Pretty much anticipated a loss. The spurs even with injuries and a bunch of no name players on the court are still too disciplined for us to beat them, especially when they have duncan and ginobili on the court. Doesn't matter that both guys are on the downside of their career.....
We hung around, and had a chance to win, missed FT's bad shots and no defensive stops killed us.. But here are the two biggest keys.. we got outrebounded 53-34
and shot 2-17 from three.. can't win that way.. just can't..
Gallo: started off slow 1-6, and I feared this comming once I heard T-mac was back in the lineup... but he was still defending and rebounding.. Should not have been on ginobili who was just too quick and crafty, but he gave a good effort.... started getting going in the 4th quarter, hitting a blow by drive over duncan and then a couple of post ups on ginobili.. one which was an "and 1" on manu after manu shook him badly the play before.. I liked how he came back on that.. not a great game for gallo, not the game he had the other night vs Atlanta, but he took a bad start and turned it into a decent outing... finished with 14/5/1 block... the spurs announcers especially sean elliot were complimenting him all night.. Elliot was getting upset on how the spurs were letting gallo post up the smaller guys, elliot said" you can't let these small guys guard gallanari like that, he is too big and too talented to do that, he is not some skinny stiff, the kid can play!".. very nice compliment from elliot who is usually very sarcastic and funky...
Lee: 21/10/4.. had his hands filled with duncan, but lee put up his numbers as usual... I am not going to complain about his defense tonight, going up against a HOF player in duncan, but really, not much I can say about lee's game tonight.. just another one of those nights where he got his numbers, and we lost.. business as usual.... not saying he is the reason we lost, but I can't think of anything impactful he did tonight....
Sergio: 9/4 dimes.. shot the ball well, but just doesn't give us what we need defensively.. did get two quick fouls but not sure why he sat for so long... was looking to score tonight and looked confident...
T-mac: 6/7/4 dimes... didn't play much in th second half if at all. Not sure if this benefits the team at all, playing him this way.. T-mac holds the ball a bit, but that is part of his game, but we didn't look as sharp offensively tonight as we did monday when the ball was moving a bit more and gallo was more of a focal point.. Not saying T-mac was the reason we lost, but we looked better monday for sure...
Douglas: was the reason we came back.. His defensive intensity really set the tone when he came in the second half.. went 0-3, had 2/3/2 dimes.. but his impact was noticeable. had 1 steal, but looked like he was all over the place.. really got into Hill and stopped the penetration.. has to learn how to run an offense, and that comes with time hopefully, but I loved the way he set the tone defensively.
Chandler: started off well, and finished with 17/3/2/2 blocks.. shot 6-12 and was looking sharp, especially when he shoots 20 feet and in.. shot two threes in which I thought he could have come in some.. his game is so much better when he does that.. really hard to judge chandler right now.. looks like his leg is giving him some problems, and he doesn't have that lift, but even without that, he is playing hard and putting up solid numbers.. get health soon chandler...
Al harrington: geez.. anyway... 4-14 for 15/4 boards... Al was off tonight, but that is OK, every player has those nights.. but what bothered me is his selfish nature.... two instances just really got to me... one in which douglas got a steal, saved the ball, gave it to al, and instead of all giving it back for TD to set the offense, he goes "AL" turns the ball over falling and kicking as he loses the ball.. the next was when the knicks were down. Gallo drives by duncan for the score.. then he makes a circus shot on a drive and then the next post up gallo is fouled.. after gallo missed the FT. knicks are down 1.. manu hits a runner.. knicks down 3.. instead of working the gallo mismatch.. Al just gets the ball and hoist a three for a miss.. spurs come down and score.. knicks down 5.. right there, we lose momentum, pretty much the game as well.. Al just doesn't get it.. the spurs announcers called him a black hole..
Bill walker: invisible and honestly, can't completely blame him. but as some of you guys said about gallo.. get involved, get aggressive, get more assertive.. LOL... does that still apply fellas? see I am willing to give walker the benefit of the doubt, this team is full of chuckers, who don't care about winning basketball.... walker got just 1 shot.. that is just inexcuseable.. when will this team ever get it?
House: :roll: 1-3 2 points..
tough loss, we have to learn how to win these games, even against good teams like the spurs. .. too much ginobili tonight, he was too quick for gallo who tried hard to guard manu, but honestly manu is too quick and crafty for most SF's moreso someone like gallo who is like 5 inches taller trying to guard this smaller quicker guy.. I think the knicks didn't exploit gallo enough in the post.. when gallo tried to post up earlier, I watched T-mac call him out of the post, several times.. I don't get this team.. just don't.
next stop... memphis.. Hopefully we get to see the knicks led by the young core of gallo, chandler, walker and douglas with lee and sergio kicking in their normal work...
Poll
