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Futile fourth Spurs send Raptors back to the stone agePosted: Friday November 01, 2002 11:36 PMUpdated: Saturday November 02, 2002 12:22 AM
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- In their first game in their new arena, the San Antonio Spurs tied an NBA defensive record. The Spurs held the Raptors to six points in the fourth quarter, keeping Toronto scoreless for more than eight minutes and breaking the game open with a 15-0 run in a 91-72 victory at the SBC Center. "Not a whole lot you can say other than we just couldn't hit shots," said Vince Carter, who led Toronto with 18 points but shot only 5-for-21. "Hats off to (the Spurs) -- they played well defensively." The Raptors managed only three baskets in the fourth period, breaking the franchise's previous low of eight points. The six points tied the league record for fewest points in a fourth quarter set three times, most recently by Memphis against Phoenix last season. "We played better as the 48 minutes went along," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "They did a great job grinding it out."
"Honestly I didn't make many adjustments," Duncan said when asked about his second-half turnaround. "I shot the ball well in the first half, but my shots just rattled out." Voshon Lenard came off the bench for 17 points, all but two in the first half, and Antonio Davis scored 10. Jelani McCoy had a career-high 15 rebounds. The Raptors shot only 31 percent and had 24 turnovers that the Spurs converted into 22 points. San Antonio also struggled from the floor for much of the game, but ended up at 45 percent (34-for-75). The Spurs used an 11-2 burst late in the second quarter to build a nine-point lead that the Raptors trimmed to 46-40 at the break. Both teams started slow at the offensive end, shooting a combined 5-for-19 over the first 4 minutes. A layup by Lindsey Hunter put Toronto up 19-13 with about 2 minutes left in the quarter, but the Spurs fought back to it at 19 at the period's end on a basket and two free throws by Rose, and Kerr's jumper. The shooting improved in the second when both teams had reserves on the floor. Lenard scored 12 of the Raptors' 21 points on 4-for-5 shooting, while Stephen Jackson sparked San Antonio with six points in seven minutes.
Notes: The start was delayed about 20 minutes because of the SBC
Center's opening-night festivities. Country-music star Clay Walker
sang the national anthem, and NBA commissioner David Stern offered
a brief blessing for the new building. ... San Antonio spent the
last nine years in the Alamodome, where the Spurs went 258-95 in
regular-season games. ... Spurs reserve guard Speedy Claxton
dislocated his right shoulder in a fourth-quarter scramble for the
ball. ... The Raptors shot 35.5 percent in their season-opening win
over Washington. ... McCoy's previous career high for rebounds was
11, set in January 2000 for Seattle. ... The Raptors play Saturday
night in Houston.
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