missed six games last season because of chondromalcia of his right knee and wears a brace on it in practice.

“I was a little concerned because this is my left knee,” Robinson said. “My good knee.”

Will Perdue started in place of Robinson, but the Spurs seemed to have most of their success when they went small with Malik Rose. The Spurs’ bench totaled 38 points.

Rose finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Steve Kerr dove for a loose ball and drew a charge, leading to five critical points during the rally. Antonio Daniels handed out six assists in 19 minutes. And Jerome Kersey hit four of his first five shots.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-03, By Glenn Rogers

历史上的“烂船”快船队将挑战马刺队

快船队来了！

没错！

当NBA球员和教练们在赛季开始前看到快船队出现在赛程表上时，他们都会毫不犹豫地在胜利栏里打上勾。

今晚7:30，格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)教练和他的争冠球队将在阿拉莫穹顶球馆迎战洛杉矶快船队。由于大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)膝盖受伤，快船队可能会因此得到一个喘息的机会。

快船队，可怜的快船队，长期以来一直是联盟里的垫底球队，是乐透区的常客。

上赛季，湖人队新任教练库特·兰比斯(Kurt Rambis)曾被快船队聘用，但他拒绝了这份工作，因为他担心接受这份工作会损害他的声誉。多克·里弗斯(Doc Rivers)，一位前快船队球员，表示他不会在那里开始他的教练生涯。

这真的不公平。一些顶尖教练——拉里·布朗(Larry Brown)、比尔·菲奇(Bill Fitch)、杰克·拉姆齐(Jack Ramsay)——都曾执教过这支球队的球员。

只是，好运永远不会持续太久。球员们总是谈论离开，而不是留下。

唐纳德·斯特林(Don Sterling)于1981年买下了这支球队，并将其从圣迭戈搬到了洛杉矶，从1984-85赛季开始。球员和联盟对手对斯特林无法激活球队运营感到震惊，他对交易或放弃球员而不是匹配他们的市场价值的偏好，以及他对稀少的上座率似乎毫不在意的态度。

当快船队表现出色时，他们并没有那么出色。球队历史上最佳战绩是1974-75赛季在拉姆齐的带领下取得的49胜33负，当时球队还叫布法罗勇士队。拉姆齐之前经历了一个只有21场胜利的赛季。

快船队时期最好的战绩是1991-92赛季的45胜37负，布朗在赛季中期接手球队后取得了这一战绩。

当快船队表现糟糕时，他们真的很糟糕。球队历史上最少的胜利场次是1986-87赛季的12场，这是在唐·查尼(Don Chaney)的执教下取得的。他们两次赢得了17场胜利，包括上个赛季。

他们以3胜27负的战绩来到今晚的比赛。

自球队成立以来，这支球队只6次进入季后赛，只赢得过一个季后赛系列赛。快船队上一次进入季后赛是在1996-97赛季，当时他们以36胜46负的战绩结束赛季。他们轻松地获得了第八名的位置，因为马刺队在罗宾逊受伤的情况下只赢得了20场比赛，为快船队留下了空位。

从1976-77赛季到1991-92赛季，球队都没有进入季后赛。

球队历史上有很多低谷和亮点。

罗宾逊可能不得不观看比赛，但他仍然清晰地记得，他在1995-96赛季最后一天对快船队砍下71分，获得了得分王。

老马刺队的球迷可能会记得，球队在1978年11月8日对阵圣迭戈快船队时，曾经得到过163分。

在1989年的一场比赛中，快船队被勇士队在一节比赛中得到了50分，这让他们措手不及。

但是，快船队的粉丝们也记得一些他们自己的独特进攻表演。

他们还记得，他们的球队在1991年4月12日对阵掘金队的比赛中，利用了当时掘金队主教练保罗·韦斯特海德(Paul Westhead)奇特的“全进攻，不防守”战术，得到了146分。

在1983-84赛季的最后一天，快船队抓住机会在对阵爵士队的比赛中得到了一节50分。爵士队当时已经锁定了中西部地区的冠军，因此他们对这场比赛毫无兴趣。

快船队可以翻阅他们的历史书，并自豪地指出，鲍勃·麦克阿杜(Bob McAdoo)在为布法罗勇士队效力时，曾获得三次得分王。

快船队这座“注释工厂”还包括：

他们曾在1976年的选秀大会上选中了阿德里安·丹特利(Adrian Dantley)，并将他留了一年，然后交易到了印第安纳。丹特利最终去了犹他，在那里他拿下了几次得分王。

他们从开拓者队得到了莫西斯·马龙(Moses Malone)，并在六天后将他交易到休斯顿，而马龙的故事也就此展开。

“大”比尔·沃顿(Big Bill Walton)在快船队效力了六年，这发生在他与开拓者队和凯尔特人队夺冠之间。

布朗在1991-92赛季中期接手了快船队，此前他被圣安东尼奥队解雇。他在那一年和下一年带领快船队打进了季后赛，但都在首轮被淘汰。

更奇怪的是，布朗在1990-91赛季声称，斯特林和马刺队老板雷德·麦科姆斯(Red McCombs)在全明星赛期间坐在一起，讨论将他交易到快船队。

洛杉矶在1989年的选秀大会上用他们的第二顺位签选中了丹尼·费里(Danny Ferry)。这位前杜克大学球星拒绝在南加州的这个地方打球，他去了海外，他的权利被交易到了克利夫兰。也许这是快船队最好的交易之一。

克里斯·福特(Chris Ford)是最新一位在这支球队执教期间经历磨难的教练。此前，在被马刺队在穹顶球馆击败后，福特强烈暗示会进行交易，让球员离开，做出改进。

球员们也同意应该进行改变。

但是没有任何改变。球队在今晚对阵圣安东尼奥的比赛前，刚刚以84-93输给了小牛队，结束了小牛队五连败。

点击查看原文：Historically horrible Clippers face Spurs

Historically horrible Clippers face Spurs

Here come the Clippers.

Yessss!

NBA players - and coaches - immediately put check marks in the win column when they see the Clippers on the schedule before the season begins.

Coach Gregg Popovich and his band of title contenders play Los Angeles at 7:30 tonight at the Alamodome. The Clips might get a break with David Robinson, nursing a sore knee, on the bench.

The Clippers, bless their souls, have long been one of the league’s doormats, perennial visitors to lottery- land.

New Lakers coach Kurt Rambis was courted for the Clippers job last season but turned it down because he feared taking it would hurt his reputation. Doc Rivers, a former Clipper, says he wouldn’t begin his coaching career there.

Not fair, really. Some top-notch coaches - Larry Brown, Bill Fitch, Jack Ramsay - have guided this franchise’s players.

It’s just that nothing goes right for very long. Players have always talked more about getting out than staying on.

Don Sterling bought the team in 1981 and moved it from San Diego to Los Angeles for the 1984-85 season. Players and league rivals are amazed over Sterling’s inability to vitalize the operation, his preference to trade or lose players rather than match their market values and his seeming willingness to accept sparse attendance.

When the Clips are high, they’re not very high. The franchise’s best record was 49-33 under Ramsay, in the 1974-75 campaign when it was with the Buffalo Braves. Ramsay first had to suffer through a 21-win season.

The best mark in the Clippers years was 45-37 for the 1991-92 season after Brown took over at the midway point.

When they’re low, they’re low. The team’s worst victory production - 12 games - came under the direction of Don Chaney during the 1986-87 season. They have won 17 games twice, including last season.

They are 3-27 coming into tonight’s game.

The franchise has had playoff glory only six times since its inception and has won only one playoff series. The Clippers’ last trip to the postseason came during the 1996-97 season when they finished with a 36-46 record. They eased into the eighth slot, the space left open when the Spurs won only 20 games with Robinson on the injured list.

The team went from 1976-77 to 1991-92 without sending a squad to the playoffs.

There are numerous lows and highlights in the team’s history.

Robinson might have to watch the game, but he remembers fondly his scoring-title winning 71 points against the Clippers on the final day of the 1995-96 season.

Longtime Spurs fans may recall when the team scored 163 points against the San Diego Clippers on Nov. 8, 1978.

The Clips were staggered in an 1989 game when the Warriors heaped 50 points on them in one quarter.

But, Clipper-o-philes remember some of their own unique offensive shows.

They recall when their team - taking advantage of then Denver coach Paul Westhead’s odd brand of all- offense, no-defense - racked up 146 points against the Nuggets on April 12, 1991.

The Clips seized the opportunity to score 50 points in a quarter when a disinterested Utah team, already having sewn up the Midwest title, showed up on the last day of the 1983-84 season.

The Clips can read their history book and proudly note that Bob McAdoo won three scoring titles playing for the Buffalo Braves.

The Clippers factory of footnotes includes:

They picked Adrian Dantley in the 1976 draft, kept him for a year and traded him to Indiana. Dantley wound up in Utah where his history included a couple of scoring titles.

They acquired Moses Malone from Portland and moved him six days later to Houston and the rest is Moses history.

Big Bill Walton spent six years in Clipper-land, in between his title years with the Trail Blazers and Celtics.

Brown made a pit stop, arriving midway during the 1991-92 season after he was replaced in San Antonio. He took the Clips to the playoffs that year and the next, going out in the first round.

More curious, Brown insisted during the 1990-91 season that Sterling and Spurs owner Red McCombs sat together during the All-Star Game and discussed moving Brown to the Clippers.

Los Angeles drafted Danny Ferry with its No. 2 pick in 1989. Rather than play in that section of Southern California, the former Duke star went overseas and his rights were traded to Cleveland. Perhaps one of the better Clippers maneuvers.

Chris Ford is the latest mentor to suffer while watching this team. Earlier, after a pasting by the Spurs in the dome, the coach strongly suggested that trades would be made, players moved out, improvements made.

The players agreed changes were in order.

None were made. The team arrives for tonight’s game in San Antonio on the heels of a 93-84 loss to the Mavericks, snapping a five-game Dallas losing streak.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-04, By Johnny Ludden

罗宾逊强势回归，马刺中锋再次折磨快船

大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)本可以休息一晚。他的左膝也不介意再休息一天。那天是复活节周末。而且他的弟弟也来城里了。

当然，洛杉矶快船队也在。

罗宾逊在职业生涯的大部分时间里都压制着联盟中最倒霉的球队，他没有错过再次折磨他们的机会。他最终得到19分——比五年前他砍下的71分少了一些——以及13个篮板，带领马刺队在周六晚上在阿拉莫穹顶以103-82战胜洛杉矶。

马刺队（22-10）取得了四连胜，与休斯顿并列西部联盟季后赛第三种子。火箭队和马刺队落后犹他爵士队1.5场比赛，排在中西部赛区第二名。

罗宾逊在左膝上戴着护套，在比赛中大部分时间都在指导快船队的新秀中锋迈克尔·奥洛沃坎迪(Michael Olowokandi)，他是去年7月选秀大会上的状元。奥洛沃坎迪12投6中得到13分，但他最后两个进球是在罗宾逊下场后打进的。

“他是一位非常优秀的篮球运动员，他今天打得很好，”奥洛沃坎迪说。“他非常快，而且很狡猾。”

罗宾逊周四对阵温哥华时因左膝肿胀而缺席了比赛。到周六的投篮训练时，肿胀已经明显消退，但马刺队直到比赛开始前才做出决定。

“能够奔跑和跳跃的感觉很好，”罗宾逊说。“过去两天他们不让我参加训练。我真的很想今晚打球，但我也想打上一场。

“我通常不会肿胀。这是让人担心的地方。我不习惯这种情况。现在还有一点酸痛，但这是比赛的一部分。我（今天）会休息一下，看看星期一的情况。”

罗宾逊在29分钟内13投9中。在洛杉矶将马刺队的领先优势缩小到9分后，特洛伊·哈德森(Troy Hudson)在第三节结束前的10英尺投篮得分，罗宾逊在第四节开局几分钟内投进两记跳投，为球队争取了喘息的机会。罗宾逊在首节的8分中有6分来自一次上篮和两次扣篮。

“我很早就冲向篮下，这是很重要的，”罗宾逊说。“我能够轻松地得到一些球，并抢到一些篮板。”

他抢下的6个篮板中有6个是进攻篮板。罗宾逊还贡献了4次盖帽——其中3次是在首节——以及2次抢断。

“有戴维回来真是太好了，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说。“三到四天的休息对他很有好处。他在场上非常活跃。”

快船队（3-28）在比赛还剩6分31秒时将比分追至落后8分，但马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)在一次快攻中完成了一次打三分，粉碎了快船队逆转的念头。埃利得到19分——其中14分是在上半场得到的——以及3个三分球。

“我们的内线进攻非常强大，他们不得不关注蒂姆(邓肯)和戴维，”埃利说。“而且他们在外线传球给我。这对我来说很容易。”

快船队在莫里斯·泰勒(Maurice Taylor)得到25分的情况下，在比赛的大部分时间里都紧紧追着马刺队。最终，他们糟糕的投篮命中率（下半场38投13中）和糟糕的防守（马刺队命中率为51.4%）成为了他们无法克服的障碍。

“这支球队拥有很多天赋，但他们缺乏信心，”埃利说。“NBA就是关于信心的。当他们接近的时候，你就能从他们的脸上看到他们缺乏信心。”

邓肯在下半场陷入犯规麻烦，得到17分和11个篮板。艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)得到11分、8次助攻、2次抢断以及赛季首个三分球。

马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)再次从替补席上给马刺队带来活力。他得到11分，并开玩笑地指责统计人员让他只抢了3个篮板。

“当我在板凳上时，我会和威尔(珀杜)这样的丑陋家伙聊天，”罗斯说。“我们决定我们需要什么：篮板球、防守，等等。

“然后我就上场，努力做到这些。”

随着罗宾逊的回归，罗斯获得上场时间的机会减少了。罗宾逊的弟弟查尔斯(Charles)来到拉克兰空军基地学习，他建议海军上将(海军上将是罗宾逊的绰号)在踏上球场之前做出明智的决定。

“我告诉他不要担心比赛。我会在城里待几周，”查尔斯·罗宾逊说。“但他想上场。他看起来很好。”

点击查看原文：Robinson back and bouncy - Spurs' center torments Clippers again

Robinson back and bouncy - Spurs’ center torments Clippers again

David Robinson could have taken the night off. His left knee wouldn’t have minded another day of rest. It was Easter weekend. And his younger brother was in town.

Then again, so were the Los Angeles Clippers.

Having pounded the NBA’s unluckiest franchise for most of his career, Robinson didn’t pass up a chance to torment it again. He finished with 19 points - down slightly from the 71 he hung up five years ago - and 13 rebounds to lead the Spurs past Los Angeles 103-82 Saturday night at the Alamodome.

With their fourth straight victory, the Spurs (22-10) moved into a tie with Houston for the Western Conference’s No. 3 playoff seed. The Rockets and Spurs trail Utah by 11/2 games for the Midwest Division lead.

Wearing a protective sleeve over the knee, Robinson spent much of the game tutoring Clippers rookie center Michael Olowokandi, the NBA’s No. 1 pick in last July’s draft. Olowokandi finished with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, but his last two baskets came after Robinson had exited.

“He’s a very good basketball player and he had a great game,” Olowokandi said. “He’s very quick and deceptive.”

Robinson disappeared from the lineup Thursday against Vancouver with a swollen left knee. The swelling had gone down considerably by Saturday’s shootaround, but the Spurs waited until just before the game to make a decision.

“It felt good to be able to run and jump to- day,” Robinson said. "They wouldn’t let me run in practice the last two days. I really wanted to play tonight, but I wanted to play the last game, too.

“I don’t usually get swelling. That was the concern. I wasn’t used to that. There is a little soreness now, but that’s part of the game. I’ll get some rest (today) and we’ll see how it is Monday.”

Robinson made 9 of 13 shots in 29 minutes. After Los Angeles trimmed the Spurs’ lead to nine on Troy Hudson’s 10-footer at the third-quarter buzzer, Robinson canned a pair of jumpers in the opening minutes of the final period for some breathing room. Six of Robinson’s eight first-quarter points came on a layup and a pair of dunks.

“It was important early on that I got to the basket,” Robinson said. “I was able to get some things easy and get some boards.”

Six of his rebounds came on the offensive glass. Robinson also added four blocks - three in the opening quarter - and a pair of steals.

“It was great to have David back,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “That three or four-day rest did him some good. He was really active out there.”

The Clippers (3-28) closed within eight with 6:31 left, but Mario Elie converted a three-point play off a fast break to squash any thoughts of an upset. Elie finished with 19 points - 14 in the first half - and three three-pointers.

“Our post-up game is so dominating that they have to focus on Tim (Duncan) and Dave down low,” Elie said. “And they are good at finding me on the outside. That makes it easy for me.”

Behind Maurice Taylor’s 25 points, the Clippers hung around for most of the game. In the end, however their poor shooting (13 of 38 in the second half) and poor defense (the Spurs shot 51.4 percent) was too much to overcome.

“That team has a lot of talent, but they’re hurting for confidence,” Elie said. “The NBA is all about confidence. When they got close you could see in their face they didn’t have it.”

Duncan, in foul trouble during the second half, had 17 points and 11 boards. Avery Johnson added 11 points, eight assists, two steals and his first three-pointer of the season.

And Malik Rose again gave the Spurs some energy off the bench. He finished with 11 points and jokingly accused the stat crew of holding him to three boards.

“When I’m on the bench I talk to the ugly guys like Will (Perdue),” Rose said. "We decide what we need: rebounding, defense, whatever.

“Then I go out there and try to make that happen.”

With Robinson back in the lineup, Rose had a harder time finding minutes. In town to take a class at Lackland Air Force Base, Robinson’s brother, Charles advised the Admiral to make a wise decision before he took the court.

“I told him not to worry about playing. I’m going to be in town for a couple of weeks,” Charles Robinson said. “But he wanted to go out there. He looked good.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-04, By Glenn Rogers

快船队对阵马刺队遭遇苦战

快船队总是喜欢用爆冷的威胁来戏弄一下对手。

他们先是被对手拉开一大截，然后奋起直追，最后又落后。

他们在周六晚上在阿拉莫圆顶体育馆上演了这场戏，但没有人真正相信他们会翻盘。快船队带着联盟最差的 3 勝 27 负战绩来到圣安东尼奥，最终以 3 勝 28 负的战绩离开。

快船队为了锁定状元签，在比赛还剩 6 分 31 秒时发动了最后一次反扑。马刺队的杰罗姆·柯西(Jerome Kersey)错失了一个轻松的抛投。蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)试图补篮，却把球砸在了篮筐的后沿。

洛杉矶的莫里斯·泰勒(Maurice Taylor)罚球两罚全中，将马刺队的领先优势缩小到 84-76。

就这样，快船队结束了他们的反扑。

马刺队再次出现失误，但泰勒投篮不中，随后在试图阻止马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)的快攻上篮时犯了阻挡犯规。

埃利的“2+1”为马刺队开启了最终的 19-6 攻击波。

“我们在某些阶段拼得很凶，然后我们的防守崩溃，让他们得到了很多轻松得分，”快船队主教练克里斯·福特(Chris Ford)说道，“有时候你会觉得我们有点火力不足（对阵马刺队）。在他们的‘双塔’面前，想要在内线得分非常困难。”

这两位“双塔”合计得到 36 分和 25 个篮板。

马刺队首次（尽管时间很短）看到了状元秀迈克尔·奥洛沃坎迪(Michael Olowokandi)的表现。这位中锋上场了 31 分钟，在半场受伤后，他时而上场时而休息。

“糖人”没有展现出任何精彩的技巧。快船队的中锋无法压制大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)，他的转身投篮也离篮筐很远。奥洛沃坎迪犹豫不决，只出手 12 次，命中 6 次。

这位身高 7 英尺的中锋在第四节中段重新回到比赛，但他可能应该留在板凳上。罗宾逊封盖了他的第一次试探性出手。

“他（罗宾逊）是一位非常棒的篮球运动员，今晚他打得很好，”奥洛沃坎迪说道，“过去几场比赛对我是个很好的考验。我面对了一些联盟中最优秀的内线球员。”

奥洛沃坎迪没有给自己打高分。

“除了我自己之外，我认为其他所有球员在内线的表现都很出色，”他说，“我们面对的是联盟最好的球员，蒂姆做了他一直做的事情，大卫也打得很好。”

泰勒给马刺队制造了麻烦。他 19 投 10 中，得到 25 分。但他在篮板球方面没有太大帮助，只抢下了 5 个篮板。

“我认为比赛后期的失误真的伤害了我们，”泰勒说，“我们错失了很多机会。今天我们没有成为迫使对手失误的一方。”

快船队在第三节不断地陷入自毁模式。

他们一度将比分追到 62-53，但在泰勒因手臂受伤离场后，他们失去了战斗力。奥洛沃坎迪也因脚踝疼痛离开了赛场。

快船队连续出现失误，马刺队抓住机会打出一波 6-0 的进攻，将领先优势扩大到 15 分。

洛杉矶再次追了上来，并将比分追至 73-63。他们在比赛还剩 11 秒时迫使马刺队叫了暂停。但泰隆·内斯比(Tyrone Nesby)在底线球上缠住了史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)，科尔罚球两罚全中。

快船队的防守给马刺队创造了很多投三分的机会。

埃利抓住机会，4 投 3 中。科尔也尝试了三分球，但未能命中，4 次出手全部落空。马刺队不断给科尔喂球，但他却屡屡失手。

马刺队在上半场一度领先 13 分，看起来他们已经掌控了比赛。

但泰勒率领球队发起了反击，在第二节得到 11 分。特洛伊·哈德森(Troy Hudson)投进了一个三分球，将比分追到 37-34。泰勒用一个 16 英尺的转身投篮回应了罗宾逊的灌篮，将分差保持在 3 分。

点击查看原文：Clippers have tough time against Spurs

Clippers have tough time against Spurs

The Clippers just like to tease a little with the threat of an upset.

They get behind by a bunch, make up a batch, fall back behind.

They put on that show at the Alamodome on Saturday night, but nobody really fell for it. The Clippers came to town with a league-worst 3-27 mark and left 3- 28.

The Clippers, racing to put a lock on the No. 1 draft pick, made their last comeback feint with 6:31 left in the game. The Spurs’ Jerome Kersey missed a runaway layup. Tim Duncan went up to slam in the miss, but he rocketed the ball off the back of the rim.

Los Angeles’ Maurice Taylor made two free throws to cut the Spurs’ lead to 84-76.

Thus ended the Clippers.

The Spurs turned the ball over again, but Taylor missed a shot and then was hit with a blocking foul trying to stop a Mario Elie transition layup.

Elie’s three-point play earned the first points in a game-ending 19-6 Spurs run.

“We battled hard in stretches, then our defense broke down and allowed them some easy buckets,” Clippers coach Chris Ford said. “From time to time you feel a little outgunned (against the Spurs). It’s pretty difficult to score inside against their Twin Towers.”

The Towers combined for 36 points and 25 rebounds.

The Spurs got their first - albeit brief - look at No. 1 draft pick Michael Olowokandi. The center played 31 minutes, coming in and out of the game after rolling his right ankle in the first half.

There were no sweet moves from the Candy Man. The Clippers’ center couldn’t back down David Robinson, and his turnarounds fell short of the hoop. Olowokandi was reluctant to fire and took only 12 shots, missing six.

The 7-foot center returned to the game midway through the fourth period but probably should have stayed on the bench. Robinson blocked his first tentative shot.

“He’s (Robinson) a very good basketball player and he had a great game tonight,” Olowokandi said. “These last couple of games we’ve played have been a good test for me. I’ve faced some of the league’s best big men.”

Olowokandi didn’t give himself high marks.

“Apart from myself, I thought all the guys played well down low,” he said. “We were going against the best, and Tim did what Tim always does and David played well, too.”

Taylor caused the Spurs’ problems. He hit 10 of his 19 shots and scored 25 points. But he didn’t help much on the boards, grabbing five rebounds.

“I think turnovers down the stretch really hurt us tonight,” Taylor said. “We missed a lot of opportunities. We weren’t the ones forcing the turnovers tonight.”

The Clippers went in and out of self-destruct mode in the third period.

They got to 62-53 but were weakened when Taylor left the floor with a cut on his arm. Olowokandi had already left with his sore ankle.

The Clippers committed consecutive turnovers, and the Spurs took advantage with six unanswered points to push their advantage to 15.

Los Angeles came back again and were within 73-63. They forced the Spurs to call a timeout with 11 seconds left on the shot clock. But Tyrone Nesby held Steve Kerr on the inbounds, and Kerr went to the line to put down two tosses.

The Clippers’ perimeter defense gave the Spurs open looks for long-distance shots.

Elie took advantage, putting down 3 of 4 three-point attempts. Kerr tried but failed, missing all four of his long-range attempts. The Spurs kept feeding Kerr, but he kept misfiring.

The Spurs led by as many as 13 in the opening half and looked ready to make a game of it.

But Taylor spearheaded a surge, scoring 11 points in the second period. Troy Hudson hit a three-pointer to get the Clippers to 37-34, and Taylor answered Robinson’s dunk with a 16-foot turnaround to keep the deficit at three.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-05, By Johnny Ludden

马刺知道赛程，勇士的强硬风格

民意调查已经结束，备受期待的结果——注意，是非科学的——已经被提炼出来，揭示了这一点：大多数马刺球员知道他们的赛程。

自信的格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)教练说：“我们的球员非常清楚，我们下一场将对阵金州勇士队，而不是休斯顿火箭队。”

仍然有疑问吗？那就听听马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)怎么说吧。

“我期待着周一与金州勇士队的比赛，”罗斯说。“我不担心休斯顿火箭队。”

那马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)呢？那个以诚实著称的马刺球员呢？

“我们下一场将对阵金州勇士队，”埃利说。“而不是休斯顿火箭队。”

把它刻在石头上。勇士队今晚将造访阿拉莫穹顶球馆。火箭队可以等到周四。

虽然周四在休斯顿的比赛将吸引全国关注，并可能改变西部联盟季后赛种子排名，但马刺队有理由专注于眼前。他们在奥克兰球馆险胜金州勇士队，最终以 82-78 的比分获胜。那场 3 月 17 日的比赛留下的伤痕才刚刚开始消失。

“他们体型庞大，”罗斯说。“而且他们打得很强硬。”

勇士队在篮板球方面领跑 NBA，但投篮命中率仅为 40.9%，他们在与马刺队的比赛中以 58-42 的比分占据了篮板球优势。金州勇士队的总篮板数和 25 个进攻篮板数都是本赛季马刺对手的最高纪录。

勇士队的前 14 分中有 8 分来自于进攻篮板，帮助他们在首节比赛中段取得了 16 分的领先优势。这导致波波维奇将除肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)之外的所有首发球员都换下。

罗斯、史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)和安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels)带领替补球员反超比分，替补球员共得到 39 分。马刺队还获得了 36 次罚球机会，而勇士队只有 14 次。然而，这场险胜给马刺队留下了深刻印象。

“他们有很多身材魁梧的球员，”波波维奇说。“他们总是打得很强硬，从纽约来的球员让这支球队变得更加成熟。”

勇士队在赛季开始前将拉特雷尔·斯普雷维尔(Latrell Sprewell)交易到尼克斯队，换来了克里斯·米尔斯(Chris Mills)、约翰·斯塔克斯(John Starks)和前马刺球员特里·卡明斯(Terry Cummings)等老将。新秀前锋安托万·贾米森(Antawn Jamison)最近加入首发阵容，但由于左脚踝扭伤，他没有参加上个月与马刺队的比赛。

大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)的影响力几乎与贾米森一样小。在这场比赛中，罗宾逊可能打出了他职业生涯最糟糕的一场比赛，他 8 投 1 中，在 23 分钟的出场时间里只得到了 3 分和 5 个篮板。在比赛最后 6 分 24 秒，他被换下，罗斯替补出场。

自从摆脱了三场比赛的低迷状态后，罗宾逊场均得到 16.8 分和 10.6 个篮板，投篮命中率为 60.9%。他因左膝肿胀缺席了周四对阵温哥华的比赛，但在周六对阵洛杉矶快船队的比赛中，他在 29 分钟的出场时间里得到了 19 分和 13 个篮板。

周六比赛结束后，罗宾逊的膝盖有些疼痛。他周日休息了一天，但将在今天训练前接受重新检查。

与此同时，勇士队正在成为一支季后赛球队。在周六晚上在论坛球馆击败洛杉矶湖人队后，他们落后于菲尼克斯半场，排名西部第八位，也是最后一个季后赛席位。金州勇士队也是本赛季唯一一支两次击败联盟领头羊波特兰开拓者的球队。

开拓者后卫格雷格·安东尼(Greg Anthony)在目睹勇士队在周二比赛中得到 32 分，从落后 8 分的劣势中反超比分后，指出了开拓者的问题。

“我们没有尊重他们。我们就是没有尊重他们，就这么简单，”安东尼说。“当你没有尊重一支打得很努力的球队时，就会发生这样的事情。很明显，我们没有从第一次交手中吸取教训。”

马刺队观战

今晚比赛：马刺队对阵金州勇士队，晚上 7:30，阿拉莫穹顶球馆

战绩：马刺队 22-10（中西部赛区第二名）；勇士队 14-18（太平洋赛区第五名）

连胜：4 连胜

电视转播：福克斯西南频道

广播：WOAI-AM 1200（西班牙语广播：KCOR-AM 1350）

下一场比赛：周四客场对阵休斯顿火箭队，晚上 7:30

点击查看原文：Spurs know schedule, Warriors' tough style

Spurs know schedule, Warriors’ tough style

The constituents have been polled and the much-anticipated findings - non-scientific, mind you - have been boiled down to reveal this: A majority of Spurs know their schedule.

Said a confident Coach Gregg Popovich: “Our guys are very aware that we are playing Golden State next. Not Houston.”

Still have doubts? Listen then to Malik Rose.

“I’m looking to Golden State on Monday,” Rose said. “I’m not worried about Houston.”

And what about Mario Elie? The Spur who put the brutal in brutally honest?

“We’re playing Golden State next,” Elie said. “Not Houston.”

Carve it in stone. The Warriors visit the Alamodome tonight. The Rockets can wait until Thursday.

Though Thursday’s ratings draw in Houston will attract national attention and maybe shuffle Western Conference playoff seeds, the Spurs have reason to be preoccupied. They barely escaped Oakland Arena with an 82-78 victory over Golden State. Bruises from that March 17 meeting are just now beginning to disappear.

“They’re big,” Rose said. “And they’re physical.”

The Warriors, who lead the NBA in rebounding but are shooting just 40.9 percent, beat up the Spurs on the boards 58-42. Golden State’s rebound total and 25 offensive boards are both highs for a Spurs opponent this season.

Eight of the Warriors’ first 14 points came off offensive rebounds, helping them take a 16- point lead midway through the first quarter. That led Popovich to bench every starter except Sean Elliott.

Rose, Steve Kerr and Antonio Daniels led the comeback as the reserves scored 39 points. The Spurs also shot 36 free throws to the Warriors’ 14. The narrow win, however, left its mark.

“They’ve got a lot of big bodies,” Popovich said. “They always play physical, and the guys that came over from New York have matured the team.”

The Warriors picked up veterans Chris Mills, John Starks and former Spur Terry Cummings when they traded Latrell Sprewell to the Knicks just before the season. Rookie forward Antawn Jamison, who recently joined the starting lineup, did not play against the Spurs last month because of a sprained left ankle.

David Robinson had almost as little impact as Jamison. In what may have been the worst game of his career, Robinson missed 7 of 8 shots and finished with three points and five rebounds in 23 minutes. He was benched in favor of Rose for the final 6:24 of the game.

Since breaking out of his three- game slump, Robinson has averaged 16.8 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting 60.9 percent. He missed Thursday’s win over Vancouver with a swollen left knee, but responded with 19 points and 13 boards in 29 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Robinson had some soreness in his knee after Saturday’s game. He had Sunday off to rest, but will be re-examined at today’s shootaround.

The Warriors, meanwhile, are shaping up as a playoff contender. After beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night at the Forum, they trail Phoenix by half a game for the eighth and final seed. Golden State also is the only team to beat league-leading Portland twice this season.

After watching the Warriors score 32 fourth-quarter points to rally from an eight-point deficit Tuesday, Blazers guard Greg Anthony pointed out Portland’s problem.

“We don’t respect them. We just don’t respect them, it’s as simple as that,” Anthony said. “When you don’t respect a team that plays hard, those are the things that are going to happen. Obviously, we didn’t learn from our first experience here.”

Spurs watch

Tonight’s game: Spurs vs. Golden State, 7:30, Alamodome

Records: Spurs 22-10 (second in Midwest Division); Warriors 14-18 (fifth in Pacific Division)

Streak: Won 4

TV: FoxSW

Radio: WOAI-AM 1200 (in Spanish on KCOR-AM 1350)

Next game: Thursday @Houston, 7:30 p.m.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-06, By Johnny Ludden

备忘录

交易余波: 芝加哥公牛队可以选择在今年或明年获得马刺队首轮选秀权，这是与史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)和查克·帕森(Chuck Person)相关的先签后换交易的一部分。

马刺队已经对该选秀权进行了保护，让他们可以选择保留该选秀权——排名前 17 位的球员他们都可以选择保留。

当新的集体谈判协议最终确定后，马刺队还可能获得 120 万美元的薪金特例，因为科尔（175 万美元）的薪金低于帕森（290 万美元）。

点击查看原文：Notes

Notes

Trade fallout: Chicago has the option of taking the Spurs’ first- round draft pick either this or next year as part of the sign-and-trade deal involving Steve Kerr and Chuck Person.

The Spurs have protected the draft choice - giving them the option of retaining it - through the first 17 selections.

When the new collective bargaining agreement is finalized, the Spurs also could wind up with a $1.2 million salary exception because Kerr ($1.75 million) makes less than Person ($2.9 million).

Job fair: Southwest Texas center Jeff Foster averaged 11.3 points and 11.0 rebounds last week at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

The tournament allows NBA personnel to scout college seniors who have not received a lot of national attention. With his performance, Foster, a Madison graduate, earned an invitation to the Nike Desert Classic in Phoenix next Monday.

Listed at 6-foot-11, 234 pounds, Foster will need to bulk up for the NBA.

Behind the microphone: Bill Land handled play-by-play duties in place of Greg Papa for the Fox Sports Southwest telecast of Monday’s game.

Papa, who also is the voice of the Oakland A’s, had to work Opening Day. Former Spur Jon Sundvold filled in for Doc Rivers as analyst.

Land worked Big 12 Conference games this season. - Johnny Ludden

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-06, By Johnny Ludden

马刺内线双塔强势碾压勇士 - 罗宾逊和邓肯双双砍下 25 分

周一晚，在阿拉莫穹顶体育馆，大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)豪取 25 分 16 篮板 8 盖帽，率领马刺队以 93-86 战胜金州勇士队。

这场胜利使得马刺队 (23胜10负) 距离犹他爵士队和中西部赛区榜首仅一步之遥。周一的比赛也为马刺队结束了六连主，他们将在周四客场挑战休斯顿火箭队。

考虑到勇士队人高马大的内线球员给他们带来的冲击，马刺队可以利用这两天的休息时间好好恢复。特里·卡明斯(Terry Cummings)在一次对抗中将马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)撞飞，后者直接滑到篮架支柱上。蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)则在一次扣篮后被阿多纳尔·福伊尔(Adonal Foyle)狠狠地放倒在地。

然而，罗宾逊和邓肯对于勇士队来说实在是太难对付了。在第四节中段，马刺队仅领先 4 分，这两位身高 7 英尺的长人包揽了球队接下来的 12 分。罗宾逊利用脚步晃开埃里克·丹皮尔(Erick Dampier)，命中一记 19 英尺跳投，并造成对方犯规，加罚命中后，马刺队将领先优势扩大到 11 分，此时罗宾逊兴奋地挥舞着拳头。

约翰·斯塔克斯(John Starks)在比赛还剩 2 分 50 秒时命中一记三分球，将比分追至只差 6 分，但这已经是勇士队 (14胜19负) 当晚最接近胜利的时刻了。

马刺队战报

本场比赛: 马刺 93-86 勇士

得分王: 马刺 - 邓肯，罗宾逊 25 分；勇士 - 斯塔克斯 18 分

战绩: 马刺 23胜10负；勇士 14胜19负

连胜场次: 5 连胜

下一场比赛: 周四客场挑战休斯顿，晚上 7:30 (KSAT 电视台直播)

点击查看原文：Spurs' big men bully Warriors - Robinson, Duncan each score 25

Spurs’ big men bully Warriors - Robinson, Duncan each score 25

David Robinson had 25 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocks to lead the Spurs to a 93-86 victory over Golden State on Monday night at the Alamodome.

The victory moved the Spurs (23- 10) within a game of Utah and the Midwest Division lead. Monday’s game also wrapped up a six-game homestand for the Spurs, who play at Houston on Thursday.

Considering the pounding they took from the wide-bodied Warriors, the Spurs could use the two days of rest. Terry Cummings sent Malik Rose sliding across the lane into the basket support. Tim Duncan dunked then was dropped to the ground by Adonal Foyle.

Robinson and Duncan, however, were too much for Golden State. Clinging to a four-point in the middle of the fourth quarter, the two 7- footers scored the Spurs’ next 12 points. Robinson spun around and pumped his fist after he drained a 19-footer over Erick Dampier to set up a three-point play and an 11- point lead.

John Starks sunk a three-pointer to make it a six-point game with 2:50 left, but that was as close as the Warriors (14-19) would get.

Spurs watch

Monday’s game: @Spurs 93, Warriors 86

Top scorers: Spurs - Duncan, Robinson 25; Warriors - Starks 18

Records: Spurs 23-10; Warriors 14- 19

Streak: Won 5

Next game: Thursday @Houston, 7:30 p.m. (TV: KSAT)

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-06, By Johnny Ludden

马刺内线群殴勇士

大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)不需要任何人提醒他上次与金州勇士队的比赛，他自己的嘴巴就能说明一切。

“我仍然感到有些痛，”罗宾逊说道，“我被狠狠地教训了一顿，那是一场艰难的比赛。

“我需要证明一些东西。”

勇士队收到了这条信息。罗宾逊一次又一次地将他们的投篮拒之门外。

在阿拉莫穹顶体育馆，面对着14,773名球迷，马刺队以93比86战胜了金州勇士队。罗宾逊在这场比赛中得到了全场最高的8次盖帽，以及25分和16个篮板。

“这可能是本赛季我见过的戴夫打得最完整的一场比赛，”埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)说，“和对阵西雅图那场一样出色。”

罗宾逊可能在2月24日对阵超音速队的比赛中取得了赛季最高的29分和17个篮板，但与三周前对阵金州勇士队的表现相比，他在周一的比赛中有了明显的进步。除了肿胀的下巴，勇士队还让罗宾逊——他只得到了3分和5个篮板——坐在板凳席上。

马刺队需要罗宾逊来结束比赛。他在最后8分钟内得了9分。在比赛还剩3分49秒时，他面对埃里克·丹皮尔(Erick Dampier)投进一记14英尺的跳投，帮助球队取得了11分的领先优势，罗宾逊转过身，挥舞着拳头。

“我知道这场比赛会很激烈，”罗宾逊说，“我知道我必须积极主动，为队友创造空间。”

最终，这场胜利让马刺队（23胜10负）与中西部赛区领头羊犹他爵士队的差距缩小到了一场。只有3月26日以93比91输给多伦多猛龙队的比赛，才阻止了马刺队横扫他们六个主场的比赛。

“这对我们来说是一场非常重要的胜利，”罗宾逊说，“如果我们输掉了这场比赛，那么对阵休斯顿的比赛就更加关键了。”

马刺队赢得了两天的休息时间，然后在周四迎战火箭队。特里·卡明斯(Terry Cummings)把马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)撞到篮架上。蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)扣篮后，被阿多纳尔·福伊尔(Adonal Foyle)放倒在地。

“他们就是这样打球的，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说，“他们会让所有的大个子都来对付你，他们会撞你，打你，对你犯规。”

勇士队总共犯规29次，比他们的投篮次数少两次。他们的投篮命中率为34.8%（89投31中），这让他们有很多自己的失误。在上半场，金州勇士队52投13中（25%）。

邓肯加入了盖帽盛宴，他在得到25分和11个篮板的同时，还送出了马刺队赛季最高的17次盖帽中的5次。勇士队的首发锋线25投7中，卡明斯替补出场11投1中。马里奥·艾利(Mario Elie)也成功地限制了约翰·斯塔克斯(John Starks)20投13中。

“毫无疑问，我今晚必须改变我的投篮方式，”勇士队前锋贾森·卡菲(Jason Caffey)说，“一个7英尺高的家伙在我运球突破后紧追不舍，另一个7英尺高的家伙在篮下等着我，我当然得改变我的投篮方式。

“有时候，像蒂姆·邓肯和大卫·罗宾逊这样的球员会像今晚这样打球。”

在比赛还剩7分59秒时，马刺队仅领先4分，这两位7英尺巨人包办了马刺队接下来的12分。在比赛还剩2分50秒时，斯塔克斯命中一记三分球，将比分追至6分，但这已经是勇士队（14胜19负）最接近比分的时刻了。

罗宾逊17投7中，20罚11中，但这场比赛并没有什么精彩之处。在第二节中段，勇士队一度领先一分，罗斯在49秒内连得7分。这也是他们在比赛中的最后一次领先。

杰罗姆·科尔西(Jerome Kersey)在最后一节顶替了状态不佳的肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)，并在比赛还剩1分19秒时投进一记关键的19英尺跳投，最终得到6分和6个篮板。

“杰罗姆会抢篮板，会投进空位跳投，”波波维奇说，“还会把对手的头都打掉。”

这正是周一晚上所需要的。

“这很难看，”罗宾逊说，“但这是一场很棒的胜利。”

马刺观察

周一的比赛: 马刺93-86勇士

得分王: 马刺 - 邓肯，罗宾逊 25分；勇士 - 斯塔克斯 18分

战绩: 马刺23胜10负（中西部赛区第二）；勇士14胜19负（太平洋赛区并列第五）

连胜: 5连胜

下一场比赛: 周四客场挑战休斯顿，晚上7:30（KSAT电视台直播）

点击查看原文：Spurs' big men bully Warriors

Spurs’ big men bully Warriors

David Robinson didn’t need anyone to remind him of his last meeting with Golden State. His own mouth took care of that.

“It still hurts a little,” Robinson said. "I got popped pretty good. That was a tough game.

“I had a little bit to prove.”

The Warriors got the message. Robinson stamped it on the back of their shots. Again. And again. And again. And again …

When the Spurs closed out a 93-86 win over Golden State on Monday night in front of 14,773 fans at the Alamodome, Robinson had a season-high eight blocks to go along with his 25 points and 16 rebounds.

“That was probably the most complete game I’ve seen Dave play this year,” Avery Johnson said. “That and Seattle.”

Robinson may have posted a season-high 29 points and 17 boards against the Sonics on Feb. 24, but Monday’s effort was a definite improvement over his performance against Golden State three weeks ago. In addition to the swollen jaw, the Warriors handed Robinson - who totaled only three points and five rebounds - a seat on the bench.

The Spurs needed Robinson for the end of this one. He scored nine points in the final eight minutes. After he drained a 14-footer over Erick Dampier to set up a three- point play and an 11-point lead with 3:49 left, Robinson spun around and pumped his fist.

“I knew it was going to be physical,” Robinson said. “I knew I was going to have to be active and create some space.”

As a result, the victory allowed the Spurs (23-10) to shrink the gap between themselves and Midwest Division-leading Utah to one game. Only a 93-91 loss to Toronto on March 26 prevented the Spurs from sweeping their six-game homestand.

“This was a very important win for us,” Robinson said. “If we lose this, the Houston game is even more critical.”

The Spurs earned their two days of rest before facing the Rockets on Thursday. Terry Cummings sent Malik Rose sliding across the lane into the basket support. Tim Duncan dunked, then was dropped to the ground by Adonal Foyle.

“That’s how they play,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They run all those big guys at you. They bang you. They hit you. They foul you.”

The Warriors racked up 29 fouls, two fewer than their number of baskets. They shot 34.8 percent (31 of 89), giving them plenty of their own misses to grab. In the first half, Golden State made only 13 of 52 shots (25 percent).

Duncan joined the swat patrol, adding five of the Spurs’ season- high 17 blocks to his 25 points and 11 boards. The Warriors’ starting frontline finished 7 of 25, and Cummings missed all but one of his 11 shots off the bench. Mario Elie also harassed John Starks into missing 13 of his 20 attempts.

“There’s no doubt I had to change my shots tonight,” Warriors forward Jason Caffey said. "With one 7-footer on my back that I just beat off the dribble and another one waiting for me under the basket, you bet I had to change my shots.

“Sometimes guys like Tim Duncan and David Robinson are going to have games like they did (Monday night).”

Clinging to a four-point lead with 7:59 left, the two 7-footers scored the Spurs’ next 12 points. Starks sank a three-pointer to make it a six-point game with 2:50 left, but that was as close as the Warriors (14-19) would get.

Robinson made only 7 of 17 shots and 11 of 20 free throws, but there was little pretty about the game. Rose scored seven straight points in 49 seconds after the Warriors briefly took a one-point lead in the middle of the second quarter. It was their last lead of the game.

Jerome Kersey filled in for a struggling Sean Elliott in the final quarter, knocked down an important 19-footer with 1:19 left and finished with six points and six boards.

“Jerome will rebound and hit the open jumper,” Popovich said. “And knock people’s heads off.”

That was needed Monday night.

“It was ugly,” Robinson said. “But it was a good win.”

Spurs watch

Monday’s game: @Spurs 93, Warriors 86

Top scorers: Spurs - Duncan, Robinson 25; Warriors - Starks 18

Records: Spurs 23-10 (second in Midwest Division); Warriors 14-19 (tied for fifth in Pacific Division)

Streak: Won 5

Next game: Thursday @Houston, 7:30 p.m. (TV: KSAT)

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-08, By Travis E. Poling

奖励计划为马刺队提供帮助

根据球队官员的说法，出售圣安东尼奥马刺队的球票就像从三分线外投篮一样，充满了不确定性。

为了消除提高比赛收入的不确定性，马刺队试图找出他们的粉丝是谁，以便让他们参加更多比赛。

马刺队奖励计划于季前赛开始时推出，为马刺队球迷提供参加比赛的奖励。

阿拉莫穹顶休息区的自动取款机形状的自助机，通过球迷的忠诚度和在每场比赛中回答几个问题来换取免费物品券。

马刺队执行副总裁拉塞尔·布克宾德(Russ Bookbinder)表示，从奖励申请表和自助机上的比赛日问卷中收集到的数据将被用于下一季的粉丝目标营销。

“这让我们真正了解了那些来观看我们比赛的人的生活方式，”布克宾德谈到14,000名注册奖励计划的球迷时说。

在奖励自助机上刷卡，可以获得软饮料、海报、门票优惠和其他福利。那些在本赛季缩短后的每场主场比赛中都使用这张卡的人，将获得一张完美出勤的夹克，并有机会参与抽奖，赢取与球队包机飞往马刺队季后赛比赛的两人旅行。

在每次支付之前，机器会提示用户回答一些问题，这些问题可以了解从高薪高管到蓝领工人的球迷的心理、喜好和习惯。

例如，球队已经确定，41%的持卡人从电视获得大多数关于马刺队的信息，而33%的持卡人从报纸获得信息。

另一项调查问题发现，今年首场比赛中，只有3%的马刺队奖励会员对延长球员停摆导致赛季缩短约30场比赛仍然感到愤怒。

生活方式调查发现，66%的观众是篮球迷，49%是电影爱好者，46%是足球爱好者。

布克宾德表示，这些数据将被用来微调营销策略，并提高季票销售额。

例如，如果计算机数据库显示一位奖励卡持有人本年度参加了六场比赛，而且都是周末进行的，那么球队可以向他们提供一个周末比赛的季票套餐。

布克宾德说，为了增加吸引力，马刺队可以再赠送一张电影票、演唱会门票或其他针对该人士兴趣的奖励。

“你需要给他们一个与你做更多生意的理由，”他说。

布克宾德说，与其他NBA球队相比，马刺队在季票销售方面需要付出更多努力，因为圣安东尼奥缺乏大型企业，而大型企业是购买整年门票的典型买家。

马刺队并不是第一个使用来自奥斯汀的AIM Technologies的营销工具的美国职业棒球大联盟球队。

AIM公司总裁蒂姆·凯斯(Tim Keyes)说，奥克兰运动家队是七支美国职业棒球大联盟球队和两支冰球队中第一支使用AIM的卡片、软件和自助机的球队。

凯斯说，马刺队在NBA球队高管面前对该计划的介绍获得了良好的反响，这可能会在未来几年带来更多业务。

运动家队商业服务总监戴夫·洛佐(Dave Lozow)说，该计划帮助球队收入增加了约20万美元，将一些单场票购买者变成了季票持有者。

“总的来说，这对我们来说是一个很好的计划，”洛佐说。“我们对我们的粉丝有了更多的了解。”

点击查看原文：Rewards program gives aid to Spurs

Rewards program gives aid to Spurs

Selling San Antonio Spurs tickets can be a little like shooting everything from downtown and hoping to land a three-pointer, according to team officials.

In an attempt to take the guesswork out of boosting game revenues, the Spurs are trying to find out who their fans are to get them out to more games.

The Spurs Rewards program, launched at the beginning of the lockout-delayed basketball season, offers incentives for Spurs fans to attend games.

Kiosks resembling automated teller machines in the Alamodome concourse hand out vouchers for free stuff in exchange for fan loyalty and answering a few questions at every game.

The data collected from the Rewards application form and game- day questions at the kiosks will be used for target marketing to fans next season, said Spurs Executive Vice President Russ Bookbinder.

“It really gives us a profile of the lifestyles of the people that are coming to our games,” Bookbinder said of the 14,000 fans that signed up for the Rewards program.

A swipe of the card at the Rewards kiosk pays out with soft drinks, posters, ticket deals and other perks. Those who use the card for every home game of the shortened season get a perfect attendance jacket and are entered in a raffle for a trip for two on the team charter plane to a Spurs playoff game.

Before each payoff, the machine prompts the user with questions that give glimpses into the psyche, likes and habits of fans from the top-dollar executive to the blue-collar worker.

For example, the team has determined that 41 percent of the card users get most of their Spurs information from television and 33 percent from the newspaper.

Another survey question discovered only 3 percent of Spurs Rewards members at the first game this year were still mad about the prolonged lockout of players that shortened the season by about 30 games.

Lifestyle queries found 66 percent of the attendees are basketball fans, 49 percent are moviegoers and 46 percent are football devotees.

Bookbinder said the data will be used to fine-tune marketing and boost season-ticket sales.

For example, if the computer database shows that a Rewards cardholder attended six games for the year, all on weekends, the franchise could make them a season- ticket package offer for weekend games.

To sweeten the pot, the Spurs could throw in a gift certificate for movies, concert tickets or other incentives targeting that person’s interest, Bookbinder said.

“You need to give them a reason to do more business with you,” he said.

The Spurs have to work harder at landing season-ticket sales than other NBA teams because of San Antonio’s lack of large corporations - typical buyers of yearlong tickets - Bookbinder said.

The Spurs are not the first major league franchise to use the marketing tools from Austin-based AIM Technologies.

Baseball’s Oakland A’s were the first of seven major and minor league baseball teams and two hockey teams to use AIM’s card, software and kiosks, AIM President Tim Keyes said.

A Spurs presentation on the program to NBA franchise executives was well-received and could lead to more business in coming years, Keyes said.

Dave Lozow, the A’s director of business services, said the program helped increase team revenues by about $200,000 by turning some single-ticket buyers into season-ticket holders.

“All in all, it’s a good program for us,” Lozow said. “We learned a lot more about our fans.”

By Travis E. Poling, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-09, By Johnny Ludden

备忘录

盖兹进入伤病名单：马刺队在周四比赛前激活了新秀前锋杰拉德·金(Gerard King)，将他替换到伤病名单上，而安德鲁·盖兹(Andrew Gaze)则进入了伤病名单。

激活身高6英尺9英寸的金将为马刺队在他们本赛季最艰难的赛程中提供一个更大的体型。

金在12场比赛中总共得到6分和7个篮板。他于3月2日替换了威尔·珀迪(Will Perdue)进入伤病名单。

盖兹为了马刺队离开了澳大利亚联赛的球队，一直被 relegatated 到垃圾时间，本赛季19场比赛中得到21分。当周三训练后被告知此事时，他似乎并不开心。

“我来到这里的时候并没有什么幻想，”盖兹说道，他被诊断为左脚踝扭伤。“我必须继续前进……我希望我的脚踝能好起来。”

盖兹的墨尔本老虎队在澳大利亚联赛半决赛中以1-0落后于三场两胜制的系列赛。他带着他的笔记本电脑在旅途中通过互联网关注比赛。

点击查看原文：Notes

Notes

Gaze goes on IL: The Spurs activated rookie forward Gerard King before Thursday’s game, replacing him on the injured list with Andrew Gaze.

Activating the 6-foot-9 King gives the Spurs a bigger body as they head into their most rugged stretch of the season.

King totaled six points and seven rebounds in 12 games. He replaced Will Perdue on the injured list March 2.

Gaze, who left his Australian League team for the Spurs, has been relegated to garbage- time minutes, scoring 21 points in 19 games this season. He didn’t appear too happy with the decision when informed after Wednesday’s practice.

“I was under no illusions when I came here,” said Gaze, who is listed with a sprained left ankle. “I just have to plow ahead. … I hope the ankle gets better.”

Gaze’s Melbourne Tigers are trailing 1-0 in a best-of-three series in the Australian League semifinals. He brought his laptop computer on the road trip to follow the games via the Internet. - Johnny Ludden

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-09, By Johnny Ludden

马刺现统治I-10高速公路德州德比 - 火箭无力阻挡复苏的埃利奥特

肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott) 在周四晚间康柏中心对阵休斯顿的比赛中，摆脱了五场低迷的状态，贡献了19分，帮助马刺以92-83战胜了火箭。

这场胜利是马刺(24-10)的六连胜，并且如果他们在赛季结束时与火箭(23-12)战成平手，则马刺将获得季后赛种子排名的优先权。

埃利奥特在过去的五场比赛中只命中了54投21球，在本场比赛中他命中了三个三分球，并凭借着上半场贡献的12分帮助马刺开局顺利。前火箭球员马里奥·伊莱(Mario Elie) 也贡献了两个三分球，并在最后几分钟的关键时刻突破得分，抵挡了休斯顿的最后反扑。

蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan) 贡献了18分和13个篮板。

伊莱和贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson) 连续命中三分球，在半场结束前不到三分钟的时间里，帮助马刺建立了18分的领先优势。火箭在半场结束时将比分追至54-43，但埃利奥特在下半场再次帮助马刺重燃斗志。

他在下半场开局阶段命中了个人第三个三分球，火箭还没反应过来，他们在第三节比赛还剩六分钟时就被马刺领先了19分。

邓肯陷入犯规麻烦，埃利奥特和大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 也坐在板凳上，休斯顿再次在第三节结束时将比分缩小到75-64。

火箭的追赶并没有止步。查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley) 在被马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose) 犯规时命中了一记14英尺的跳投，将比分追至77-71，并将邓肯和埃利奥特重新带回比赛中，当时比赛还剩10分钟。火箭本有机会进一步缩小分差，但他们错失了三次投篮，包括两次三分球，还两次出现失误，看着巴克利错失了两记三分球。

马刺观察

周四晚：马刺 92 - @ 休斯顿火箭 83

亮点：马刺将查尔斯·巴克利和斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen) 的得分压制在了15分。

战绩：马刺 24-10（中西部赛区第二名）；火箭 23-12

连胜：6 连胜

下一场比赛：周六对阵菲尼克斯，晚上9点（电视：KSAT）

在线：expressnews.com/spurs

点击查看原文：Spurs now owning NBA's I-10 rivalry - Rockets can't handle rejuvenated Elliott

Spurs now owning NBA’s I-10 rivalry - Rockets can’t handle rejuvenated Elliott

Sean Elliott broke out a five-game slump with 19 points to help lead the Spurs to a 92-83 victory over Houston on Thursday night at Compaq Center.

The win was the sixth straight for the Spurs (24-10) and gives them the tiebreaker for playoff seeding if they should end the season deadlocked with the Rockets (23-12).

Elliott, who had made only 21 of 54 shots in his last five games, made three three-pointers and helped get the Spurs rolling early with 12 first-half points. Former Rocket Mario Elie also added two three-pointers and drove for a key basket in the final minutes to hold off a late comeback by Houston.

Tim Duncan added 18 points and 13 boards.

Elie and Jaren Jackson knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to stake the Spurs to an 18-point lead with less than three minutes left in the first half. The Rockets clawed within 54-43 at halftime, but Elliott again jump-started the Spurs in the second half.

He knocked down his third three- pointer in the opening minutes of the half, and before the Rockets could look up, they trailed by 19 with six minutes left in the third quarter.

With Duncan in foul trouble and Elliott and David Robinson also on the bench, Houston again trimmed the lead to 75-64 by the end of the quarter.

The Rockets’ push didn’t end there. Charles Barkley rattled in a 14-footer while being fouled by Malik Rose to pull Houston within 77-71 and bring Duncan and Elliott back into the game with 10 minutes left. The Rockets could have cut further into the lead, but they missed three shots - including a pair of three-pointers - turned the ball over twice and watched Barkley miss a pair of three-pointers.

Spurs watch

Thursday night: Spurs 92, @Houston Rockets 83

Highlights: Spurs hold Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen to a combined 15 points.

Records: Spurs 24-10 (second in Midwest Division); Rockets 23-12

Streak: Won 6

Next game: Saturday at Phoenix, 9 p.m. (TV: KSAT)

Online: expressnews.com/spurs

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-09, By Glenn Rogers

休斯敦感觉像是被圣安东尼奥摸透了

马刺正在让火箭球星哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)感到有点紧张。

圣安东尼奥周四晚上再次统治了康柏中心，他们迅速取得了19分的领先优势，随后压制了休斯敦的所有反扑努力，最终以92-83取得胜利。

“现在不仅仅是能量的问题，还有心理因素，”奥拉朱旺说道，“他们对我们有很好的针对性，并且非常自信能战胜我们。我们必须改变这种局面。”

怎么做？

“我们必须拿出全部力量，”他说，“那支球队不喜欢打强硬的比赛。我们必须变得更强硬。我们必须让安东尼(安东尼·卡尔，Antoine Carr)和皮格(皮格·米勒，Pig Miller)上场。那些渴望上场比赛的球员必须得到机会。”

卡尔、米勒、马特·布拉德(Matt Bullard)和马特·马洛尼(Matt Maloney)都没有上场。他们也许会起到帮助，也许不会。

马刺在首节和第二节火力全开，投篮命中率高达54.8%。他们利用对方双人夹击的机会将球传出，投进三分球。他们在转换进攻中得分。他们封堵了火箭的突破。

查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)曾说过，马刺只想要打得好，而火箭想要赢得冠军。马刺在周四打得很好，而火箭想要赢得冠军，他们必须提升自己的水平。

巴克利在对阵蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)和大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)时几乎毫无办法，他只得到11分，12投5中。他运球到最后时刻，被迫传出仓促的传球，投出一些别扭的投篮。他无法突破马刺的大个子防守球员。

他的队友们也同样遇到了困难，他们同样表现得粗心大意，传球过高或过低，无法被接住和投篮。足够多的传球被丢掉，导致14次失误，马刺从中得到22分，这抑制了火箭的势头。

斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen)，这个被寄予厚望能够为球队带来最终冠军的关键人物，消失了。他7投2中，只得到4分。当火箭发起反扑，将马刺的领先优势从19分缩小到6分，比分来到77-71时，皮蓬坐在板凳上。

他对此并不开心。

“我没有上场，因为我没有上场。我不是教练，”皮蓬说道，“当我不在场上的时候，我们发起了反扑。我没有表现出侵略性，我犹豫不决，而且我的手指还在疼。”

皮蓬在周二晚上战胜金州勇士队的比赛中扭伤了食指。这位前公牛球星说，火箭在缩小分差后开始投篮过快。

“（火箭后卫）库蒂诺（莫布利，Cuttino Mobley）上场就投了一个三分。巴克利尝试了一个远距离跳投，”皮蓬说道，“如果那些球投进了，那将是好球，但也许我们应该更耐心一些。”

点击查看原文：Houston feels like S.A. has got its number

Houston feels like S.A. has got its number

The Spurs are making Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon a little nervous.

San Antonio once again ruled the Compaq Center Thursday night, rushing to a 19-point lead and then stifling all Houston efforts to overcome the deficit for a 92-83 victory.

“It’s not just a matter of energy now. It’s psychological,” Olajuwon said. “They match up very well against us, and they are very confident that they can defeat us. We have to change that.”

How?

“We’ve got to use all our horses,” he said. “That team doesn’t like to play physical. We have to make it more physical. We have to get Antoine (Carr and) Pig (Miller) in there. The guys who are dying to get in there and play have to be used.”

Carr, Miller, Matt Bullard and Matt Maloney saw no action. They may or may not have helped.

The Spurs were on fire through the first two quarters, hitting 54.8 percent of their shots. They took advantage of double-teams to pitch it out for three- pointers. They canned shots in transition. They stuffed the Rockets’ drives.

Charles Barkley had said the Spurs only want to play well while the Rockets want to win titles. The Spurs played well Thursday, and the Rockets won’t get near any title until they upgrade their game.

Barkley was all but helpless against Tim Duncan and David Robinson, scoring just 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting. He dribbled down the shot clock and was forced into late passes and awkward shots. He couldn’t get around the Spurs’ big defenders.

His teammates found the going equally difficult and were equally sloppy with too-high or too-low passes that couldn’t be caught and shot. Enough passes were bobbled away to help account for 14 turnovers that led to 22 Spurs points and stunted the Rockets’ momentum.

Scottie Pippen, the man expected to bring the final title ingredient to town, disappeared, hitting 2 of 7 shots and scoring just four points. Pippen sat when the Rockets made a surge that cut the Spurs’ lead from 19 to six at 77-71 with 10:03 left to play.

He wasn’t happy about it.

“I wasn’t on the floor because I wasn’t. I’m not the coach,” Pippen said. “We made that big run when I was out. I wasn’t aggressive. I was tentative, plus my fingering was bothering me.”

Pippen sprained his index finger during the win over Golden State on Tuesday night. The former Bulls star said the Rockets started to shoot too quickly after they closed the gap.

“(Rockets guard) Cuttino (Mobley) went up the floor and put up a three. Barkley tried a long jumper,” Pippen said. “They would have been great shots if they had gone in, but maybe we should have been more patient.”

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-09, By Johnny Ludden

埃利奥特(Elliott)率领马刺队掌控I-10公路 - 火箭队无法应对前锋的爆发

肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)在周四热身赛中投篮百发百中。他的跳投感觉完美无缺。

当然，这让他更加忐忑。

埃利奥特在周一热身赛中也投篮百发百中。他的跳投感觉完美无缺。然后他上场对阵金州勇士队，却14投4中。

“我和史蒂夫(Kerr)谈过，”埃利奥特说，“当你在比赛前投篮感觉无敌的时候，就该感到紧张了。这通常意味着一种情况。”

然而，周四晚上，这仅仅意味着埃利奥特手感火热。这一次，球在开球后就没有停止进网。

第一节结束时，埃利奥特已经得到10分。到比赛结束时，他的低迷正式结束。埃利奥特全队最高得19分，在防守端也很好地限制了斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen)，并帮助马刺队以92-83战胜休斯顿火箭队，现场16285名球迷见证了这场胜利。

“这是我见过肖恩·埃利奥特最具侵略性的表现，”阿维·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)说。“我不知道肖恩是否每晚都能打出这样的表现。我只知道我非常喜欢现在的肖恩·埃利奥特。”

埃利奥特说：“我确实更加侵略性了。我认为阿维只是因为我们战胜了休斯顿队而有点太兴奋了。”

马刺队（24胜10负）有理由享受这场胜利。首先，这场胜利为他们进入赛季最后阶段打下了坚实的基础，并终结了火箭队在主场的9连胜。

更重要的是，这场胜利——加上马刺队在3月2日以99-82战胜休斯顿队的比赛——使马刺队以1.5场的优势领先火箭队，并在季后赛种子排名中占据优势，即使两支I-10公路的劲敌最终战成平手。

马刺队还可以从他们某些时段的表现中汲取经验。蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)和罗宾逊(Robinson)将球传给了埃利奥特和马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)，让他们投出空位三分球。罗宾逊几乎没有得到任何帮助的情况下，依然出色地防守了哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)。

当火箭队在第四节从落后19分的劣势中奋起直追时，马刺队依然有足够的能量来完成比赛。

“我们领先15、16、17分的时候，我们打出了本赛季最棒的表现，”埃利奥特说。“我们做到了我们想要做的一切。

“我投进了一个跳投，然后对蒂姆说，‘他们不可能再包夹你了。’他们没有这样做。当一支球队不包夹蒂姆时，他们就麻烦了。”

邓肯得到18分和全场最高的13个篮板球，但马刺队的传球方式比任何数据都更能说明问题。马刺队全场送出27次助攻，而火箭队只有13次。

当马刺队在第二节取得17分的领先优势时，康柏中心球馆的球迷开始嘘声四起。

“考虑到这场比赛的重要性，这场比赛的表现并非我预期的，”火箭队主教练鲁迪·汤姆贾诺维奇(Rudy Tomjanovich)说。“我们没有足够的斗志。我不理解这种缺乏斗志的原因。”

埃利奥特在最近五场比赛中只投进了54球中的21球，他带领马刺队发起了进攻，他的前两投分别投进了一个20英尺的跳投和一个23英尺的三分球。他在下半场开场时投进了自己的第三个也是最后一个三分球。

“当肖恩像这样手感火热时，一切都变得轻松起来，”罗宾逊说。“他不需要整场比赛都保持这种状态。从一开始就打成这样，确实非常有帮助。”

与此同时，皮蓬以7投2中得到4分，并出现了3次失误。奥拉朱旺全场得到最高的27分，但他得到的帮助很少。马刺队选择由罗宾逊单防奥拉朱旺，以便他们能够盯防卡蒂诺·莫布里(Cuttino Mobley)和迈克尔·迪克森(Michael Dickerson)。

计划奏效。休斯顿队只投进了12个三分球中的2个。其中有两个失误发生在他们将马刺队的领先优势缩小到77-71，距离比赛结束还有10分钟的时候。火箭队还罚丢了30个罚球中的11个，这无济于事。

马刺队在外线表现出色。埃利投进了两个三分球，并在比赛还剩2分11秒的时候突破得分，终结了休斯顿队的反扑。

马刺队观察

周四晚上：马刺队92，@休斯顿火箭队83

亮点：马刺队将查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)和斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen)的得分限制在15分。

战绩：马刺队24胜10负（中西部赛区第二）；火箭队23胜12负

连胜：6连胜

下一场比赛：周六在菲尼克斯，晚上9点（电视：KSAT）

在线：expressnews.com/spurs

点击查看原文：Elliott drives Spurs to control of I-10 - Rockets can't handle forward's surge

Elliott drives Spurs to control of I-10 - Rockets can’t handle forward’s surge

Sean Elliott couldn’t miss during warmups Thursday. His jumper felt perfect.

Nothing, of course, scared him more.

Elliott couldn’t miss during warmups Monday. His jumper felt perfect. Then he went out and shanked 10 of 14 shots against Golden State.

“Steve (Kerr) and I have talked about it,” Elliott said. “When you can’t miss before the game, it’s time to get nervous. It usually means one thing.”

Thursday night, however, it simply meant Elliott was on a roll. For a change, the shots didn’t stop falling after tipoff.

By the end of the first quarter Elliott already had dropped in 10 points. By the end of the game, his slump had officially ended. Elliott had a team-high 19 points, played some nice defense on Scottie Pippen and helped lead the Spurs to a 92-83 victory over Houston in front of 16,285 at the Compaq Center.

“This is the most aggressive I’ve ever seen Sean Elliott,” Avery Johnson said. “I don’t know if Sean is going to have a big game every night. All I know is I like the Sean Elliott that’s out there.”

Said Elliott: “I’ve been more aggressive. I think Avery is just a little too excited we beat Houston.”

The Spurs (24-10) have reason to relish the victory. For starters, it provided a solid first step as they head into the final stretch of the season and snapped the Rockets’ nine-game home winning streak.

More importantly, the win - coupled with the Spurs’ 99-82 victory over Houston on March 2 - gives the Spurs a 11/2-game lead over the Rockets and hands them the tiebreaker for playoff seeding should the two Interstate-10 rivals end up deadlocked.

The Spurs also can build off the way they played during stretches. Tim Duncan and Robinson kicked out the ball to Elliott and Mario Elie for open three-pointers. Robinson defended Hakeem Olajuwon with little or no help.

And when the Rockets climbed out of a 19-point hole in the fourth quarter, the Spurs still had enough left to close out the win.

“There were times when we were 15, 16, 17 points ahead that we were playing the best we’ve played all season,” Elliott said. "We were doing exactly what we wanted to do.

“I hit one jumper and told Tim, ‘There’s no way they can double you anymore.’ And they didn’t. When a team doesn’t double Tim, they’re in trouble.”

Duncan added 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, but the way the Spurs moved the ball said more than anything. The Spurs finished with 27 assists to Houston’s 13.

When the Spurs jumped out to a 17-point lead in the second quarter, the Compaq Center crowd started booing.

“It was not the type of game I expected with everything on the line,” Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. “We didn’t have the fire we needed. I don’t understand the lack of intensity.”

Elliott, who had made only 21 of 54 shots in his last five games, got the Spurs going, knocking down a 20-footer then a 23-foot three-pointer on his first two shots. He canned his third and final three to jump- start the second half.

“When Sean gets on a roll like that, it’s easy,” Robinson said. “He doesn’t have to be on a roll the whole game. It just helps when he starts off like that.”

Pippen, meanwhile, finished with four points on 2-of-7 shooting and three turnovers. Olajuwon had a game-high 27 points, but little help. The Spurs elected to single- team Olajuwon with Robinson so they could stick guards Cuttino Mobley and Michael Dickerson.

The plan worked. Houston made only 2 of 12 three-pointers. Two of the misses came after they cut the Spurs’ lead to 77-71 with 10 minutes left. It didn’t help that the Rockets also missed 11 of 30 free throws.

The Spurs had little trouble from the outside. Elie buried a pair of three-pointers and drove for a key basket with 2:11 left to finish Houston’s comeback effort.

Spurs watch

Thursday night: Spurs 92, @Houston Rockets 83

Highlights: Spurs hold Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen to a combined 15 points.

Records: Spurs 24-10 (second in Midwest Division); Rockets 23-12

Streak: Won 6

Next game: Saturday at Phoenix, 9 p.m. (TV: KSAT)

Online: expressnews.com/spurs

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-04-10, By Johnny Ludden

佩度因鼻骨骨折出战太阳比赛成疑

威尔·佩度(Will Perdue) 闻到了阴谋的味道。考虑到他塞满鼻子的纸巾，这本身就是一个壮举。

马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose) 在周四晚上马刺战胜休斯顿的比赛中用肘部击中了佩度的鼻子，导致其鼻骨骨折。仅在几个小时前，马刺激活了新秀前锋杰拉德·金(Gerard King)，他在本赛季早期就曾填补过佩度的空缺。

巧合吗？佩度不这么认为。

“我四处打听了一下，”佩度说。“马利克说他感到非常内疚，所以把杰拉德付给他的 50 美元（作为肘击的补偿）还给了他。”

佩度在周五早上接受 X 光检查后，笑着谈论了这次受伤。X 光显示他鼻骨出现非移位性骨折。他不需要手术，并且被列为今晚在美国西部竞技场对阵菲尼克斯太阳队的比赛中出战成疑。佩度的出场与否将取决于他的鼻出血是否能止住。

一度有人担心佩度在返回圣安东尼奥之前无法找到护目镜佩戴，但训练师威尔·塞文宁(Will Sevening) 带来了三副，其中一副是佩度两年前使用过的。塞文宁对这些护目镜做了一些细微的调整，希望能找到一副适合佩度的。

“我认为我能上场，”佩度说，他曾四次鼻骨骨折。“主要问题是凝血。”

佩度的受伤是周四 92-83 击败火箭队的唯一坏消息。马刺的六连胜将他们与西部领头羊波特兰的差距缩小到 3 场，同时也是 NBA 胜率最高的球队。

“你不能过分担心常规赛中一场比赛意味着什么，”马里奥·伊莱(Mario Elie) 说。“我们只是想为季后赛做好准备。我们有机会争夺第一或第二种子。”

马刺将在今晚开始与太阳队的两场主客场系列赛。鉴于他们的表现，两支球队也可能在季后赛第一轮相遇，这是他们连续第二个赛季这样做。太阳队在周五晚上对阵犹他队的比赛前一直处于第八的位置，但仅落后第六名的明尼苏达森林狼队 3 场。

太阳队在本赛季的某些阶段表现挣扎，但在与强队交锋时通常表现出色。除了在波特兰输掉两场激烈的比赛之外，他们还在客场战胜了马刺队、森林狼队和洛杉矶湖人队。

马刺队在终结太阳队的比赛时遇到了麻烦。在 2 月 17 日的阿拉莫穹顶球馆的比赛中，太阳队从第四节落后 11 分的情况下，以 79-76 逆转获胜。在 3 月 12 日在美国西部竞技场进行的比赛中，太阳队在落后 16 分的情况下，在 5.7 秒内连得 5 分，将比分扳平。只有肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott) 在终场哨声响起时投出的 19 英尺远投才帮助马刺队赢得了比赛。

点击查看原文：Spurs may be 7 feet under tonight - Perdue questionable for Suns game due to fractured nose

Spurs may be 7 feet under tonight - Perdue questionable for Suns game due to fractured nose

Will Perdue smells a conspiracy. Considering the tissue stuffed up his nose, that’s a feat in itself.

Malik Rose fractured Perdue’s nose with an elbow during the Spurs’ win over Houston on Thursday night. Only a few hours earlier the Spurs activated rookie forward Gerard King, who filled in for Perdue earlier in the season.

Coincidence? Perdue doesn’t think so.

“I did some checking around,” Perdue said. “Malik said he felt so guilty, he gave back the 50 bucks Gerard paid him (for the elbow).”

Perdue joked about the injury after X-rays Friday morning revealed a non-displaced fracture. He does not need surgery and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns at America West Arena. Perdue’s availability will be determined by whether the bleeding stops.

There had been some concern he would not be able to find a protective mask to wear until returning to San Antonio, but trainer Will Sevening had brought along three, one of which Perdue used two seasons ago. Sevening made minor adjustments to the masks in the hope that one would comfortably fit Perdue.

“I think I will be able to play,” said Perdue, who has broken his nose four times. “The main concern is the clotting.”

Perdue’s injury was the only bad news to come out of Thursday’s 92-83 win over the Rockets. The Spurs’ sixth straight victory moved them within three games of Portland for the Western Conference lead and the best record in the NBA.

“You can’t get too worried about what one game in the regular season means,” Mario Elie said. “We’re just trying to get ready for the playoffs. We have a chance to get the first or second seed.”

The Spurs begin a home-and-home series with the Suns tonight. And with the way they are playing, the two teams also could meet in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season. Phoenix was clinging to the eighth seed heading into Friday night’s game against Utah, but trailed No. 6 Minnesota by only three games.

The Suns have struggled during stretches this season, but have generally played well against the better teams. They have beaten the Spurs, Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers on the road in addition to dropping a pair of close games in Portland.

The Spurs have had trouble closing out Phoenix. The Suns rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter for a 79-76 win Feb. 17 at the Alamodome. After trailing by 16 points with 11:25 left, Phoenix scored five points in 5.7 seconds to tie the March 12 game at America West Arena. Only Sean Elliott’s 19-footer at the buzzer saved a Spurs’ win.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News