SAN ANTONIO: The San Antonio Spurs, not quite ready to be written off as too old and too slow to claim an NBA crown, routed the Los Angeles Clippers 115-90 on Wed­nes­day.

Manu Ginobili scored 24 points, leading six Spurs players who scored in double figures.

DeJuan Blair added 20 and Richard Jefferson chipped in 19. Tony Parker scored 14 points with nine assists, Tim Duncan scored 10 with eight rebounds and James Anderson added 12 off the bench as the Spurs shot 56.3% from the field.

The Spurs also made all 15 of their free throws, but coach Gregg Popovich said defence was the key to victory.

“Shots went in tonight,” Popovich said. “That’s what happens. Some nights they don’t drop. Tonight the best part of our game was defence.”

And that’s what was lacking for the Clippers, coach Vinny Del Negro said.

“Give San Antonio credit – they were cutting hard, they were moving the basketball, we were very stagnant,” he said. “We weren’t physical. We weren’t contesting shots…

“We played terrible, just from start to finish tonight,” Del Negro said.

“We had a little glimpse in the second quarter, I thought we did some good things. But they jumped on us in the third and we were just chasing them the rest of the game.”

The Clippers have been touted as a potential new power in the Western Conference after the arrival of All-Star point guard Chris Paul to team with Blake Griffin, the explosive talent who earned Rookie of the Year honours last season.

Griffin led the Clippers with 28 points, while Paul scored 10 on 3-of-10 shooting.

The Spurs, long a Western Conference force, won 61 games last season but were surprised in the first round of the playoffs by a young, energetic Memphis team, sparking predictions that the team led by 35-year-old Duncan and featuring 34-year-old Ginobili and 29-year-old Parker had passed their prime.

In their first two games of this lockout-shortened season, however, the Spurs have now beaten both Memphis and the Clippers.

San Antonio led by as many as 12 points before Griffin capped a Clippers surge by soaring for a basket that knotted the score at 52-52 late in the second quarter.

A Ginobili three-pointer saw the Spurs take a 58-54 lead at half-time, and San Antonio took firm control in the third period, when they out-scored Los Angeles by 21 points to take a 96-71 lead.

The comfortable victory meant Popovich was able to give his stars some rest. Duncan played 25 minutes, Parker 26 and Ginobili 27.

“You wouldn’t trade it,” Popovich said of the luxury of resting his veterans for significant minutes.

It could prove especially important in the hectic, lockout-shortened season.

“It was a good night for us, and to get some rest was surely welcome,” Popovich said.

In New Orleans, Jarrett Jack had 21 points and nine assists in his regular-season debut, and New Orleans dominated in their home opener, beating the winless Boston Celtics 97-78.

Danny Granger scored nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as Indiana Pacers beat the Raptors 90 to 85. Paul George had 18 points, David West scored 14 and Roy Hibbert had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

At Auburn Hills, Michigan, rookie Kyrie Irving had 14 points and seven assists to help Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit 105 to 89, spoiling the Pistons’ first home opener with new owner Tom Gores.

Meanwhile Joe Johnson led another balanced attack with 18 points as as Atlanta beat Washington 101 to 83.

At Denver, Nene scored 25 points, reserve Al Harrington had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Denver rolled over the Utah 117 to 100.

At Charlotte, North Carolina, Dwyane Wade hit a bank shot over Gerald Henderson with 2.9 seconds left to lift unbeaten Miami over Charlotte 96 to 95.

In the other games Oklahoma City beat Memphis 98 to 95, Golden State beat New York 92-78, Philadelphia routed Phoenix 103 to 83, Atlanta beat Washington 101 to 83. — Agencies

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AUBURN HILLS, MI – MAY 13: Antonio McDyess #24 of the Detroit Pistons is congratulated by the fans after their 91-86 win against the Orlando Magic in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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Jul 14, 2011 – Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Toronto Raptors president and GM Bryan Colangelo has found three candidates to be the team’s new GM. Those candidates are ex-New Orleans Hornets GM Jeff Bower, Philadelphia 76ers GM Ed Stefanski, and San Antonio Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey.

Colangelo may or may not step down as general manager (but maintain his position as president), depending on whether he can find a replacement GM he likes. 

If the Raptors do hire a new GM, it’s unclear exactly what his relationship with Colangelo would be. Colangelo would retain veto power on basketball moves, and might continue to participate in basketball-related decisions.

Colangelo had a good run with the Phoenix Suns and a nice start to his career in Toronto, leading to NBA Executive Of The Year awards in 2005 and 2007. But the Raptors have fallen on hard times in the past few years, finishing below .500 in each season since 2008-09 (and losing Chris Bosh in 2010). The Raptors won just 22 games in 2010-11.

For more on the Toronto Raptors, check out Raptors HQ.

Read More: Chris Bosh (F – MIA), Jeff Bower (H – NOH), New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors

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When the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs were bounced from the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies, it marked the potential end of a championship window for a team that’s been a contender for more than a decade. (Just ask Tony Parker.) Several players, including Tim Duncan(notes) and Manu Ginobili(notes), looked aged and slow.

It turns out there was good reason for Ginobili’s general lack of dominance. Because, no big deal, he was playing with a broken arm. From Tim Griffin on Spurs Nation (via PBT):

Ginobili told the Argentine website Noticiasmdq.com that he sustained a small fracture of the right humerus, the long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. The injury occurred in the final game of the regular season on April 13 when he was trapped in a collision between Tim Duncan and Phoenix’s Grant Hill(notes).

The Spurs originally announced that Ginobili sustained a sprained elbow. He missed the first game of the playoffs and then played the remaining five games with the injury in the six-game series loss to Memphis. He averaged a team-leading 20.6 points per game against the Grizzlies despite playing with a balky brace.

Here’s what he told Argentine reporters (translation provided by ProjectSpurs.com).

“Last Wednesday, the medical staff of San Antonio I had the last MRI,” Ginobili said. “The liquid has been absorbed and small fracture in the humerus is welded at 85 percent. I have to be doing nothing for 3 weeks and then begin slowly.”

Well, I suppose we now know why he wore what seemed to be Barry Bonds’ elbow guard during the series.

Ginobili wasn’t at his best vs. the Grizzlies, but, as Griffin notes, he was still one of the better Spurs. He did miss Game 1, but that seems minor when put up against the seriousness of this injury.

Manu has earned a reputation as a flopper during his NBA career, but he has played through more injuries than virtually any other person in the league. He may sell fouls beyond what’s reasonable, but that doesn’t mean he’s soft. In fact, he’s about as tough as they come.

Related: Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs

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SAN ANTONIO (AP)—No one even asked Memphis coach Lionel Hollins about it. He just waited for nearly two dozen cameramen and reporters to huddle around Saturday, then spoke directly to one person who wasn’t even there.

“I just want to say this for Tim Duncan(notes),” Hollins began.

Right. About that.

“We did not tank the season so we can get the San Antonio Spurs,” he said.

Hollins was playfully needling the two-time MVP. But after Duncan said “they chose to play us” in reference to the Grizzlies sitting their stars and dropping their last two games—losses that assured Memphis the No. 8 seed— Hollins couldn’t resist responding before Game 1 on Sunday.

His levity seemed fitting for a team facing little pressure ahead of this series. Eighth seeds are 3-51 against No. 1s in NBA history. The Grizzlies are 0-12 in the playoffs and are in the postseason for the first time since 2006. Winning one game would make franchise history.

Then there’s the Spurs.

They’re back atop the West after a 61-win resurgence and mindful this could be their last shot for a fifth title in the Duncan era. Not that it’s made San Antonio the conference favorite for the NBA finals.

So when the Grizzlies rested Tony Allen(notes) and Zach Randolph(notes) in their last two games, in addition to Mike Conley(notes) in the finale, the Spurs saw Memphis as not exactly eager to improve its seeding and possibly face the Los Angeles Lakers or Dallas instead.

“They played us well the last couple of games,” Duncan said Friday. “They feel they match up well against us. They chose to play us, they got us, and we’ll see what happens.”

Spurs guard George Hill(notes) noticed, too.

“I don’t know why they want us so bad,” Hill said. “It was 2-2 (in the regular season). That’s 50 percent. But if they want to take their chances against us, bring it, I guess.”

Hollins insisted that wasn’t it at all.

“My thought process had nothing to do with the San Antonio Spurs,” Hollins said. “It had to do with us being healthy coming into this series, whatever series it was going to be.”

The Spurs, of all teams, can relate to wanting to stay healthy.

They lost All-Star Manu Ginobili(notes) to a sprained right elbow in their season finale Wednesday against Phoenix, a game that was largely meaningless beyond trying to stay above Chicago for the NBA’s best record. A night earlier, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn’t play his stars against the Lakers.

Ginobili is doubtful for the postseason opener. But San Antonio’s second-leading scorer was already back shooting jumpers Saturday, and his teammates seem to think he’s OK to play.

“For me, it’s almost impossible he’s not going to play,” guard Tony Parker(notes) said.

Parker, along with Ginobili and Duncan, are the only Spurs remaining from the 2003-04 team that swiftly ended Memphis’ first playoff appearance in franchise history, sweeping the Grizzlies in four games. Seven years later, Memphis is still waiting for its first postseason win.

Forward Shane Battier(notes) was on that 2004 Memphis team, before being traded to Houston and then back to the Grizzlies this season. Battier said Saturday he can’t figure out why some people think Memphis tanked its final two games in order to play the No. 1 seed.

Same for Allen.

“They don’t come to me and say, ‘Hey, T.A., this is what we’re going to do.’ Me, personally, I was hurt,” the guard said of sitting out the last two games. “As far as tanking, I don’t know nothing about that. So I’m not the one to talk to about that.”

Hollins was. But he was only talking to one person out there.

“I just want Tim to know that,” Hollins said. “Tim, we weren’t seeking you out.”

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SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili might play in Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies after all.

Tony Parker said Saturday he’s feels it’s “almost impossible” that his All-Star teammate won’t play Sunday. Ginobili sprained his right elbow in Wednesday’s regular-season finale at Phoenix, but has already been practicing.

He tweeted Thursday that the pain was already almost gone. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich still lists Ginobili as doubtful for the series opener.

Ginobili is San Antonio’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points.

The Grizzlies wouldn’t mind the Spurs being cautious. Having never won a playoff game in franchise history, Memphis will take all the help it can get.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)—Before the Memphis Grizzlies can think about winning a playoff series, they first have to take one small step.

Win a postseason game.

The Grizzlies enter their series against the San Antonio Spurs with the dubious record of being swept out of the first round in all three of their previous playoff appearances.

At 0-12, it’s some heavy baggage. Depending on which Memphis player is answering the question, it is a record that can be tough to ignore.

“We’re very aware of it,” guard Tony Allen(notes) said after practice Friday. “They have been ranting about it all year. We’ve gotten our short-term goal (making the playoffs) out of the way, and now it’s time to make some noise in this postseason.”

To do that, Memphis will have to beat a Spurs team that finished with the second-best record in the league.

San Antonio, the top seed in the Western Conference, hosts the eighth-seeded Grizzlies for the first two games starting Sunday before the series moves back to Memphis for Games 3 and 4.

The Grizzlies hope they get a second look at the city of San Antonio this series because that means they will have accomplished the goal of winning a playoff game, something this franchise has yet to do in making the postseason three straight seasons starting in 2004.

The Spurs were the first team to sweep the Grizzlies out of the postseason in 2004, and the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks followed the next two postseasons in needing only four games to advance to the conference semifinals. It’s not the kind of mark any NBA team wants.

Center Tim Duncan(notes) was part of the Spurs team that swept Memphis in 2004, but was surprised when asked about the Grizzlies still looking for their first playoff win.

“Wow. But I don’t think that means anything,” Duncan said. “This isn’t a team that’s played the last 20 years, or however old that franchise is. This is a brand-new team for them, and they’ve been playing well. They’re pretty confident in what they do. History doesn’t matter right now.”

Memphis is 13-8 since starting March with a 109-83 win over the Spurs, a stretch that also includes a 111-104 win over San Antonio on March 27.

Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins notes these are different players than the previous teams, a group that plays harder and tougher.

Point guard Mike Conley(notes) insists they aren’t thinking about that 0-12 record in the postseason.

“We’re worrying about this team. This team hasn’t been 0-12. We haven’t lost 12 straight playoff games. We haven’t even been in the playoffs as a team,” he said.

“We’re just thinking of this as our first opportunity to get out here and show people what we can do, and not just win a game. We want to win a series. We’ve got to keep our minds set on that and not worrying about a winless streak that’s been going on for the organization.”

The Grizzlies have some confidence from splitting the regular-season series with the Spurs, and Manu Ginobili(notes) is doubtful for Sunday.

Hollins was criticized for sitting Zach Randolph(notes) and Allen in the Grizzlies’ final two games, with some complaining he passed up the chance for a higher seed while others said he was trying to avoid playing the defending champion Lakers. Hollins defended the decision, saying he wanted his players rested for the postseason.

Allen said the plan is to not get hung up on winning just a game, not when there are bigger goals.

“We plan on winning this series and plan on getting to the next series,” Allen said. “In order to do that, we have to take it one game at a time. Come in with great focus and just stay together, and knowing it’s going to be a hostile environment down there. Just be ready for whatever comes our way.”

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PHOENIX — The San Antonio Spurs lost a shot at home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and saw a grimacing Manu Ginobili leave the court in pain early in the game.

Not exactly a beautiful ending to a powerful regular season.

“Now,” coach Gregg Popovich said, “the fun starts.”

Despite the 106-103 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday night, the Spurs are the No. 1 seed in the West and early indications were that Ginobili’s hyperextended elbow wasn’t serious.

Popovich sat Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in a loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, but all three were in the starting lineup Wednesday.

“You can’t predict anything and there’s no reason to second guess and I don’t think any one of us are going to do that,” Duncan said. “Luckily, it’s not serious and hopefully he can be ready to go once the playoff starts. You cross your fingers, you hope for that, and you move on.”

The Spurs move on to a first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that seemed to want to face San Antonio.

“They sat their guys for the last three or four games,” Duncan said. “They’re trying to stay where they’re at. Obviously, they’ve chosen their matchup and want to stick with it.”

Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 13 rebounds to help the Suns avoid being swept in the four-game regular season series.

The Spurs, at 61-21, finished a game behind Chicago for the best record in the NBA.

Had San Antonio and the Bulls finished tied and faced each other in the NBA finals, home-court advantage would have been determined by a random drawing because all other tiebreakers were equal.

Ginobili went down with 9:46 left in the first quarter. The star guard slid to the floor near the San Antonio free throw line, then the Suns’ Grant Hill fell on top of him.

X-rays for a more serious injury were negative. An MRI was planned Thursday.

Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out the Spurs’ 102-93 loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Tuesday but all three were in the starting lineup against Phoenix. Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes. Parker scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting in 25 minutes. Neither were on the court when the game ended.

“Tony’s been under the weather. He got 25 minutes so I thought that was about enough for him,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “We got Timmy about 30 so that was good. They needed to get a good run and they did so they could keep a rhythm. And then you like to win, but we didn’t and that’s the way it goes.”

Channing Frye and Jared Dudley scored 17 apiece for the Suns.

“We’ve kind of had our fans on the emotional roller coaster this year,” Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said, “where we played well and then we struggled then we played well.”

Phoenix failed to make the playoffs for the second time in three years after a surprise run to the Western Conference finals a year ago, which included a second-round sweep of San Antonio.

“It’s been a long year so to finish it off with a couple of victories was good,” the Suns’ Steve Nash said. “I think it was important for us too for our psyche. It’s a good feeling amidst a lot of disappointment.”

Nash, with one year left on his contract with Phoenix, said he has no desire to play elsewhere.

“This is my team,” he said.

The Suns shot out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter Wednesday night and the Spurs never could catch them.

After shooting 65 percent in the first 12 minutes (17 of 26), the Suns made 20 percent (5 of 25) in the second to lead 61-53 at the break.

San Antonio cut it to 66-63 on Parker’s short jumper three minutes into the second half, but an 11-1 Phoenix run made it 77-64 when Dudley made a pair of free throws with 5:01 to play in the period.

Down 85-74 after three, the Spurs came back to make it a free throw shootout down the stretch. Aaron Brooks sank two from the line to put Phoenix ahead 106-103 with 3.9 seconds to go. Gary Neal threw up an airball from the corner for San Antonio just before the buzzer.

NOTES: Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 13 points at age 38 or older. … Ginobili missed two games this season, only one because of injury: March 28 against Portland because of a bruised left quad. … Nash led the NBA in assists for the fifth time, joining John Stockton and Jason Kidd as the only players to do so. … San Antonio had the best record in the West for the sixth time in franchise history – five of them with Duncan. … The Suns won 40 games for the seventh straight season.

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by Paul Coro – Apr. 13, 2011 10:41 PM
The Arizona Republic

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(Sports Network) – Things can change quite a bit in one year.

The Phoenix Suns swept the San Antonio Spurs out of the playoffs last season en route to a Western Conference finals appearance. In 2010-11, its San Antonio that is the Western Conference’s top seed while the Suns will be finishing an extremely disappointing season when the two clubs clash in the desert.

At 61-20 San Antonio is deadlocked with Chicago for the best record in the NBA. If both clubs finish with the same mark, a random draw will decide which team would have home-court advantage in a possible NBA finals meeting.

The Spurs seemingly gave up a chance to control their own destiny with the Bulls on Tuesday in Los Angeles by resting starters Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Antonio McDyess in a 102-93 loss to the Lakers.

San Antonio was led by Gary Neal’s 16 points in the setback, while Matt Bonner chipped in 13 points in the loss, the club’s first in five games.

Coach Gregg Popovich hinted his starters will be back in the lineup tonight, however.

“It’s a back-to-back, and I’d rather play [Wednesday] and not have such a long time before the weekend,” Popovich said. “[The bench] got some experience. I’m happy with what they did.”

The Suns, meanwhile, are trying to close strongly and are coming off a 135-127 overtime win over lowly Minnesota on Monday. Channing Frye hit nine three- pointers en route to a career-high 33 points while Jared Dudley went 5-for-5 from long distance in that one.

Grant Hill had 21 points and Steve Nash posted eight points but had 16 assists for the Suns, who made 18-of-29 shots from the three-point arc and snapped a two-game losing streak.

“Channing (Frye) shot the ball well,” Phoenix head coach Alvin Gentry said. “JD (Jared Dudley) shot the ball well. We did a good job of getting them the ball and they knocked in some three-point shots which we very much needed to get back in the game.”

The Suns swept the Spurs in the West semifinals last season before bowing out to the eventual NBA champion Lakers in six games during the West finals. The team lost star forward Amare Stoudemire to New York in a sign-and-trade during the offseason and will be finishing with its first losing record in seven years.

San Antonio has won all three of its meetings with Phoenix this year and will be attempting to sweep the season series for the first time since 2003-04.

The Sports Network

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Just a year after the Suns vanquished the San Antonio monster in the playoffs, the Spurs are back to ending the season for the Suns.

San Antonio Spurs is the West’s top team and haven’t yet lost 20 games on the season. They’re still fighting the Bulls for the #1 overall seed but look to be in good shape of at least earning a tie with them for the top spot where tie breakers would determine who has home court should they meet each other in the Finals.

Recently, the Spurs have bounced back from their 6 game skids to win 4 consecutive games and look to be primed for the playoffs. They’re a veteran team with no real injuries on their roster and have experience in navigating a tough playoff field. At this point in the season, they’re where everyone else wants to be. They’ve earned it, so kudos to them.

The Suns closed the Spurs’ season last year with a second-round sweep that was as sweet as cane sugar for Phoenix, given four arduous playoff exits to the black and silver dating to 2003.

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