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 Duncan disappears in fourth
Posted: Tuesday June 22, 1999 12:56 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- With touch-and-go shooting from his supporting cast, Tim Duncan tried to rescue the San Antonio Spurs in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in the NBA Finals. He didn't score. The Spurs didn't win. They won't sweep the New York Knicks. That simple. Duncan had his worst game of series with 20 points and was 0-for-4 in the fourth quarter as the Spurs lost 89-81 to the Knicks in Game 3. "Tim still had 20," said point guard Avery Johnson, one of Duncan's teammates who didn't give him much help. "He's not going to get 33 every night." Three of Duncan's misses came as the Spurs desperately tried to get closer than six points down the stretch. The last one was an ugly, uncharacteristic 3-point attempt from the top of the circle that would have cut the Knicks' lead to 88-84 -- if it hadn't clanked nastily off the front iron. "It was just a stupid play," said Duncan, who passed up a shot in the post before attempting the 3-pointer. "I should have shot the ball. I should have turned around and shot the ball. I made the wrong decision."
Perhaps Duncan, who had averaged 29.0 points and 15.5 rebounds in Games 1 and 2, had lost confidence in his ability to carry the Spurs. Defended solidly by Larry Johnson, Kurt Thomas and Chris Dudley for the first time in the series, Duncan's 20 points were a series-low for him. Mario Elie, who had six points and five fouls, said the Knicks -- especially Johnson -- deserved credit for "not letting him get to that sweet spot on the floor." "They were a little more aggressive on me," Duncan said of his nightmarish fourth quarter. "I couldn't get to the middle as easy as before. But I missed some shots I usually make." As a result, the Spurs' NBA record 12-game postseason winning streak came to an ignominious end in the unfamiliar territory of Madison Square Garden. So did their perfect 6-0 record on the road in these playoffs. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who was furious at the refs and got a technical in the first quarter, assessed Duncan's off-game with a veiled slap at the officiating. Duncan, who had 12 rebounds, was only 4-for-4 from the foul line. "Their team was very physical. They did a great job of helping on him and double-teaming him," Popovich said. "They just made it very difficult for him to get anything done down there. That was evident in the fact that he only shot four free throws with all those touches. So they must have done something right." In fairness to Duncan, he didn't get much help from his teammates -- aside from David Robinson's 25 points. Sean Elliott scored only seven on 3-for-9 shooting. Johnson had 10 points and a couple of costly turnovers. Never was the Spurs' desperation more evident, though, than when Duncan let that 3-pointer fly.
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