Video: Tony Parker shuts down Memphis in Game 1
The San Antonio Spurs made the Memphis Grizzlies look like the overachievers that many pegged them to be on Sunday.
As a whole, they appeared to be lethargic and in-over-their-head as the veteran Spurs group cruised to a 105-83 Game 1 victory in the Western Conference finals.
Tony Parker generated 20 points and dished out nine assists.
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Video: Tony Parker shuts down Memphis in Game 1 appeared first on Players View.
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Tony Parker Says San Antonio Spurs Have Unfinished Business in WCF
After closing out the Golden State Warriors in six games, the San Antonio Spurs now advance to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference finals—where they have unfinished business, according to Tony Parker.
The All-Star point guard hasn’t forgotten about last year’s disappointing ending in the conference finals, where the Spurs squandered a 2-0 series lead, losing four straight to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Just because Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Co. have a handful of NBA titles on their resume doesn’t mean they’re any less hungry to climb the ladder once again.
The French floor general reminded reporters that it’s been awhile since the Spurs lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and they’re itching to do it again:
“Everybody on the team, we all want to go one more time. It’s been a long time since 2007.” – @tonyparker @spurs #GoSpursGo
— Michael Sandoval (@Michael2Bawel) May 17, 2013
When San Antonio blew its commanding 2-0 lead in the 2012 conference finals, it was a sobering summer for Spurs fans, because they didn’t know whether this veteran-laden group could make one more deep postseason run.
Well, Spurs Nation got its wish, because Gregg Popovich’s crew is back in the final four of the NBA, just four wins away from returning to the biggest stage in the sport.
Directly in San Antonio’s path are Lionel Hollins‘ Grizzlies, who are sure to make it an ugly, physical and intense series.
Memphis held opponents to 89.3 points per game and played at the slowest pace in the NBA. They will bring their gritty style of play to the AT&T Center Sunday when the series kicks off.
Just because the Spurs aren’t as slow or contact-oriented doesn’t mean they won’t be comfortable with the Grizzlies. San Antonio is a terrific half-court club, with the mental strength and physical toughness to hang with a team like Memphis.
Spurs fans can expect Duncan, Parker and the rest of the squad to deliver as much effort as they’ve ever given. The dispiriting ending to the 2012 playoffs still leaves a sour taste in their mouths.
For Duncan, a title would mean a fifth ring and a place as one of the all-time greatest post players.
For Parker, a championship would cement his status as the most successful point guard of this era.
For Ginobili, a ring would further his legacy as one of the best bench players in league history.
Lastly, a championship for Popovich would give him the third-most coaching titles of all time.
I’d say there’s plenty to play for.
Follow Daniel on Twitter for more NBA playoff coverage: @DanielO_BR
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Parker, Spurs set to face Grizzlies (Yahoo! Sports)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Danny Green failed to step up quickly enough on a pick, allowing Golden State’s Stephen Curry to hit an open 3-pointer. The roar of the Oracle Arena crowd Thursday night was nothing compared to Tony Parker’s tirade at Green over the defensive lapse.
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Parker leads Spurs past Warriors for 3-2 lead (Yahoo! Sports)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Gregg Popovich urged his San Antonio Spurs to raise their energy to almost maniacal levels, because winning the battle on the boards and for loose balls was critical against the athletic Golden State Warriors.
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Watch Tony Parker Make Circus and-1 in Dazzling Game 3 Performance
Tony Parker was firing on all cylinders in the San Antonio Spurs’ 102-92 Game 3 victory over the Golden State Warriors in their second-round NBA playoff matchup, but one shot in particular reminded us that the star point guard can still produce in style. Whatever style this happens to be, anyway.
Tony Parker with the…what do you call that?
— chris palmer (@ESPNChrisPalmer) May 11, 2013
Okay, Tony Parker really did invent that shot.
— Eric Freeman (@freemaneric) May 11, 2013
Yeah, maybe he got a little lucky on this one too.
But it took more than luck to put together the kind of night Parker had. Though productive in his first two outings against the Warriors, his 32-point outburst in Game 3—including 25 points in the first half—had a lot to do with a mid-range jumper that suddenly looked smooth as ever.
Tony Parker: 25 first-half points for Spurs. He was hot from all over the floor twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/…
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 11, 2013
Absolutely absurd half from Tony Parker. Don’t care what homecourt advantage you have, you’re not beating the Spurs when he plays like that.
— NBA Guru (@NBAGuru) May 11, 2013
Relegated to the periphery of recent MVP conversations, there’s little doubt that Parker has cemented himself as the Spurs’ MVP. Even as Tim Duncan continues to impress at age 37, San Antonio knows Parker is its best option when a game needs to be taken over.
No, Parker’s Game 3 didn’t quite live up to Stephen Curry’s 44-point Game 1 masterpiece, but it was good enough to secure a win the Spurs badly needed after temporarily forfeiting home-court advantage with a Game 2 dud at the AT&T Center.
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Duke Basketball: Why Mike Krzyzewski and Jabari Parker Are a Perfect Match
When you think of the storied Duke basketball program, one man stands above them all as the single, most important figure in school history. Without head coach Mike Krzyzewski at the forefront of this program, the aura that surrounds the Duke Blue Devils would be nonexistent.
Of course, Coach K will also be the first to tell you that without an assortment of outstanding student-athletes, Duke basketball would severely be lacking its superiority.
Names such as Gene Banks, Johnny Dawkins, Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Shane Battier and J.J. Redick stand out most significantly in regards to what each one accomplished in their respective careers at Duke. In some form or another, each player became a program-changer. Exhibiting the qualities of being a winner, a leader and an ambassador of the school, this collection of talent, in their own way, became a perfect match with Coach K.
On December 20, 2012, one of the nation’s most highly sought-after recruits in recent memory, Jabari Parker, announced his intentions of playing college basketball at Duke. That decision was made official on May 2 of this year when the 6’8″ Chicago native signed his national letter of intent.
It was a decision that instantly became destined for greatness.
Duke. Highly regarded as one of the upper echelon programs in Division I college basketball.
Jabari Parker. Considered to be one of the best pure talents from the high school scene since LeBron James.
While Parker has yet to begin his first official season at Duke, he is already being tabbed with overwhelming expectations and pressure as a freshman.
Can he single-handedly replace the departing senior trio of Seth Curry, Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee? Can he lead Duke back to the Final Four? Will he provide the expected contributions to give Coach K and the Blue Devils their fifth national championship?
All questions that fuel the desire to succeed that much more.
To his credit are four consecutive Illinois state basketball championships while playing at Simeon Career Academy. Additionally, he is a recipient of a collection of Player of the Year honors throughout his illustrious high school career. He is the centerpiece of Duke’s three-man 2013 recruiting class and will be the primary leader for the Blue Devils next season.
Like those names before him, he too possesses all of the tools to make his own mark for this program. With program-changing ability, it’s all a part of the mystique that Parker has carried with him throughout his playing career.
Jabari Parker needed Mike Krzyzewski; a coach and a leader, arguably considered as the greatest of all time, that brings out the very best in his players through unmatched guidance.
In turn, Mike Krzyzewski needed Jabari Parker. A player that exemplifies success on the basketball court through relentless work ethic and a determined mind.
Next season, they will come together as an incomparable coach-player tandem. An ideal match for one another.
Two men, together, that share the same common values towards one goal. That goal being championship glory in 2014.
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Breaking Down Stephen Curry-Tony Parker Matchup in Spurs-Warriors Playoff Series
As we move into the second round of the 2013 NBA playoffs, few postseason series are garnering as much attention as the showdown between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. The two offensive powerhouses are closely matched, but no storyline is quite as compelling as the point guard play.
2007 NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker will take on the league’s leader in three-point field goals, Stephen Curry, in hopes of leading their respective teams to the 2013 Western Conference finals.
Parker is up to his usual heroics, leading the Spurs to victories in games that are often decided before the fourth quarter rolls around. For those who want to debate that truth, the Spurs led the Los Angeles Lakers by an average of 16.5 points entering the fourth quarter during the first round.
They swept L.A. by an average margin of 18.8 points per game. Even still, Parker topped 20 points in three of those four contests.
Curry, meanwhile, is rapidly developing into one of the brightest stars in the world. Not only has he perfected the art of the three-point shot, but Curry’s ball-handling and facilitating abilities have been at a world-class level thus far in the postseason.
In turn, the Warriors completed an unbelievable upset of the Denver Nuggets. The question is, who truly has the edge this postseason?
Is it Curry’s marvelous statistics? Or Parker’s three-quarter-victories?
Let’s take a closer look.
2013 NBA Playoff Comparison
Photo courtesy of Chip3130.net / @Chip3130. Statistics provided by NBA.com.
Stephen Curry and Tony Parker entered the 2013 NBA playoffs as two of the most underappreciated stars in the league. From Parker’s misleading statistics to Curry’s reputation as nothing more than a shooter, we’d heard every argument to claim that these two men were just shy of the elite.
What’s your case now?
Parker dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 22.3 points and 6.5 assists on 49.3 percent shooting from the field. He did so in just 31.8 minutes of action and topped 20 points in three of those four games.
That includes a Game 3 performance in which Parker went for 20 points and seven assists on 9-of-14 shooting in 27 minutes of action.
As for Curry, he may have been the MVP of the first round, averaging 24.3 points, 9.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals on 44.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He made all 21 of his free-throw attempts and subsequently led the Warriors to an unthinkable upset of the Denver Nuggets.
That includes Game 2, where Curry tallied 30 points and 13 assists en route to Denver’s first home loss since Jan. 18—who thinks these two aren’t ready?
The Experience Factor
More times than not, a player making his first career postseason appearance will crack under the pressure. Whether he’s forcing up shots or becoming gun shy, there’s something about the playoffs that inspires a mix of fear and overwhelming pressure.
Stephen Curry hasn’t felt any of that since Game 1.
Curry struggled early in the opener, shooting 7-of-20 from the field, but still managed to tally 19 points and nine assists. Since that game, Curry is averaging 25.4 points and 9.4 assists on 45.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
The postseason butterflies appear to be gone.
As for Parker, he’s a three-time NBA champion and the 2007 Finals MVP. Even as he fails to generate the respect he deserves, Parker has been a consummate professional as he leaves it all on the court every time out.
For a player averaging 19.0 points in 156 postseason games, it’s fair to assume that Parker has seen stars before and walked away victorious. Can Curry bring him down?
Playing Styles
The comparisons drawn between Stephen Curry and Tony Parker are few and far between in terms of playing style. With that being said, Curry and Parker both share the uncanny ability to penetrate the lane and net a gorgeous floater.
The difference is that Parker’s mid-range J is equally as brilliant as Curry’s three-point shooting.
During the regular season, Parker shot 52.2 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from mid-range. By comparison, Curry shot 41.1 percent from mid-range but finished significantly higher than Parker with the three-ball.
The question, of course, is which player will be able to step up when it matters the most?
Statistically speaking, Curry has the edge, as he’s proven to be the creator of all offense for the Warriors thus far. In that same breath, Parker has been the catalyst for the San Antonio Spurs’ elite offensive production for years on hand.
Even if his distributing numbers don’t say it, Parker would be amongst the league’s leaders if the hockey assist were recorded.
Parker will attack the basket and enter the lane, finishing over or around the Warriors’ interior defenders. Curry will do the same, putting up major scoring numbers due to his versatility as a scorer.
These two players are not as different as they seem, folks. The major difference is how far they step back to kill the opposition with their jumper.
So who will do the most damage?
Advantage
Stephen Curry is on an absolute tear, putting up superstar numbers and guiding the Golden State Warriors to an improbable postseason run. He’s shooting the lights out, facilitating at a high level and making unbelievable plays at every turn.
We’ve seen this story before.
Tony Parker enters this series with the positional advantage, as his experience plays the key role here. He’s a three-time NBA champion and a former Finals MVP, which isn’t a sole result of the quality players he performs alongside.
It’s a testament to how far Parker has come during his time in the NBA.
During the 2012 NBA playoffs, he contained Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul. Parker held CP3 to 39 percent shooting when he was on the floor and thus created a +/- of positive-16.2 per 48 minutes in favor of San Antonio.
When Parker came off and Paul was still active, that number changed to positive-26.0 in favor of L.A. (via NBA.com).
Curry will not be a fish out of water here, as he’ll take it to Parker and likely outproduce him. When it comes down to the key plays, however, Gregg Popovich is a coaching mastermind who will draw up schematics that the sharpshooter has never seen before.
Expect Parker to execute to perfection.
In that same breath, Curry is a legitimate superstar, and if the first round told us anything, it’s that he can do anything. That includes take down the almighty Spurs, as he and his cast of sharpshooters prepares for another upset.
Just don’t think he’s the only one who can close out a game.
For those number junkies out there, try this: during clutch situations, Parker posted a slash line of .471/.500/.806 (via NBA.com). If it comes down to the wire, Curry isn’t the only one who can step up and make the big play.
Parker holds the advantage here, but let’s be real—this is going to be an incredible point guard battle.
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Stephen Curry vs. Tony Parker Is the Best Matchup These Playoffs Have to Offer
Stephen Curry and Tony Parker are the top two point guards remaining in the NBA postseason and when the second round series between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs commences fans should be treated to the best individual matchup of the postseason as well.
Curry averaged 24.3 points per game against against the Denver Nuggets in the first round and he’s also leading the NBA in postseason assists with 9.3 dimes per contest.
Parker, who is an inch shorter and five years older than Curry, led his Spurs to an impressive four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers and averaged 22.3 points and 6.5 assists, while shooting 49 percent from the field along the way.
The Warriors will enter the series with the Spurs as a decided underdog, but after witnessing Curry’s ability to demoralize an opponent with his long range artistry there is hope that this series will be more competitive than it seems on the surface.
If Curry’s ankles hold up it could be downright riveting.
None of the remaining playoff series’ has an individual matchup that can compare to the fireworks Curry and Parker could produce, and even a potential pairing of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in the Eastern Conference Finals would pale in comparison.
James will always be better than any player he squares off with on the court, but in a Parker-Curry matchup you get one player who has already tasted super-stardom and might be on the downside of his career and another whose legend is just beginning.
Curry’s 19-point eruption in a four-minute span of a Game Four home win over the Nuggets is the type of stuff people will talk about for years, but imagine how loud the chatter will get if Curry can somehow outplay Parker and lead the Warriors to the Western Conference Finals?
Considering how dominant at times Parker looked against the Lakers I’m sure he’ll be primed for the challenge Curry presents, and he’ll also be motivated by a season spent under the radar, despite a brilliant 2012-13 campaign.
During the regular season, Parker’s name was rarely mentioned among the NBA’s top point guards but everything he did on the court suggested he belonged in the conversation.
Parker shot better than 50 percent from the field while averaging more than 20 points per game and 7.6 assists, and he was the glue that held the Spurs back court together when the team suffered from injuries.
Curry also knows a little about holding his team together. Few people gave the Warriors much of a chance against Denver when interior force David Lee was lost to a hip injury, but Curry put the team on the end of his feathery release and never looked back.
And now it has come to this.
When the Warriors and Spurs tip off on Monday, May 6th, viewers will be treated to what could be the most intriguing individual matchup of the postseason, and if Golden State has bottled some of the magic from their win over Denver it could be highly entertaining as well.
I’m sure there will be plenty of drama in the Indiana-New York series, and Memphis-Oklahoma City should be a treat as well. But can you think of a better way to potentially end a series than at the end of a Parker finger-roll or a long distance jump shot from Curry?
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Duke, Jabari Parker make it official
First-team American Family Insurance ALL-USA forward signs national letter of intent
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Duke announces signing of recruit Jabari Parker (Yahoo! Sports)
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Top recruit Jabari Parker has signed his letter of intent to play at Duke.
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