@philly
um die DIskussion die wir gestern hatten ein für alle mal zu beenden. einfach artikel lesen und einsehen wie falsch man gelegen hat
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Suns recognize Parker's shooting
Web Posted: 03/18/2006 12:00 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
Spurs' point guard Tony Parker took Phoenix Suns' forward Boris Diaw, his good friend and fellow Frenchman, to lunch on Friday afternoon and got some good news along with the entrees.
"I had lunch with Boris, and he told me, 'We're not going to leave you alone any more,'" Parker said after his three 17-foot jump shots in the final 4:29 helped the Spurs score a 108-102 victory over Diaw's Suns at the AT&T Center on Friday night. "He said, 'We see that you are working.'"
The Suns' defensive strategy in three previous games against the Spurs this season had been an insult to Parker's jump shot. By putting power forward Shawn Marion on Parker, then having Marion double team Tim Duncan whenever the ball went inside, they challenged Parker to shoot.
The fact Parker made 12 of 21 shots in the Spurs' 117-93 victory in Phoenix on March 9 helped convince Suns' coach Mike D'Antoni to keep Steve Nash on him most of the time Friday night.
"Tony Parker hits every freaking shot no matter who we put on him," D'Antoni said. "The little ass."
D'Antoni's insult, of course, was meant as a compliment to Parker's improved shooting, and Parker took it that way.
"It means they respect me, and they're not going to leave me alone any more," said Parker, who had six assists for the game and a couple of defensive stops in crunch time.
Parker persevered in a game in which he struggled mightily for the better part of three quarters. The Spurs' leading scorer this season, Parker got off only one shot in the first half, scoring only three points. He had only seven heading into the final quarter.
"I think in the past couple years I didn't react that well if I had a bad first half," Parker said. (so true)
Things changed in the fourth quarter when the Suns again chose to have Nash leave Parker so he could double-team Duncan. Twice, Spurs' guard Manu Ginobili recognized that Parker had been left uncovered and got the ball to him for uncontested jumpers.
"Manu had confidence to pass it to me," Parker said. "Steve Nash was staying with Timmy. I was wide open and I knocked down shots."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich played Parker nearly the entire second half — all but 2 minutes, 45 seconds — and Parker responded.
"I thought Tony did a great job of really stepping up when he wasn't having a very good game. Down the stretch he really stepped up on both ends of the court," Popovich said.
