Home>News Center>Sports
             
     

    Pacers admire Duncan's quiet brilliance
    (Agencies)
    Updated: 2005-06-11 15:56

    Tim Duncan had 24 points and 17 rebounds in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. He set crushing picks and made expert passes on nearly all the Spurs' possessions, and he blocked two shots while playing stifling defense.


    San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan addresses to the media after practice Friday, June 10, 2005 in San Antonio. The Spurs take on the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, June 12, in San Antonio. The Spurs lead the best-of-seven game series 1-0. [AP]

    "Boooring," Robert Horry said.

    Duncan was the most valuable player in both of San Antonio's previous trips to the finals, and he's easily the most important player in this series. With another ring, he would have one of the most impressive resumes in league history — and he's only 29, with perhaps another decade of strong play ahead.

    "Boooring," Horry said again.

    Horry was only joking to prove a point, of course. While Manu Ginobili got a wealth of attention for his strong second-half performance in the Spurs' 84-69 victory, Duncan's quiet brilliance was an afterthought in the minds of fans, the media and even the players talking about the game.

    "Everybody knows Tim is the most important player on this team," Horry said. "But after a while, if you're watching us, I can see how you forget about what he means. He doesn't draw attention to himself on the court, and he doesn't draw attention to himself when the buzzer sounds, either."

    Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night.

    Nobody doubts Duncan's supreme talents, but even the former Wake Forest star realizes he'll probably never get top billing in this personality-driven league. Even in the most important games of the year, one of Duncan's flawless bank shots will never draw as much attention as Ginobili's acrobatics or Rasheed Wallace's scowls.

    Duncan simply doesn't think about basketball — or life — in such a way. Earlier, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Duncan still was essentially the same pleasant guy drafted by the club eight years ago.

    And Duncan has never cared whether he gets endorsement deals, magazine covers or other markers of fame. He prefers a simpler life centered on basketball, his family and his charity work.

    "I think I'm focused," said Duncan, who also has two MVP awards from the regular season while making eight straight appearances on the All-NBA first team. "I try to stay as even keel as possible, the reason being that's what works for me, and I just don't — I try to stay away from the highs and lows."

    There are plenty of reasons Duncan isn't the NBA's highest-profile superstar, mostly his personality and his home in low-profile San Antonio. Horry would love to see a little more flash in his teammate's game, but knows it won't happen.

    "He doesn't have a move that everybody knows, something that makes him who he is," Horry said. "(Hakeem Olajuwon) had the Dream Shake. Shaq has that monster dunk. Tim doesn't have anything. He's just a fundamental guy who does what he does."

    The Pistons know all about Duncan's ability to take over a game without anyone really noticing, so they were cautiously pleased with their defensive effort against him despite his numbers.

    Wallace played outstanding defense on Duncan for long stretches, preventing or harassing Duncan's favorite low-post moves. But Duncan still got his points on rebounds and defensive mismatches.

    Detroit's Antonio McDyess has admired Duncan's game for years, even going so far as to work on a turnaround jumper patterned after Duncan's moves. McDyess believed the Pistons played Duncan as well as they could.

    "Last year, the Spurs didn't get him the ball as much, but this year, they're running their offense through him," McDyess said. "He's touching the ball all the time, and that makes it tough to stop him. You can't keep the ball out of his hands, like teams did sometimes last year."

    So even if the national media and the NBA's biggest fans don't appreciate Duncan, the Pistons know they've got to prevent another career-defining series by one of the greatest talents of his generation. Being the defending champions, they believe they can do it.

    "I laugh when they talk about no superstars in this league," Detroit coach Larry Brown said. "Most people, if they vote for the best player in the league, would say Duncan, so I don't know. I think that means you're a superstar."



    Spurs beat Pistons 84-69
    Wow! Maradona
    Agentina beats Brazil to qualify World Cup 2006
     
      Today's Top News     Top Sports News
     

    EU, China clinch deal to avert showdown

     

       
     

    China to have strategic oil reserve soon

     

       
     

    Death toll from Shantou hotel fire rises to 30

     

       
     

    'China Peace' sets sail on maiden voyage

     

       
     

    China strives to bring UN reforms 'on track'

     

       
     

    G-4 may postpone UN reform vote

     

       
      Liverpool gets OK to defend soccer title
       
      Sharapova advances to Birmingham semis
       
      Pacers admire Duncan's quiet brilliance
       
      George Weah to hold farewell match
       
      Ginobili takes center stage in NBA finals
       
      Spurs roundly defeat Pistons 84-69
       
     
      Go to Another Section  
     
     
      Story Tools  
       
    Advertisement
             
    无码人妻精品中文字幕免费| 最近中文字幕mv免费高清在线| 日韩中文字幕一区| 67194成l人在线观看线路无码| 熟妇人妻系列aⅴ无码专区友真希| 亚洲精品无码日韩国产不卡?V| A级毛片无码久久精品免费| 精品久久久久中文字| 亚洲一区二区三区无码影院| 免费人妻无码不卡中文字幕系| 最近免费视频中文字幕大全| 亚洲成a人无码av波多野按摩| 精品无码一区二区三区爱欲| 国产丰满乱子伦无码专区| 最近最新高清免费中文字幕| 亚洲av无码乱码在线观看野外| 青青草无码免费一二三区| 中国无码人妻丰满熟妇啪啪软件| 日韩欧群交P片内射中文| 无码人妻精品一区二区蜜桃AV| 精品久久久久久无码中文字幕一区| 亚洲综合无码精品一区二区三区| 最近2019中文字幕一页二页| 最好看最新高清中文视频| 国内精品久久久人妻中文字幕| 中文字幕 qvod| 亚洲欧美综合中文| 久久中文字幕精品| 欧美乱人伦中文字幕在线| 中文字幕乱码无码人妻系列蜜桃| 中文无码熟妇人妻AV在线| 日韩AV无码不卡网站| 亚洲精品无码久久久久AV麻豆| 亚洲中文字幕无码一去台湾| 中文一国产一无码一日韩| 亚洲AV中文无码乱人伦在线观看 | 中文字幕无码日韩专区免费| 日韩精品无码一区二区三区AV| 无码丰满熟妇juliaann与黑人| 免费看成人AA片无码视频羞羞网| 无码人妻精品一区二区三区99性 |