 |
| |
|
 |
 |
|||||||||||
|
One for the thumb Kerr's championship swagger saves Spurs from collapsePosted: Friday May 30, 2003 2:42 AMUpdated: Friday May 30, 2003 12:52 PM
DALLAS -- Spurs guard Steve Kerr had the game ball in his locker, a towel around his waist and a huge smile on his face. "This ranks right up there," Kerr said after igniting his team’s comeback victory over the Mavs in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals Thursday, a triumph which put San Antonio in the NBA Finals. "Right up there at the top with anything that happened with the Bulls." Anything? Even making the game-winning shot to clinch the ’97 NBA title? On a pass from Michael Jordan? "I’m 37. I wondered if I’d ever have a moment like that again," explained Kerr, who has hit numerous big shots in a 15-year career that has seen him win four NBA rings. "One of the things I told myself before the season was I might not have a great year or score a lot of points, but there’s always a chance to have one more moment." How big of a moment was this? Let’s just say Kerr can add San Antonio to the Windy City on his list of towns in which he never again will have to pay for a drink. Kerr not only rescued the Spurs in Game 6. He might well have saved their season. As well as San Antonio played throughout the series, there was something missing. A killer instinct. A championship swagger. Watching them get hammered by a Dirk Nowitzki-less Mavs team for much of Game 6, falling behind by as many as 15 points (and getting beat on the boards!), it wasn’t hard to envision them blowing a Game 7 on Saturday back in San Antonio. That all changed with 3:44 to play in the third quarter when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, frustrated by the play of starting point guard Tony Parker (who was ill) and backup Speedy Claxton (who was ineffective), turned to Kerr. Within minutes the seldom-used veteran guard, the one with the black knee brace who had logged a grand total of three minutes all series, changed the entire tenor of the game. It wasn’t just his 12 points on a perfect four-of-four shooting from downtown. It wasn’t just his crisp passing and floor spacing that helped set up several other scores. It wasn’t just the way he battled on defense and helped keep alive two key rebounds. More than anything, Kerr’s presence seemed to give the Spurs a confidence boost. Before he checked in, San Antonio was like a drowning man, flailing away in a sea of turnovers and bad shots. But Kerr threw them a lifeline when he hit his first shot, a 3-pointer from in front of the Spurs' bench off a feed from Stephen Jackson. Suddenly, Jackson and the rest of the Spurs could exhale. They could play free and easy, knowing that Kerr would be there to make shots if they didn’t. After all, hadn’t he come off the bench to hit two clutch foul shots at the end of Game 4? "He’s the zone buster," Mavs guard Nick Van Exel noted. "He’s not afraid to take those shots." Surprisingly, Kerr’s presence had a huge effect on the defensive end as well. In an attempt to take advantage of his lack of quickness at the other end, the Mavs began isolating Van Exel, Steve Nash or Walt Williams on him. Kerr battled hard, using his veteran savvy and positioning to make Dallas work. Van Exel did manage to beat him once for a floater, but Kerr stopped him on at least one other occasion. He also forced Nash into a tough miss on an isolation and drew am elbowing foul on Williams. The sum result was that the Mavs got away from their game plan, and the Spurs team defense became more alert and energized. By the time Kerr checked out for a breather with 4:00 left in the game, the Spurs had outscored the Mavs 31-8 to turn that 15-point deficit into a 79-71 lead. His teammates, realizing his impact, swarmed him as he reached the bench. "Steve Kerr gave us the push we needed," Spurs guard Emanuel Ginobili said. With his youthful looks and unassuming manner, it’s easy to overlook a player such as Kerr. Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal used to joke that he first knew Phil Jackson was a great coach when he saw Kerr making all those shots. After all, Shaq explained, Kerr never made those shots when he was his teammate in Orlando. Guess what, Shaq: Kerr is a champion; three times with the Bulls and once with the 1999 Spurs. On Thursday night, with his team in dire straits, he showed once again that he wasn’t just along for the ride. And who knows? Kerr might even have another moment before it’s all over.
Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment
|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||
