2004–05 San Antonio Spurs season
2004–05 San Antonio Spurs season | |
---|---|
NBA Champions | |
Conference Champions | |
Division Champions | |
Third NBA Championship | |
Head coach | Gregg Popovich |
Owner(s) | Peter Holt |
Arena | SBC Center |
Results | |
Record | 59–23 (.720) |
Place |
Division: 1st (Southwest) Conference: 2nd (Western) |
Playoff finish |
NBA Champions (Defeated Pistons 4-3) |
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
Local media | |
Television | FSN Southwest, KENS, KRRT |
Radio | KLEY |
The 2004–05 NBA season was the Spurs' 29th season in the NBA, the 32nd in San Antonio, and 38th season as a franchise.[1] The season saw the Spurs win their third NBA Championship, defeating last year's NBA Champions, the Detroit Pistons, in a tough seven-game series.
NBA Draft
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 28 | Beno Udrih | G | Slovenia | Breil Milano (Italy) |
2 | 52 | Romain Sato | G | Central African Republic | Xavier |
2 | 57 | Sergei Karaulov | C | Uzbekistan | Sakha-Yakutia Yakutsk |
Roster
Depth chart
Pos. | Starter | Bench | Reserve | Inactive |
---|---|---|---|---|
C | Nazr Mohammed | Rasho Nesterović | ||
PF | Tim Duncan | Robert Horry | Sean Marks | |
SF | Bruce Bowen | Glenn Robinson | Tony Massenburg | Linton Johnson |
SG | Manu Ginóbili | Brent Barry | Devin Brown | |
PG | Tony Parker | Beno Udrih | Mike Wilks |
Regular season
Overview
After their disappointing second round collapse to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Spurs looked to regain the NBA crown. They would get off to a quick start, posting a 12-3 record in November. The Spurs would stay hot through December as they established a 25-6 record entering the New Year. The Spurs would be near the top in the Western Conference all season battling the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA. Just as it appeared the Spurs would cruise toward the playoffs, their season suddenly hit a bump in the road when Tim Duncan went down in a March 20 loss to the Detroit Pistons with a sprained ankle. The rest of the way, the Spurs would limp home winning 9 of their last 17 as they held on to the Southwest Division by just 1 game with a 59-23 record.
Standings
Southwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
y-San Antonio Spurs | 59 | 23 | .720 | – | 38–3 | 21–20 | 10–6 |
x-Dallas Mavericks | 58 | 24 | .707 | 1 | 29–12 | 29–12 | 11–5 |
x-Houston Rockets | 51 | 31 | .622 | 8 | 26–15 | 25–16 | 10–6 |
x-Memphis Grizzlies | 45 | 37 | .549 | 14 | 26–15 | 19–22 | 7–9 |
New Orleans Hornets | 18 | 64 | .220 | 41 | 11–30 | 7–34 | 2–14 |
Game log
November
Record: 12–3; Home: 6–0; Road: 6–3
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Record |
1 | 3 November 2004 | Kings | 101–85 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (30) | 1–0 |
2 | 5 November 2004 | Spurs | 105–96 | Lakers | NA | Tim Duncan (26) | 2–0 |
3 | 7 November 2004 | Spurs | 94–113 | SuperSonics | NA | Two-way tie (21) | 2–1 |
4 | 10 November 2004 | Warriors | 91-71 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (23) | 3–1 |
5 | 12 November 2004 | Heat | 93-84 | Spurs | NA | Manu Ginóbili (29) | 4–1 |
6 | 13 November 2004 | Spurs | 103–88 | Hawks | NA | Tim Duncan (26) | 5–1 |
7 | 16 November 2004 | Knicks | 91–81 | Spurs | NA | Tony Parker (18) | 6–1 |
8 | 18 November 2004 | Spurs | 88–80 | 76ers | NA | Tim Duncan (34) | 7–1 |
9 | 19 November 2004 | Spurs | 92–84 | Celtics | NA | Tim Duncan (26) | 8–1 |
10 | 21 November 2004 | Spurs | 91–96 | Raptors | NA | Tim Duncan (26) | 8–2 |
11 | 22 November 2004 | Spurs | 90–93 | Grizzlies | NA | Tim Duncan (26) | 8–3 |
12 | 24 November 2004 | Mavericks | 94–80 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (27) | 9–3 |
13 | 26 November 2004 | Spurs | 89–75 | Nuggets | NA | Tim Duncan (23) | 10–3 |
14 | 27 November 2004 | Jazz | 109–76 | Spurs | NA | Malik Rose (16) | 11–3 |
15 | 30 November 2004 | Spurs | 107–89 | Mavericks | NA | Tim Duncan (20) | 12–3 |
December
Record: 13–3; Home: 8–1; Road: 5–2
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Record |
16 | 1 December 2004 | 76ers | 72–105 | Spurs | NA | Two-way tie (24) | 13–3 |
17 | 3 December 2004 | Pistons | 77–80 | Spurs | NA | Tony Parker (20) | 14–3 |
18 | 4 December 2004 | Spurs | 104–83 | Bucks | NA | Tim Duncan (20) | 15–3 |
19 | 6 December 2004 | Spurs | 91–75 | Bulls | NA | Tony Parker (17) | 16–3 |
20 | 8 December 2004 | SuperSonics | 102–96 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (39) | 16–4 |
21 | 9 December 2004 | Spurs | 80–81 | Rockets | NA | Tim Duncan (26) | 16–5 |
22 | 11 December 2004 | Cavaliers | 97–116 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (34) | 17–5 |
23 | 15 December 2004 | Magic | 91–94 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (24) | 18–5 |
24 | 17 December 2004 | Spurs | 83–67 | Hornets | NA | Tim Duncan (19) | 19–5 |
25 | 18 December 2004 | Warriors | 85–104 | Spurs | NA | Two-way tie (21) | 20–5 |
26 | 22 December 2004 | Spurs | 87–93 | Magic | NA | Tim Duncan (24) | 20–6 |
27 | 23 December 2004 | Timberwolves | 79–94 | Spurs | NA | Manu Ginóbili (22) | 21–6 |
28 | 26 December 2004 | Celtics | 90–107 | Spurs | NA | Tony Parker (27) | 22–6 |
29 | 28 December 2004 | Suns | 94–115 | Spurs | NA | Tony Parker (29) | 23–6 |
30 | 30 December 2004 | Spurs | 114–80 | Trail Blazers | NA | Tim Duncan (19) | 24–6 |
31 | 31 December 2004 | Spurs | 98–79 | Clippers | NA | Tim Duncan (23) | 25–6 |
January
Record: 12–4; Home: 9–0; Road: 3–4
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Record |
32 | 2 January 2005 | Spurs | 81–86 | Kings | NA | Manu Ginóbili (18) | 25–7 |
33 | 4 January 2005 | Lakers | 83–100 | Spurs | NA | Bruce Bowen (24) | 26–7 |
34 | 6 January 2005 | Pacers | 98–111 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (27) | 27–7 |
35 | 8 January 2005 | Nuggets | 90–99 | Spurs | NA | Manu Ginóbili (22) | 28–7 |
36 | 10 January 2005 | Spurs | 96–97 | Jazz | NA | Tim Duncan (24) | 28–8 |
37 | 12 January 2005 | Bucks | 79–94 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (21) | 29–8 |
38 | 14 January 2005 | Mavericks | 95–98 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (25) | 30–8 |
39 | 15 January 2005 | Spurs | 67–73 | Rockets | NA | Tony Parker (21) | 30–9 |
40 | 17 January 2005 | Wizards | 73–101 | Spurs | NA | Devin Brown (24) | 31–9 |
41 | 19 January 2005 | Clippers | 79–80 | Spurs | NA | Tony Parker (25) | 32–9 |
42 | 21 January 2005 | Spurs | 128–123 | Suns | 1 | Manu Ginóbili (48) | 33–9 |
43 | 23 January 2005 | Spurs | 103–73 | Kings | NA | Tim Duncan (23) | 34–9 |
44 | 24 January 2005 | Spurs | 99–107 | Trail Blazers | NA | Tim Duncan (24) | 34–10 |
45 | 27 January 2005 | Kings | 80–90 | Spurs | NA | Manu Ginóbili (25) | 35–10 |
46 | 29 January 2005 | Hornets | 83–93 | Spurs | NA | Tony Parker (23) | 36–10 |
47 | 31 January 2005 | Spurs | 103–84 | SuperSonics | NA | Manu Ginóbili (23) | 37–10 |
February
Record: 6–3; Home: 1–1; Road: 5–2
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Record |
48 | 2 February 2005 | Spurs | 103–91 | Lakers | NA | Tony Parker (22) | 38–10 |
49 | 8 February 2005 | Spurs | 104–85 | Bobcats | NA | Tony Parker (20) | 39–10 |
50 | 9 February 2005 | Spurs | 87–95 | Wizards | NA | Tony Parker (22) | 39–11 |
51 | 11 February 2005 | Spurs | 101–91 | Nets | NA | Tony Parker (27) | 40–11 |
52 | 13 February 2005 | Spurs | 92–96 | Heat | NA | Manu Ginóbili (24) | 40–12 |
53 | 16 February 2005 | Spurs | 101-78 | Hornets | NA | Tim Duncan (19) | 41-12 |
54 | 23 February 2005 | Rockets | 81-99 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (30) | 42-12 |
55 | 26 February 2005 | Grizzlies | 84-82 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (27) | 42-13 |
56 | 28 February 2005 | Spurs | 94-92 | Cavaliers | NA | Tim Duncan (20) | 43-13 |
March
Record: 10-5; Home: 10-1; Road: 0-4
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Record |
57 | 2 March 2005 | Raptors | 86-92 | Spurs | NA | Manu Ginóbili (17) | 44-13 |
58 | 4 March 2005 | Bulls | 99-102 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (31) | 45-13 |
59 | 6 March 2005 | Jazz | 94-101 | Spurs | NA | Manu Ginóbili (31) | 46-13 |
60 | 8 March 2005 | Nets | 74-90 | Spurs | NA | Devin Brown (22) | 47-13 |
61 | 9 March 2005 | Spurs | 101-107 | Suns | NA | Tony Parker (30) | 47-14 |
62 | 12 March 2005 | Nuggets | 90-87 | Spurs | NA | Tony Parker (25) | 47-15 |
63 | 14 March 2005 | Hornets | 89-112 | Spurs | NA | Beno Udrih (25) | 48-15 |
64 | 16 March 2005 | Timberwolves | 73-89 | Spurs | NA | Tim Duncan (25) | 49-15 |
65 | 18 March 2005 | Bobcats | 76-93 | Spurs | NA | Tony Parker (24) | 50-15 |
66 | 20 March 2005 | Spurs | 101-110 | Pistons | NA | Devin Brown (18) | 50-16 |
67 | 21 March 2005 | Spurs | 75-88 | Knicks | NA | Devin Brown (22) | 50-17 |
68 | 23 March 2005 | Spurs | 93-100 | Pacers | NA | Brent Barry (17) | 50-18 |
69 | 25 March 2005 | Hawks | 95-111 | Spurs | NA | Two-way tie (23) | 51-18 |
70 | 27 March 2005 | Rockets | 70-83 | Spurs | NA | Manu Ginóbili (18) | 52-18 |
71 | 30 March 2005 | SuperSonics | 76-89 | Spurs | NA | Tony Parker (28) | 53-18 |
April
Record: 6-5; Home: 4-0; Road: 2-5
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Leading scorer | Record |
72 | 1 April 2005 | Spurs | 84-102 | Nuggets | NA | Tony Parker (17) | 53-19 |
73 | 2 April 2005 | Lakers | 94-95 | Spurs | NA | Brent Barry (20) | 54-19 |
74 | 6 April 2005 | Clippers | 82-91 | Spurs | NA | Manu Ginóbili (16) | 55-19 |
75 | 7 April 2005 | Spurs | 68-104 | Mavericks | NA | Brent Barry (12) | 55-20 |
76 | 9 April 2005 | Spurs | 125-124 | Clippers | 2 | Manu Ginóbili (40) | 56-20 |
77 | 10 April 2005 | Spurs | 136-134 | Warriors | 2 | Tony Parker (35) | 57-20 |
78 | 12 April 2005 | Trail Blazers | 89-95 | Spurs | NA | Manu Ginóbili (30) | 58-20 |
79 | 13 April 2005 | Spurs | 91-93 | Jazz | NA | Manu Ginóbili (21) | 58-21 |
80 | 16 April 2005 | Grizzlies | 97-75 | Spurs | NA | Bruce Bowen (15) | 59-21 |
81 | 18 April 2005 | Spurs | 92-94 | Grizzlies | NA | Glenn Robinson (23) | 59-22 |
82 | 20 April 2005 | Spurs | 73-95 | Timberwolves | NA | Glenn Robinson (16) | 59-23 |
- Green background indicates win.
- Red background indicates loss.
Player stats
Legend | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brent Barry | 81 | 8 | 21.5 | .423 | .357 | .837 | 2.3 | 2.2 | .48 | .25 | 7.4 |
Bruce Bowen | 82 | 82 | 32.0 | .420 | .403 | .634 | 3.5 | 1.5 | .67 | .48 | 8.2 |
Devin Brown | 67 | 0 | 18.5 | .423 | .372 | .792 | 2.6 | 1.4 | .58 | .18 | 7.4 |
Tim Duncan | 66 | 66 | 33.4 | .496 | .333 | .670 | 11.1 | 2.7 | .68 | 2.64 | 20.3 |
Manu Ginóbili | 74 | 74 | 29.6 | .471 | .376 | .803 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 1.61 | .36 | 16.0 |
Dion Glover | 7 | 0 | 9.7 | .364 | .125 | .800 | 1.6 | .6 | .43 | .43 | 3.6 |
Robert Horry | 75 | 16 | 18.6 | .419 | .370 | .789 | 3.6 | 1.1 | .89 | .80 | 6.0 |
Linton Johnson III | 2 | 0 | 7.5 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 1.5 | .0 | .50 | .00 | .0 |
Sean Marks | 23 | 0 | 10.6 | .338 | .000 | .786 | 2.4 | .3 | .13 | .48 | 3.3 |
Tony Massenburg | 61 | 6 | 11.5 | .407 | .000 | .762 | 2.7 | .2 | .30 | .33 | 3.2 |
Nazr Mohammed* | 23 | 5 | 18.0 | .387 | .000 | .571 | 6.4 | .3 | .22 | 1.43 | 6.2 |
Rasho Nesterović | 70 | 70 | 25.5 | .460 | .000 | .467 | 6.6 | 1.0 | .44 | 1.67 | 5.9 |
Tony Parker | 80 | 80 | 34.2 | .482 | .276 | .650 | 3.7 | 6.1 | 1.23 | .05 | 16.6 |
Glenn Robinson | 9 | 0 | 17.4 | .442 | .333 | .870 | 2.7 | .9 | .44 | .33 | 10.0 |
Beno Udrih | 80 | 2 | 14.4 | .444 | .408 | .753 | 1.0 | 1.9 | .51 | .13 | 5.9 |
Mike Wilks | 48 | 0 | 5.8 | .416 | .313 | .750 | .5 | .7 | .29 | .02 | 1.7 |
* Statistics include only games with the Spurs
Playoffs
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brent Barry | 23 | 8 | 24.1 | .457 | .424 | .810 | 2.4 | 1.9 | .65 | .17 | 6.1 |
Bruce Bowen | 23 | 23 | 35.4 | .359 | .433 | .647 | 2.9 | 1.6 | .48 | .57 | 5.7 |
Devin Brown | 12 | 0 | 5.0 | .350 | .429 | .571 | .6 | .3 | .08 | .00 | 1.8 |
Tim Duncan | 23 | 23 | 37.8 | .464 | .200 | .717 | 12.4 | 2.7 | .35 | 2.26 | 23.6 |
Manu Ginóbili | 23 | 15 | 33.6 | .507 | .438 | .795 | 5.8 | 4.2 | 1.22 | .26 | 20.8 |
Robert Horry | 23 | 0 | 26.9 | .448 | .447 | .732 | 5.4 | 2.0 | .91 | .87 | 9.3 |
Tony Massenburg | 9 | 0 | 3.1 | .167 | .000 | .500 | 1.2 | .0 | .00 | .00 | .3 |
Nazr Mohammed | 23 | 23 | 23.0 | .528 | 1.000 | .638 | 6.7 | .3 | .61 | 1.00 | 7.1 |
Rasho Nesterović | 15 | 0 | 7.6 | .417 | .000 | .000 | 1.7 | .1 | .07 | .33 | .7 |
Tony Parker | 23 | 23 | 37.3 | .454 | .188 | .632 | 2.9 | 4.3 | .74 | .09 | 17.2 |
Glenn Robinson | 13 | 0 | 8.7 | .356 | .300 | .882 | 1.6 | .1 | .23 | .54 | 3.8 |
Beno Udrih | 21 | 0 | 11.5 | .359 | .270 | .857 | .8 | 1.0 | .43 | .05 | 3.7 |
Playoffs
West First Round
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Denver Nuggets
April 24 7:00 pm |
Denver Nuggets 98, San Antonio Spurs 87 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 29–25, 21–23, 20–12 | ||
Pts: Andre Miller 31 Rebs: Marcus Camby 12 Asts: Andre Miller 5 |
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 23 Rebs: Nazr Mohammed 15 Asts: Tony Parker 6 |
April 27 7:00 pm |
Denver Nuggets 76, San Antonio Spurs 104 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 18–29, 14–34, 30–23, 14–18 | ||
Pts: DeMarr Johnson 12 Rebs: Marcus Camby 12 Asts: Andre Miller 7 |
Pts: Tim Duncan 24 Rebs: Duncan, Horry 9 each Asts: Tony Parker 6 |
April 30 8:30 pm |
San Antonio Spurs 86, Denver Nuggets 78 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 24–20, 26–21, 11–17, 25–20 | ||
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 32 Rebs: Tim Duncan 11 Asts: Brent Barry 4 |
Pts: Carmelo Anthony 19 Rebs: Marcus Camby 14 Asts: Andre Miller 7 |
May 2 8:30 pm |
San Antonio Spurs 126, Denver Nuggets 115 (OT) | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–29, 29–24, 30–29, 29–27, Overtime: 19–8 | ||
Pts: Tim Duncan 39 Rebs: Tim Duncan 8 Asts: Tony Parker 7 |
Pts: Earl Boykins 32 Rebs: Marcus Camby 14 Asts: Anthony, Boykins 5 each |
Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 19,776 Referees: Bennie Adams, Derrick Stafford, Dick Bavetta |
May 4 8:30 pm |
Denver Nuggets 89, San Antonio Spurs 99 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 22–20, 24–26, 22–28 | ||
Pts: Carmelo Anthony 25 Rebs: Marcus Camby 10 Asts: Andre Miller 6 |
Pts: Tony Parker 21 Rebs: Nazr Mohammed 13 Asts: Tony Parker 7 | |
San Antonio wins the series, 4–1 |
Last Playoffs meeting: 1995 Western Conference First Round (San Antonio won 3–0)
West Conference Semifinals
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Seattle SuperSonics
May 8 7:00 pm |
Seattle SuperSonics 81, San Antonio Spurs 103 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–35, 13–27, 22–13, 24–28 | ||
Pts: Rashard Lewis 19 Rebs: Collison, Evans 7 each Asts: Luke Ridnour 4 |
Pts: Tony Parker 29 Rebs: Tim Duncan 9 Asts: Tim Duncan 5 |
May 10 8:30 pm |
Seattle SuperSonics 91, San Antonio Spurs 108 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 16–28, 26–26, 23–25, 26–29 | ||
Pts: Ray Allen 25 Rebs: Reggie Evans 12 Asts: Antonio Daniels 6 |
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 28 Rebs: Nazr Mohammed 10 Asts: Tony Parker 7 |
May 12 7:30 pm |
San Antonio Spurs 91, Seattle SuperSonics 92 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 29–21, 22–28, 24–26, 16–17 | ||
Pts: Tim Duncan 23 Rebs: Tim Duncan 11 Asts: Tony Parker 8 |
Pts: Ray Allen 20 Rebs: Rashard Lewis 10 Asts: Ray Allen 7 |
May 15 4:00 pm |
San Antonio Spurs 89, Seattle SuperSonics 101 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 14–18, 26–36, 23–19 | ||
Pts: Tim Duncan 35 Rebs: Tim Duncan 10 Asts: Bowen, Parker 3 each |
Pts: Ray Allen 32 Rebs: Collison, James, Wilkins 6 each Asts: Antonio Daniels 7 |
May 17 8:30 pm |
Seattle SuperSonics 90, San Antonio Spurs 103 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 18–25, 32–25, 18–28, 22–25 | ||
Pts: Ray Allen 19 Rebs: Danny Fortson 9 Asts: Ray Allen 6 |
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 39 Rebs: Tim Duncan 14 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 6 |
May 19 7:30 pm |
San Antonio Spurs 98, Seattle SuperSonics 96 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 20–25, 32–22, 20–26, 26–23 | ||
Pts: Tim Duncan 26 Rebs: Tim Duncan 9 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7 |
Pts: Ray Allen 25 Rebs: Reggie Evans 9 Asts: Antonio Daniels 5 | |
San Antonio wins the series, 4–2 |
Last Playoffs meeting: 2002 Western Conference First Round (San Antonio won 3–2)
West Conference Finals
(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs
May 22 12:30 pm |
San Antonio Spurs 121, Phoenix Suns 114 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 30–20, 25–29, 23–33, 43–32 | ||
Pts: Tony Parker 29 Rebs: Tim Duncan 15 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 5 |
Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 41 Rebs: Marion, Stoudemire 9 each Asts: Steve Nash 13 |
May 24 6:00 pm |
San Antonio Spurs 111, Phoenix Suns 108 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 31–21, 22–33, 27–31, 31–23 | ||
Pts: Tim Duncan 30 Rebs: Duncan, Mohammed 8 each Asts: Tony Parker 5 |
Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 37 Rebs: Shawn Marion 12 Asts: Steve Nash 15 |
America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,422 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Bill Spooner, Ken Mauer |
May 28 8:00 pm |
Phoenix Suns 92, San Antonio Spurs 102 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 29–38, 10–18, 24–24, 29–22 | ||
Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 34 Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 11 Asts: Johnson, Nash 3 each |
Pts: Tim Duncan 33 Rebs: Tim Duncan 15 Asts: Tony Parker 7 |
May 30 7:30 pm |
Phoenix Suns 111, San Antonio Spurs 106 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 26–36, 35–21, 24–26 | ||
Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 31 Rebs: Shawn Marion 14 Asts: Steve Nash 12 |
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 28 Rebs: Tim Duncan 16 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7 |
June 1 6:00 pm |
San Antonio Spurs 101, Phoenix Suns 95 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 25–26, 29–20, 23–25 | ||
Pts: Tim Duncan 31 Rebs: Tim Duncan 15 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 6 |
Pts: Amar'e Stoudemire 42 Rebs: Amar'e Stoudemire 16 Asts: Steve Nash 10 | |
San Antonio wins the series, 4–1 |
America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 18,422 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Eddie F. Rush, Greg Willard |
Last Playoffs meeting: 2003 Western Conference First Round (San Antonio won 4–2)
NBA finals
Game One
June 9, 2005 8:00 p.m. EST |
Detroit Pistons 69, San Antonio Spurs 84 | ||
Pts: Billups 25; Hamilton 14; Prince 11 Rebs: B. Wallace 8; R. Wallace 7; McDyess 7 Asts: Billups 6; Prince 4 Blocks: R. Wallace 6 |
Pts: Ginobili 26; Duncan 24; Parker 15 Rebs: Duncan 17; Ginobili 9; Mohammed 7 Asts: Parker 3; Horry 3; Bowen 2 | |
Spurs lead series 1-0 |
Manu Ginóbili was widely considered the star of the night, scoring in a virtuoso performance near the end of the game to lead the Spurs to victory. The Pistons were then left 'in the dust', the NBA website reported. Ginobili scored 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to complement a huge game by Tim Duncan.
Ginobili, a famous Argentine All-Star, already with championship rings from the NBA and Euroleague and an Olympic gold medal (the only player in history with all three), got to work on his second NBA title by taking over in the final period. He scored eight points in a decisive 12-2 surge that gave the Spurs a 67-55 lead, then throttled a push by the Pistons with a swooping dunk, 3-pointer and running hook for an 81-67 advantage with less than two minutes to go.
Having been idle for a week, the Spurs looked weak. With their defense, however, they were able to overcome adversity. Tim Duncan, who had 24 points and 17 rebounds, also contributed. Although the Pistons tend to suddenly come alive in the fourth quarter, the converse was true this game as San Antonio put together a big quarter to take a commanding lead in the game.
Team 1 2 3 4 Tot. Detroit 20 17 14 18 69 San Antonio 17 18 20 29 84
Game Two
June 12, 2005 8:00 p.m. EST |
Detroit Pistons 76, San Antonio Spurs 97 | ||
Pts: McDyess 15; Hamilton 14; Billups 13 Rebs: B. Wallace 8; R. Wallace 8; Hamilton 7 Asts: R. Wallace 4; Three others at 3 |
Pts: Ginobili 27; Duncan 18; Bowen 12 Rebs: Duncan 11; Horry 6; Mohammed 5 Asts: Ginobili- 7; Horry 5; Barry 5 Blocks: Duncan 4 | |
Spurs lead series 2-0 |
Coming into the game, it seemed as if the resilient Pistons, who survived two elimination games against Miami in the Eastern Finals, would come out strong and give the Spurs a challenge. However, it was the Spurs who came out with a sense of urgency, as they did not want the Pistons to steal a game in San Antonio and take home court advantage away from them. From the opening tip, Game 2 was all San Antonio as the Spurs got out to a quick lead and never looked back.
The Spurs took advantage of Detroit's uncharacteristic mistakes throughout the night, which included missing 9 shots from inside four feet from the basket. While the Pistons went cold from behind the arc, not scoring a single 3-point basket, the Spurs made 11 3-pointers, including 4 each by Manu Ginóbili and Bruce Bowen, who did not score a point in game 1. Ginobili finished the game with a game-high 27 points, while Tim Duncan finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Antonio McDyess was the high scorer for Detroit, scoring 15 points off the bench.
The 2-0 lead proved a daunting challenge to Detroit, historically. In the history of the NBA, in the 153 times when a team with home court advantage was up 2-0 in a series, only seven times has the other team rebounded to win the series.
Team 1 2 3 4 Tot. Detroit 19 23 21 13 76 San Antonio 30 28 21 18 97
Game Three
June 14, 2005 9:00 p.m. |
San Antonio Spurs 79, Detroit Pistons 96 | ||
Pts: Parker 21; Duncan 14; Bowen 13 Rebs: Duncan 10; Mohammed 7; Horry 5 Asts: Parker 4; Duncan 4; three others at 2 |
Pts: Hamilton 24; Billups 20; B. Wallace 15 Rebs: B. Wallace 11; McDyess 9 R. Wallace 7 Asts: Billups 7; Prince 5 Blocks: B. Wallace 5 | |
Spurs lead series 2-1 |
The Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bennett Salvatore |
Going into this game, the Pistons were looking to rebound from the deficit.
In the past, only two teams in NBA history had ever won a Finals series after facing a 2-0 deficit — the Boston Celtics in the 1969 NBA Finals and the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1977 NBA Finals — however, the Miami Heat would later accomplish this feat against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals.
Despite the tough challenge, the Pistons pulled through, and came out with several key steals and two scoring runs in the third quarter, then netted many insurance points in the fourth to win a big game which was a de facto must-win. Ben Wallace was lauded and commended by many for stepping up to the challenge.
When the end of the game came, and the 96-79 final score flashed upon the screens, many Pistons fans, celebrating in jubilation, started filling the air with confetti and conducted other celebratory customs. That was the first time that the Spurs have given up more than 90 points in a Finals game.
Team 1 2 3 4 Tot. San Antonio 27 15 23 14 79 Detroit 21 20 29 26 96
Game Four
Thursday, June 16, 2005, 21:00, at The Palace.
June 16, 2005 9:00 p.m. |
San Antonio Spurs 71, Detroit Pistons 102 | ||
Pts: Duncan 16; Parker 12; Ginobili 12 Rebs: Duncan 16; Mohammed 5; three others at 4 Asts: Parker 4; Bowen 4; Ginobili 3 |
Pts: Billups 17; Hunter 17; R. Wallace -14 Rebs: B. Wallace 13; Hamilton 9; R. Wallace 8 Asts: Billups 7; McDyess 5 Note: 7 Pistons players in double point figures | |
Series tied 2-2 |
The Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Joe DeRosa, Eddie F. Rush |
In this game also, as was previously observed in Game 3, the Pistons dominated the Spurs. Reporters began to remark about the tendency in this series for the home team to produce a blowout. Thus far, no game had been decided by less than 15 points.
Seven Pistons scored in double figures, and big games were collected from Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, and all the other élite stars of the franchise.
The outcome was never really in doubt, and the Pistons committed a Finals-record low four turnovers, but even this is often deemed an underestimation of the Pistons' defensive power. The deciding factor appears to have been the lack of possession time for the Spurs. This led to infrequent opportunities to score, and combined with an uncharacteristic scoring slump, the Spurs were only able to manage 71 points. For the second straight game, the Pistons scored more than 90 points against the Spurs.
Team 1 2 3 4 Tot. San Antonio 17 19 21 14 71 Detroit 23 28 23 28 102
Game Five
June 19, 2005 9:00 p.m. |
San Antonio Spurs 96, Detroit Pistons 95 (OT) | ||
Pts: Duncan 26; Horry 21; Ginobili 15 Rebs: Duncan 19; Horry 7; Ginobili 6 Asts: Ginobili 9; Parker 3; Bowen 3; |
Pts: Billups 34; Hamilton 15; B. Wallace 13 Rebs: B. Wallace 12; Prince 9; McDyess 6 Asts: Billups 7; Prince 3 | |
Spurs lead series 3-2 |
The Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, Michigan Attendance: 22,076 Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Steve Javie |
With the first four games of the 2005 Finals being blowouts by the home team, Game 5 was the close game everyone was waiting for, and it went down as one of the more memorable games in Finals history.
The game was closely contested by the two teams throughout the night as the lead changed 12 separate times, and the game was tied on 18 occasions. Regulation was not enough to settle this game, so the game went into overtime. The Pistons streaked out to a quick lead in the first few minutes of overtime, and seemed to have the game in hand. However, a missed opportunity with Detroit up 2 with 9 seconds to go opened the door for San Antonio. On the Spurs' next possession, Robert Horry inbounded the ball to Ginobili, who then gave it back to Horry, who was left wide open, to sink the game winning basket. Horry had previously already been famous for nailing the winning shot in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Kings.
Horry went 5 for 6 from beyond the arc, including the game-winner, and scored 21 points coming off the bench, after not scoring until the final play of the 3rd quarter. He carried the team in the latter stages of the game as his teammates struggled with nerves that came with the weight of a must-win game on the road against an accomplished adversary. In addition to the game winning three pointer Horry made a spectacular left-handed dunk as the shot clock was winding in one possession, that is one of the highlights of the series. Incidentally, Horry happened to have the most NBA championships of any active player five, and looked to extend that to six.
Tim Duncan, despite struggling from the free-throw line, finished with 26 points and 19 rebounds for the Spurs. Chauncey Billups was the high scorer for the Pistons, finishing with a game high 34 points in the losing effort.
Team 1 2 3 4 OT Tot. San Antonio 21 21 22 25 7 96 Detroit 23 19 21 26 6 95
Game Six
June 21, 2005 8:00 p.m. EST |
Detroit Pistons 95, San Antonio Spurs 86 | ||
Pts: Hamilton 23; Billups 21; R. Wallace 16 Rebs: B. Wallace 9; Prince 7; Billups 6 Asts: Billups 6; Prince 4 |
Pts: Ginobili 21; Duncan 21; Parker 15 Rebs: Duncan 15; Ginobili 10; Mohammed 8 Asts: Parker 5; Ginobili 3 | |
Series tied 3-3 |
Game 6 was a close game all along, and the lead kept fluctuating between the two teams. Again, the leading stars on both teams played big games. Detroit pulled away early in the fourth for an 80-73 lead with five minutes to go, but the Spurs continued to threaten them. Soon, it was back to a one-point game.
Then, Rasheed Wallace planted a three-pointer to pull away, and even with a resilient game by the Spurs, the Pistons had clinched the victory.
Nevertheless, several Pistons free throws were necessary in the final moments of the game to put a win out of reach for the Spurs.
Rasheed Wallace had a big game to atone for the mistake he made for leaving Horry open in Game 5. Despite the fact that his mistake ultimately cost the Pistons the championship, Wallace was nonchalant about the play, even commenting incorrectly that he left Horry to guard Duncan.
Billups and Prince again led the Pistons with steady, unwavering defense, which is the key, as it is often said, to victory. Although Duncan and Ginobili finished with 21 points each, neither was able to seriously threaten the strong Pistons defense enough to win the game. Detroit thus won its fifth consecutive game facing elimination. The Pistons became the first road team to force a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
Team 1 2 3 4 Tot. Detroit 23 23 25 24 95 San Antonio 23 24 20 19 86
Game Seven
June 23, 2005 8:00 p.m. EST |
Detroit Pistons 74, San Antonio Spurs 81 | ||
Pts: Hamilton 15; Billups 13; B. Wallace 12 Rebs: B. Wallace 12; Hamilton 8; McDyess 7 Asts: Billups 8; McDyess 2 |
Pts: Duncan 25; Ginobili 23; Horry 15 Rebs: Duncan 11; Mohammed 7; Ginobili 5 Asts: Ginobili 4; Duncan 3 | |
Spurs win series 4-3 |
For the first time in eleven years, the NBA Finals came down to a decisive game. Momentum was on Detroit's side, but the Spurs had home-court advantage. The Pistons were looking to become the first team to ever win the last 2 games on the road, after being down 3-2. The stats were, as expected, heavily in favor of the Spurs. NBA teams are 74-17 all-time at home in Game 7, and 9-0 when leading 3-2 going home.
The game, like the previous two games of the series, was closely contested for the first three quarters. But the Spurs took control in the fourth quarter and never looked back as for the second time in three years, the Spurs celebrated a championship on the SBC Center floor. The Spurs won Game Seven 81-74, winning the franchise's third Larry O'Brien Trophy. For the game, Tim Duncan finished with a game high 25 points and 11 rebounds, while teammate Manu Ginóbili pitched in with 23 points. Richard Hamilton, with 15 points, was the high scorer for the Pistons, who fell just short of winning back to back championships.
Tim Duncan won his third NBA Finals MVP Award. Manu Ginóbili, Tony Parker, and Bruce Bowen each received their second championship ring, while Robert Horry became only the second player in NBA history (John Salley being the first) to play on championship teams for three different franchises.
Team 1 2 3 4 Tot. Detroit 16 23 18 17 74 San Antonio 18 20 19 24 81
Award winners
- Tim Duncan, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
- Tim Duncan, All-NBA First Team
- Tim Duncan, NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Bruce Bowen, NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Sam Quinn, NBA Assistant Coach of the Year