1998-99 San Antonio Spurs: Go Spurs Go! Part 2/4 by @LakersDynasty42 - Post Details
1998-99 San Antonio Spurs: Go Spurs Go! Part 2/4
San Antonio struggled in the first month of the lockout-shortened season. But once the Spurs hit their stride, nobody could block their path to the franchise's first NBA title. The Spurs clinched the championship on Avery Johnson's jumper with 47 seconds left in Game 5 of the Finals, giving San Antonio a 78-77 victory over the New York Knicks. Tim Duncan averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in the series and was named Finals MVP. Duncan's fellow Twin Tower, David Robinson, also made his presence known. The perennial All-Star, in his 10th season with the Spurs, averaged 16.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in the Finals as San Antonio became the first former ABA team to win the NBA title. One of the most compelling story lines came to light after the season ended. Starting forward Sean Elliott revealed that he had played despite needing a kidney transplant. Elliott, who was battling a rare kidney disease, received the transplant Aug. 16. His brother Noel donated the kidney. Elliott averaged 33.8 minutes in 17 playoff games and was responsible for the "Memorial Day Miracle." On that play, he tiptoed the sideline to stay inbounds before hitting a three-pointer with nine seconds left, lifting the Spurs to an 86-85 win over Portland in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. San Antonio's championship season had an inauspicious beginning as the Spurs went 6-8 in February. But the players eventually settled into a groove, and the team got a spark when veteran swingman Mario Elie joined the starting lineup. The Spurs went 31-5 after their slow start and they raced through the postseason with a 15-2 record. Duncan was named to the All-NBA First Team for the second year in a row. He was the only NBA player to finish in the top 10 in scoring (21.7 ppg, sixth), rebounds (11.4 rpg, fifth), blocks (2.52, seventh) and field goal percentage (.495, 10th).
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Shaquille O'Neal 2004 Playoffs: 27pts & 18rebs, Gm 1 vs. T'Wolves
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- With five days off between playoff games, Shaquille O'Neal had time to relax, get rejuvenated -- and even read up on free-throw shooting. That extra study time made a big difference against the weary Timberwolves in the opener of the Western Conference finals. O'Neal had 27 points, 18 rebounds and a superb performance at the free-throw line, and Kobe Bryant added 23 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 97-88 victory over Minnesota in Game 1 Friday night. Executing almost flawlessly in their offensive sets, Los Angeles made just two turnovers in the second half, running the triangle offense and countless pick-and-rolls to perfection. And when Minnesota fouled O'Neal, the 38-percent playoff foul shooter went 9-for-11. He credited his sudden proficiency to an article given to him by coach Phil Jackson -- about an 80-year-old man who made more than 3,000 straight free throws. "I've just really been focusing on my routine," O'Neal said. "The article said that if you focus too much on the result, you fail." Playoff excellence also is routine for the Lakers. In a workmanlike victory that ended with a 9-2 run, they showed why they're playing for their fourth conference championship in five years. Game 2 is Sunday night. The series moves to Los Angeles on Tuesday. Karl Malone had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who seemed unaffected by the Timberwolves or their deafening Target Center crowd enjoying the franchise's first trip to the conference finals. The Lakers nursed a narrow lead through most of the fourth quarter until Derek Fisher, who had 14 points, made a 3-pointer from the corner with 58 seconds left, essentially clinching the win. Fisher also scored eight points in the final minutes of the third quarter to put Los Angeles ahead for good. "We really didn't do anything special tonight," Bryant said. "We stuck to our basic defensive principles. ... Now, a good opportunity is here to go back with two wins, and we need to try hard to seize it." Kevin Garnett had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, back in action two days after finishing an exhausting seven-game series against Sacramento. Latrell Sprewell had 23 points, and Sam Cassell added 16 points and eight assists despite sitting out the fourth quarter with a sore back. Though the Lakers pointed out the Timberwolves' apparent weariness, particularly down the stretch, Garnett and Sprewell rejected that excuse. But Cassell limped back out to the court at halftime, then sat out the final 13 minutes when his back tightened up -- and the Wolves missed his offensive creativity. "The first game is sort of a feel-out game," Sprewell said. "You're just kind of seeing what's happening out there, and we didn't make our adjustments quick enough." The Lakers earned their fifth straight victory, and it followed much the same script as their four wins over San Antonio: good defense, proficient offense and far too much Shaq and Kobe. Neither team took a significant lead until late in the third quarter, when Fisher's back-to-back 3-pointers were followed by another from Kareem Rush. Fisher added a jumper with 2.1 seconds left, and the Lakers went into the fourth up 78-67 while holding Minnesota without a field goal in the final 3:41. The Timberwolves got within 88-86 on Sprewell's jumper with 4:04 left, but the Lakers rolled to the finish, starting with Devean George's electrifying one-handed dunk. "Most of the game, we had good energy," coach Flip Saunders said. "We just had two bad stretches. When you're playing a team as good as the Lakers, you can't have those lapses." Michael Olowokandi had 10 points and 11 rebounds while playing solid defense against O'Neal -- but even the best defense only slows the Diesel, who got plenty of good shots and set up others for his teammates by drawing a double-team. "I'm also one of those players that probably won't be stopped," O'Neal deadpanned. The series' biggest one-on-one matchup was a draw, because Sprewell and Bryant couldn't stop each other for even a moment. Bryant scored 14 points in the second half, while Sprewell had 18 -- both swingmen embarrassing any defender put in front of them
Shaquille O'Neal: 2000 NBA Finals Highlights
After being swept the previous year by the San Antonio Spurs, Shaq and the Lakers were facing an uncertain future. With the hiring of Phil Jackson (who brought experience and used Tex Winters' Triangle Offense) the signing of a few veterans and the growth of future superstar Kobe Bryant, the Lakers were able to win 67 games in the regular season. Shaq's commitment to staying in shape and playing hard on the defensive end is what made the 2000 Lakers so dominant. Talent wise the Lakers weren't the best team but when you have a 7 foot 330 lb center that can affect the game in so many different ways anything is possible. Shaq became only the third player in NBA history (Willis Reed & Michael Jordan are the others) to win League, All-Star & Finals MVP in the same year. This is arguably the most dominant season in NBA history.