San Antonio Spurs quietly rising
By Juleene Janell Aderhold
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 22 Apr 2012
LOS ANGELES -- They don't have the boom of the Thunder from Oklahoma. And neither do they possess the flash and dash of those athletes-slash-rock stars from the swaggering Miami Heat.
What they do have is a knack for winning games. Plenty of games, in fact. And after last night's count, 46 to be exact.
It's the no frills, no thrills San Antonio Spurs, the best team in the Western Conference, and perhaps, the entire NBA.
After a punchless start marred by injuries, the Spurs, who won NBA titles in 2003, 2005 and 2007, have righted their ship remarkably well, showing the poise and patience of a multiple champion. They have since racked their won-lost slate to 46-16, No.1 in the West and second overall in the NBA behind the 47-16 Chicago Bulls.
The Spurs gave a sampling of their vaunted firepower Friday night when they manhandled the Los Angeles Lakers, 121-97, at the AT@T Center in downtown San Antonio. The Spurs made beating the Lakers look so scary easy.
San Antonio obliterated what resembled as a Lakers defense by shooting 61 percent from the field (47-of-77 field goals) and 66.7 percent from 3-point range (10-of-15 treys). Tim Duncan led the assault with 21 points while Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili chipped in 20 apiece.
The Spurs sank a remarkable 17 of 18 free throws. They also outrebounded the Lakers 42-29 and they dished more assists, 27-19. In other words, the Spurs edged the Lakers in the most important facets of the game.
Sidelined by injuries for seven straight starts, Kobe Bryant made an uneventful return. The Black Mamba finished with an average output of 18 points, two rebounds and one assist. He shot 7 of 12 field goals and played only for 29 minutes.
Lakers big man Andrew Bynum tallied 17 points while forward Matt Barnes added 14, but the Lakers couldn't overcome a poor shooting night -- 33-of-76 field goals (43.4 percent) including just 6-of-14 from 3-point range (42.9 percent).
With their sixth straight triumph, the 46-16 Spurs maintained a half-game lead over the 46-17 Oklahoma City Thunder for Western Conference supremacy. The Spurs are also within an earshot of the Chicago Bulls, who currently lead the NBA with a 47-16 record.
And while the Bulls, Heat and Thunder have attracted most of the attention in this lockout-shortened season, the San Antonio Spurs have quietly piled up the wins under the press radar. Tim Duncan and company are playing great basketball, just in time for the playoffs. (Juleene Aderhold)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Juleene Janell Aderhold.
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