Debate: "The Memorial Day Miracle" vs. "The TD 3"

[Riverwalkman]

Written by Jeff Garcia

Monday, 10 August 2009 00:00

Throughout the Spurs history, Spurs fans have been treated to many memorable shots. Spurs fans seen Tony Parker hit game winning shots, Manu's clutch shooting and Roger Mason's heroics this past season. But two shots are heads above the rest and are etched in Spurs fans minds: Sean Elliott's "Memorial Day Miracle" against the Blazers in the 1999 NBA Playoffs and Tim Duncan's "3" against the Suns in the 2008 NBA Playoffs.

Both worthy of legendary status but which was the bigger shot? Let's take a look at the "tale of the tape" and you decide.

The Memorial Day Miracle

May 31, 1999. Memorial Day. San Antonio. 1999 NBA Playoffs Game 2 Western Conference Semifinals, Spurs vs. Blazers in the Alamodome.

It was late in the fourth quarter and the Spurs battled their way out of an 18 point deficit to bring the score 83-85 Blazers leading, with 12 seconds left in the game. Mario Elie inbounds the ball to Sean Elliott, who was tip-toeing the corner sideline. The ball barely clearing the outstretch hands of Stacy Augmon, Elliott catches the ball, heels never touching the floor though they were out of bounds, Rasheed Wallace leaping to try to block the shot, Elliott launches a "3" over Wallace, and makes it! Spurs take their first lead with 9 seconds left and go on to win the game, 86-85, taking a 2-0 lead over the Blazers.

Points to consider:

Elliott, though heels were out of bounds, never touched the floor
Elliott was known to hit the "3" thus making it more likely he would make it
Elliott had to shoot over Wallace
Spurs were down by 18 points heading into the final quarter
The shot devastated the Blazers moral and got swept by the Spurs

Tim Duncan's "3"

April 19, 2008. San Antonio. 2008 NBA Playoffs Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round in the AT&T Center.

This game was already epic and was in overtime. Just as in the "Memorial Day Miracle", the Spurs were down with 12 seconds left in overtime. Score was 104-101. Manu had the ball, used a screen from Duncan for what looked like a shot at the rim. Instead, Duncan had drifted to the 3-point line, Manu passed the ball out to Duncan with 6 seconds left, with no one around him, he lines up for a three, releases and makes it! This ties the game, sending it to double-OT where the Spurs won and dismissed the Suns out of the playoffs yet again winning the series 4-1.


Points to consider:

Duncan is not known for 3-range thus making the shot more improbable
Duncan's last 3-pointer was March 28, 2007
The game was already in OT, sending it to double-OT
The Spurs were down as much as 16 points
The shot crushed the moral of the Suns and they never recovered
Duncan was 0-4 from 3-point line during the 2008 regular season.

http://projectspurs.com/2009-articles/august/debate-the-memorial-day-miracleq-vs-the-qtd-3q.html

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Memorial Day Miracle.
The Duncan 3 was way cooler, but Elliott's shot was much much more valuable looking back at the end result of the seasons.

And Elliott's shot was a game-winner, while Duncan's was to tie the game.

[Riverwalkman]

It's tough to decide between the two great shots. I like TD's 3 better because I was a witness.

[baseline bum]

Earth to the author:

FNmy2wInnLk

[baseline bum]

Point to consider:

1) Elliott's shot was over a running Rasheed Wallace, and barely cleared the valiant shotblock attempt.
2) The Spurs came back from 18 down.
3) The MDM crushed the Blazers so badly they put up one of the worst showings in NBA history in game 3 back in Portland.

[mudyez]

it has to be the MDM, as for:

- it was the way more difficult shot...the TD3 was basically only difficult, coz timmy isnt known for 3pt shooting (but he did it at the shooting stars earier the season too)
- it finaly gave us the first ship, while the TD3 earned us not much in the ending

its closer between MDM and the Horry 3 in the finals, butI still have to go with the MDM, as Horry was wide open

[J.T.]

Yeah, I'd say if Spurs fans are going to have any debate about which shot was more important to the franchise, the Duncan three pointer isn't even in the top 5 list. Duncan's 3 is about as important as that three that Brent Barry hit in 2006 to force OT against Sacramento. You know, the one that bounced off the backboard like 86 times and no one talks about anymore?

The MDM is far and away the most important shot in Spurs franchise history. If you weren't a hardcore Spurs fan back then, it's just a clutch shot that Elliott hit. But if you can remember a world where you were scared when the Spurs had to play the Jazz, or can still see the scars from when you slit your wrists after the Spurs choked against Houston in 1995, then you know what I'm talking about. It's hard for Duncan-era Spurs fan to appreciate the MDM because the Spurs have four championships now, and from a nostalgia standpoint, that shot is relegated to "just a clutch shot that Elliott hit" now that we have three other playoff runs that resulted in a championship which each had their own "Back the fuck off!" moment.

Think of it as a football analogy. The Spurs are going into the Super Bowl as three point dogs to a team that everyone says they can beat, but just don't trust in their ability to close the deal. At halftime the Spurs are down by two touchdowns. Their defense tightens up and they're able to stop the other team and tie the game. With a few seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter and the game still tied, the other team lines up to kick a 20 yard field goal for the win. Instead, the Spurs catch the other team off guard and hit the gaps at the line of scrimmage, making the holder fumble the ball and the defense runs it to the house for a game winning touchdown. That's what the MDM was like to those of us who were bleeding silver and black in 1999.

[50Bestspurever]

The real debate would be Horry's F bomb and the MDM. I would go with the MDM but damn the Fbomb is close.

[DespЏrado]

I tend to agree with most of the posters here. Duncan's three was badassery at its finest but it just wasn't as season changing, career defining, or momentum shifting as the MDM and Horry's F bomb.

Sean Elliott's 3 was arguably the most pivotal moment in franchise history. Not only did it mark the beginning of the Tim Duncan era. It changed Sean's legacy as a sometimes soft player who could disappear in the playoffs to one of the most clutch players in Spurs history. Not many people remember that Sean was once criticized as never living up to his potential, until that moment. It also cemented the 99 squad as one of the toughest NBA champions in league history.

That moment was just a revelation to most spurs fans, it was the moment that the 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93,.... seasons ceased to haunt the Spurs and their fans.

Not only that but the game just played out so much like a textbook Spurs playoff loss. At no point until that shot did it look like the Spurs were actually going to win the game. With the obvious loss the first championship was fading right before our eyes, because it looked like Duncan was neutralized by Rasheed, and that the Blazers would just out gun the Spurs.

I could go on and on about the MDM. But let me say this, I still keep the 5 dollar nose bleed ticket from that game sealed in a hard case in my wallet.

[Rodriguez]

Derek Fisher's 0.4 sec winning buzzer.

[urunobili]

Memorial... that was on our way to the ship...

[Mel_13]

What would have happened had Elliott's shot not gone down? Popovich has one idea.

“Without it,” Popovich said, “no championship.”

Maybe that's true, and maybe it isn't. The Spurs went on to sweep the Blazers in four games. They were dominant throughout their playoff run, losing only two times en route to crushing the New York Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals.

Maybe a loss in Game 2 only delays the inevitable river parade for a few more days.

Or maybe a Memorial Day miss changes everything. Maybe the ghosts of playoff failures past resurface. Maybe old doubts take over. Maybe the underachieving Spurs add another face-plant to their growing collection of playoff busts.

Maybe Popovich, who had been on the verge of being fired after the team started the strike-shortened 1999 season 6-8, is pink-slipped. Maybe a franchise's entire history is inexorably altered.

“Who knows what would have happened?” Elliott said. “We could have lost that ballgame. We could have lost our confidence. So many times, one break had kept us from playing for a championship. So many years of that had built up.

“If that shot hadn't gone down, that's a lot to think about.”

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/A_decade_later_Elliotts_miracle_still_miraculous.h tml

Also, the vote on the money to build the new arena took place later a few months after the 99 championship.

[ambchang]

There really isn't any comparison. One led to the 1st championship, the other led to WCF exit.

I also thought the "But two shots are heads above the rest and are etched in Spurs fans minds" statement was odd. Horry made TWO more memorable shots than the TD 3 in Game 5 vs. Pistons alone.

[all_heart]

All great clutch shots, that's more dam sure. I think Sean's shot had to be biggest though, just the drama of it.. he almost went out of bounds when he caught the ball, got it, and then heels over the line but NOT touching.. sinks the shot over Rasheed jumping out the roof to block it. Sheed looked like he was within a hair of getting a piece of it. Then the reaction from Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Lu ck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_.. like he said "I told you!!" Just awesome.

Horry's shot was just as important, cause we could have lost the game and the championship that year. If Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Lu ck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_ misses that shot, there was always the chance we still could have won the series, but if Horry missed the shot.. it was even more certain that we could of lost the championship... Funny how Sheed was in the picture in both of those shots.. no wonder he chose Boston! :lol
Maybe the Spurs can hit another clutch shot in the finals this coming year over Sheed.. you never know..:toast

[DaBears]

The Ninja's Memorial shot was more impactful than TD's. The Memorial day shot changed the course of SPURS HISTORY.

[Riverwalkman]

Most of Spurs fans believe the Memorial Day Miracle shot was bigger because we started to get champions from that season on. But when you look into the single game in which the big shots took place, you have to admit TD's 3 point shot is also very big, for it's critical situation, the great determination from Duncan, the frozen moment, and the crazy crowd.

[ceperez]

Earth to the author:

FNmy2wInnLk

Agree entirely!

The Pistons were clearly the better team (the reigning defending champs) and we somehow managed to win it all!

Very different from Championships against the Knicks, Nets and Cavalier which were complete mismatches.

[Extra Stout]

But two shots are heads above the rest and are etched in Jeff Garcia's mind: Sean Elliott's "Memorial Day Miracle" against the Blazers in the 1999 NBA Playoffs and Tim Duncan's "3" against the Suns in the 2008 NBA Playoffs.
Fixed. Stop speaking for all Spurs fans.

[Wu36]

Lame question. Sean's for sure. Horry's game 5 was more important and wasnt an option to pick from? Tim's 3 was as big as his shot before Fishers .4 shot. Both Tim's mean nothing as no titles came those years. If you want to make a real poll- ask what Otter Pop tastes best!

[FromWayDowntown]

I like the notion of comparing Duncan's 3 with Barry's OT-forcing 3 in 2006 -- it's about right. It's not to diminish the quality of Duncan's shot or the thrill it brought, but at the end of the day, Duncan's shot forced a second overtime in a Game 1 of a First Round series. It's like Horry's 3 in Denver in Game 4 of the 2007 first round, which gave the Spurs a 3-1 lead over a team they were always going to beat.

A much-bigger shot by Duncan, historically speaking, was his finish in Game 6 at Seattle in 2005. While as much a product of Ginobili's creativity as Duncan's greatness, that shot clinched a series in the last second of the deciding game and put what had proven to be an unwelcome challenge from the Sonics in the Spurs rearview mirror.

Bowen's dagger in Phoenix in 2007 is also more like the Memorial Day Miracle than Duncan's 3 a year later. Bowen's shot really did propel the Spurs forward to a title from a moment in time where getting there might have become a really difficult proposition.

[dbestpro]

The Memorial Day Miracle changed the culture and attitude in San Antonio. With the shot we became part of the elite in the NBA. Prior to that we were no better than the Mavs or the Suns.

[Mel_13]

I like the notion of comparing Duncan's 3 with Barry's OT-forcing 3 in 2006 -- it's about right. It's not to diminish the quality of Duncan's shot or the thrill it brought, but at the end of the day, Duncan's shot forced a second overtime in a Game 1 of a First Round series. It's like Horry's 3 in Denver in Game 4 of the 2007 first round, which gave the Spurs a 3-1 lead over a team they were always going to beat.

A much-bigger shot by Duncan, historically speaking, was his finish in Game 6 at Seattle in 2005. While as much a product of Ginobili's creativity as Duncan's greatness, that shot clinched a series in the last second of the deciding game and put what had proven to be an unwelcome challenge from the Sonics in the Spurs rearview mirror.

Bowen's dagger in Phoenix in 2007 is also more like the Memorial Day Miracle than Duncan's 3 a year later. Bowen's shot really did propel the Spurs forward to a title from a moment in time where getting there might have become a really difficult proposition.

Best view of the play may be in the video montage during the last 30 seconds of the clip;

VlpWXgGBdEc

[Spursone]

I believe the Memorial Day Miracle was more significant, since the Spurs went on to win it all that year.

:wakeup

[101A]

Most of Spurs fans believe the Memorial Day Miracle shot was bigger because we started to get champions from that season on. But when you look into the single game in which the big shots took place, you have to admit TD's 3 point shot is also very big, for it's critical situation, the great determination from Duncan, the frozen moment, and the crazy crowd.


Tim's shot had one HUGE impact:

It put a nail in the Sun's "run" of a few seasons; the Blazers were still around after the MDM.

[20Underrated]

The TD 3 wasn't even Tim's biggest shot... I'd say the clutch basket over Shaq that led the Fish's shot w/ .4 was bigger. Sean's shot iced his career and defined the magic of that season. No contest.

[spursfan #20]

It's got to be the mdm but horrys shot has to be number 2 if had not been for that shot we would have not won it all. but timmys shot should be in the top 5. (I was there)

[bus driver]

Derek Fisher's 0.4 sec winning buzzer.

not as good as a one Steve Kerr & Action Jackson against the loser team up north.

[makedamnsure]

My first instinct was to say The TD 3 but when you examine everything, The Memorial Day Miracle was the shot that started it all.

[Gervin44Silas13]

MDM 3 BY Far...I was there in 124....and I watch my taped game every MD weekend!

Best Spurs Shots in playoffs

1.MDM 3

2. TD 3 to force ot... I get freaking chills when he dose the fist pump after smashing that 3!

3. Horry's 3 in Game 5 of NBA Finals

4. Horry's 3 vs Denver in 1st round

5. Wingate's last second 3 in 1990 WCSF Gm 5 v. Portland to force OT

[HarlemHeat37]

The Horry shot was better than both..NBA Finals, and capped off his amazing run, maybe the most clutch performance in NBA history..

[Strike]

Lame question. Sean's for sure. Horry's game 5 was more important and wasnt an option to pick from? Tim's 3 was as big as his shot before Fishers .4 shot. Both Tim's mean nothing as no titles came those years. If you want to make a real poll- ask what Otter Pop tastes best!

Poncho Punch. No question.

[Spurs Brazil]

That's a easy one

MDM

[Interrohater]

I have never seen a Spurs game where so many people were crying tears of joy at the emotional roller coaster that was the Memorial Day Miracle. No contest. (Also, I was there.. :P)

[Udokafan05]

They are my 2 favorite shots in spurs history, but i would put the MDM #1. The heels above the line, with the greatest call in spurs history by Bob Costas make it the best.

[ShoogarBear]

This isn't even a discussion, and I loved the hell out of Duncan's shot.

No MDM, Portland beat the Spurs in six games.

No 1999 title, the Spurs don't get the AT&T (nee SBC), Duncan leaves, Spurs move to Nashville.

Not to mention, the MDM was a way more difficult shot.

[ohmwrecker]

The Memorial Day Miracle was not only the biggest shot in Spurs history, but would have to be considered as one of the best in NBA history. The degree of difficulty and overall improbability of that shot going through the net easily beats Duncan's 3. I mean, Duncan was wide open and even though it was cool as shit, I really expected him to hit it. Elliott's shot just seemed like magic, or if it was a scene from a movie. Everything seemed so impossible that it almost looks choreographed. I remember that shot like I do like the Mexican standoff scene in The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.

[Thompson]

What is Horry's 'F-bomb?' I probably know the play, I just don't remember that terminology.

[duncan228]

What is Horry's 'F-bomb?' I probably know the play, I just don't remember that terminology.

I assume it's this one.


FNmy2wInnLk

[ceperez]

MDM:

Sgl_TKAktJo

Enjoy!

[dirk4mvp]

The Manu foul.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:lol

[Spurs1234]

speaking of duncan shots, how about 1999 spurs vs. lakers game 2, tied with 20 second left, they send it down to duncan and he hits the clutch baby hook...while the 99 MDM shot was more phenomenal, i dont see how the spurs dont win that series even if Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Lu ck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_Luck_The_Fakers_ misses...they were just going to beat that blazers team..but LAL, if duncan misses that shot and they lose, its 1-1 going back to LAL and while i would take my chances the spurs would win, the lakers were one year away from winning three in a row, so they obviously could have won it in 1999...its a very underrated shot, and in my opinion, kind of got the spurs on a late game shot groove in the playoffs...havent watched it probably since it went in, might need to fire up the old vcr for that one.

[Avitus1]

MDM shot led to the 1st championship. It set the tone for the playoffs that year and it made the Trailblazers seemingly fall apart.

[bostonguy]

The MDM shot without doubt.

Do Spurs fans truly believe that if the spurs had lost that game, they would have lost the series? I personally dont think they would have. The 99 spurs were a team that would rebound after a loss. Their focus on the next game would be even better. I just think that series would have just gone 5-6 games with the Spurs winning it.

[buujness]

How can it not be the Memorial Day Miracle? That was the shot that started it all. Not to mention the degree of difficulty with Rasheed running at Sean full speed and nearly blocking it. There aren't a ton of specific moments that I remember as a young child, but I remember exactly where my 9-year-old self was and what I was thinking before, during, and after the ball went through the net.

[duncan228]

No 1999 title...Duncan leaves...

He just might have. He said the fact that they'd already won one was one of the factors in his decision.

[Spursfan092120]

MDM....not to diminish the Timmy 3...it was exciting as hell, but it wasn't the same as Sean's baby...not even close.

[baseline bum]

This isn't even a discussion, and I loved the hell out of Duncan's shot.

No MDM, Portland beat the Spurs in six games.

No 1999 title, the Spurs don't get the AT&T (nee SBC), Duncan leaves, Spurs move to Nashville.

Not to mention, the MDM was a way more difficult shot.

Why would Portland beat the Spurs in 6? That Spurs team was masters of winning close games that entire playoffs, and they were way better on the road than at home the first two series. If Sean's shot rims out I think the Spurs still win that series in 5 or 6. They never panicked when Minnesota came in and stole game 2 in the Alamodome, and you'd have a hard time convincing me that team was mentally weak enough to get dragged down by one loss. Rob's shot in Detroit on the other hand almost unquestionably was the difference in winning a title or going home empty-handed. Detroit had balls in closeout situations, and came 12 minutes from winning the series anyways.

[baseline bum]

He just might have. He said the fact that they'd already won one was one of the factors in his decision.

I gotta agree with Shoog on that one; no 99 title means no arena means the Spurs move to New Orleans or Anaheim.

[my2sons]

It's tough to decide between the two great shots. I like TD's 3 better because I was a witness.

That's exactly why I like Sean 3 better. Being in the dome was amazing that day

[BWS-1994]

The MDM, that it was the first of the Spurs' 4 :lobt: and it cemented Sean Elliott's career as a Spur. :toast

:tu to those who said that TD might have moved if not for that first :lobt:

[phyzik]

ANY fucking "so called" Spurs fan that picks ANYTHING besides the MDM is a fucking bandwagon fan and shoud GET THE FUCK OUT!

[Sean Cagney]

Derek Fisher's 0.4 sec winning buzzer.

Wades finals vs. the Mavs, STFU already......

[ohmwrecker]

The Manu foul.

Which, of course, set the tone for the Mavericks incredible finals performance where they were blown the fuck out by the Heat. I remember seeing the faces of the Mavs players after game 6. They seemed to be saying, "How could we have lost? Manu fouled Dirk . . . it was destiny!"

[Agloco]

The debate would have been better if you were comparing these two shots:

9FDboZTyeuA

c_yTb7u-uiQ

[mad0214]

If you read the post, you'll see that he's going to pit the winner of this debate against the Horry 3.


As you can see Spurs fans, two spectacular shots by two great Spurs players. Let's settle this once and for all. The winner of this debate will go on to face the "Horry 3" in the 2005 NBA Finals.

[SpuronyourFace]

TD's 3 was bigger because he is not suppose to be shooting 3 pointers as it is, much less 3 pointers to win a playoff game in overtime over the hated Suns and hated Shaq.

Neither series was the Championship series, so taking the fact that we won or lost the championship that year shouldn't come into play.

TD manned up like only TD mans up on that play.

MDM, was amazing too however.

[bigbendbruisebrother]

Best view of the play may be in the video montage during the last 30 seconds of the clip;

VlpWXgGBdEc

That game was the end of NBA basketball in Seattle. It's amazing to me that the Shultzes didn't make more of an effort to build on that season. Seattle is a great town and it sucks that they no longer have an NBA franchise.

[ShoogarBear]

Why would Portland beat the Spurs in 6? That Spurs team was masters of winning close games that entire playoffs, and they were way better on the road than at home the first two series. If Sean's shot rims out I think the Spurs still win that series in 5 or 6. They never panicked when Minnesota came in and stole game 2 in the Alamodome, and you'd have a hard time convincing me that team was mentally weak enough to get dragged down by one loss. Rob's shot in Detroit on the other hand almost unquestionably was the difference in winning a title or going home empty-handed. Detroit had balls in closeout situations, and came 12 minutes from winning the series anyways.

That Portland team was stacked, in retrospect the only other team the Spurs played that postseason that had a legitimate shot at the title. They had outplayed the Spurs in game one, the consensus being that they had blown it more than the Spurs had won if. If the Blazers had won game two, they probably would have gone home pissed that they weren't up 2-0 and would have been a very tough to beat in games 3/4. Instead, the MDM completely crushed them psychologically, which of course is exactly where you wanted Isiah Rider, Rasheed, Stoudamire, and Co. (They even spent a good part of the next practice trying to match Sean's shot. WTF? Good job, Dunleavy.)

[Brutalis]

I voted Duncan. I remember being at my grandma's house freaking out when Sean made that crazy shot.

The TD 3 was a better play and shot. MDM was a harder shot, and in my mind was more important.

[Jose Ole]

I was at the MDM game and it was the loudest crowd I have ever seen in all my years of Spurs basketball since the HemisFair days... in my opinion, it's the biggest play in our franchise history and I can only hope that one day it will be topped! Oh the decibels...

[Frenzy]

it has been said... but both were awesome.

i have more memory of tim's 3 cause i said what one announcer said "timmy no" hahaha...


but bang... in the bucket... i was screaming like no nobody's business.

[Agloco]

If you read the post, you'll see that he's going to pit the winner of this debate against the Horry 3.

I suppose I should have just typed the words : It's not a debate regardless of which shot you compare the MDM to.

[TampaDude]

Wow...I remember the MDM like it was yesterday. Has to be the greatest shot in Spurs history. The crowd blew the freakin' roof right off the Alamodome when Elliott hit that 3. The call by Bob Costas still gives me chills. What a shot, indeed!!! :hat

[Blake]

The MDM is far and away the most important shot in Spurs franchise history. If you weren't a hardcore Spurs fan back then, it's just a clutch shot that Elliott hit. But if you can remember a world where you were scared when the Spurs had to play the Jazz, or can still see the scars from when you slit your wrists after the Spurs choked against Houston in 1995, then you know what I'm talking about. It's hard for Duncan-era Spurs fan to appreciate the MDM because the Spurs have four championships now, and from a nostalgia standpoint, that shot is relegated to "just a clutch shot that Elliott hit" now that we have three other playoff runs that resulted in a championship which each had their own "Back the fuck off!" moment.


/thread

[G-Dawgg]

For Elliott's shot you forgot to mention the Spurs never led that whole game until he hit that shot. Their only lead of the game was the final score!

[xellos88330]

MDM by a longshot. Tim's 3 was good, but I think the Seattle shot was better. Poetic Justice after the Seattle fans were cheering that Duncan twisted his ankle, and booed him when he stood up. It was only fitting that Duncan won the game.

[howbouthemspurs]

There is no debate! MDM:toast

[baseline bum]

I was at the MDM game and it was the loudest crowd I have ever seen in all my years of Spurs basketball since the HemisFair days... in my opinion, it's the biggest play in our franchise history and I can only hope that one day it will be topped! Oh the decibels...

Yeah, crazy that it didn't sound loud on TV though. It was deafening if you were sitting there. I feel bad for the family that got up and left from my section about 1:30 before Sean hit that shot. :lol

[TDMVPDPOY]

td3 made the suns loss any hope of playin any more in that series...

they came in all hype up and shit and we just shut the door on them

[callo1]

MDM, not even close.

Spurs were in position to lose on their home floor to the Blazers and become "those same old Spurs" again, but the MDM in my opinion was one of about three situations that took place in '99 that gave the team a feeling of destiny.

The first big moment was when the Spurs came from 26 (I believe) down to beat the Rockets, the other was droppin game 1 to the Timberwolves then going to Minni and the whole confrontation that took place between D'Rob, KG, and Joe Johnson. KG slapping the back of TD's head was a big mistake.

The MDM made that team realize they wern't the "same old Spurs team", and made them and all the fans believe they were a team of destiny. The MDM lead to the first of four titles, whereas Timmy's three against the Suns lead to nothing.

This team defines itself with championships, thanks to that '99 team and the moments that defined not only themselves, but future Spurs teams to come.

[Gervin44Silas13]

Clearly MDM...I was in Sec. 124 Cussing outright being down 18 the whole game. When I watch my copy of the complete game, I saw how that team inched away at Portland's lead...and everytime we got close Damon Staudimier would hit...he played his a** off he matched every shot the Spurs made. But the key swing in the game was when Robinson stoled the ball from R. Wallace with under 2:00 min to play and threw a pass to Ellie where he was fouled cutting the lead to 2. Bob Costas in the broadcast said "How dissapointing it would be if the Blazers let this one get away". After a Blazer OF we go and lay an egg then Staudimier gets fouled makes 1 of 2 free throws we get the ball...and the rest is history.

Horry's 3 in 2005 Finals Gm. 5 2nd...He's Robert Freaking Horry! We knew we where gonna get big shots from him.

Duncans 3 in 2008 is 3rd....cause even with Shaq the Suns couldn't beat us....we were the defending champions, and there was no way we were gonna lose in the 1st Round....to a team that we knew that the Spurs were in their heads.

#4. Horry's 3 vs Denver in 2007 WC 1st Round (see #2)

#5 Duncan's Shot before .4...... I would never rank it cause we lost that game...no CORRECTION.....Being a Spurs Fan we were robbed after this shot....I will always hate that Prick Derek Fisher...just like I hate that faggot Joe Montana and Dwight Clark because of "the catch".

...oh yeah and David Stern too...for fixing "that game"

" I rather see Lakers vs. Lakers" David Stern (2004)

[LoneStarState'sPride]

Wow, this thread has taken me way back down memory lane. Here's my top Spurs moments:

1.) Memorial Day Miracle
2.) Horry's '05 Finals performance
3.) TD's shot to put the Sonics away in '05 (ALWAYS gets overlooked for some reason)
4.) TD's "Sunsetter" in '08
5.) Steve Kerr's 3-point shootout in '03

The MDM always just gives me chills thinking about it. Even though we were in the WCF, even the most loyal Spurs fan was seemingly holding their breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop and the old "Spurs are too soft to win a title" card to be played again as nauseum by the media. I remember being so nervous about the second half that I spent halftime shooting hoops in my backyard to calm my nerves. Malik Rose said it all in the video after the title was won--it just never seemed like SA was really "out" of that game. Even though Stoudamire was going nuts, SA just hung around and got break after break. When Sean took that shot, I thought for sure it was going to get blocked--next thing i remember is my family going insane in our living room. We could hear neighbors screaming in their houses across the street (and my neighborhood was usually crazy quiet lol). That shot got even the most cynical Spurs fans believing the team was just meant to go all the way that year. Even though Sean was red hot that game, and was almost expected to take the shot, the context of the situation made it just a special time that would be hard to top, in my mind.

Horry in '05 would've been #1 on my list had it been the first of SA's title runs. As it is, though, what can you say that hasn't already been said? He'd done little the entire playoffs that showed up in a box score, and SA was facing their stiffest competition in the Finals ever. Detroit was looking to sweep their 3 home games in the Finals for the second straight year--a formula that had won them the title a year ago. Out of absolutely nowhere Horry starts going off. The two that stand out in everyone's minds are the dunk (one of the BEST finishes i've ever seen) and of course the game winning 3 (foolish foolish foolish, Rasheed Wallace!), but a play i think was just as big was a tip-in he had near the end of regulation that kept SA within striking distance. Just an amazing, amazing performance by the game's best clutch player--this is another game that I get goosebumps just watching the replay.

Timmy D's '05 campaign answered a LOT of questions about his resolve and durability and cemented his legacy, in my opinion. He came back from a nasty ankle injury in March and still managed to put up big numbers in the postseason. Sure, he was already a two-time MVP, but it was starting to look like other bigs were starting to pass him by (namely Amare Stoudamire and KG after his '04 MVP award). SA had started well against the Sonics, taking a 2-0 lead, but they came roaring back behind Ray Allen to tie the series. Duncan's missed potential game winner in game 3 seemed to be a harbinger of his underperformance in crunch time. Despite a resounding game 5 win for SA, the Sonics were undaunted--answering the Spurs tit for tat before taking the lead late in the game and appearing to be on the verge of forcing a game 7. Ginobili's pass to set up Timmy was probably even more amazing. Every time i see the replay, it looks like that ball is going to be deflected. Duncan's reaction after banking that one in was especially memorable to me because I can't remember him celebrating after any of his previous game winners, and certainly not in the playoffs (he remained deadpanned even after his shot over Shaq in '04).

I confess, maybe the reason this one doesn't rank as high on my list is because i didn't see it live (I had military training that weekend and had to catch a replay--I honestly thought my friends were playing a cruel joke on my emotions when they told me SA had won the game behind a Duncan 3 pointer--"yeah right," was my reaction). This one just showcased everything that was right about Spurs basketball. Facing a Suns team that seemed custom-built to beat them, SA used every available resource to hang in the game--Parker's penetration, Ginobili's creativity, Finley being shooter-on-the-spot, and then Timmy. Wow. Even though I knew it was coming while watching the replay, I'll admit that my fingers still curled and everything within me was screaming "Timmy, noooooooooooooo!" Then just standing there and thinking that there's no question this guy is simply the GOAT.

This was one of those games where I can honestly say that I "called it" before it happened. It made sense to me--Kerr hadn't played the entire playoffs, so he'd be fresh, and everyone was struggling. That Mavs team was every bit SA's equal--from their identical 60-22 records right down to their physicality. I actually give the credit for kick-starting the flood of 3's to Cap'n Jack--his back to back threes before Kerr came in planted the seeds of doubt in the Mavs' minds. When Kerr came in and started hitting, it was just an unbelievable feeling. I kept waiting for Dallas to call timeout, but there was no way they could've known just how hot Kerr was. Every single time they collapsed on defense, Kerr made them pay dearly. Steve also availed himself on the defensive end--I vividly remember him sacrificing his body to save loose balls and drawing an offensive foul on Dallas. The fact that his performace got us over the hump and into the Finals (avoiding a game 7 with the Mavs) makes it that much sweeter of a memory.

There's a myriad of other moments that stand out in my mind, from Duncan's fadeaway over Shaq in '04 to Brent Barry's shot against Sacramento in '06. if I had a sixth to put on the list, though, it'd be Bruce Bowen's 3 from the corner to win game 5 against Phoenix in the '07 series. Just so many clutch moments in the last decade--it makes me proud to be a Spurs fan and to have witnessed them.

[Leetonidas]

This isn't even a debate to any real Spurs fans. It's like the 0.4 shot with Laker fans versus the Horry shot against the Kings. I'm sure the Lakeshow appreciate Horry way more because he shot directly helped them win a title, same with the MMD, whereas Timmy's 3 and Fisher's shot got both teams no where in the end.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Tim's three looked way cooler, but Elliott's shot was way more epic.

[samikeyp]

MDM then, today and tomorrow.

Horry's 3 against Detroit is very close though.

[spurs10]

Thanks to everyone that shared their memories here...got chills several times...the MDM...how badass is that???!!!

[PDXSpursFan]

I take TD 3 over ANY other shot in Spurs history. Reason is because he was the most unlikely player to take and make that shot - he's not a 3 pt shooter.