It Still Hurts

[senorglory]

And now Simmons says lebron has the "greatest mind in basketball," the sellout shill mother er.

[Juggity]

I'm sure I'll get on for this take, but I don't really think 2013 was that bad. Frankly, it was a little shocking to me that the spurs made the finals. I was even more surprised that they were able to compete with peak Lebron for 7 games and defend him about as well as possible. It was a great series that definitely bucked the narrative of the 6 previous years that the spurs couldn't compete on the highest level under pressure. Had they won, it might have been Duncan's finest hour — he would have won FMVP after game 6, no doubt. But in all honesty, losing game 6 only sucked because it looked like the spurs were on the verge of upsetting all expectations and actually beating the Heat, which I certainly thought was a remote possibility at best at the beginning of the season, and even up to the beginning of the finals. Given that my expectations were tempered to begin with (and I expected the spurs to do about as well as OKC had done in 2012), the fact that they took Lebron's Heat to 7 games was really a pleasant surprise, and it was easy to accept that they didn't win.

Of course, this year's drubbing of the Heat erases any idea that last year's near-draw in the finals was a fluke. The spurs were a really good team last year. But the Heat were better from the outset and it was their series to lose or win. Lebron reached out and grabbed what was his (with a little help from Ray Allen). In the intervening year, the spurs got a lot better, the heat got a lot worse, and the Heat came into this year's finals with seeming much more vulnerable. Had the spurs lost in the finals this year, it would have been truly devastating; much more than last year, because this year's spurs were better from top to bottom as a complete team than the crippled s of the Heat. I expected the spurs to win this year. Last year, I was just happy to see them competing at the highest level.

[FkLA]

Am I the only one that refuses to watch 6 still? Even in that Reborn from the Ashes youtube vid I just skip through that . I didn't let 6 affect my everyday life (f'ing drama queens tbh) or anything like that but anytime it is being shown or talked about on tv I gtfo tbh.

[FkLA]

I'm sure I'll get on for this take, but I don't really think 2013 was that bad. Frankly, it was a little shocking to me that the spurs made the finals. I was even more surprised that they were able to compete with peak Lebron for 7 games and defend him about as well as possible. It was a great series that definitely bucked the narrative of the 6 previous years that the spurs couldn't compete on the highest level under pressure. Had they won, it might have been Duncan's finest hour — he would have won FMVP after game 6, no doubt. But in all honesty, losing game 6 only sucked because it looked like the spurs were on the verge of upsetting all expectations and actually beating the Heat, which I certainly thought was a remote possibility at best at the beginning of the season, and even up to the beginning of the finals. Given that my expectations were tempered to begin with (and I expected the spurs to do about as well as OKC had done in 2012), the fact that they took Lebron's Heat to 7 games was really a pleasant surprise, and it was easy to accept that they didn't win.

Of course, this year's drubbing of the Heat erases any idea that last year's near-draw in the finals was a fluke. The spurs were a really good team last year. But the Heat were better from the outset and it was their series to lose or win. Lebron reached out and grabbed what was his (with a little help from Ray Allen). In the intervening year, the spurs got a lot better, the heat got a lot worse, and the Heat came into this year's finals with seeming much more vulnerable. Had the spurs lost in the finals this year, it would have been truly devastating; much more than last year, because this year's spurs were better from top to bottom as a complete team than the crippled s of the Heat. I expected the spurs to win this year. Last year, I was just happy to see them competing at the highest level.

It stopped being a 'just happy to be here' series when we all realized our Spurs were good enough to take down the Heatles. When you are up 3-2 and 28 seconds away whatever doubts you had coming into the series are thrown out the window imo.

[dg7md]

I'm sure I'll get on for this take, but I don't really think 2013 was that bad. Frankly, it was a little shocking to me that the spurs made the finals. I was even more surprised that they were able to compete with peak Lebron for 7 games and defend him about as well as possible. It was a great series that definitely bucked the narrative of the 6 previous years that the spurs couldn't compete on the highest level under pressure. Had they won, it might have been Duncan's finest hour — he would have won FMVP after game 6, no doubt. But in all honesty, losing game 6 only sucked because it looked like the spurs were on the verge of upsetting all expectations and actually beating the Heat, which I certainly thought was a remote possibility at best at the beginning of the season, and even up to the beginning of the finals. Given that my expectations were tempered to begin with (and I expected the spurs to do about as well as OKC had done in 2012), the fact that they took Lebron's Heat to 7 games was really a pleasant surprise, and it was easy to accept that they didn't win.

Of course, this year's drubbing of the Heat erases any idea that last year's near-draw in the finals was a fluke. The spurs were a really good team last year. But the Heat were better from the outset and it was their series to lose or win. Lebron reached out and grabbed what was his (with a little help from Ray Allen). In the intervening year, the spurs got a lot better, the heat got a lot worse, and the Heat came into this year's finals with seeming much more vulnerable. Had the spurs lost in the finals this year, it would have been truly devastating; much more than last year, because this year's spurs were better from top to bottom as a complete team than the crippled s of the Heat. I expected the spurs to win this year. Last year, I was just happy to see them competing at the highest level.

Easy to say now that we won this year. If we didn't win this year... well, I don't want to think about that: Let's just say it would be a franchise killing moment.

[therealtruth]

We were good enough to win last year even before we got to the Finals.

[Juggity]

It stopped being a 'just happy to be here' series when we all realized our Spurs were good enough to take down the Heatles. When you are up 3-2 and 28 seconds away whatever doubts you had coming into the series are thrown out the window imo.

I agree the spurs were just about good enough to beat the Heat, but I still never really felt convinced that it would happen. Right up to the end for me it was a feeling of "wow, I'm surprised the spurs have played the heat to a draw, but surely it will end soon."

At no point in that series did I really feel like the spurs were definitely the better team...when they were winning, it always felt kind of fluky. All of the dice rolling exactly perfect at the right moment. DG was on the hot side of a streak and was bound to go cold like clockwork as is his streaky tradition. Other players just plain failed to show up (Ginobili, Splitter). Sure, the spurs executed pretty well for the most part, but ultimately the gameplan was to needle Lebron and challenge him to take outside jumpers. They were relying on Lebron to pass up those jumpers they were conceding to him, and it all worked right up until the point when Lebron realized he was Lebron and he was perfectly capable of making those shots. It was a bold plan to make Lebron doubt himself as a shooter, but ultimately the fate of the series always rested in his hands. He took control of his own fate.

I definitely wasn't celebrating at 28 seconds given how close the game was and also given the fact that I felt like Lebron at any moment was going to explode — which he did in game 7 (and, I guess with that clutch 3 right before Ray Allen's in game 6). I guess my point in saying all this is, I'm surprised any spurs fan ever really felt that championship was "in hand" so to speak. A 5 point lead is nothing in the final minute of the game; spurfans should know that better than anyone after 13 in 33, and all the other last minute blows over the years.

Now, don't get me wrong, 2013 did hurt. But in its proper context, I don't think it's the worst thing ever to happen to an NBA basketball team as some people on spurstalk and elsewhere have discussed it. For me it falls into the category of "disappointing but pretty much expected loss." Give me 6 over the travesty in the 2012 WCF any day of the week.

[Spur|n|Austin]

?

Simmons' prophetic conclusion to that article:

"And here’s how fast things can flip. Back in October 2003, the Red Sox choked away Game 7 in Yankee Stadium, one of the most demoralizing defeats in franchise history. It felt like something of a final straw for Boston fans. We’d be thinking about Grady Little’s mistake and Aaron Boone’s homer forever. The Baseball Gods hated us. It was official. We would live our entire lives, then croak, without ever seeing them win the whole thing. Twelve months later, we won the whole thing. Ten years later, the Boone Game doesn’t matter anymore. I never think about it.

If the Spurs beat Miami, Allen’s 3 stops haunting them — and if that’s not enough, we’ll remember San Antonio as the greatest franchise of the post-Jordan era."

[tmtcsc]

I was at the .4 game against the Lakers and the Game 7 -Manu fouls Dirk for 3 pt play in Game 7. I watched on TV as McGrady scored 13 pts or whatever it was in about 1 minute, to defeat the Spurs. I also remember Portland coming back from a huge deficit to beat the Spurs in 2011 on the last play of the game. They finished on an 8-0 run, fueled by 3 Spurs turnovers in the final 1:21 secs of the game.

So.....did I feel the Spurs had the le wrapped up with a 5 pt lead and 28 secs to go? Absolutely not. I NEVER gave in to any early celebration and NEVER considered the game won. I guess thats why it didnt hurt as much.

[xmas1997]

I was at the .4 game against the Lakers and the Game 7 -Manu fouls Dirk for 3 pt play in Game 7. I watched on TV as McGrady scored 13 pts or whatever it was in about 1 minute, to defeat the Spurs. I also remember Portland coming back from a huge deficit to beat the Spurs in 2011 on the last play of the game. They finished on an 8-0 run, fueled by 3 Spurs turnovers in the final 1:21 secs of the game.

So.....did I feel the Spurs had the le wrapped up with a 5 pt lead and 28 secs to go? Absolutely not. I NEVER gave in to any early celebration and NEVER considered the game won. I guess thats why it didnt hurt as much.

I agree with you.
I have watched the Spurs enough to KNOW that you NEVER count on a win, especially when they leading by anything less than 10 points. And even 10 points is not enough IMHO.
People make way too big a thing over it, or they have not watched enough Spurs games IMHO.

[Maddog]

Tony's not hurting and neither am I

[AFBlue]

I was at the .4 game against the Lakers and the Game 7 -Manu fouls Dirk for 3 pt play in Game 7. I watched on TV as McGrady scored 13 pts or whatever it was in about 1 minute, to defeat the Spurs. I also remember Portland coming back from a huge deficit to beat the Spurs in 2011 on the last play of the game. They finished on an 8-0 run, fueled by 3 Spurs turnovers in the final 1:21 secs of the game.

So.....did I feel the Spurs had the le wrapped up with a 5 pt lead and 28 secs to go? Absolutely not. I NEVER gave in to any early celebration and NEVER considered the game won. I guess thats why it didnt hurt as much.

You're terrible ing luck tbqh. I'm going to ask you not to attend any key games in the future if that's ok.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I'm sure I'll get on for this take, but I don't really think 2013 was that bad. Frankly, it was a little shocking to me that the spurs made the finals. I was even more surprised that they were able to compete with peak Lebron for 7 games and defend him about as well as possible. It was a great series that definitely bucked the narrative of the 6 previous years that the spurs couldn't compete on the highest level under pressure. Had they won, it might have been Duncan's finest hour — he would have won FMVP after game 6, no doubt. But in all honesty, losing game 6 only sucked because it looked like the spurs were on the verge of upsetting all expectations and actually beating the Heat, which I certainly thought was a remote possibility at best at the beginning of the season, and even up to the beginning of the finals. Given that my expectations were tempered to begin with (and I expected the spurs to do about as well as OKC had done in 2012), the fact that they took Lebron's Heat to 7 games was really a pleasant surprise, and it was easy to accept that they didn't win.

Of course, this year's drubbing of the Heat erases any idea that last year's near-draw in the finals was a fluke. The spurs were a really good team last year. But the Heat were better from the outset and it was their series to lose or win. Lebron reached out and grabbed what was his (with a little help from Ray Allen). In the intervening year, the spurs got a lot better, the heat got a lot worse, and the Heat came into this year's finals with seeming much more vulnerable. Had the spurs lost in the finals this year, it would have been truly devastating; much more than last year, because this year's spurs were better from top to bottom as a complete team than the crippled s of the Heat. I expected the spurs to win this year. Last year, I was just happy to see them competing at the highest level.

No-one expected us to make the 2013 Finals to start the year, or even during the season, but as we rolled through the playoffs flattening teams you could feel the chemistry meshing and the anticipation of a strong Finals series.

Once we got to the Finals I firmly believed it would be tough, 6 or 7 games, but that we were the better team, and that's how it proceeded to play out. But for LBJ going mental in the 4th Q, followed by TP going mental to put us up 5, then 4 consecutive pieces of bad luck in game 6, the series was ours... it was the most heartbreaking way to lose. Worse than 0.4sec because that was the semi-finals (and that year's Pistons were better than us), and worse than Manu's foul on Dirk because we were always behind in that series. 2013 sucked in the most heinous way possible, and game 6 was a true gut-punch for mine because everything was building towards the perfect ending, then it all went sour in 28 improbable seconds. And then even in game 7 it took a ridiculous throwback performance from Batier (6 3s) and a missed bunny from Timmy to finally knock us out. And Mike Miller hit that ridiculus 3 with one shoe on... and so on. We were the better team!!! They just got INCREDIBLY LUCKY. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! But yeah, doesn't matter any more, 2014 wiped all that angst away.

I'm glad it didn't hurt you so badly though!

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I agree with you.
I have watched the Spurs enough to KNOW that you NEVER count on a win, especially when they leading by anything less than 10 points. And even 10 points is not enough IMHO.
People make way too big a thing over it, or they have not watched enough Spurs games IMHO.

Um, not just the Spurs. That's basketball and sports in general. I'd say we lose a lot less often than the average team when we have a lead late in the game.

[Sean Cagney]

Um, not just the Spurs. That's basketball and sports in general. I'd say we lose a lot less often than the average team when we have a lead late in the game.

I used to say the same and it was just the Spurs who blew big leads but paid attention more this playoffs to other teams with big leads and you are right it is not just the SPURS! I saw some 10 pt leads with a few minutes or less dissapear a few times on END FROM OKC, Houston, GSW and on and on, it is not just the Spurs. We notice it more as fans and think the Spurs are prone to blowing big leads but honestly it is not just them as you said and thats the truth. Memphis blew some nice leads late too against OKC, they should have won that series in 5 but Conley choked away game 4 I believe and they lost that one in OT and then lost in 7.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I used to say the same and it was just the Spurs who blew big leads but paid attention more this playoffs to other teams with big leads and you are right it is not just the SPURS! I saw some 10 pt leads with a few minutes or less dissapear a few times on END FROM OKC, Houston, GSW and on and on, it is not just the Spurs. We notice it more as fans and think the Spurs are prone to blowing big leads but honestly it is not just them as you said and thats the truth. Memphis blew some nice leads late too against OKC, they should have won that series in 5 but Conley choked away game 4 I believe and they lost that one in OT and then lost in 7.

There was a mad statistic near the end of last season that we were something like 32-0 taking a lead into the fourth quarter. Of all the teams in the NBA at the moment, I will take the Spurs to win a close game at the end.

Those of you out there who doubt the Spurs' finishing capabilities, which team would you take ahead of them to finish a game if your life is on the line?

[Sean Cagney]

There was a mad statistic near the end of last season that we were something like 32-0 taking a lead into the fourth quarter. Of all the teams in the NBA at the moment, I will take the Spurs to win a close game at the end.

Those of you out there who doubt the Spurs' finishing capabilities, which team would you take ahead of them to finish a game if your life is on the line?

Don't forget the Nets either in game 7 nearly blowing a HUGE lead at the end with a minute or so left, they were up 10 or so and nearly lost that game too. All teams blow leads at the end it is just your team that gets highlighted in your mind because thats what you see and care about mostly. I would take the Spurs usually late in a game over most teams out there no doubt, they have won more games than anyone since 98 or so and it is not even close IMO.

[tmtcsc]

You're terrible ing luck tbqh. I'm going to ask you not to attend any key games in the future if that's ok.

Yeah, not exactly. I was also at Game 6 during 2003 Finals against Nets and Game 7 during 2005 Finals against Pistons. I've seen a lot of big games in-person.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Yeah, not exactly. I was also at Game 6 during 2003 Finals against Nets and Game 7 during 2005 Finals against Pistons. I've seen a lot of big games in-person.

Dayum, boy, you've been at all the big ones! I'm very envious.

(also, you have great taste in butts... so to speak )

[scanry]

I'm sure I'll get on for this take, but I don't really think 2013 was that bad. Frankly, it was a little shocking to me that the spurs made the finals. I was even more surprised that they were able to compete with peak Lebron for 7 games and defend him about as well as possible. It was a great series that definitely bucked the narrative of the 6 previous years that the spurs couldn't compete on the highest level under pressure. Had they won, it might have been Duncan's finest hour — he would have won FMVP after game 6, no doubt. But in all honesty, losing game 6 only sucked because it looked like the spurs were on the verge of upsetting all expectations and actually beating the Heat, which I certainly thought was a remote possibility at best at the beginning of the season, and even up to the beginning of the finals. Given that my expectations were tempered to begin with (and I expected the spurs to do about as well as OKC had done in 2012), the fact that they took Lebron's Heat to 7 games was really a pleasant surprise, and it was easy to accept that they didn't win.

Of course, this year's drubbing of the Heat erases any idea that last year's near-draw in the finals was a fluke. The spurs were a really good team last year. But the Heat were better from the outset and it was their series to lose or win. Lebron reached out and grabbed what was his (with a little help from Ray Allen). In the intervening year, the spurs got a lot better, the heat got a lot worse, and the Heat came into this year's finals with seeming much more vulnerable. Had the spurs lost in the finals this year, it would have been truly devastating; much more than last year, because this year's spurs were better from top to bottom as a complete team than the crippled s of the Heat. I expected the spurs to win this year. Last year, I was just happy to see them competing at the highest level.

Nah. We were the better team last year son. If Pop wasn't such a smart ass, there wouldn't be 6 tbh.

[therealtruth]

Nah. We were the better team last year son. If Pop wasn't such a smart ass, there wouldn't be 6 tbh.

[spurraider21]

I would have been better had the Spurs just got outplayed the whole game in Game 6 like they were in Game 7. I don't think I'd sweat losing to Miami at all had it gone down like that. But to be 28.2 seconds away from at worst the second greatest upset in Finals history...

which was worse?



or

[Sean Cagney]

We got #5 and some need to get over it already MY GOD move on in life, if it still hurts after this years finals your life will be sure misery over a game.

[baseline bum]

which was worse?



or

Probably the second tbh, but Reagan being ever the chicken when our Red Army won them the Great Patriotic War.

[Rustyman]

The pain of 2013 was such that I never returned to the board after G7 until after the G5 win this year. To be honest, I didn't think that the Spurs had another run in them after 2012 and 2013 and when they came close this year, I didn't want to jinx them.