Sunday, May 20, 2007
THE San Antonio Spurs reached the Western Conference finals with a 114-106 win over the Phoenix Suns in Game Six on Friday in San Antonio.
Manu Ginobili had 33 points and 11 rebounds as the Spurs wrapped up the series 4-2.
San Antonio will meet Utah in the West final, while Detroit and Cleveland clash in the East.
Tony Parker added 30 points for the Spurs, who led by 20 points early in the fourth quarter and survived a late Phoenix comeback to close out the bitterly contested series.
"We got a little bit of a lead and it snowballed," San Antonio's Tim Duncan told reporters.
"Now we have to get ready right away to play Utah and they are playing excellent basketball right now."
The Western Conference final starts today in San Antonio.
Phoenix got to within five points at 106-101 with 33 seconds left, but could get no closer despite 15 fourth quarter points from Steve Nash.
Duncan paid tribute to Nash for his great form throughout the series.
"That kid's the greatest," Duncan said. "He's unbelievable ... the way he makes his team run."
The Spurs advanced to the Conference final for the third time in five years, staying on course for their fourth NBA title.
Duncan had 24 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high nine blocked shots for the Spurs, who narrowly won Game Five in Phoenix when the Suns played without the suspended Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw.
Stoudemire returned and had 38 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Suns. Nash added 18 points and had 14 assists.
But the Spurs, without Robert Horry who was suspended two games for knocking Nash into the scorer's table in Game Four, shot 49 per cent from the field.
San Antonio led by just two points at the half, 53-51, but stretched that margin to 14 after three quarters.
CLEVELAND'S Donyell Marshall came bearing gifts on his 34th birthday, sinking an array of three-pointers that helped put his team in the Eastern Conference finals on Friday.
Marshall scored 18 points all from beyond the arc as the Cavaliers beat the New Jersey Nets 88-72 to win their best-of-seven series 4-2.
The Cavs will play Detroit for a place in the NBA finals.
"It was very rewarding," said the 6-foot-9 Marshall, who went 0-for-7 from the floor in Wednesday's 83-72 loss to the Nets.
"Actually, after the last game I just went home and laughed," the 13-year veteran of six different clubs told reporters.
"I actually think we felt more pressure playing at home, trying to give a victory to our fans.
"After that game, and with today (Friday) being my birthday, LeBron (James) said he was going to get it done for me today."
James led the Cavaliers with 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, but Marshall proved a productive sidekick making 6-of-10 from three-point range.
"Donyell Marshall, I can't say enough about the man," said Cleveland coach Mike Brown. "He stepped up and hit big shot after big shot for us."
Marshall averaged seven points a game for Cleveland during the season.
"To actually go out there and be part of it and help close this series out, and never being this far in my career before, it's great, it's awesome," he said.
"It's probably the best feeling I've had in my 13-year career."
New Jersey fought back from a 15-point deficit at the half to make it 61-60 at the end of a third quarter that had James stuck on the bench for nearly seven minutes with four fouls.
James returned for the fourth quarter and Brown decided to leave Marshall and rookie guard Daniel Gibson on the floor.
The move paid off as Marshall drained a trio of three-pointers to match James' nine points in the quarter, and Gibson scored eight as the Cavs romped to victory. Reuters
Manu Ginobili had 33 points and 11 rebounds as the Spurs wrapped up the series 4-2.
San Antonio will meet Utah in the West final, while Detroit and Cleveland clash in the East.
Tony Parker added 30 points for the Spurs, who led by 20 points early in the fourth quarter and survived a late Phoenix comeback to close out the bitterly contested series.
"We got a little bit of a lead and it snowballed," San Antonio's Tim Duncan told reporters.
"Now we have to get ready right away to play Utah and they are playing excellent basketball right now."
The Western Conference final starts today in San Antonio.
Phoenix got to within five points at 106-101 with 33 seconds left, but could get no closer despite 15 fourth quarter points from Steve Nash.
Duncan paid tribute to Nash for his great form throughout the series.
"That kid's the greatest," Duncan said. "He's unbelievable ... the way he makes his team run."
The Spurs advanced to the Conference final for the third time in five years, staying on course for their fourth NBA title.
Duncan had 24 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high nine blocked shots for the Spurs, who narrowly won Game Five in Phoenix when the Suns played without the suspended Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw.
Stoudemire returned and had 38 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Suns. Nash added 18 points and had 14 assists.
But the Spurs, without Robert Horry who was suspended two games for knocking Nash into the scorer's table in Game Four, shot 49 per cent from the field.
San Antonio led by just two points at the half, 53-51, but stretched that margin to 14 after three quarters.
CLEVELAND'S Donyell Marshall came bearing gifts on his 34th birthday, sinking an array of three-pointers that helped put his team in the Eastern Conference finals on Friday.
Marshall scored 18 points all from beyond the arc as the Cavaliers beat the New Jersey Nets 88-72 to win their best-of-seven series 4-2.
The Cavs will play Detroit for a place in the NBA finals.
"It was very rewarding," said the 6-foot-9 Marshall, who went 0-for-7 from the floor in Wednesday's 83-72 loss to the Nets.
"Actually, after the last game I just went home and laughed," the 13-year veteran of six different clubs told reporters.
"I actually think we felt more pressure playing at home, trying to give a victory to our fans.
"After that game, and with today (Friday) being my birthday, LeBron (James) said he was going to get it done for me today."
James led the Cavaliers with 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, but Marshall proved a productive sidekick making 6-of-10 from three-point range.
"Donyell Marshall, I can't say enough about the man," said Cleveland coach Mike Brown. "He stepped up and hit big shot after big shot for us."
Marshall averaged seven points a game for Cleveland during the season.
"To actually go out there and be part of it and help close this series out, and never being this far in my career before, it's great, it's awesome," he said.
"It's probably the best feeling I've had in my 13-year career."
New Jersey fought back from a 15-point deficit at the half to make it 61-60 at the end of a third quarter that had James stuck on the bench for nearly seven minutes with four fouls.
James returned for the fourth quarter and Brown decided to leave Marshall and rookie guard Daniel Gibson on the floor.
The move paid off as Marshall drained a trio of three-pointers to match James' nine points in the quarter, and Gibson scored eight as the Cavs romped to victory. Reuters