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SAN ANTONIO (May 7, 2013) – Silver &amp; Black Give Back today announced that ten student-led groups have been named semifinalists in the Summer Team Up Challenge and awarded $1,000 to bring their service-learning projects to life. Throughout the summer, semifinalists will work to address community needs together with the San Antonio Silver Stars. In August, three champions will be rewarded with an additional $10,000 to continue their projects.

The semifinalists are student-led groups from: AGK’s Angel Foundation, Any Baby Can of San Antonio, The Arc of San Antonio, Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum, Boys and Girls Club, Catholic Charities, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, Liberty View Church of Christ, Martinez Street Women’s Center and Respite Care.

The Team Up Challenge is a youth-led service-learning initiative that encourages students to apply what they are learning in the classroom to the real world, bringing education to life in powerful ways.  Students create projects that address needs that will help improve their community in one of five categories: Arts &amp; Culture, Education, Environment, Health &amp; Wellness or Uniformed Services.

Silver &amp; Black Give Back is a 501(c)(3) public charity that invests in the community in partnership with the entire Spurs Sports &amp; Entertainment family of teams. This season marks the 25th anniversary of Silver &amp; Black Give Back.  For more information on the organization and its programs visit SBGB.org.

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Summer Team Up Challenge Semifinalists Announced

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Even a day later, the San Antonio Spurs still found it difficult to explain how they won the opener of their second-round series against Golden State.

The Spurs overcame Stephen Curry's 44 points and became the first team in postseason history to rally from a 16-point deficit with 4 minutes remaining and earned a 129-127 victory in double overtime on Monday.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in San Antonio.

"I don't know how we managed to tie the game," Manu Ginobili said Tuesday. "We had some really big shots before regulation, in the first overtime and second overtime. It got us the win, but not sure if we deserved it."

After missing seven straight shots, Ginobili hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining to hand Golden State its 30th straight loss in San Antonio going back to Feb. 14, 1997.

It was a thrilling game, but one the Spurs are eager to push aside.

"Forget about it; it is over," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "You can enjoy it for a short period of time, but now all that matters is the next game."

Popovich wants the Spurs to move on because he knows the Warriors can get over a tough loss.

Golden State won three straight in the opening round after dropping the series opener to Denver.

Overcoming that loss to the Nuggets gave the young Warriors a boost in confidence, as did Monday's loss.

"We were the better basketball team for the most part of that game," Golden State coach Mark Jackson said. "Now we did some things that we've got to do better, but we've got to leave that game feeling good about where we are."

The Warriors feel especially good about Curry's performance.

The guard had 44 points, including 22 in the third quarter. He also had 11 assists.

Curry shot 9 for 12 in the third and was 4 for 6 on 3-pointers. At one point in the third quarter, he lost his dribble, calmly scooped up the ball and made a jumper from the top of the key in one fluid motion that exasperated Tony Parker.

Limiting Curry's production in Game 2 is key to San Antonio preserving its home-court advantage.

"We'd like to figure out how to hold Curry below 40," Popovich said. "I've got like 10 phone calls out for people asking for suggestions. He's unbelievable, unbelievable. He's something to watch.

"Obviously, we'll try to see if we can figure out some way to limit him a little bit. It's pretty obvious that's a god idea."

The Spurs held Curry to six points following the third quarter after giving the defensive assignment to Kawhi Leonard, who is 6-foot-7.

"Kawhi did a good job of just running me off the 3-point line and funneling me to help and relying on that second line of defense to step up," Curry said. "There are certain plays where I looked at the film and I could have attacked a different angle or on different spots on the floor and still got my jumper off against Kawhi. I'll make my adjustments there."

The Spurs also benefited from Klay Thompson fouling out.

Thompson had 19 points and five rebounds while defending Parker for much of the game. Parker had 16 points in the fourth quarter and two overtimes.

"The fact that Thompson was out of the game helped a little bit (defensively against Curry), too," the Spurs' Boris Diaw said. "That's more help, more shift, but we tried different things. He's a great player, he's tough to stop. I think he got tired too because it was a long game, but we had to try different things, tried to help a little more at the end of the game."

Curry said while his legs felt a little heavy at the end of regulation, he actually felt stronger in the overtimes.

Slowing Curry helped the Spurs close regulation on an 18-2 run to force overtime, despite losing Tim Duncan for much of the final stretch to a stomach bug.

Duncan left the game with 3 minutes left in regulation and only played the final seconds of each overtime.

Duncan said he was feeling better Tuesday morning.

"I was in the locker room watching it as we were getting closer and closer," Duncan said. "I debated whether even coming back out there. Whatever superstition or whatever it may be, I wanted to stay right where I was. It felt bad coming out there and they get a lead again, but was just great to see everything going the way we wanted it go."

Ginobili's game-winning 3-pointer came 43.7 seconds after he took an ill-advised 3 that appeared to cost the Spurs the game when Kent Bazemore's reverse layup gave the Warriors a 127-126 advantage with 3.9 seconds left.

"I went from wanting to trade him on the spot to wanting to cook breakfast for him tomorrow morning," Popovich said.

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Spurs vs. Warriors: Game 2 Preview: 5/8/13

(On the speed and tempo of this matchup…)
“You never know exactly what the speed or tempo of the game is going to be until it starts. Lots of times you think something is going to be high scoring and it’s not. You just have to wait until the game is played. They’re a good scoring team but also a good defensive team. Mark Jackson has done a great job of instilling his system and people are buying in both individual and team wise. Their defense has been very important for them too but everybody just looks at their offense.”

(On Manu Ginobili getting more playing time…)
“I think he is ready to play more. Hopefully he’ll be able to play a normal game. We don’t have any minutes or restrictions on him or anything like that.”

(On the importance of the perimeter Spurs players to help out with rebounding…)
“It is very important because there are going to be a lot of long rebounds. You can’t just depend on your bigs to get them. The smalls are very important in that regard.”

(On Boris Diaw’s versatility and importance in this series…)
“He does have that versatility. He’s a four but he’s got pretty good mobility as a four. Sometimes he can guard some fives. We have had him guard some big threes. In that sense he has shown some possible ability to adjust for us defensively. He hasn’t played in a long time. We are anxious to see what he looks like tonight.”

(On the possibility of too much rest between series…)
“You have to keep practicing. You have to practice to stay in shape and have any sort of rhythm or flow. At the same time you hope you don’t get somebody hurt. We were a little more fortunate than the Clippers with Blake (Griffin) getting hurt. That didn’t happen for us but you have to practice. Hopefully we won’t show too much rust.”

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Coach Pop Pregame Media Availability - Spurs vs. Warriors - Round 2 Game 1

Knowledge
by Andrew Monaco | June 16, 2013

I would love to tell you I have all the answers, but I just can't. When it comes to talking Spurs basketball, I get an awful lot of help.

I value the time together with Coach Pop. To be able to sit down with him and get his thoughts on the Spurs, Spurs players, the opposition and the keys to the game, is always enlightening. He's not only generous with his time, but also with his information. Same goes for his coaches.

I enjoy getting to talk with Spurs coaches and get their insight on the game, which I then relay to the television audience, or use while working in-studio. That is not possible unless teams have coaches and personnel willing to share that information. And in my case, explain it so I can understand it.

The Spurs are fortunate to have that type of personnel and I would like to take the opportunity to thank them.

I had the good fortune to work a Spurs season ticket holder event with Chad Forcier and we had a great time talking about his career and the dynamics of the Spurs' coaching staff and Spurs' success. And he has been kind enough to continue that throughout the season.

So I cannot thank Chad enough for all the e-mails he responds to, the phone calls he answers and the one-on-one time he gives me. His generosity in sharing his knowledge has been invaluable to me.

I wish Mike Budenholzer nothing but success as the new head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, as he teams up with another former Spur, and current Hawks' general manager, Danny Ferry. I, for one, will miss him. Coach Bud has always carved out time for me coming though the tunnel at halftime, or meeting me on the court, to offer his thoughts and insights, on what to expect in the upcoming second half. He's also a terrific pre-game interview, as is Brett Brown. Sometimes they have come through in a pinch when a scheduled interview falls through, but mostly, they are so god in hat interview chair, we enjoy talking with them.

I have already been in touch with some of the Hawks' broadcasters, telling them they are getting a really good guy in Mike Budenholzer.

Whether it is Coach Bud or Brett Brown, Chad Forcier, Ime Udoka or Chip Engelland, they all are kind enough to share their knowledge and expertise, allowing viewers of our telecasts to gain valuable insights on this team.

Another Spur who has been invaluable to me is Sean Marks, my partner on select telecasts. I have learned a bunch from the Spurs Director of Basketball Operations. It could be on one of our telecasts, on the court pre-game, in the tunnel during the game, or on the phone, the knowledge he has passed along to me has been plentiful and extremely useful. And when I do Austin Toros' telecasts, the Toros' GM provided me with everything I needed.

And then there is Sean Elliott. He deserves an M-Blog of his own (which would probably be his highest honor). We know all about his made-for-TV personality. It is his combination of basketball IQ, ability to relay that to the audience, his expertise as a telestrator, and just one of the funniest - and kindest -- people I have ever met and worked alongside. I am constantly stealing information from him, especially when I am in the Fox Sports Southwest studios. And I am constantly learning the game from him and appreciating how players play, why plays succeed, why teams win.

To work with him is a true pleasure. But, as I wrote earlier, that is for another edition of M-Blog.

Thanks again to everybody on the Spurs for being so generous with their time, their knowledge, their insight. It is greatly appreciated by me, and I certainly hope, for our Spurs audience.

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Andrew Monaco's M-Blog

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Team Up Challenge Champions Revealed

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Spurs @ Lakers: Game 3 Pregame Photos

&gt;&gt; Read more Ken Rodriguez Articles | Contact Ken

Lynnwood Presley King fronts The Heroine, a local metal band that once showed its colors at a venue that despises them.

At the end of a head-banging show in Dallas, King collapsed on stage in a heap of delirium and rock-infused sweat. Stunned at the abrupt end of a hammer-swinging performance, the crowd did not recognize the fall for what it was. Fake.

As King lay motionless, legs splayed and eyes closed, lead guitarist Dibby Disaster draped a dark covering over the bearded frontman. As if energized by some supernatural force, King rose. He grabbed the corners of the covering and unfurled a flag.

Forty five minutes of “wow” turned into 30 seconds of “what?” King handed the banner to Disaster and sprinted off stage. The guitarist waved the flag, sliver and black with large lettering that spelled, “The Power of the Spurs.” Boos exploded and the curtain fell.

“They loved us until the end,” Disaster says. “It was worth it.”

Heralded by the San Antonio Current as the city’s Next Big Thing, The Heroine may be the only band in Texas to mix metal with raw in-your-face NBA allegiance. The devotion bleeds into their music.

Take the opening salvo to “Playing For Keeps.” Disaster and The Kid unleash an incendiary dual guitar riff. Johnny Thunder pounds a driving roll on the snare. King screams, “C’mon boys, bring the noise!” Then five rockers shout, “Spurs!”

Your browser does not support the audio tag.

You can hear it for yourself on May 26. The Heroine will appear at the inaugural Bud Light River City Rockfest, an outdoor AT&amp;T Center show headlined by Guns N’ Roses and Alice in Chains. Other artists include Grammy-winning Halestorm, Bullet For My Valentine and Skillet.

“We grew up listening to some of these bands,” says King, a Marine Corps veteran. “It’s a big deal for us. It’s a privilege to represent our city. To live out your dream.”

Three members of The Heroine -- King, Disaster and bassist Gulie Vargulish -- are sipping drinks at Starbucks, just down the way from Guitar Center, one of the band’s sponsors. They are talking gigs, NBA passions and their blue collar image: five guys grinding out a living primarily in carpentry and construction. Years ago, the band re-roofed the home of King’s mother and used the money to fund its first tour.

Four guys from San Antonio and one from Uvalde pulled into Wisconsin for the Milwaukee Metal Fest in a Dodge van with 90,000 miles. “Right now it’s probably got 350,000 miles,” King says, “and it’s been through five transmissions.”

They want to upgrade the vehicle and lift their profile. The Heroine has played with Marilyn Manson and Staind. The band once flew to Los Angeles to audition as an opening act for Motley Crue. They didn’t get the gig but impressed drummer Tommy Lee -- he called them, “Bad Ass” -- and kept grinding.

“We feel like our lives parallel the Spurs,” King says. “The Spurs are from a small market and don’t get a lot of love. We’re from a small town and a lot of times people don’t give us the respect until they see us perform. And then they’re like, ‘Oh wow!’”

The Bud Light River City Rockfest represents another milestone for The Heroine. “For me,” King says of the opportunity to share the stage with Guns N’ Roses, “this is equal to playing with KISS.”

King books the band for two-to-three week road tours every quarter. If it were up to Disaster, The Heroine would never travel during one month. “I tell him not to book tours in June,” Disaster says, “because the Spurs are going to be in the finals. I tell him that every year.”

Truth is, Disaster wants to be home other days as well. Consider what happened on April 19, 2008: The band is driving to Houston for a gig. The Spurs are playing Phoenix in Game 5 of the First Round. The picture on the TV van is snowy. The final seconds in overtime are ticking off.

“Dude,” Disaster complains to King, “why did you have to book us during the playoffs?”

Unable to fix the picture, the band pulls over and listens to the finish on radio. Tim Duncan knocks down a three-pointer -- his first of the season -- to send the game into double overtime. The band erupts. “The van is shaking,” Disaster says.

The stories are legion. Each musician can remember pulling into a sports bar on the road to watch a postseason game. Despite Disaster’s pleas and King’s affection for the Silver and Black, The Heroine plays on through the playoffs.

The band recalls the evening of Feb. 6. They left a gig in Fargo, N.D. and headed toward Lansing, Mich. Along the way, the boys stopped in Minneapolis to attend a Spurs-Timberwolves game. They found their seats, made their way to the floor and mingled with players and Spurs broadcaster Sean Elliott during warmups. “That,” King says, “was my favorite day ever.”

At times, they sound more like star-struck fans than rockers. Vargulish, 41, recalls with childlike wonder watching Alvin Robertson at his first Spurs game. King, 39, relishes the time he met David Robinson at a music store and remembers the Admiral’s massive hand swallowing his own. Disaster, 27, says he’s not in awe of the many celebrities he’s met except Spurs.

The Heroine is so devoted to the Silver and Black they once considered naming an album, “Pounding The Rock,” the Spurs’ mantra of rugged persistence.

“We run our band like the Spurs organization,” Disaster says. “Like when we go to practice, we practice hard and check our ego at the door.”

King: “Our slogan is ‘The Team is Everything.’ Being in this band is like being on a team. I gotta wear two hats. Sometimes I’m Tim Duncan. And sometimes I’m Gregg Popovich.”

King: “And sometimes I’m R.C. Buford.“

Disaster points to his chest. “And do you see I got my Manu Ginobili shirt on?”

Several years ago, the band was driving through Dallas when a truck painted in Mavericks’ colors and adorned with the team logo passed. Disaster leaned out the van window and screamed at the vehicle while waving a Ginobili jersey, .

Later that night, after a final burst of thrashing guitars and screaming vocals, King went down and the Spurs flag came out and the band closed with a tribute that triggered a blast of boos and obscenities.

The memory is metal-sweet. “The crowd was flipping us off,” King says, “and we’re like, ‘That’s right.’ That was in 2007. The year the Spurs won the championship’.”

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Pounding the Rock

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- Steve Nash needed three injections for pain relief on the Los Angeles Lakers' day off. He's still more likely to play in Game 3 on Friday night than Steve Blake or Jodie Meeks.

And just in case anybody forgot, Kobe Bryant is at home in a walking boot, his season over.

Late in a season featuring just about every tribulation imaginable, the Lakers have almost no healthy guards -- never mind anybody who could keep up with Tony Parker.

If they can't cover the gaping holes in their backcourt and figure out how to slow the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers' tumultuous season probably won't extend past the weekend.

Los Angeles still has two star big men, but even Dwight Howard realizes this patchwork roster is getting awfully flimsy. He won't use it as an excuse for whatever happens after the Spurs took firm control of the series in Texas.

"We have total confidence that we can come back and win this series," Howard said after a light practice at the Lakers' training complex. "We believe in each other. We worked too hard to get to the playoffs. We had to fight to get in. We're not just going to give up because we're down and we have a lot of guys that are injured."

But the Lakers realize they're in a tight spot heading back to Staples Center. Nash and Meeks, who has a sprained left ankle, are doubtful for Game 3 when the Lakers attempt to get started on just the third comeback from an 0-2 playoff series deficit in franchise history.

Coach Mike D'Antoni said Blake is definitely out with a strained right hamstring. Nash attempted to remain optimistic after getting two epidural injections and a cortisone injection -- his third pain-relieving injections in a week -- on his sore back and hamstrings.

"Fingers crossed that it helps at all, and second, that it helps that quickly," Nash said. "I have been called a doctor of chemistry by certain people in the media, but I couldn't make a prediction. ... I'm still in a lot of discomfort, not only from last night, but from getting a bunch of darts stuck in me."

If none of the Lakers' top four guards can play in Game 3, D'Antoni will choose a starting backcourt from the remainders: Darius Morris, Andrew Goudelock and Chris Duhon. Morris and Duhon were buried on the end of D'Antoni's bench all season, while Goudelock was busy winning the NBA D-League's MVP award.

Although the Lakers are down to third-string guards, they've still got high-caliber big men in Howard and Pau Gasol. D'Antoni is counting on a big game in the low post from Howard and another do-everything performance by Gasol, who had two triple-doubles in the Lakers' final three games of the regular season.

"Knock on wood that nothing else happens, because it's hard to lose teammates, and teammates that are playing their hearts out," said Gasol, who had a concussion and a serious foot injury earlier this season. "We've fought so hard to be here, and it's hard not to have the players that we can have at this point to have a better chance against a really good San Antonio team."

Howard's foul trouble helped doom the Lakers in Game 2, when Parker took advantage of the shot-blocking center's absence with a series of slashing drives past the Lakers' overmatched guards to the unprotected rim, tipping the game decisively in San Antonio's favor. The veteran, tested Spurs aren't getting excited about two solid wins.

"It's going to change," Tim Duncan said. "The energy is going to be in their building. They're going to continue to attack. They believe they're due a win, they're due more calls, they're due all kinds of different things, and they're going to come out even harder than they played before. We're going to be ready for that, and we've got to start building a personality on the road."

The Lakers fell apart physically while San Antonio steadily kept control of Game 2 -- never running away, but never allowing much of a threat from Los Angeles. Nash aggravated his right hamstring in the first half, while Blake needed help to the locker room after getting hurt in the fourth quarter -- and Meeks didn't even play.

D'Antoni laughs at many Lakers' fans notion that his shortened rotations late in the season are the reason for their injuries now, including Bryant's torn Achilles tendon at the close of a minutes-heavy season. Los Angeles finished the regular season on a 28-12 surge, rallying from seven games below .500 in late January to the seventh seed in the West.

"We were trying to get in the playoffs, and we went short (because) we had injuries," D'Antoni said. "Some guys had to play heavier minutes than normal. Most of the year, we played 10 guys. I don't know how many guys people want us to play. Matter of fact, when we were (losing), we were playing a lot of guys. We shortened it up to get to the playoffs. Take your pick: We can have everybody rested and be at the beach right now, or we can be in the playoffs."