Remember the Sonics....

[TwoHandJam]

Last night's game was simply amazing and a joy to watch from start to finish but let's not count our chickens yet. Remember we blew the Sonics out twice in our home games and then proceeded to suck major ass in game 3, pissing away a possible victory and then getting blown out in game 4. I don't know about the rest of you but game 4 of that series was definitely the low point of the playoffs for me.

The Spurs have to go to the Palace now on a mission to take game 3 at all costs. If we lose two in a row there we're not even coming back to the sanctuary of the SBC for game 5 like with Seattle. We've played some inspired basketball up to this point so lets seal the deal in game 3 so I can pre-order my championship DVD and stock some cold ones in the fridge for the upcoming title party.

:fro

[Jdspur20]

agreed.

[spur219]

I know it's not over. The Spurs need to come out with even more energy in Detroit because a team like Detroit has been known to come back and they will come out shooting and playing very agressive. The Spurs need to match and surpass their intensity and play hard and even better than they did in San Antonio.

[spurster]

Remember the Lakers last year too.

VVV

[SouthernFried]

If Spurs win game 3...the series is over. I don't care if the Pistons win the next 2...the series is over.

If they lose it, all bets are off.

Spurs play like this is a Game 7...and they could seal the deal on Game 3.

[MainEvent]

I tell you what, the way the Spurs are taking the Pistons apart right now, I'm not real hopeful of things changing drastically. Everything is clicking right now for Pop and his team and it seems like they can do no wrong. On the flip side, the Pistons are playing like a team that seeing playoff defense for the first time. It would be nice to see them come together and make this a series, but right now they just look completely out of sync.

[TwoHandJam]

I tell you what, the way the Spurs are taking the Pistons apart right now, I'm not real hopeful of things changing drastically. Everything is clicking right now for Pop and his team and it seems like they can do no wrong. On the flip side, the Pistons are playing like a team that seeing playoff defense for the first time. It would be nice to see them come together and make this a series, but right now they just look completely out of sync.
The Pistons have shot something like 48% at home vs. 40% on the road in these playoffs. For whatever reason, they just haven't shot the ball well on the road but they are a completely different team at home. The Spurs are going to need to play nearly flawless basketball to pull off a game 3 upset because the Pistons surely know they are playing for their season now.

[ctpsb]

Just watch. Bowen and/or Duncan and/or Parker are going to get in early foul trouble. Just watch. These players that have played so well and haven't fouled will now all of a sudden not be able to not commit a foul. BANK ON IT!!! The question is how much "evening up" will be done and whether the Spurs' shooting will be able to overcome it.

[GhostofAlfrederickHughes]

Good advice. The last two wins will be much harder to get than the first 2.
My personal prediction is the Spurs lose Game 3, but win Games 4 & 5.

But then again, I wouldn't have thought they'd close Phoenix out in 5!

[SPARKY]

The difference between this series and the WC Semifinals is that the Sonics were a changed team after the injuries to Radmanovic and Lewis. Those injuries forced the Sonics to change significantly by the time they were headed back to Seattle...changing into a rotation and gameplan that was much more conducive to making life miserable for the Spurs.

LB has tried to do a little of that in this series, going small at times, yet that takes the Pistons away from the defensive rotations they count on to keep themselves in the game at all times.

Maybe LB has a few more tricks up his sleeve, but I doubt it. He knows that it was crucial for his team to get a split in SA before heading back to Detroit. Sure, they may be able to win 3 in a row at home, but that is something they shouldn't count on.

[weebo]

Its over. The pistons are beat.

[SPARKY]

Its over. The pistons are beat.

It's a bit early to call the series. One thing that seems to be overlooked is that the Spurs are a much tougher road team than home team in these playoffs, at least IMO.

[Solid D]

True, if the Spurs miss 15 FTs like they did in Game 3 in Washington (19-34), even FG production like Sunday evening's gets diluted.

[DDS4]

Tim said in the postgame that the Spurs have lost a series when up 2-0 before. They're fully aware of that and I don't think complacency will settle in. Pop will make sure of that.

The Spurs are gonna have to fight human nature of relaxing in game 3.

[beirmeistr]

One gigantic difference---Manu was not a starter in games 3 and 4 of Sonic series.

[boutons]

Spurs are playing much better ball since the 2 losses vs Sonics, MUCH BETTER.

and I'm sure the Spurs remember the Sonics AND Lakers May 04.

[1Parker1]

I think Pistons Game 2 loss falls on Larry Brown. It didn't look like he made proper adjustments from game 1, he didn't motivate his team when they were down, he let the refs get to his head also when he should have been telling his players to forget the refs and play how they've played the past 82 games and play the way that got them here in the first place. He should have prepared Billups better for Game 2--he was defferring too much to big ben and Wallace and forcing lazy passes. He should have come up with better plays for Prince so that Manu would have had to actually work on the defensive end. And he should have figure out better screens to free up Hamilton.

....Not that I am complaing that he didn't do any of this :)

[TwoHandJam]

Spurs are playing much better ball since the 2 losses vs Sonics, MUCH BETTER.

and I'm sure the Spurs remember the Sonics AND Lakers May 04.
I sure hope so because I didn't see a team that had learned its lesson going into game four against the Sonics. That fucking game took years off my life because I was expecting a big rebound from the tragic loss only to have the Sonics blow us out while career losers like Jerome James talked shit about us in the press. If I never see a game like that one again it'll be too soon.

That being said, I agree that we're playing much better ball right now and Tim is in way better shape but I can't stress enough how much the Spurs can't relax. We play flawless ball and pull this one out, we're golden man.

Pop better have these guys ready for war because we can pretty much secure our title next game.

Do it Pop. :hat

[SPARKY]

LB has tried the one trick that concerned me the most: going small and screen rolling the Spurs to death. He might go back to that at home. That's the achilles heel of the Spurs' halfcourt defense.

Given how the Spurs are prone to dropping an egg or two at home this postseason I feel really good about their prospects since they managed not to do that again so far in this series.

I think Detroit is a different animal when they are the hunted instead of the hunter. Game 3 is going to be the most competitive game thusfar in the series.

[Jimcs50]

Last night's game was simply amazing and a joy to watch from start to finish but let's not count our chickens yet. Remember we blew the Sonics out twice in our home games and then proceeded to suck major ass in game 3, pissing away a possible victory and then getting blown out in game 4. I don't know about the rest of you but game 4 of that series was definitely the low point of the playoffs for me.

The Spurs have to go to the Palace now on a mission to take game 3 at all costs. If we lose two in a row there we're not even coming back to the sanctuary of the SBC for game 5 like with Seattle. We've played some inspired basketball up to this point so lets seal the deal in game 3 so I can pre-order my championship DVD and stock some cold ones in the fridge for the upcoming title party.

:fro


The Spurs are healthy now, they were not then.

This series is over, it was over when it started.

The only question is, will Detroit win 1 or 2 games at home.

I hope 2, because I want to win my bet.

:)

[td4mvp3]

and at least seattle had made some improvement between the blowouts. they lost by 22 or something in game one and then lost by 17. the pistons have gone the other way. lose by 15 game 1 and then by 21 in game two.

[T Park]

Do it Pop

yeah, cause if they lose, its all pop's fault.

[1Parker1]

yeah, cause if they lose, its all pop's fault.

Of course, it's always Pop's fault when we lose. He makes poor substitutions, poor adjustments, and he doesn't motivate his team to play harder and better.

Sincerely,
Aggie Hoopsfan :)

[T Park]

^^^

now now, your only a TRUE fan if you bash your coach, and not your players.

When called on it, well well well no one complains about the coach and its ALWAYS THE PLAYERS!!!


Its predictable everytime, anytime the Spurs go througha little bit of an offensive drought, or whatever, its ALWAYS on teh forum "Fuckin pop", "Your my hero Pop"

blah blah blah.

[TwoHandJam]

Can you please try and not sully a decent thread with misplaced bullshit? A plea to get Pop to rally the troops (with a :hat no less signifying a positive slant) somehow disintegrates into TPark's tired dogma that everyone blames Pop for the team's failures?

How do you interpret "Do it Pop. :hat" as "Do it Pop you fucking asshole or I'll blame you if the Spurs come out flat." ?

GMAFB. :rolleyes

Kindly hijack some other topic with your retarded takes if you need to push your own agenda.

[Jimcs50]

Can you please try and not sully a decent thread with misplaced bullshit? A plea to get Pop to rally the troops (with a :hat no less signifying a positive slant) somehow disintegrates into TPark's tired dogma that everyone blames Pop for the team's failures?

How do you interpret "Do it Pop. :hat" as "Do it Pop you fucking asshole or I'll blame you if the Spurs come out flat." ?

GMAFB. :rolleyes

Kindly hijack some other topic with your retarded takes if you need to push your own agenda.



TPark is the King of thread sulliers.

:)