Box Score

 

SAN ANTONIO (92)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
B Bowen             27   1-5   0-2   0-1   4   2    2
T Duncan            36  8-13 10-13   1-6   3   2   26
R Nesterovic        23   1-7   0-0   0-5   2   1    2
T Parker            36  7-12   1-4   0-3   5   1   16
E Ginobili          27  7-11   3-4   1-4   1   1   21
B Barry             20   2-6   1-2   0-2   6   2    7
T Massenburg         6   1-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    2
D Brown             21   3-7   0-0   0-2   2   5    6
M Rose              20   2-3   1-2   2-4   2   5    5
B Udrih             11   0-3   0-0   0-2   0   2    0
R Horry             12   2-3   0-0   0-0   2   0    5
M Wilks              1   0-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 34-72 16-27  4-29  27  21   92
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.472, FT-.593. 3-Point Goals:
8-21, .381 (B Bowen 0-2, T Parker 1-4, E 
Ginobili 4-5, B Barry 2-5, D Brown 0-1, B 
Udrih 0-2, R Horry 1-2). Team Rebounds: 19. 
Blocked Shots:8 (T Duncan 3, R Nesterovic 2, 
B Barry, D Brown, T Massenburg). Turnovers:12
(E Ginobili 3, B Udrih 3, T Massenburg 2, T 
Parker 2, T Duncan, D Brown). Steals: 7 (T 
Duncan 2, R Horry, M Rose, D Brown, T Parker,
B Bowen).


BOSTON (84)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
R Davis             35   2-7   4-4   0-4   1   1    8
R LaFrentz          25   3-8   2-2   0-7   1   5   10
M Blount            33   3-9   1-1   2-8   2   3    7
G Payton            41  7-14   2-2   0-5   8   0   16
P Pierce            37  8-12   8-9   2-3   2   5   25
A Jefferson         23  6-12   1-3   4-6   0   4   13
J Welsch            17   1-4   1-2   0-1   2   1    3
T Gugliotta         11   0-2   0-0   0-0   0   2    0
M Banks              7   0-3   0-0   1-3   1   0    0
T Allen              8   1-5   0-0   3-5   1   0    2
W Mccarty            1   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
K Perkins            2   0-0   0-0   0-2   0   1    0
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 31-76 19-23 12-44  18  22   84
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.408, FT-.826. 3-Point Goals:
3-11, .273 (R LaFrentz 2-4, G Payton 0-2, P 
Pierce 1-3, J Welsch 0-2). Team Rebounds: 6. 
Blocked Shots:2 (T Gugliotta, M Blount). 
Turnovers:14 (G Payton 4, R Davis 3, M Blount
3, P Pierce 3, M Banks). Steals: 5 (G Payton 
2, M Blount, P Pierce, A Jefferson).

-------------------------------------------
SAN ANTONIO           17  20  22  33  -   92
BOSTON                21  22  23  18  -   84
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: San Antonio - 1 (Defensive 
Three, 3:24 1st).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 15,586. T: 2:15. 
Officials: Bennett Salvatore, Leroy 
Richardson, Tony Brown.

Extended Box

 

SAN ANTONIO (92) AT BOSTON (84)

SAN ANTONIO

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
B BOWEN           F    27    1-5      0-2      0   1   1    4   2   1   0    2
T DUNCAN          F    36    8-13    10-13     1   5   6    3   2   2   1   26
R NESTEROVIC      C    23    1-7      0-0      0   5   5    2   1   0   0    2
T PARKER          G    36    7-12     1-4      0   3   3    5   1   1   2   16
E GINOBILI        G    27    7-11     3-4      1   3   4    1   1   0   3   21
B BARRY                20    2-6      1-2      0   2   2    6   2   0   0    7
T MASSENBURG            6    1-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   2    2
D BROWN                21    3-7      0-0      0   2   2    2   5   1   1    6
M ROSE                 20    2-3      1-2      2   2   4    2   5   1   0    5
B UDRIH                11    0-3      0-0      0   2   2    0   2   0   3    0
R HORRY                12    2-3      0-0      0   0   0    2   0   1   0    5
M WILKS                 1    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
  
TOTALS                240   34-72    16-27     4  25  29   27  21   7  12   92
                            (.472)  (.593)  TEAM REBS: 19 TOTAL TO: 13 (12 PTS)    

BOSTON

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
R DAVIS           F    35    2-7      4-4      0   4   4    1   1   0   3    8
R LAFRENTZ        F    25    3-8      2-2      0   7   7    1   5   0   0   10
M BLOUNT          C    33    3-9      1-1      2   6   8    2   3   1   3    7
G PAYTON          G    41    7-14     2-2      0   5   5    8   0   2   4   16
P PIERCE          G    37    8-12     8-9      2   1   3    2   5   1   3   25
A JEFFERSON            23    6-12     1-3      4   2   6    0   4   1   0   13
J WELSCH               17    1-4      1-2      0   1   1    2   1   0   0    3
T GUGLIOTTA            11    0-2      0-0      0   0   0    0   2   0   0    0
M BANKS                 7    0-3      0-0      1   2   3    1   0   0   1    0
T ALLEN                 8    1-5      0-0      3   2   5    1   0   0   0    2
W MCCARTY               1    0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
K PERKINS               2    0-0      0-0      0   2   2    0   1   0   0    0
  
TOTALS                240   31-76    19-23    12  32  44   18  22   5  14   84
                            (.408)  (.826)  TEAM REBS:  6 TOTAL TO: 16 (25 PTS)    
  
   SAN ANTONIO        17   20   22   33   -   92
   BOSTON             21   22   23   18   -   84
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: SAN ANTONIO - T DUNCAN 3, R NESTEROVIC 2, B BARRY, D BROWN,
T MASSENBURG.  BOSTON - T GUGLIOTTA, M BLOUNT.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: SAN ANTONIO 8-21 (.381), B BOWEN 0-2, T PARKER 1-
4, E GINOBILI 4-5, B BARRY 2-5, D BROWN 0-1, B UDRIH 0-2, R HORRY 1-
2. BOSTON 3-11 (.273), R LAFRENTZ 2-4, G PAYTON 0-2, P PIERCE 1-3,
J WELSCH 0-2.
TECHNICAL FOULS: SAN ANTONIO - DEFENSIVE THREE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BENNETT SALVATORE, LEROY RICHARDSON, TONY BROWN.
A - 15,586. T - 2:15.

Game Story

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs appear 
to be toying with the Eastern Conference.

Duncan scored 26 points and the Spurs turned it on in the fourth
quarter for the second straight night in a 92-84 victory over
the Boston Celtics, their sixth straight win.

On Thursday in Philadelphia, the Spurs squandered an early
double-digit lead and found themselves trailing as the fourth
quarter began. They simply took their play to another level,
putting together a 12-1 run that gave them permanent control of
the game.

It was more of the same against the Celtics, who held a 66-53
lead with just under three minutes left in the third quarter.
San Antonio picked up its defense and outscored Boston 31-6 over
the next 12 minutes, turning what appeared to be a loss into a
breeze.

"We did a good job of hanging in," said Spurs coach Gregg
Popovich, whose club improved to 5-0 against the East.  "We had
to just grind it out.  We didn't play very well initially but as
the second half wound down, we played very good defense."

"Again we proved we can play anybody for three quarters,"
Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.  "The fourth quarter, we're just
going to keep working on.  It just seems like one team stays
aggressive on defense and offense and one team stops, and right
now it's us every time."

After scoring 33 points in the fourth quarter Thursday, the
Spurs scorched the Celtics for another 33 in the final period of
this one. Duncan scored six points in a decisive 13-0 surge
midway through the quarter.

"We've ridden Tim for so many years and for so long, he sort of
breaks down to the point where he's not as explosive," said
Spurs forward Malik Rose, who spelled Duncan with five points
and four rebounds in 20 minutes.  "But this year we have a deep
team and guys can come in and give him a break.  Tonight, I
think he came back in refreshed and ready."

With Duncan watching from the bench late in the third period,
San Antonio's reserves put together a 16-2 surge that carried
into the fourth quarter.

"They took over, they really did it," Duncan said.  "We were
struggling and getting stops, but those guys got stops and
converted.  When I came back in, I was refreshed but I was
nervous.  I didn't want to go back in there and mess it up after
everything they did."

Manu Ginobili made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and
scored 21 points for the Spurs, who have won their last 14
meetings with the Celtics.

"We started playing better defense and were more aggressive,"
Ginobili said.  "We had more energy late and started hitting our
shots.  When we left, we were down 10; when we came back, we
were down two.  The second team was huge.  After resting, the
confidence went up."

The streak has become known as "The Curse of Tim Duncan."  In
1997, the Celtics had a 36 percent chance of winning the draft
lottery and getting Duncan, clearly the best player coming out
of college that year.  Instead, the Spurs won the lottery and
have parlayed Duncan's dominance into two NBA titles.

When asked if there was a hex, Rivers said, 'I'll leave it up to
you guys to call it a curse."

Notoriously a slow-starting team, San Antonio is 8-1 for the
first time since 1981.

Paul Pierce scored 25 points for the Celtics, who have lost two
in a row following a three-game winning streak.

"That's been the story of this year so far," Pierce said.
"Somehow, for some reason, we just melt down in the fourth
quarter.  I think it seems like it's in our head right now."