Bright Spots After Game 4

[timvp]

That loss definitely stings but this isn't the time for the Spurs to fold. It's now a best of three series with the Spurs having two of those games at home. Not exactly the end of the world.

Are the Spurs the better team? I don't know; these Thunder are damn good. I think OKC has a higher ceiling but the Spurs have the lower floor. We'll see which matters more in these last two games. Hopefully having two games in San Antonio will make a difference. I believe it will.

Here are some bright spots heading into Game 5:

-Parker and Ginobili aren't going to play worse. Parker was missing in action and Ginobili had six of the team's ten turnovers while not being assertive enough in his touches. Game 5 is going to be better for both.

-Kawhi Leonard is not afraid. The kid is a beast. He was 0.1 seconds away from having 20 points on 8-for-9 shooting.

-Neal and Jackson have the needed nvts to play in this situation.

-Matt Vaginner is hopefully out of the rotation for good.

-After a slow start, Duncan looked more like Duncan later in Game 4. You gotta think the best of his series is yet to come.

-Diaw is getting more assertive. The Spurs need even more of that going forward.

-Pop may have found something with Blair. The Spurs need toughness and is there anybody tougher than a 6-foot-5 guy with no ACLs who made it all the way to the NBA as a center? I'm not sure there is.

-Splitter should be given another shot but I wouldn't hesitate to go back to Blair if Splitter can't gain position in the low block against guards.

-Green shoots better at home and his stroke looked better tonight. Let's hope he has a hot streak left in him this season. He's been hot and cold all year.

-I know the Spurs aren't an elite defensive team or anything close to that but you gotta think they can muster up a better effort than we've seen lately.

Championships aren't easy.

This will make winning it all even more satisfying.

Believe.

[mexicanjunior]

-Matt Vaginner is hopefully out of the rotation for good.


Only way this happens is if Popovich Bob Hill's himself and Budenholzer takes the reigns Monday night...

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Ain't skeered, yet..

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Is Duncan tired

Is Parker tired

Why didit take so long for teams to figure out you can guard splitter with a shooting guard?

[timtonymanu]

Good points, timvp. I'm still not worried. The Thunder arena is a difficult place to win. I do hope Bonner has kicked himself out of the rotation for good.

Our guys have to regroup back home.

Believe. Go Spurs Go!!!

[slick'81]

our depth is gone bonner ,splitter and green were all thought to play key roles and r no shows.

n yes tony needs to figure out thabo asap

[benefactor]

Spurs in 7. It was my gut feeling and my first prediction from the beginning. Looks as if it will come to pass.

[ducks]

the goal tending call that was not called was stupid parker
had Kawhi Leonard 3 point before half counted
total different outcome

thunder went on the roll as SOON AS booner stepped on the court and never looked back

[Spurs Brazil]

I don't think Pop will play Blair and Tiago together. I think we may see a lineup change and Blair can start with TD and Tiago and Boris off the bench. I don't know why but Pop loves Bonner but after today I think it's the end of the line for the choker

Keep starting Green. See how he does in the 1st 6 minutes and decide his minutes after that.

Manu and Tony need to play better.

[Admidave50]

Well said LJ!

Silver lining is I may come to San Antonio sooner and be there for game 7! :p

GO SPURS GO

[greyforest]

maybe the remaining games won't be giftwrapped by referees! we'll have to wait and find out

[sananspursfan21]

I think greens last second buzzer beater 3 is a defining moment for playoff version of danny

[Manu-20]

I said spurs in 5 and it could of been if OKC bigs didn't go god mode on us in game 4, I really dont know why so many people are worried about game 5 spurs have a very good chance at taking that game and our role players play better at home OKC's dont. Another factor is that blair tonight has put himself in the seat to get bonners mins in game 5 which will help us out huge having both him and Jax on the floor.

[ducks]

Is Duncan tired

Is Parker tired

Why didit take so long for teams to figure out you can guard splitter with a shooting guard?

duncan figured out perkins
he was fine in second half

[Knoxxx]

I doubt ibaka will go 11 for 11 again.

Maybe we can get a goaltend at home.

Not switching a small guard onto durant should be an easy adjustment to make.

[LakerHater]

Spurs had a chance to steal this one but...Nothing really happening, jus home teams winning!!

[SenorSpur]

The elephant in the room for me, aside from Bonner's annual playoff choking, has been the continued poor play of Manu. From an array of ill-advised shots, unforced turnovers and the killer - his utterly careless passing.

We've all watched Manu for years and somehow his competitiveness, his skill level, and sheer will have always somehow exceeded his costly turnovers. I love the guy like everybody else, but now that he's older and his skills have declined a bit, his careless turnovers are killing this team. It's unforgivable for a player of his status to be so damn careless with the ball.

I still believe Spurs will prevail, but Manu, and many others, have got to get their act together. Of course, let's give OKC some credit because they are forcing the Spurs into these offensive droughts.

Spurs in 6

Believe

[slick'81]

The elephant in the room for me, aside from Bonner's annual playoff choking, has been the continued poor play of Manu. From an array of ill-advised shots, unforced turnovers and the killer - his utterly careless passing.

We've all watched Manu for years and somehow his competitiveness, his skill level, and sheer will have always somehow exceeded his costly turnovers. I love the guy like everybody else, but now that he's older and his skills have declined a bit, his careless turnovers are killing this team. It's unforgivable for a player of his status to be so damn careless with the ball.



but that is the manu u live with. i guess like u said the eroding skillset is just magnifying it

[polandprzem]

Why talking about bright spots?


:depressed



I was waiting for Durant to get going after frontcourt of OKC dominated.
We were down and I said - we are screwed cause Durant will take over.
He did.

[timvp]

Big Picture: Their bigs go 22-for-25 from the field. You lose by six points.

*loosens the noose*

[Jumi]

We're good. OKC didn't lead the West for most of the season for nothing, they're a damn good squad. There's also a reason, we've won most of the matchups between the two teams. We have HCA, game five will be huge, and we'll see what our team is made of! It's funny, just three days ago, all the posts were saying how they love this team and now it's we can't beat OKC! Things change quickly around here!

:flag:

[Admidave50]

After checking the boxscore:
- If TP scored 20-25 pts, we should have won. TP was soft tonight, he'll bring his A game for next game
- Bonner has been useless in the playoffs, once again, and his +/- minutes of -8 was brutal for this close game
- KD and Ibaka (11/11 FG!!!!) were in "God mode", won't happend for Ibaka in San Antonio

Believe Spurs fans, We got this!!

[polandprzem]

And Jeez LJ
Even tough Bonner played few minutes you need to put a grade on him.
And it definitely need to be an F

That was the worst Bonner possible

[polandprzem]

Big Picture: Their bigs go 22-for-25 from the field. You lose by six points.

*loosens the noose*

But again harden and Westbrook were not that great

Pick the poison

[RodNIc91]

Timvp, now that we're headed to game 5, what adjustments do you think Pop will make? Do you think fatigue is starting to catch up to TD and TP? I won't give up on gino but this isn't definetly his year. How much is it in Tony to win the series?

[Spursmania]

Spurs Brazil, I don't think Pop will change his starting line up and take Diaw our for Blair, tbh. He's pretty stubborn. I would like to see that though. At minimum, he will definitely play Blair more.

I am not jumping off a cliff like so many ridiculous fans because most of us know this is a great team and great teams do not go down easy.

Spurs did play much better tonight. Our role players like Green and Bonner sucked balls, but at home Green and Neal are usually pretty good. Bonner always sucks and hopefully he has now found his place on the bench for good.

[timvp]

Big Picture: Coming into this season, if someone said the Spurs would be in the WCF with the series tied 2-2 with Game 5 at home, every single person in this forum would have been thrilled with that proposition.

The Spurs are experiencing some turbulence after one of the greatest runs ever seen in sport. Thankfully there is still plenty of time to straighten everything out.

[Capt Bringdown]

We've been battling from behind in games 1, 3 and 4. Spurs are in trouble. OKC has figured out how to stop Tony Parker. We know how that ends.

Like the way we battled back in this game, but speaking of elephants in the room, we can't get stops.

[Texas_Ranger]

I bet that Ginger is not out of the lineup... Pop just loves that piece of shit.

[Mugen]

Took Pop 12 playoff games to figure out who's dead weight.

He now knows who has the balls to win this thing. And none of them have bright red hair.

Believe.

[sananspursfan21]

But again harden and Westbrook were not that great

Pick the poison

Ill take the poison where ibaka takes 11 shots please!

[KaiRMD1]

There are brights spots and besides, we all expected a tough series and this series just got tough. We can't say we didn't see this coming (I can because the Spurs did play horrible in game three). Now it's time to readjust, not completely. Bonner CANNOT PLAY AGAIN. Usually he fails us once the playoffs start. It took him until the WCF to lose it which was really just the occasional three. Game 5 will be a turnaround game for the Spurs.

[slick'81]

Took Pop 12 playoff games to figure out who's dead weight.

He now knows who has the balls to win this thing. And none of them have bright red hair.

Believe.


i like blair at home

[Texas_Ranger]

Big 3 needs to step up... Tony was just pathetic, looked like he played for himself.

[roycrikside]

The elephant in the room for me, aside from Bonner's annual playoff choking, has been the continued poor play of Manu. From an array of ill-advised shots, unforced turnovers and the killer - his utterly careless passing.

We've all watched Manu for years and somehow his competitiveness, his skill level, and sheer will have always somehow exceeded his costly turnovers. I love the guy like everybody else, but now that he's older and his skills have declined a bit, his careless turnovers are killing this team. It's unforgivable for a player of his status to be so damn careless with the ball.

I still believe Spurs will prevail, but Manu, and many others, have got to get their act together. Of course, let's give OKC some credit because they are forcing the Spurs into these offensive droughts.

Spurs in 6

Believe

Let me get this straight. You think Manu should shoot LESS? He took 12 shots combined these last two games.

[DPG21920]

Strange series:

First two games OKC has a lot of statistical positive flukes go their way and they drop 2 games. Game 3, their big 3 doesn't do all that much and they win. Game 4 22-25 from their bigs and they barely win.

Just a really fluky series by looking at the boxscores and predicting who likely wins based on the stats.

The one thing that is extremely alarming is the rebounding and energy. That has nothing to do with flukes and the Spurs are struggling. Spurs also hit 11 3's on almost 50% shooting from deep and without that it's not a close game. Can they do that again?

[Russ]

I think OKC has a higher ceiling but the Spurs have the lower floor.

Do you mean the Spurs have the higher floor?

[ducks]

Big Picture: Their bigs go 22-for-25 from the field. You lose by six points.

*loosens the noose*

pop just said if you had a shooting drill they would not be that good

[ploto]

I am the last person to defend Bonner, but the way the Spurs played in the 2 minutes he was on the court was not all on him. He did not cause Manu to make stupid passes.

[timvp]

Do you mean the Spurs have the higher floor?

:lol Thanks for the catch.

[Marco]

Another side of the big picture: Westbrook, Harden, and Fisher go 6-27 and they still win.

[SpursNextRomanEmpire]

That last 3 by Green gives me hope about his shooting. Hopefully something like can give him confidence and it can carry over into the next game.

[TDMVPDPOY]

tp gettin shut down as usual in the playoffs is not news to me, seen this shit all his career yet the clown never adjusts...

our backs against the wall, yet play like chicken shits

[Spursmania]

The elephant in the room for me, aside from Bonner's annual playoff choking, has been the continued poor play of Manu. From an array of ill-advised shots, unforced turnovers and the killer - his utterly careless passing.

We've all watched Manu for years and somehow his competitiveness, his skill level, and sheer will have always somehow exceeded his costly turnovers. I love the guy like everybody else, but now that he's older and his skills have declined a bit, his careless turnovers are killing this team. It's unforgivable for a player of his status to be so damn careless with the ball.

I still believe Spurs will prevail, but Manu, and many others, have got to get their act together. Of course, let's give OKC some credit because they are forcing the Spurs into these offensive droughts.

Spurs in 6


Believe

Senor Spur, those are my sentiments concerning Manu. I'm pretty taken aback with his careless turnovers. Since he's Manu, I know he can turn it up and he does so many little things that win games for us. But his to's did kill us tonight and give me cause for concern. I have much less confidence in his abilities than ever before.

I can pretty much bet on one thing though. He will kick some ass at home in game 5. He's got to be pissed at his performance tonight.

[Mugen]

Early thanks to the Lakers for coming back from down 18 in the RS against the Thunder.

Going to be huge this series.

[TD 21]

Big Picture: Their bigs go 22-for-25 from the field. You lose by six points.

*loosens the noose*

No, but picture, they can't guard this team and the rare occasions they look like they can, it's undone by the officials, them turning it over or a combination of both. Also, their confidence/swagger is out the window and the Thunder's is through the roof.

It's not their style to do so publicly, but privately the Spurs need to go off on the officiating. I don't care how cliche it is, this series is too close to not pull out all the stops and to leave anything to chance. Speaking of which, it's time to start Ginobili and play him at least 35 mpg. If he can't handle that, then fine. But they're not winning this series if he continues to play in the 20's.

[SenorSpur]

Let me get this straight. You think Manu should shoot LESS? He took 12 shots combined these last two games.

You got it wrong. Where did I say he should shoot less?

He needs to stop making careless turnovers and forcing passes into traffic. This team is too quick, too long and they're anticipating his efforts on the pick and roll.

It comes down to making better basketball decisions. Manu is a champion and a smart player. That's why these dumb decisions are so frustrating from a player of his caliber.

[polandprzem]

Big Picture: Coming into this season, if someone said the Spurs would be in the WCF with the series tied 2-2 with Game 5 at home, every single person in this forum would have been thrilled with that proposition.

The Spurs are experiencing some turbulence after one of the greatest runs ever seen in sport. Thankfully there is still plenty of time to straighten everything out.

If someone said 50 yrs ago that San Antonio will have it's own NBA team you would be thrilled

[Spurs4#5]

But again harden and Westbrook were not that great

Pick the poison
if ibaka and perk keep hitting those long outside jumpers than more power to them...keep the same game plan...something tells me ibaka won't go ham again

[timvp]

No, but picture, they can't guard this team and the rare occasions they look like they can, it's undone by the officials, them turning it over or a combination of both. Also, their confidence/swagger is out the window and the Thunder's is through the roof.

It's not their style to do so publicly, but privately the Spurs need to go off on the officiating. I don't care how cliche it is, this series is too close to not pull out all the stops and to leave anything to chance. Speaking of which, it's time to start Ginobili and play him at least 35 mpg. If he can't handle that, then fine. But they're not winning this series if he continues to play in the 20's.

:lol @ TD 21 Meltdown. A few short days ago you were badgering me for giving the Thunder a chance in this series. Suddenly the Spurs "can't guard" the Thunder.

Classic.

[polandprzem]

Ill take the poison where ibaka takes 11 shots please!

You just lost the game

[Yuixafun]

but that is the manu u live with. i guess like u said the eroding skillset is just magnifying it

After that last idiotic turnover across court they the camera flashed to pops reaction.


and I heard the words, 'because he's manu ginobili.;

lol..

[BatManu20]

tp gettin shut down as usual in the playoffs is not news to me, seen this shit all his career yet the clown never adjusts...

our backs against the wall, yet play like chicken shits

Chill dude. Jesus you can't love em when they win and despise and belittle them when they lose. True fans stick with their team and don't insult their players. Unless that player is Matt Bonner. Then insult away. :flag:

[timvp]

If someone said 50 yrs ago that San Antonio will have it's own NBA team you would be thrilled

My grandfather wasn't even born 50 years ago, tnbh.

[timvp]

Timvp, now that we're headed to game 5, what adjustments do you think Pop will make?

Gotta rewatch the game first but I think Pop found some things that he should be able to carry forward.

[LakerHater]

& GotDamn Ibaka goin 11-11... Making every jumper he took!!

[Yuixafun]

Our guys aren't making the smart extra passes... ESPECIALLY MANU...

one time he drove collapsed the defense, wide open neal on the wing, and manu forces it and fails..

[polandprzem]

My grandfather wasn't even born 50 years ago, tnbh.

Bad point

You know what I meant.




The beginning of a season does not count

[SenorSpur]

Spurs have no answer for Ibaka - if he's going to continue to shoot like that.

[Yuixafun]

& GotDamn Ibaka goin 11-11... Making every jumper he took!!

And Durant answered everything the Spurs threw in the 4th.

[TD 21]

:lol @ TD 21 Meltdown. A few short days ago you were badgering me for giving the Thunder a chance in this series. Suddenly the Spurs "can't guard" the Thunder.

Classic.

They can't. Doesn't mean they can't still win it.

And I wasn't badgering you for that, I was badgering you for sitting on the fence.

[polandprzem]

Gotta rewatch the game first but I think Pop found some things that he should be able to carry forward.

You think about that timeout he took when Blair came in?

[Yuixafun]

Spurs have no answer for Ibaka - if he's going to continue to shoot like that.

Perfect? Odds are miniscule he'll do that again. And Perkins had a fine outing too.

[timvp]

They can't. Doesn't mean they can't still win it.

And I wasn't badgering you for that, I was badgering you for sitting on the fence.


The Thunder can't beat the Spurs

Temporary fence sitting > Flip flop when going gets tough

[Obstructed_View]

1. Pace.

2. Pace.

3. Pace.

[LakerHater]

And Durant answered everything the Spurs threw in the 4th.
Man in that 4th, Durant was a beast... he missed only 1 shot... NOONE coulda stoped him in that period!

[sananspursfan21]

You just lost the game

Right but for future reference, i want him taking 11 more a game. If it comes down to making ibaka and durant beating san antonio as opposed to durant and harden or someone capable of more consistantly scoring, sa has a waaayy better chance at winning this series. No way ibaka hits 11 fgs again. Heck i wonder if he could get double digits in san antonio

[dbreiden83080]

Tony has to wake up.. 12 pts and 4 assts in 38 min. Duncan can no longer drag this team across the finish line Tony is the best scorer on the team now..

[Capt Bringdown]

Durant took a giant stride towards greatness tonight.

Meanwhile, TD's choking FT's and Manu's turning it over. Let's see if they've got anything left.

[T Park]

Ibaka shoots 50% you win.

that's how much of a freak game that was.

[dbreiden83080]

Westbrook and Harden combined for 18 fuckin pts.. 18.... This is painful to lose... :bang:bang:bang

[ElNono]

I think we're fine...

We didn't lay another egg: check

Time to win game 5 and put the pressure back on them...

[Bill_Brasky]

Great points. Only way we lose this series is a healthy dose of Bonner or KD going absolute Jordan.

Need some more Blair in Bonner's place.

[dbreiden83080]

Durant took a giant stride towards greatness tonight.
.

Not exactly hard shooting over a guy who is maybe 6 feet...

[mercos]

If the Spurs can play all of game 5 like the they did in the second half of game 4, I think they will be ok. They had a game and a half slump that they are hopefully now out of. Durant saved the day for the Thunder, because without him playing like the top 5 player that he is in the fourth, the Spurs would have come back and won the game. After falling behind by 15 I was impressed with the grit the team showed in fighting back. That fight was never there in game 3. TP has to step his game up, he is the missing link between games 1-2 and 3-4. If he does not get to the rim aggressively, the Thunder are going to win this series.

[ploto]

Ibaka shoots 50% you win.


Leonard shoots 50% and you still lose.

[Capt Bringdown]

Not exactly hard shooting over a guy who is maybe 6 feet...

Maybe, but those are shots he used to miss. Not anymore.

[TD 21]

Temporary fence sitting > Flip flop when going gets tough

Find me the part where I flip flopped . . .

You're as gutless as Bonner. Always looking for silver linings, instead of calling a spade a spade. And then when you encounter someone who actually does so, you accuse them of being fair weather.

[T Park]

Spurs have no answer for Ibaka - if he's going to continue to shoot like that.


No team would.

[dbreiden83080]

-Matt Vaginner is hopefully out of the rotation for good.


How is Bonner in the NBA exactly??

He can't defend
He can't rebound
He is soft as ice cream
He appears to be a dumb player
What can he do??

Make 3's.. If he can't make a 3 he is 100% useless..

That ensures him a roster spot and a 3 mil salary.. I shouldn't have quit playing ball when i was a kid..

[T Park]

You just lost the game

But IMO you wouldnt lose the series.

[slick'81]

How is Bonner in the NBA exactly??

He can't defend
He can't rebound
He is soft as ice cream
He appears to be a dumb player
What can he do??

Make 3's.. If he can't make a 3 he is 100% useless..

That ensures him a roster spot and a 3 mil salary.. I shouldn't have quit playing ball when i was a kid..

u forgot the ultimate criteria for an nba payer...hes tall lmao (6'9)

[TDMVPDPOY]

hopefully they dont get those sort of home cooking calls at the spurs gm5

[team-work]

This team they did fight back from a double-digit deficit to give them at least a chance, better than last game. Just a bit not enough.

Interesting fans including me who begged Pop to play Splitter all season now turns to Blair as potential savior. We will never face Lakers or Memphis again the season, so probably he should have some usefulness. The "matchup" thing is so marvelous that Blair always seems to do positives vs OKC.

As for the shooters (Bonner excluded), just keep shooting.

I have no doubt about the big three giving their best when it matters most.

[Keepin' it real]

I think greens last second buzzer beater 3 is a defining moment for playoff version of danny

Yes, that was very Matt Bonner of him.

[bresilhac]

Spurs have no answer for Ibaka - if he's going to continue to shoot like that.

It is highly unlikely Ibaka will have two perfect shooting nights in a row. Ditto with Perkins and Sefalosha shooting so well also. In fact the chances of those three combining for 21 of 26 again are astronomical. If those three players simply come back down to Earth and play to form the Spurs win easily in game 5. And that would be with the OKC big stars scoring big. Recall the 88 combined points of the OKC big three in game 2. I actually prefer Durant, Westbrook and Harden taking more shots because that will mean these second tier players aren't contributing as much.

[SenorSpur]

The Spurs would be better served if they had a big who was willing to actually go out on the floor and contend his shot attempts. Of course, the way IBaka was shooting tonight, it wouldn't have mattered.

[dbreiden83080]

u forgot the ultimate criteria for an nba payer...hes tall lmao (6'9)

So is my best friend but he's flat footed and unathletic.. Maybe he should have kept shooting 3's...

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Next time don't usurp hemans thread
dets bad karma lol.

[AnthonyM]

The more I sit on it and let myself calm down, the more confidence I gain in the Spurs going into Game 5.

Lol Ibaka and Perkins. Have fun going 18-for-20 in San Antonio...oh wait, you won't.

Don't get me wrong, it's going to be a bloodbath. But the Spurs won't lose three straight. Game 5 will be close the whole way...and the Spurs pull away and win by 8-10 points. Game 6 will be very intense, and the Spurs will be down for a good portion of the game, but they'll grind it out and win a very, VERY close game in OKC. Probably by 2 points.

Our year.

[Capt Bringdown]

The Spurs would be better served if they had a big who was willing to actually go out on the floor and contend his shot attempts. Of course, the way IBaka was shooting tonight, it wouldn't have mattered.

And on the other end, it'd be nice if we had a big who went up strong instead of shooting soft fade aways.

[slick'81]

So is my best friend but he's flat footed and unathletic.. Maybe he should have kept shooting 3's...


hells yeah

[Capt Bringdown]

Shades of last year's Memphis debacle: "surely ____ won't shoot like that next game."

[SenorSpur]

And on the other end, it'd be nice if we had a big who went up strong instead of shooting soft fade aways.

Amen.

[KDtrey5]

Big Picture:

Parker must realize that if he keeps playing like a fucking scrub then he won't be able to pull MVP-candidate level tail.


you wasn't complaining when westbrook was the one playing defense on him:rollin

[dbreiden83080]

Shades of last year's Memphis debacle: "surely ____ won't shoot like that next game."

Tony disappearing...

[Capt Bringdown]

Tony disappearing...
I think it's more of a matter of OKC having a plan and doing a great job.

History shows if you limit Parker, you beat the Spurs.

[dbreiden83080]

The elephant in the room for me, aside from Bonner's annual playoff choking, has been the continued poor play of Manu. From an array of ill-advised shots, unforced turnovers and the killer - his utterly careless passing.

We've all watched Manu for years and somehow his competitiveness, his skill level, and sheer will have always somehow exceeded his costly turnovers. I love the guy like everybody else, but now that he's older and his skills have declined a bit, his careless turnovers are killing this team. It's unforgivable for a player of his status to be so damn careless with the ball.

I still believe Spurs will prevail, but Manu, and many others, have got to get their act together. Of course, let's give OKC some credit because they are forcing the Spurs into these offensive droughts.

Spurs in 6

Believe

If i see Manu throw one more lazy bounce pass that gets tipped or run back for an easy 2 i am gonna chuck my remote through the plasma...

[dbreiden83080]

Big Picture: Coming into this season, if someone said the Spurs would be in the WCF with the series tied 2-2 with Game 5 at home, every single person in this forum would have been thrilled with that proposition.

The Spurs are experiencing some turbulence after one of the greatest runs ever seen in sport. Thankfully there is still plenty of time to straighten everything out.

True but a game 5 loss ends the season we all know that.. They can win in 6 if they take game 5 IMO but down 3-2 with that crowd they'll be down 20 by halftime.

[racm]

Bright spots:

The Spurs played two games in the most hostile arena they've faced so far. I say hostile not merely due to the fan atmosphere, but the officiating pandering to the home crowd.

A 12 point deficit at the half was cut down to 6 at the end, and that was even with Durant displaying his clutch gene, and Ibaka and Perkins shooting lights out.

DeJuan Blair is showing why he deserves to be the third big on the roster. Personally I think Timmeh (near the end of the 4th), Diaw, and Blair get a pass.

The Manu who played well in the first two games vanished. Either the home crowd got to him or it's a sign of something more sinister (pun fully intended).

The Thunder have figured out Tony Parker. So what can he do? force the issue.

Matt Bonner shit the bed again. No surprise tbh. Splitter likewise seems to be out of rhythm after they hacked him in game 2.

While I am concerned with Danny Green his issue isn't that he doesn't get good looks, it's that he probably crossed a black cat or something :lol. His shots aren't airballing, but quite a few went in and out.

The most crucial advantage two evenly matched teams have is home court advantage, and I am thankful the Spurs have it.

[dbreiden83080]

I think it's more of a matter of OKC having a plan and doing a great job.

History shows if you limit Parker, you beat the Spurs.

OKC should not be limiting him to 12 pts in 38 min. He scored 34 in game 2.. This is not just about adjustments Tony is backing down.. He needs to man up...

[polandprzem]

No team would.

Contest the shot, not leave the man open for sake. Change his rhythm, do something. He is killing you.


I was so furious that I was cursing and throwing pillows like crazy

[TMTTRIO]

Manu's been making awful decisions even for the couple of decent playoff games he's had this season. I can see the turnovers and the misses before he even does it. Even if he lost some of his play due to age he can still make better decisions. His decision making has been awful. No wonder he's only playing a little more than 20 minutes in the playoffs.

[ElNono]

How is Bonner in the NBA exactly??

He can't defend
He can't rebound
He is soft as ice cream
He appears to be a dumb player
What can he do??

Make 3's.. If he can't make a 3 he is 100% useless..

That ensures him a roster spot and a 3 mil salary.. I shouldn't have quit playing ball when i was a kid..

You just noticed? :lol

When Matt Bonner leaves the Spurs he'll turn in Roger Mason Jr version 2.0... he'll be scrapping to find a seat at the end of the bench somewhere...

[UZER]

I posted this in another thread:


"Bonner only played two minutes"


In those two minutes, the Thunder went on a 10 - 0 run and got into a rhythm in this game

It was 19-12 when Bonner checks in with 4:04 left in first qtr..KD at the line for 2....19-14

Bonner gets pass, up-fakes, drives in lane, passes to Timmy on bassline with 8 seconds on shot clock and runs away from the play. Bad shot Timmy, Perkins beats Bonner down the floor for dunk. Pop timeout......19-16

Bonner passes on three, shoots 19 ftr....brick...OKC comes down, Bonner does not block out Ibaka for tip in.....19-18

Bonner sets horrible pick for Gino and rolls off...pass from Manu gets tipped and stolen....Manu steals ball back....runs pick and roll with Timmy....Timmy take 18 ftr and misses.....with Bonner at three point line, nobody is down low for rebound...OKC comes down...Bonner loses Collison on D....Collison get uncontested dunk....19-20

Bonner again set worthless pick and rolls to 3 pt line...Parker desperately spins in lane for layup...misses....Kd comes down, gets fouled hits two free throws......2:01 on the clock...19-22


I won't blame the first two points on Bonner since KD was already at the line, but for those of you that think Bonner did not do any damage in "only 2 minutes", you guys are completely wrong. The Thunder were playing with no energy and were out of sync until Bonner checked in. Then they got rolling.

[DPG21920]

By the way, those aren't bright spots - they're stars. You tend to see those when you have been stomped.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

1. I don't think their 3 bigs will score this way ever again. I hope OKC realizes how lucky they were tonight.

2. I think we will see more Blair time

3. I love Manu - he's one of the reasons I became a Spurs fan but he needs to stop trying those "under the legs" passes. The number of TOs are getting ridiculous.

4. Think the Spurs did a solid against both Harden and Westbrook on both games they lost. Other "intangibles" actually won the games for OKC

5. We will see some nasty on game 5. The Spurs are now against the wall.

6. This was a game the Spurs should and could have won easily. Pop is starting to tweak a little bit and I can see more of this going forward. This is the exact time when you need to use all the pages in the book.

[dbreiden83080]

I posted this in another thread:


"Bonner only played two minutes"


In those two minutes, the Thunder went on a 10 - 0 run and got into a rhythm in this game

It was 19-12 when Bonner checks in with 4:04 left in first qtr..KD at the line for 2....19-14

Bonner gets pass, up-fakes, drives in lane, passes to Timmy on bassline with 8 seconds on shot clock and runs away from the play. Bad shot Timmy, Perkins beats Bonner down the floor for dunk. Pop timeout......19-16

Bonner passes on three, shoots 19 ftr....brick...OKC comes down, Bonner does not block out Ibaka for tip in.....19-18

Bonner sets horrible pick for Gino and rolls off...pass from Manu gets tipped and stolen....Manu steals ball back....runs pick and roll with Timmy....Timmy take 18 ftr and misses.....with Bonner at three point line, nobody is down low for rebound...OKC comes down...Bonner loses Collison on D....Collison get uncontested dunk....19-20

Bonner again set worthless pick and rolls to 3 pt line...Parker desperately spins in lane for layup...misses....Kd comes down, gets fouled hits two free throws......2:01 on the clock...19-22


I won't blame the first two points on Bonner since KD was already at the line, but for those of you that think Bonner did not do any damage in "only 2 minutes", you guys are completely wrong. The Thunder were playing with no energy and were out of sync until Bonner checked in. Then they got rolling.

If his ass is not glued to the bench in game 5 Pop is trying to lose the series.. He is just useles...

[racm]

1. I don't think their 3 bigs will score this way ever again. I hope OKC realizes how lucky they were tonight.

2. I think we will see more Blair time

3. I love Manu - he's one of the reasons I became a Spurs fan but he needs to stop trying those "under the legs" passes. The number of TOs are getting ridiculous.

4. Think the Spurs did a solid against both Harden and Westbrook on both games they lost. Other "intangibles" actually won the games for OKC

5. We will see some nasty on game 5. The Spurs are now against the wall.

6. This was a game the Spurs should and could have won easily. Pop is starting to tweak a little bit and I can see more of this going forward. This is the exact time when you need to use all the pages in the book.

They won the second half with the exception of Durant's hot shooting in the 4th imo. Pop has found something that works.

[dbreiden83080]

I was wrong about Blair coming in


he needs more time in game 5..

Tony has to wake up
Manu has to give us much more... Stupid TO's are killing us..
Timmy needs a vintage game he has to dig down deep...
Hopefully Green gets his shot going
More Blair
Jackson must guard Durant in the big spot nomatter what..


Believe... :flag:

[UZER]

I'm still not worried as a Spurs fan...

Ibaka was unconscious. If he misses just 3 shots, which would still put him at 72% for the night, its a different ball game. Instead he goes 11-11 and we still only lose by 6. I would give him the same shots in the next game and dare him to come close to that shooting again.

Spurs need to execute better, but I'm not worried.....yet. Just take care of business at home and the pressure shifts to OKC.

[Venti Quattro]

...Ginobili's bald spot

[SenorSpur]

Manu's been making awful decisions even for the couple of decent playoff games he's had this season. I can see the turnovers and the misses before he even does it. Even if he lost some of his play due to age he can still make better decisions. His decision making has been awful. No wonder he's only playing a little more than 20 minutes in the playoffs.

To me, Manu needs to adjust his game and his decision-making. Athletically, he is unable to do some of the things he used to do. By the same token, as he's gotten older, it would seem that he should be taking less calculated risks - for the team sake. It's easier said that done. As a veteran and as for a player as decorated as he, he shouldn't be making these careless plays. His reputation gets him a pass with most, but that's no excuse. In fact it makes it even more inexcusable. He's not a young player anymore. He should be playing smarter and wiser. Sometimes, making the safe, yet effective play is much better than taking the risk of making the spectacular play that leads to failure, turnover and a converted basket on the other end. He just needs to pick his spots and take care of the ball better. The Spurs do not have a large margin for error against this team.

[KDtrey5]

They won the second half with the exception of Durant's hot shooting in the 4th imo. Pop has found something that works.

Thabo wasn't playing any 4th quarter minutes so gregg didn't find nothing. All i know is fisher better get 4th quarter minutes anymore.

[AFBlue]

Big Picture: Their bigs go 22-for-25 from the field. You lose by six points.

*loosens the noose*

Can't just assume the Spurs will limit them in Game 5. The Spurs are gonna have to put work in early and not let them establish a rythym. Contest shots, box out! They don't do that and they can expect a similar result.

[roycrikside]

People need to calm down about Ginobili's turnovers. Only two or three of them were of the careless variety. There were two charge calls that should've been blocks and were bad calls and the final turnover was off a called play where Neal was supposed to be wide open but Sefolosha was there to steal the pass because Duncan missed the screen.

That being said, everyone and their mother knows the pass to Tiago is coming off the screen and roll and he needs to start either driving hard to the rim or taking the safe pass to the wing. That pass to the center is just not there. It seems all series he's been more effective initiating from the wing than from the top of the key, and I have no idea why Pop stubbornly keeps trying to initiate plays with him from the top of the key. It's just not working. The paint is too crowded, too many long arms. Let him go from the wings and the baseline.

[LakerHater]

...Ginobili's bald spothttp://uppix.net/f/0/f/1bee3d0e4ff850ddbe6afdc98d602.jpg

[Rapper]

Championships aren't easy.

This will make winning it all even more satisfying.

Believe.

well said

[gameFACE]

Spurs in 6 and it will be a traditional "hold serve" series until Game 6 when the Spurs take it in Game 6 (ie W-W-L-L-W-W).
;) All part of the plan...........

[Venti Quattro]

All is not lost for the Spurs. The Lakers gave the Suns a thorough beating in Games 1 & 2 of the 2010 WCF but lost Games 3 & 4. So they came home in Game 5, and then closed it out in Game 6.

[Budkin]

The way the Spurs fought back made me feel much better. Had KD not bailed them out, we win this game.

[racm]

The way the Spurs fought back made me feel much better. Had KD not bailed them out, we win this game.

The Spurs won the second half and are heading back to SA. This bodes well.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

OKC really can't play better than that - suffocating D, Ibaka+Perkins+Collison= 22/25!!!, Durant on fire for 16 in the 4th... let's hope they don't repeat that level of performance because no team could beat that.

Spurs fought back and actually played pretty well at both ends, were simply beaten by a better team on the day. Not a damn thing you can do about that.

Time for us to wrest back the momentum with a tough game 5 win.

[racm]

OKC really can't play better than that - suffocating D, Ibaka+Perkins+Collison= 22/25!!!, Durant on fire for 16 in the 4th... let's hope they don't repeat that level of performance because no team could beat that.

Spurs fought back and actually played pretty well at both ends, were simply beaten by a better team on the day. Not a damn thing you can do about that.

Time for us to wrest back the momentum with a tough game 5 win.

Playing at a hostile arena, Big men shooting like mad, Durant having ice in his veins, down 12 at halftime...

And only lost by 6.

:ihit

[silverblk mystix]

I posted this in another thread:


"Bonner only played two minutes"


In those two minutes, the Thunder went on a 10 - 0 run and got into a rhythm in this game

It was 19-12 when Bonner checks in with 4:04 left in first qtr..KD at the line for 2....19-14

Bonner gets pass, up-fakes, drives in lane, passes to Timmy on bassline with 8 seconds on shot clock and runs away from the play. Bad shot Timmy, Perkins beats Bonner down the floor for dunk. Pop timeout......19-16

Bonner passes on three, shoots 19 ftr....brick...OKC comes down, Bonner does not block out Ibaka for tip in.....19-18

Bonner sets horrible pick for Gino and rolls off...pass from Manu gets tipped and stolen....Manu steals ball back....runs pick and roll with Timmy....Timmy take 18 ftr and misses.....with Bonner at three point line, nobody is down low for rebound...OKC comes down...Bonner loses Collison on D....Collison get uncontested dunk....19-20

Bonner again set worthless pick and rolls to 3 pt line...Parker desperately spins in lane for layup...misses....Kd comes down, gets fouled hits two free throws......2:01 on the clock...19-22


I won't blame the first two points on Bonner since KD was already at the line, but for those of you that think Bonner did not do any damage in "only 2 minutes", you guys are completely wrong. The Thunder were playing with no energy and were out of sync until Bonner checked in. Then they got rolling.

This should be Pop's wake up call once and for all.

Everything on the line. Years and years of this Bonner bullshit. Told everybody that a team with Bonner in the rotation will never win a championship. Now Pop is the one that will decide if there is a title or not.

Like I said before, can the Spurs win a title DESPITE Pop?

Pop must bury Bonner for good.

[therealtruth]

Our role players will play better at home including Bonner.

[KenziE]

i posted this in another thread:


"bonner only played two minutes"


in those two minutes, the thunder went on a 10 - 0 run and got into a rhythm in this game

it was 19-12 when bonner checks in with 4:04 left in first qtr..kd at the line for 2....19-14

bonner gets pass, up-fakes, drives in lane, passes to timmy on bassline with 8 seconds on shot clock and runs away from the play. Bad shot timmy, perkins beats bonner down the floor for dunk. Pop timeout......19-16

bonner passes on three, shoots 19 ftr....brick...okc comes down, bonner does not block out ibaka for tip in.....19-18

bonner sets horrible pick for gino and rolls off...pass from manu gets tipped and stolen....manu steals ball back....runs pick and roll with timmy....timmy take 18 ftr and misses.....with bonner at three point line, nobody is down low for rebound...okc comes down...bonner loses collison on d....collison get uncontested dunk....19-20

bonner again set worthless pick and rolls to 3 pt line...parker desperately spins in lane for layup...misses....kd comes down, gets fouled hits two free throws......2:01 on the clock...19-22


i won't blame the first two points on bonner since kd was already at the line, but for those of you that think bonner did not do any damage in "only 2 minutes", you guys are completely wrong. The thunder were playing with no energy and were out of sync until bonner checked in. Then they got rolling.


this !

[MannyIsGod]

Big Picture: Their bigs go 22-for-25 from the field. You lose by six points.

*loosens the noose*

Outside of Ibaka hitting some jumpers, this is more of an indicator how much OKC was able to exploit the Spurs off rotations.

[quentin_compson]

If we're looking for bright spots, then Duncan figuring out how to get himself better shots against Perkins is definitely one. The Spurs don't need Tim to score 20 PPG, but him being able to score somewhat efficiently would be nice.
Also, Leonard and Jackson were an asset offensively, making threes and finishing at the rim.

On the other hand, the defense was quite worrying. Sure, Ibaka was in videogame mode with his midrange shot, and that probably won't happen again. But too often, the Spurs left one of the Thunder's bigs wide open underneath the basket after P'n'Rs or Durant penetrations. That's something they have to fix. Also, Parker ending up having to defend Durant down the stretch three or four possessions in a row when you're desperate for stops is just suicidal. Durant was having a great game, but the least you can do is making it a bit harder for him to score.

I think the problem for the Spurs right now is that the brand of team basketball that made them so successful relies on crisp passing and the ability of the role players to get into good positions and knock down shots. Right now, we have guys like Green and Splitter who are struggling offensively (not to mention Bonner), and then a playmaker like Manu having a hard time to pass the ball without throwing it away.
Another big thing is the pace of the game. If the Thunder defense is able to control the tempo of the game in halfcourt sets, then the Spurs are in big trouble, especially if Tony and Manu aren't able to bail them out with some timely individual baskets.

[polandprzem]

Without Danny and with TP struggling we have no firepower on O and we can't save our lives on D.

Kawhi needs to stay hot on ofense, and we need more TP and Manu, better picks and motion.

How come Thunder stopped spurs motion so effectively?
Spurs again are trying not to pass that much to limit turnovers but IMO disturbed motion is a bigger problem

[midnightpulp]

I think the Spurs accomplished what they set out to do this game. If you told me they were going to shoot 50% from the field, 48% from 3, keep even on the offensive glass, and limit their turnovers to 10 while holding Russell Westbrook and James Harden to a combined 18 points on 6-23 shooting, I say they win the game 8 out of 10 times. It was just unfortunate for the Spurs that Ibaka was 6-6 on his jumpshots and that Kevin Durant went into God mode. Not much you can do other than tip your hat.

In hindsight, the only things the Spurs could have done differently is not play the red-headed faggot one single minute and given Blair about 10 more minutes. Still scratching my head why Pop lost faith in him so quickly when it was obvious he was making a positive impact. If there was any game in which you could afford to gamble on him, this was it. The stakes are now too high to take a flyer on Blair.

[angelbelow]

Couldn't watch tonight's game.. sucks to see that we lost.

Even more disappointing to hear that some of our players failed to show up again.

[CubanMustGo]

Just remember the 2005 NBA Finals. SA shitkicked Detroit at home, then went and got hammered twice in Michigan. Thankfully we get to come home for Game 5 instead of having to pull it out on the road. Speaking of which, hopefully Pop pulls his head out and doesn't waste any more time with Bonner, aka Mr. Regular Season.

[ManuTastic]

No way Ibaka shoots jumpers at 1000% success rate again. If he had his normal game last night we'd have won.

It's called home court Advantage and we've got it in this series. Gotta hold serve.

[Sportcamper]

Thought Durant backing down the triple team was darn impressive…Ginobili & Duncan defy time…Both are two fisted SOB's...Tony Parker not so much...

[Basketball Power]

I'm confident we take game 5, easily even

[Capt Bringdown]

Just remember the 2005 NBA Finals. SA shitkicked Detroit at home, then went and got hammered twice in Michigan. Thankfully we get to come home for Game 5 instead of having to pull it out on the road. Speaking of which, hopefully Pop pulls his head out and doesn't waste any more time with Bonner, aka Mr. Regular Season.

I watch the video of that game 5 every now and then. Horry's stature grows with each viewing.

Horry sure was a great guy to have around when rest of the team was playing scared.

[SenorSpur]

People need to calm down about Ginobili's turnovers. Only two or three of them were of the careless variety. There were two charge calls that should've been blocks and were bad calls and the final turnover was off a called play where Neal was supposed to be wide open but Sefolosha was there to steal the pass because Duncan missed the screen.

That being said, everyone and their mother knows the pass to Tiago is coming off the screen and roll and he needs to start either driving hard to the rim or taking the safe pass to the wing. That pass to the center is just not there. It seems all series he's been more effective initiating from the wing than from the top of the key, and I have no idea why Pop stubbornly keeps trying to initiate plays with him from the top of the key. It's just not working. The paint is too crowded, too many long arms. Let him go from the wings and the baseline.

I knew there would be some here that would get touchy of any criticism of Ginobili and his carelessness. We're not talking one game - it's the entire playoffs. Anyone who's watched these games with an unbiased eye knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about. When a team is losing, no player is above criticism - not even Ginobili.

If this were Parker, he would be getting killed on this board. Ginobili greatness is undeniable, which makes it all the more inexcusable for a player of his caliber to lack such attention to details. Ginobili is a playmaker - and supposedly a smart one at that. He just needs to stop making dumb plays that continuously cost the team possessions. Just the same way Duncan needs to stop taking ill-advised, off-balance fadeaways, while falling out of bounds and looking for calls.

Possessions are critical in the playoffs. The star players should be setting the example for not only making plays, but making smart plays.

[SenorSpur]

Just remember the 2005 NBA Finals. SA shitkicked Detroit at home, then went and got hammered twice in Michigan. Thankfully we get to come home for Game 5 instead of having to pull it out on the road. Speaking of which, hopefully Pop pulls his head out and doesn't waste any more time with Bonner, aka Mr. Regular Season.

I remember it well and I see where you're going with this. However, the fact is past history has nothing whatsoever to do with these playoffs.

I certainly hope and believe the Spurs will end this in six, but it will be a daunting task. This Thunder team is arguably one of the most talented teams the Spurs have combated in a series in years.

[TampaDude]

If we had gotten blown out again in Game 4, then I would be worried, but it took a combo of freak shooting by OKC and some horribly biased officiating for the Thunder to pull out a close win.

Whoever wins Game 5 will win the WCF...and that team will be the Spurs. Book it.

[Obstructed_View]

I continue to mourn the death of the Spurs' fast break.

[The Reckoning]

i have something new to drink about :tu

[GrandeDavid]

If we had gotten blown out again in Game 4, then I would be worried, but it took a combo of freak shooting by OKC and some horribly biased officiating for the Thunder to pull out a close win.

Whoever wins Game 5 will win the WCF...and that team will be the Spurs. Book it.

This is exactly how I feel. It was also stunning how quickly the Spurs fell apart in Games 3 and 4 when Matt Bonner stepped on the floor.

[GrandeDavid]

I posted this in another thread:


"Bonner only played two minutes"


In those two minutes, the Thunder went on a 10 - 0 run and got into a rhythm in this game

It was 19-12 when Bonner checks in with 4:04 left in first qtr..KD at the line for 2....19-14

Bonner gets pass, up-fakes, drives in lane, passes to Timmy on bassline with 8 seconds on shot clock and runs away from the play. Bad shot Timmy, Perkins beats Bonner down the floor for dunk. Pop timeout......19-16

Bonner passes on three, shoots 19 ftr....brick...OKC comes down, Bonner does not block out Ibaka for tip in.....19-18

Bonner sets horrible pick for Gino and rolls off...pass from Manu gets tipped and stolen....Manu steals ball back....runs pick and roll with Timmy....Timmy take 18 ftr and misses.....with Bonner at three point line, nobody is down low for rebound...OKC comes down...Bonner loses Collison on D....Collison get uncontested dunk....19-20

Bonner again set worthless pick and rolls to 3 pt line...Parker desperately spins in lane for layup...misses....Kd comes down, gets fouled hits two free throws......2:01 on the clock...19-22


I won't blame the first two points on Bonner since KD was already at the line, but for those of you that think Bonner did not do any damage in "only 2 minutes", you guys are completely wrong. The Thunder were playing with no energy and were out of sync until Bonner checked in. Then they got rolling.

Perfect assessment of what happened. Bonner is not NBA playoff caliber. In the regular season teams don't prepare for every role player like they do in the playoffs. It's literally 5 on 4 in the playoffs when Bonner is on the floor...actually more like 5 on 3.5 due to the negative impact of his detrimental inactivity.

[TampaDude]

Take that SNL spoof of Stephen A. Smith and replace "Bosh" with "Bonner". :lol

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Big Picture: Their bigs go 22-for-25 from the field. You lose by six points.

*loosens the noose*

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I knew there would be some here that would get touchy of any criticism of Ginobili and his carelessness. We're not talking one game - it's the entire playoffs. Anyone who's watched these games with an unbiased eye knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about. When a team is losing, no player is above criticism - not even Ginobili.

If this were Parker, he would be getting killed on this board. Ginobili greatness is undeniable, which makes it all the more inexcusable for a player of his caliber to lack such attention to details. Ginobili is a playmaker - and supposedly a smart one at that. He just needs to stop making dumb plays that continuously cost the team possessions. Just the same way Duncan needs to stop taking ill-advised, off-balance fadeaways, while falling out of bounds and looking for calls.

Possessions are critical in the playoffs. The star players should be setting the example for not only making plays, but making smart plays.

Senorspur.is correct.

I'm pretty sure the first thing Manu has done in his first possession every game this series is make a bad pass turnover.

Its unacceptable

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Just remember the 2005 NBA Finals. SA shitkicked Detroit at home, then went and got hammered twice in Michigan. Thankfully we get to come home for Game 5 instead of having to pull it out on the road. Speaking of which, hopefully Pop pulls his head out and doesn't waste any more time with Bonner, aka Mr. Regular Season.

The finals are 2-3-2 not 2-2-1-1-1

[Fpoonsie]

The finals are 2-3-2 not 2-2-1-1-1

Um. Isn't that exactly what he said?

[SourCandy]

-Kawhi Leonard is not afraid. The kid is a beast. He was 0.1 seconds away from having 20 points on 8-for-9 shooting.


-Matt Vaginner is hopefully out of the rotation for good.



-Diaw is getting more assertive. The Spurs need even more of that going forward.

-Pop may have found something with Blair. The Spurs need toughness and is there anybody tougher than a 6-foot-5 guy with no ACLs who made it all the way to the NBA as a center? I'm not sure there is.




Championships aren't easy.




Blair brings that energy that seems to lack in the last two games. Surprised they didn't put him in earlier. Kawhi...good god this guy is cold as ice. You're right he ain't afraid of shit. Hopefully it pays off for the spurs.

[Budkin]

I want to see any other team play 4 on 5 and not get run on. Bonner is an empty suit out there and hopefully Pop finally had enough of it.

[Budkin]

Um. Isn't that exactly what he said?

No he said we got to come home for Game 5. Game 5 was still in DET.

[Fpoonsie]

No he said we got to come home for Game 5. Game 5 was still in DET.

No. He said "thankfully, we get to come home for game 5" meaning in THIS series, as opposed to "having to pull it out on the road" like in the DET one.

[Capster]

The elephant in the room for me, aside from Bonner's annual playoff choking, has been the continued poor play of Manu. From an array of ill-advised shots, unforced turnovers and the killer - his utterly careless passing.

We've all watched Manu for years and somehow his competitiveness, his skill level, and sheer will have always somehow exceeded his costly turnovers. I love the guy like everybody else, but now that he's older and his skills have declined a bit, his careless turnovers are killing this team. It's unforgivable for a player of his status to be so damn careless with the ball.

I still believe Spurs will prevail, but Manu, and many others, have got to get their act together. Of course, let's give OKC some credit because they are forcing the Spurs into these offensive droughts.

Spurs in 6

Believe

[Capster]

Big Picture: Coming into this season, if someone said the Spurs would be in the WCF with the series tied 2-2 with Game 5 at home, every single person in this forum would have been thrilled with that proposition.

The Spurs are experiencing some turbulence after one of the greatest runs ever seen in sport. Thankfully there is still plenty of time to straighten everything out.

[Capster]

Man you got that RIGHT!!! THANKS for reminding us!!!
GO SPURS

[Capster]

The more I sit on it and let myself calm down, the more confidence I gain in the Spurs going into Game 5.

Lol Ibaka and Perkins. Have fun going 18-for-20 in San Antonio...oh wait, you won't.

Don't get me wrong, it's going to be a bloodbath. But the Spurs won't lose three straight. Game 5 will be close the whole way...and the Spurs pull away and win by 8-10 points. Game 6 will be very intense, and the Spurs will be down for a good portion of the game, but they'll grind it out and win a very, VERY close game in OKC. Probably by 2 points.

Our year.

You said it all!!! THANKS you are brilliant!!:flag:

[TDMVPDPOY]

how can u say there is any bright spot

ur relying to much on inverse correlation between their big3 and bench production

when big 3 do good, bench does shit vice versa

we need both groups to play like shit to have any chance....

[AFBlue]

I think the Spurs accomplished what they set out to do this game. If you told me they were going to shoot 50% from the field, 48% from 3, keep even on the offensive glass, and limit their turnovers to 10 while holding Russell Westbrook and James Harden to a combined 18 points on 6-23 shooting, I say they win the game 8 out of 10 times. It was just unfortunate for the Spurs that Ibaka was 6-6 on his jumpshots and that Kevin Durant went into God mode. Not much you can do other than tip your hat.

In hindsight, the only things the Spurs could have done differently is not play the red-headed faggot one single minute and given Blair about 10 more minutes. Still scratching my head why Pop lost faith in him so quickly when it was obvious he was making a positive impact. If there was any game in which you could afford to gamble on him, this was it. The stakes are now too high to take a flyer on Blair.

Spurs could've contested the Ibaka jumpshot early and not let him get into an offensive rythym. I understand sagging off Perkins, but Ibaka has that 15-18ft jumpshot in his repertoire. By the time the Spurs started contesting he was in the zone.

They could've also boxed out better and played their bench to a draw effort-wise. Blair changed the complexion of his game with his rebounding and hustle, but the "role player" disparity was already too great.

I do tip my hat to Durant, but he's the leading scorer in the league three times over. You can't get played to a draw with none of their big three really contributing and then expect them NOT to take over the game.

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

The Thunder are growing up quickly. I used to be able to count on idiot Westbrook sabotaging the game, but he seems to now understand his role better - which sucks for the Spurs.

[TacoCabanaFajitas]

TimVp can you please tell me why Duncan has all but abandoned his bank shot off of the jab-step in this series? It killed me last year when he stopped shooting it vs Memphis in the playoffs, and after having success with it the previous 2 series this year, I can't remember him shooting it outside of game 1

[itzsoweezee]

Spurs aren't winning shit if Parker continues to play like a scrub. I have yet to see anything that suggests he's going to improve.