Random Thoughts after The Game We Shall Not Forget

[timvp]

-I'm struggling to digest what I just witnessed. I've tried to write the grades but it's just not possible. This game had so many wild twists and turns that performances can't be summed up with a letter grade. If you missed the game, I recommend you procure a copy and watch it. That's the only way to truly understand what happened.

-Tim Duncan was statistically okay but it was painfully obvious that he was slowed by his illness. He reactions were sloooooooooooow, as were his defensive rotations. Give him credit for trying to play through it -- and actually producing, for that matter -- but it's not a coincidence that the Spurs made their run when he left the court. Let us hope to all that is holy that TD is much closer to 100% for Game 2.

-It's also painfully obvious that Tony Parker isn't physically at his peak. His D was about two steps slower than usual. He also didn't have much of a burst and his jumping was worse than usual. But, like Duncan, he battled. Though he made mistakes throughout, Parker's toughness and will to win were apparent. No matter what was going right or wrong, he kept going at it.

-I loved Manu Ginobili's passing this game. He created countless open looks with pinpoint, perfectly-timed passes. I didn't like his shooting nearly as much -- especially that inexplicable 30-footer with time on the clock that illustrated room temperature basketball IQ. But I did love his final shot. All in all, while he got exhausted at the end due to the extra minutes, I think this was mostly a positive outing. The most important aspect is he looked fine physically.

-This was the ultimate workmanlike performance from Kawhi Leonard. He stuck to his strengths and the numbers at the end of the night hint at his all-around contributions. Leonard's D on Steph Curry was a gigantic key down the stretch. He mixed in a few momentous buckets on the other end. Overall, a very strong showing.

-I think we can officially put to bed the idea that Danny Green is a playoff choker. He had HUGE shots without hesitation. He's a player who runs hot and cold -- so the Spurs were smart to milk his hot hand tonight. Defensively, I wasn't thrilled with his individual D but his team defense was above average.

-Boris Diaw returned after his back surgery -- and while he wasn't too impressive early, he was a key part of the win late. Defensively, his ability to switch and/or hedge on Curry was a game-changer. Diaw exhibited his deceptively quick feet and was able to swallow up a bunch of sets in the fourth and overtimes. And then on O, all of Diaw's points were hugely important. It was almost as if Robert Horry had returned to town. When the Spurs really needed him, the Frenchman delivered.

-Unlike others, Gary Neal peaked early. He got some great shots in rhythm (hat tip @ Manu) and appeared headed to a big game. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. His scoring fizzled out and his defense seemingly got worse and worse.

-Matt Bonner hit two more shots in the playoffs -- so we have to be happy with that. He continues to look confident on the offensive end. Defensively, I wasn't too thrilled with what I saw. His rotations were late and he provided even less resistance in the paint than usual.

-Against the rotting carcass of the Lakers, Cory Joseph looked great. Tonight, he was introduced to a legitimate playoff team. The outcome wasn't nearly as positive. Joseph exhibited moxie at times but he looked like a fish out of water too often. Let's hope he adjusts to going against non-scrubs.

-DeJuan Blair's D was so bad that I can't even give him credit for anything else. From individual defense to help defense and everything in between, he was putrid during his six minutes.

-I'm going to have to come back for more in a few hours. What a game :smchode:

[100%duncan]

:toast :lol

[bdictjames]

The one playoff game I could have watched, but missed. 'Tis a shame.

[NASpurs]

HOLY SHIT, THE SPURS WON?!!? I gave up in the fourth quarter after seeing Manu clank jumper after jumper. Can you blame me, I had been awake since 3 AM and it was already close to 11 PM. :lol WTF, double overtime?!? I should just turn in my Spurs fan card. I'm in complete disbelief.

I will track this game down.

[Cry Havoc]

I was screaming at my friend (who was rooting for the Dubs), "WHAT IS BLAIR DOING IN THE GAME"

Ugh. He's just awful.

[chapnis]

I just decided to watch the last 14 minutes of the game, I feel like the first 44 probably weren't worth it, although Ginobilis dunk was nice.

[BillMc]

Great write up. :toast

Your comments about Parker not being right physically, of course, concern me. I mean if you're not going to recover at over a week's rest, then you won't be ok until after an offseason (if then).

Wow! What a game. Danny and Kawhi really hit some big shots. Kawhi's defense on Curry seemed by far the strongest, but I doubt Pop would/could leave him on Curry the whole game. I think you have to mix it up.

And overtime showed us everything frustrating and truly great about Manu. Fortunately greatness won out this time.

[chazley]

My random thought: I'm tired of when reporters ask TP questions postgame about spurts where he dominates, he always said 'I decided to get aggressive'. Seriously, this team has ZERO chance against Miami if TP doesn't play outta hi fuckin mind with the mindset that 'every single second I'm out there I'm going to be a major threat and am not taking my foot off the pedal'.

[letmk]

With so many players contributing and making big shots down the stretch, it's hard to pick one MVP from the Spurs. (The game MVP has to go to Curry.) But I feel Kawhi's defense on Curry is the most critical move.

From the limited games I watched CoJo plays, he is more determined to not get beat by the penetration but pays relatively less attention to contesting jumper shoot. For a player like Curry, although he has fantastic handling and moves, his first objective is not to attack the rim but find a modicum of shooting space, which is enough for HIM. So CoJo may be more suitable to defend Jack than Curry --- not that anybody can be said to be good at defending Curry.

This one proves why Diaw is so important to what the Spurs want to achieve. His versatility on both offense and defense is much needed. Bonner is playing okay considering his capability, so if we grade players on expectations, he would get B or B+. But his style or whole package is just not suitable for a win-or-die type physical game. Simple put, Bonner is useful, but when you are facing death sentence, you can't expect him to save you.

OTOH, Blair's defense is C by default, so his offense needs to be at least B+ to not hurt the team. So when his defense is F like tonight, as LJ mentioned, no need to evaluate other parts of his game.

Manu is just Manu, like Pop said, "you want to trade him on spot, then you want to cook him breakfast." Hopefully when Tim recovers from illness, Manu does not need to take that amount of shots. And most importantly, he looks fine physically.

But in the end, like any other team, the Spurs goes as far as their stars take them. The two Tonys before the 4th quarter and from 4th quarter and two OTs are totally different players, so are Spurs the team. Even he is not as hot as Curry is right now, he has to play like top 5 player (at least top 10) for the Spurs to go far.

[HI-FI]

HOLY SHIT, THE SPURS WON?!!? I gave up in the fourth quarter after seeing Manu clank jumper after jumper. Can you blame me, I had been awake since 3 AM and it was already close to 11 PM. :lol WTF, double overtime?!? I should just turn in my Spurs fan card. I'm in complete disbelief.

I will track this game down.
ehh, it happens.

i rarely quit watching bball, i'm not quite sure why. but i don't blame anyone for tuning out for whatever reasons. i had a feeling they were going on a run, i said so in the NBA Forum, but honestly had no idea this game would turn out how it did.

like i mentioned before, i wasn't sure if the beer had hit me too hard or it was coupled with how unfocused/disoriented the Spurs looked. everything looked and felt like shit for awhile, and then just all suddenly came together at the end.

so if you track down a copy, send me a PM or post a message on here. I wouldn't mind watching this again.

Hopefully Spurs can continue to build on this and stay healthy as possible.

[Spursfanfromafar]

-- This Stephen Curry guy is no product of a hype machine. He is a genuine gunner, nearly one of a kind, for whom nearly anywhere on the floor is a hot shooting spot. I wouldn't put too much blame on Parker and Joseph for their inability to guard the kid effectively. Green and Leonard's successes were more due to the fact they were guarding him late in the game. I mean, his top of the key/ 26, 27 footers via a screen, off the bounce, off transition - these were just amazing shots and he hit nothing but net and made them look very very easy.

-- Boris Diaw was simply awesome in the fourth and the OTs. I saw him being passive on offense only on one play and otherwise shooting when left semi- or wide- open. That was good Boris on display all along, not to mention the great block on Curry, some excellent P&R defense and some decent sturdy hands on rebounding when needed as well. Diaw's comeback is the unheralded story of the first game.

-- Manu's game was such a roller coaster. He was really bad off jump shots, but was moving so well, with his Eurosteps early on and his passing was stupendous. I really hope his shooting rhythm comes back, for he is definitely the "X" factor in the game.

-- TP's fourth quarter + portions of OT were his best moments.

-- Thank you Richard "major suckitude" Jefferson. Him and Biedrins are the albatrosses that are hanging on the otherwise sterling Warriors squad's necks.

[hater]

HOLY SHIT, THE SPURS WON?!!? I gave up in the fourth quarter after seeing Manu clank jumper after jumper. Can you blame me, I had been awake since 3 AM and it was already close to 11 PM. :lol WTF, double overtime?!? I should just turn in my Spurs fan card. I'm in complete disbelief.

I will track this game down.

congrats loser. you just missed the best game since the Spurs Suns finley/duncan crazy OT game

[chazley]

Also, Matt Bonner has zero place in this series. He will be a great asset against Memphis, but the matchup is not good for him. Should see Tiago/Diaw getting 20-25 minutes a piece, Timmy getting 35, and the rest of the 'big' minutes going to Kawhi playing smallball 4.

Tony, to me, looks fine physically. His issue is, when he plays next to Manu, he defers way too much and doesn't have the killer instinct. After looking great at the end of the Lakers series, and an extra long rest between series, injuries are no longer an excuse. Carried us in final 4 minutes and parts of the OT's.

Manu looks great. If his last couple years he continues to play like garbage in the regular season and plays really well in the playoffs, I'll take it. Great to see him out there 36 minutes and still being in one piece postgame. The vitriol he would've taken had he not made that shot at the end would've been intense though.

Tim looked 50 out there today, and still put up 19/11 in 34 minutes somehow. He'll be back with a vengeance in game 2 and this team will be WAY better defensively.

Kawhi hit two huge clutch shots at the end of regulation and played exceptional defense on Curry. If you can contain Curry behind the 3-point line, let him blow past you as many times as he wants. Unfortunately he is a great playmaker, so our rotations have to get cleaned up ASAP. We got a pretty good defensive anchor though, so not too worried.

Danny Green. Gotta give him props for game 1, but I still worry about him. I think he will become a liability in this series if at any point he doesn't score from 3, because his defensive is notoriously horrible when he has to fight through screens, and as the Warriors make adjustments I'm sure they'll pick up on that and DG will have 1-2 absolute stinkers in this series.

Boris Diaw. Remarkable showing, arguably the Spurs MVP tonight. Duncan is out, and he's the only big out there for most of crunch time. Held his own against Bogut down low, and was incredible guarding Curry as the help man.

[z0sa]

What a game is right.

[will_spurs]

Interesting tidbit from ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/57902/curry-makes-most-spurs-make-last)

http://i.imgur.com/nuK2dZc.png

Just shows that even though Corey has some potential, putting him on a star isn't going to work...

[polandprzem]

Game was great but I wonder if Pop still gonna try double-teaming in this series. GS totally threw spurs allover the court when that happened.

[iManu]

HOLY SHIT, THE SPURS WON?!!? I gave up in the fourth quarter after seeing Manu clank jumper after jumper. Can you blame me, I had been awake since 3 AM and it was already close to 11 PM. :lol WTF, double overtime?!? I should just turn in my Spurs fan card. I'm in complete disbelief.

I will track this game down.

Pink.

[siraulo23]

thompson was huge this game, him fouling out helped obviously. Going forward, if danny/kawhi are on curry, gsw can counter by posting parker by either barnes/thompson, theyre both capable of scoring over tp consistently

[iManu]

I can't sleep.

[racm]

Just have Green and Leonard alternate on Curry, don't help unless he drives. Leonard should defend him in crucial moments like the 4th or the end of quarters.

[quentin_compson]

What a game indeed ...

Brutal loss for the Warriors as they were outplaying the Spurs in pretty much every aspect for like 44 of the first 48 minutes of the game. They were executing better than our guys, were defending better and - obviously - shooting better. The Spurs, on the other hand, were letting themselves being forced to play the game the way the Warriors wanted to, which was really disappointing. They also had a lot of stretches were they didn't move the ball enough and didn't move off the ball enough, and thus they struggled to create good looks.

Curry was out of his mind in the third quarter. I didn't mind that much seeing him hit difficult threes or shots where he had to pick up the ball from the floor. But what really hurt the Spurs at least as much was him getting a free line to the basket for easy layups or easy passes pretty much whenever he wanted.
There was just no rim protection for the Spurs in this game. Granted, Tiago was missing, and Duncan was obviously not healthy enough to play dominant defense. Still, this is something the Spurs need to adress one way or another.

Blair and Bonner both were terrible in my opinion. Blair was getting schooled by Landry repeatedly, and Matty was a lost cause defensively as well. They were such sieves on this end of the floor that it negated the small number of good things they might have done offensively.

I liked what Kawhi and Diaw did defensively down the stretch against Curry. Sure, it was also him being tired, but throwing size at him at least seems to be an option going forward.

[bigfan]

Damn, we "miracled" our way thru that one (but Ill take it!) Saw something last night that said the problem isnt Curry, you have to shut dowm those other dudes to win, Curry is going to get his regardless. One of the gutsiest wins by the Spurs Ive ever seen.

[SenorSpur]

Even though I kept watching this game, I have to admit that I had given up any hope of the Spurs mounting any sort of comeback. Based upon their rusty performance throughout the first 3 & 2/3 quarters, there was simply nothing to indicate that there was any kind of rally forthcoming. Their overall shooting percentage was subpar, they were slow to loose balls and they were getting pummeled both in the paint and on the glass. It seemed as though the entire team was playing in mud. Meanwhile, the Warriors were in complete command of the game. They were quicker on both sides of the ball, they limited the Spurs to one shot and just out-executed the Spurs in every way. Meanwhile, Curry was putting on an absolute masterful shooting display, rarely seen, in the 3rd quarter, which caused the Warriors lead to swell to 18. All looked completely lost.

When the Spurs finally did mount their comeback, I felt that it was blown up by Manu. My continuing frustration with his decision-making, his shot-selection, and careless passes, proved to be detrimental to the Spurs comeback. That ill-advised, 30-ft 3-pt shot, at the top of the key, when the Spurs were in the throes of their comeback, basically sealed the Spurs fate - or so I thought. Who knew what was in store?

How this team forced the game into overtime (twice) is still something that I can't explain. Great writeup on an inexplicable and improbable outcome. :tu

This was indeed a helluva game and it has to be considered one of the most thrilling playoff games in recent years. Congrats to the Spurs for their successful comeback and to Manu for saving the day. I watched it and I still don't believe it!

[pgardn]

It was an exciting game but far from great.

We got to witness some of the best/worst basketball the playoffs have ever produced.

The most striking event for me was the miscommunication by GS on the last Spur possession. You play 2 over times, spill your guts, and then allow a team to have multiple players open? How does this happen? I would really like a breakdown of what happened because that lookedlike a bad AAU team defense. And not getting a timeout during the Spurs run when Tony was shredding them...?

I also found out Mark Jackson is the team psychologist and not the coach. Not calling ANY play on either end? That's what it looked like. True exposure. How is this guy going to last? This is not Mack Brown college football.

[spurspokesman]

I was screaming at my friend (who was rooting for the Dubs), "WHAT IS BLAIR DOING IN THE GAME"

Ugh. He's just awful.Me 2. It sucks having a hater watching the game with you especially when your down big lol

[spurspokesman]

Im a satisfied spurs fan. Our team hung in there and exhibited the heart of a champiom

[wildbill2u]

Pop preaches for the team to keep pounding the rock. Sure enough, they didn't quit, kept pounding, and eventually the last blow split the rock.

That attitude and philosophy, instilled in them over the years, paid off big. I've never seen anything like this game in the playoffs.

[Jordanobili2320]

how good was Greens block on Curry at the end of the game? Loved seeing that little shit get stuffed.

[spurspokesman]

Even though I kept watching this game, I have to admit that I had given up any hope of the Spurs mounting any sort of comeback. Based upon their rusty performance throughout the first 3 & 2/3 quarters, there was simply nothing to indicate that there was any kind of rally forthcoming. Their overall shooting percentage was subpar, they were slow to loose balls and they were getting pummeled both in the paint and on the glass. It seemed as though the entire team was playing in mud. Meanwhile, the Warriors were in complete command of the game. They were quicker on both sides of the ball, they limited the Spurs to one shot and just out-executed the Spurs in every way. Meanwhile, Curry was putting on an absolute masterful shooting display, rarely seen, in the 3rd quarter, which caused the Warriors lead to swell to 18. All looked completely lost.

When the Spurs finally did mount their comeback, I felt that it was blown up by Manu. My continuing frustration with his decision-making, his shot-selection, and careless passes, proved to be detrimental to the Spurs comeback. That ill-advised, 30-ft 3-pt shot, at the top of the key, when the Spurs were in the throes of their comeback, basically sealed the Spurs fate - or so I thought. Who knew what was in store?

How this team forced the game into overtime (twice) is still something that I can't explain. Great writeup on an inexplicable and improbable outcome. :tu

This was indeed a helluva game and it has to be considered one of the most thrilling playoff games in recent years. Congrats to the Spurs for their successful comeback and to Manu for saving the day. I watched it and I still don't believe it!My thoughts exactly. Manu really had me steaming but all is well that ends well I guess.

[will_spurs]

The most striking event for me was the miscommunication by GS on the last Spur possession. You play 2 over times, spill your guts, and then allow a team to have multiple players open? How does this happen? I would really like a breakdown of what happened because that lookedlike a bad AAU team defense. And not getting a timeout during the Spurs run when Tony was shredding them...?

Check the video of the postgame coverage by TNT, with Kenny Smith and Barkley, they analyze the play very well. Basically the coach told his players to all switch on picks. Except one guy didn't get picked an the whole switching scheme broke down, with a double team on Parker and nobody covering Manu. After that it's a classic 2v1 offense: either Manu shoots wide open, or if the defender closes fast then Manu can pass to Diaw for an uncontested layup. As soon as the defensive rotation breaks down this means a (relatively) easy basket.


I also found out Mark Jackson is the team psychologist and not the coach. Not calling ANY play on either end? That's what it looked like. True exposure. How is this guy going to last? This is not Mack Brown college football.

Actually if you listen to "Inside Trax" you will notice many coaches turn into motivators toward the end of games. In some cases it's because that's all the coach knows how to do, in other cases it's because that's what's needed. I don't know for certain that Jackson can't draw up a play late. I know I was surprised when every "Inside Trax" in the previous round had d'Antoni spouting clichés each and every time.

Remember that Pop is THE best coach by a mile on drawing plays coming out of a timeout, he's really the king of that and Spurs fans are a bit spoiled in this respect.

[DarrinS]

Props to Boris Diaw for contributing after not playing for a few weeks.

[Warlord23]

how good was Greens block on Curry at the end of the game? Loved seeing that little shit get stuffed.

That was Diaw, IIRC

[EricB]

That was Diaw, IIRC

Different block.

[NASpurs]

On Mike and Mike, they confirmed with Elias that in the last fifteen years in the playoffs, teams that were leading by 16 in the fourth quarter with four minutes to go were 392-0. Now thanks to the Spurs, it's 392-1. Fucking incredible. :wow

[pikkiwoki]

According to Mike and Mike, before last night, teams with at least a 16 point lead with 4 minutes left or less in the 4th quarter in the last 15 years were 392-0. They are now 392-1. Sweet baby jesus.

[SenorSpur]

Incredible stat. Further proof as to just how improbable that win really was.

[Darkwaters]

Incredible stat. Further proof as to just how improbable that win really was.

Eventually it's going to happen. You run the scenario enough times, someones going to break the mold.

Proud to be the statistical anomaly!:downspin:

[BillMc]

According to Mike and Mike, before last night, teams with at least a 16 point lead with 4 minutes left or less in the 4th quarter in the last 15 years were 392-0. They are now 392-1. Sweet baby jesus.

Is that including the regular season?

[therealtruth]

In practice Parker needs to go against Kawhi so he can get better against going against bigger defenders. Teams know it works and are going to keep trying it.

[UZER]

The people that left early got to their cars and were like WTF!!!

Was crazy to see half the stadium empty. That's why you never leave a game, much less a playoff game, early.

[Darkwaters]

One note on Gary Neal. He was a part of that miraculous four minutes at the end of regulation. He made two plays specifically that don't end up in the box score, but saved us.

1) He drew a charge against Curry - ending a possession
2) On Richard Jefferson's breakaway, he got back in time to foul him and prevent the easy layup. And then Dick missed both FT's. Way to go Jefferson!

If Gary doesn't make either of those plays, we probably don't win. Just thought I'd give him a shout out when it's due.

[Old School 44]

Incredible game. Not sure how they pulled that one off. Is this the defining game? The one that says, "maybe it's our time again".

- We wouldn't have won without Manu and Boris, but they made some careless passes at the end of the game. Manu trying to lead Boris to a spot at the top of the key. Boris attempting a tough interior pass. Take care of the ball. Keep it simple.

- Props to Neal for chasing down and fouling Jefferson and not getting a clear path foul.

- Nice post up by Kawhi on Jack. Need more of that.

- Pop successfully executed Hack-a-Bogut. He should do this again if their shooters get hot. Might want to extend this to Ezeili if Bogut's out of the game. Might even do this on anyone not named Curry/Thompson, just to disrupt the rhythm of the game.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Haven't seen a game that crazy in a long time, and I have a feeling we'll see some more of it in this series, so hang onto your hats and enjoy the ride! :D

[Spur|n|Austin]

Pop preaches for the team to keep pounding the rock. Sure enough, they didn't quit, kept pounding, and eventually the last blow split the rock.

That attitude and philosophy, instilled in them over the years, paid off big. I've never seen anything like this game in the playoffs.

:tu

[Spur-Addict]

My primary concern is pick and roll defense.

[travis2]

I'm constantly mystified how Curry gets his long-range shot off. It's not a "normal" overhead or eye-level shot. He starts down at chest level like it's going to be an old-style set-shot, then *poof* the ball's in the air. It looks like he's just flinging it up there.

[bulakenyo]

I'm constantly mystified how Curry gets his long-range shot off. It's not a "normal" overhead or eye-level shot. He starts down at chest level like it's going to be an old-style set-shot, then *poof* the ball's in the air. It looks like he's just flinging it up there.

His dad, Dell Curry had the quickest release jumpshot back in the 1990s.
I was a fan of the man's jumper. Pure and quick, no wasted movement.

Steph probably learned a lot of those tricks from his dad.

[quentin_compson]

Actually if you listen to "Inside Trax" you will notice many coaches turn into motivators toward the end of games. In some cases it's because that's all the coach knows how to do, in other cases it's because that's what's needed. I don't know for certain that Jackson can't draw up a play late. I know I was surprised when every "Inside Trax" in the previous round had d'Antoni spouting clichés each and every time.


Yeah, I noticed that as well. Of course every coach sometimes uses timeouts for motivational speeches, but D'Antoni just seemed to have no clue whatsoever what to say if not "Come on, let's go" or something like that all the time.

[EVAY]

I certainly hope that Splitter is back and effective in the next game, because we need him against Bogut. Duncan couldn't handle Bogut last night and I don't think it was because of the flu. I think Bogut is too young and too strong. We need Splitter against him.

Thank god Diaw is back. He is a really really big help to us, as long as we are not asking him to take on Bogut.

Our shooters will be better in the next game. IIRC, Tony was at 42% before the OT's, Duncan at 40%, and Ginobili at less than 30%. We will be fine on that eventually.

I think we have to make everybody except Curry beat us, because he is too good, regardless of who is guarding him. Tony did some good and some poor on the defensive end against him, but what finally got Curry wasn't as much Leonard or Green or a revitalized Tony. It was Mark Jackson, who let him play every minute of the second half. If Neal had stayed on his man in the first overtime, we could have taken the game then. If we stay on everybody else and let Curry have his, we will win.

None of this means that Curry has outplayed anyone on the Spurs team. His shooting is in the category of a Durant or a James, but his overall game isn't as good as our guys. Our guys were not ready to play at the proper intensity level when the game started and showed miserably. Then the third quarter was a disaster as Spurs' third quarters have been disasters for so many years over the Pop era.

Timvp has already mentioned this but the team played much better without Duncan than with him. We were faster and sharper. And we made up the 16 point difference without him. That doesn't mean we go away from Duncan in the future. He will feel better by the next game, hopefully. But we need someone to bounce with Bogut and that is not Tim. We need either Splitter or even a little dose of Baynes.

Next game: if we figure out what to do with Bogut and make sure that we stay at home on everyone not named Curry, I think we win much more easily than this one. Curry's assists were so high because we kept running so many people at him his team members got very open looks.

We defended Curry as well as he can be defended. He is a great player developing before our eyes. Let him get his. Shut everybody else down. We will be fine.

[elec99]

A few notes from the game:

Especially in the 3rd it didn't seem like GSW had any set plays, it was almost like when you discover a glitch in a bball game and just start chucking the ball because it keeps going in, is this kind of shooting sustainable?

This reminds me of the GSW upset against dallas, where dampier was benched because of match ups. Does this mean if tiago was healthy would he too be benched, or would we force them to match up to us?

Because of all the 3pt shooting from gsw, it gives a long rebound on misses, the kind that lands far from the rim. So those with closer positions to the rim actually lose out on the rebound. This could continue if they keep chucking. So I'm wondering if playing 2 7-footers would even help if the rebound is a large bounce towards the free throw line anyway.

I'm not so sure playing small, though it worked in the end, is sustainable since it is their game. Maybe if tim feels better than 1-7 footer is enough.

[SenorSpur]

His dad, Dell Curry had the quickest release jumpshot back in the 1990s.
I was a fan of the man's jumper. Pure and quick, no wasted movement.

Steph probably learned a lot of those tricks from his dad.

Dell Curry was certainly one of the best shooters of his generation. There's no doubt that Dad taught son the secrets of the trade. Meanwhile, his kid has evolved into an absolutely unreal shooter. Stephen is even more lethal because he can score in so many ways - off the dribble, catch and shoot, off screens and even in the paint with floaters and such. At this point in his career, it's possible that the son may have have surpassed the old man.

[spursparker9]

The people that left early got to their cars and were like WTF!!!

Was crazy to see half the stadium empty. That's why you never leave a game, much less a playoff game, early.

Incredible that the loudness in OT and 2OT sound like it was a sell-out crowd.

[HarlemHeat37]

I certainly hope that Splitter is back and effective in the next game, because we need him against Bogut. Duncan couldn't handle Bogut last night and I don't think it was because of the flu. I think Bogut is too young and too strong. We need Splitter against him.

Thank god Diaw is back. He is a really really big help to us, as long as we are not asking him to take on Bogut.

Our shooters will be better in the next game. IIRC, Tony was at 42% before the OT's, Duncan at 40%, and Ginobili at less than 30%. We will be fine on that eventually.

I think we have to make everybody except Curry beat us, because he is too good, regardless of who is guarding him. Tony did some good and some poor on the defensive end against him, but what finally got Curry wasn't as much Leonard or Green or a revitalized Tony. It was Mark Jackson, who let him play every minute of the second half. If Neal had stayed on his man in the first overtime, we could have taken the game then. If we stay on everybody else and let Curry have his, we will win.

None of this means that Curry has outplayed anyone on the Spurs team. His shooting is in the category of a Durant or a James, but his overall game isn't as good as our guys. Our guys were not ready to play at the proper intensity level when the game started and showed miserably. Then the third quarter was a disaster as Spurs' third quarters have been disasters for so many years over the Pop era.

Timvp has already mentioned this but the team played much better without Duncan than with him. We were faster and sharper. And we made up the 16 point difference without him. That doesn't mean we go away from Duncan in the future. He will feel better by the next game, hopefully. But we need someone to bounce with Bogut and that is not Tim. We need either Splitter or even a little dose of Baynes.

Next game: if we figure out what to do with Bogut and make sure that we stay at home on everyone not named Curry, I think we win much more easily than this one. Curry's assists were so high because we kept running so many people at him his team members got very open looks.

We defended Curry as well as he can be defended. He is a great player developing before our eyes. Let him get his. Shut everybody else down. We will be fine.

:lol Bogut was good, but you're acting like he had a monster game..Bogut's offensive game is limited, he's not going to dominate anybody on offense, tbh..Duncan will have problems in the pick&roll against Curry, but there's absolutely no reason to believe a healthy Duncan can't stop Bogut's mediocre post game and limited scoring ability..rebound-wise, Bogut had 3 more in more minutes..

[Rapper]

uh8MGVHaShA

[HarlemHeat37]

I've already shared my thoughts in other threads, so a few points I haven't touched on yet:

- Dejuan Blair is just terrible..I said it was bad news that he played well against the Lakers, and it's looking like that's the case early on..he didn't even put a hand up to contest Landry's first shot, which was pathetic..he was abused on the rest of the possessions against him..

I understand that Blair is limited by his height, but most of his mistakes are mental, stemming from low defensive IQ..I just can't fathom a valid reason that he would play once Splitter returns, tbh..

- Joseph's defense wasn't good, but I won't hold that against him..Curry was hot, there isn't much you can do..

I was more discouraged by his offense..he reverted to conservative Cory Joseph, dribbling the ball up and handing it off immediately to Neal or Ginobili or whoever..he wasn't looking to be aggressive at all..

When Joseph is aggressive on offense, he's a legit backup..when he's conservative, it's evident that he spent the year in the D-league, tbh..there's a dramatic difference..

[MaineSpursFan]

On Mike and Mike, they confirmed with Elias that in the last fifteen years in the playoffs, teams that were leading by 16 in the fourth quarter with four minutes to go were 392-0. Now thanks to the Spurs, it's 392-1. Fucking incredible. :wow

That means that there were on average 26 times a year that a playoff teams were trailing by 16 with with four minutes to go, that seems like kind of a hard sell IMO, are you sure they weren't exaggerating?

[will_spurs]

That means that there were on average 26 times a year that a playoff teams were trailing by 16 with with four minutes to go, that seems like kind of a hard sell IMO, are you sure they weren't exaggerating?

There are 15 series per year, I'll go with an average of 6 (being nice), that's 90 playoff games a year. That would mean 30% of playoff games end in a relative blowout... indeed seems like a lot.

[elec99]

wow, all manu had to do was hold onto the ball, 11 secs on the shot clock and up by 3, could've just turned this into a free throw game.
reminds me of when he fouled dirk in game 6 or 7, up by 3, just give dirk his 2 points and turn it into a free throw game.

[bklynspursfan]

:wow

@AminESPN (https://twitter.com/AminESPN): Wow....teams up 16 in the 4th quarter had won 392 CONSECUTIVE GAMES...until last night #SpursVsWarriors (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SpursVsWarriors&src=hash)

[polandprzem]

Spurs played so poorly first 3 and a half quarters that Timmy threw up!

[FromWayDowntown]

Yeah, I noticed that as well. Of course every coach sometimes uses timeouts for motivational speeches, but D'Antoni just seemed to have no clue whatsoever what to say if not "Come on, let's go" or something like that all the time.

I suspect that TNT has a deal with the coaches that they won't broadcast any real strategy stuff in those timeouts, so that leaves them with the sort of general rah-rah stuff that coaches probably begin and end most huddles with. I seriously doubt that the motivational stuff is all that these coaches are saying in those huddles.

[FromWayDowntown]

For whatever it's worth, Curry set the building record for points in a game last night.

There have been 8 games in the SBC/AT&T Center in which individual players for the Spurs or their opponents have scored 40 or more:

44 -- Stephen Curry (5/6/13)*
43 -- Manu Ginobili (4/2/10) v. ORL
42 -- Monta Ellis (11/25/09)
42 -- Tony Parker (2/4/12) v. OKC
41 -- Tim Duncan (5/22/06) v. DAL*
41 -- Amare Stoudemire (2/28/10)
40 -- Tim Duncan (5/19/03) v. DAL*
40 -- Tim Duncan (4/19/08) v. PNX*

* - Playoff game

[quentin_compson]

I suspect that TNT has a deal with the coaches that they won't broadcast any real strategy stuff in those timeouts, so that leaves them with the sort of general rah-rah stuff that coaches probably begin and end most huddles with. I seriously doubt that the motivational stuff is all that these coaches are saying in those huddles.

Yeah, that would make sense. I still maintain that D'Antoni looked rather clueless in these situations, though.

[Mark in Austin]

Biggest concern going forward is Parker's health. He still doesn't look right. Curry is an amazing, all world talent. But he's not THAT much better than a healthy Parker. If Parker can't defend Curry at least as well as he has historically defended Westbrook, it really scrambles the defense. If Parker was on Curry, that would allow a taller player on Thompson, which would make Thompson work harder for his shots. Right now, he's just shooting over Parker, and if he hadn't fouled out, the Spurs would now be down 0-1.

[mrjap2x]

His dad, Dell Curry had the quickest release jumpshot back in the 1990s.
I was a fan of the man's jumper. Pure and quick, no wasted movement.

Steph probably learned a lot of those tricks from his dad.
Anyone care to explain how the Curry's shot the ball?

[mercos]

Such a big game for our role players. Green, Leonard, and Diaw really brought it. Duncan was sick, Parker bothered by length, and Manu was just a bit off most of the night. This game is a 20 point plus blowout without big performances from the other guys. If we have hot streak Danny Green this series, I still think the Spurs win in 5. I expect a much better Spurs team in game 2.

Golden State is getting a lot of praise, and rightfully so. However, the big take away from me was that they played as good as they can in the first half, and could never muster a double digit lead. The Spurs on the other hand, played terrible in the first half and were able to hang around. It wasn't until Steph Curry went on a tear that they were able to pull away. They can't expect the Spurs to play that bad again. I expect the Spurs to jump ahead of most games in this series going forward, but Curry will keep the Warriors close. It will be interesting to see how the young team plays from behind.

[rjv]

wonder how the outcome had been with a healthy TD and minus the horrific 1 for 10 start. our rust showed all throughout the first 6-8 minutes of the game and they were still in a groove from the denver series. i seriously doubt we get off to such an abysmal start on wednesday. also, wonder what splitter can give us in terms of rebounding where we really got killed and also with his defense at the rim. offensively, he is also great on picks and getting to the rim.

[bulakenyo]

Anyone care to explain how the Curry's shot the ball?

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U3tzapnVzno&feature=related

[hater]

Green is got some fucking big balls IMO

[Whisky Dog]

wow, all manu had to do was hold onto the ball, 11 secs on the shot clock and up by 3, could've just turned this into a free throw game.
reminds me of when he fouled dirk in game 6 or 7, up by 3, just give dirk his 2 points and turn it into a free throw game.

It wasn't 11 seconds on the game clock it was 11 seconds on the shot clock. There was still about 40 seconds or more in the game but still a terrible shot to take

[InRareForm]

RT @RJinVegas: 392-0. The record, before last night, of #NBA playoff teams with a 16+ point lead at the 4 minute mark [via EliasSports"

[rjv]

RT @RJinVegas: 392-0. The record, before last night, of #NBA playoff teams with a 16+ point lead at the 4 minute mark [via Eli (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=34644)asSports"

it's as if the game was fine tuned for the spurs to win !

[024]

Some random thoughts too:

Positives

- Parker kept battling even though his jump shot wasn't falling. He really kept the offense afloat in the overtimes. If Parker had stopped trying to score, the entire offense would have collapsed and the Warriors would have won.

- Manu had a turrible shooting night, worse than Parker's, but managed to hit the game winner.

- Green just kept producing clutch moves after clutch moves. Two really important 3's and a steal and a block in the overtimes are what I can remember. The 3 near the end of regulation was the same play used against Kobe.

- Pop showed tremendous trust letting Leonard post up in the overtime, Leonard with big balls scoring off that post up.

Negatives

- Duncan was very slow to rotate, which led to a lot of GS layups. GS usually aren't that good with layups. I remember when they were playing the Lakers with Dwight in foul trouble but they still avoided the paint like the plague. Duncan needs to get better and become more focused.

- No one really guarded Curry well... he just got tired in the end. I think the Spurs should just keep Parker on him and shut down everyone else. Can live with Curry chucking up 25+ shots but can't live with Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes scoring easily and gaining confidence.

- Outcome would have been very different if Klay Thompson didn't foul out.

- Warriors fight through screens very well but the Spurs could not. Warriors are also just flat out more athletic than the Spurs and can play very good defense when they are focused. Just like the Thunder last year, if they decide to lock down, they can lock down the Spurs. Let's hope they don't figure that out.

- Ginobili and Parker both had terrible games. Hopefully it's because their rusty and not because the Warriors are playing elite defense.

[monkeypunk]

Unbelievable game but we don't win if Thompson doesn't foul out, allowing us to put Kawhi on Curry who was already gassed.

[Mel_13]

-I think we can officially put to bed the idea that Danny Green is a playoff choker.

Let's hope so.

[Seventyniner]

For whatever it's worth, Curry set the building record for points in a game last night.

There have been 8 games in the SBC/AT&T Center in which individual players for the Spurs or their opponents have scored 40 or more:

44 -- Stephen Curry (5/6/13)*
43 -- Manu Ginobili (4/2/10) v. ORL
42 -- Monta Ellis (11/25/09)
42 -- Tony Parker (2/4/12) v. OKC
41 -- Tim Duncan (5/22/06) v. DAL*
41 -- Amare Stoudemire (2/28/10)
40 -- Tim Duncan (5/19/03) v. DAL*
40 -- Tim Duncan (4/19/08) v. PNX*

* - Playoff game

That strikes me as really low for an all-time high in a 10-year-old building. Kobe and Iverson have probably scored 50+ in each of many different arenas.

[Obstructed_View]

Interesting tidbit from ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/57902/curry-makes-most-spurs-make-last)

http://i.imgur.com/nuK2dZc.png

Just shows that even though Corey has some potential, putting him on a star isn't going to work...

Just shows that judging anything by stats without watching it is kind of stupid. Curry hit crazy layups and 30 foot jumpers.

[SenorSpur]

Now that some of the jubliation and cobwebs have worn off, one thought about this game comes to my mind. As improbable and as sweet as this win was, it will be all for naught if the Spurs do not win this series.

Seeing how the younger and more athletic Warriors really took it to the Spurs on both ends of the court, in such easy fashion, is cause for some concern. Yet I fully expect the Spurs to wake up after Monday night's fiasco and play much better. The Spurs will definitely need to step up their game considerably to hold off these young pups. Now that they've been given such an immense break, they MUST use this momentum for power through the rest of the series.

[Obstructed_View]

Noteworthy because nobody is even talking about it: Manu walked out and played 36 minutes. Totally worth putting the Lakers away and getting the extra days of rest.

Adjustments will determine the rest of the series. If Pop goes smallball and more Bonner, the Spurs are in for a long series and will probably wear down before the finals. If Pop starts Splitter as soon as he's healthy and tells them to focus on rebounding and defense, this series will go quickly.

The Spurs lost to Golden State in the regular season because Jack had 30 points, not because Curry lit them up. You start leaving guys open and they'll make a lot of jumpers.

[Darius McCrary]

Noteworthy because nobody is even talking about it: Manu walked out and played 36 minutes. Totally worth putting the Lakers away and getting the extra days of rest.

Adjustments will determine the rest of the series. If Pop goes smallball and more Bonner, the Spurs are in for a long series and will probably wear down before the finals. If Pop starts Splitter as soon as he's healthy and tells them to focus on rebounding and defense, this series will go quickly.

The Spurs lost to Golden State in the regular season because Jack had 30 points, not because Curry lit them up. You start leaving guys open and they'll make a lot of jumpers.

He looked completely exhausted in the post game presser. Its encouraging to see him play so many minutes, all we can do is hope he's got 11-20 games of that left in his tank.

[SpursRock20]

Check the video of the postgame coverage by TNT, with Kenny Smith and Barkley, they analyze the play very well. Basically the coach told his players to all switch on picks. Except one guy didn't get picked an the whole switching scheme broke down, with a double team on Parker and nobody covering Manu. After that it's a classic 2v1 offense: either Manu shoots wide open, or if the defender closes fast then Manu can pass to Diaw for an uncontested layup. As soon as the defensive rotation breaks down this means a (relatively) easy basket.



Actually if you listen to "Inside Trax" you will notice many coaches turn into motivators toward the end of games. In some cases it's because that's all the coach knows how to do, in other cases it's because that's what's needed. I don't know for certain that Jackson can't draw up a play late. I know I was surprised when every "Inside Trax" in the previous round had d'Antoni spouting clichés each and every time.

Remember that Pop is THE best coach by a mile on drawing plays coming out of a timeout, he's really the king of that and Spurs fans are a bit spoiled in this respect.

I did a little research last night and found that Mike Malone, one of the assistant coaches, is the one who draws up the plays. Since Mark Jackson is new to coaching, he doesn't know the x's and o's of coaching yet, apparently. So he just sticks to motivating his players.

[SenorSpur]

He looked completely exhausted in the post game presser. Its encouraging to see him play so many minutes, all we can do is hope he's got 11-20 games of that left in his tank.

True dat. Let's also hope that Manu is a bit more judicious in his decision-making and shot selections. Though he saved the day at the end, his turnovers have been killing the Spurs possessions. That is something you cannot do against this fast-breaking bunch from San Francisco.

[Legacy]

:lmao I told you (:p:), there was a reason why I got so excited that we pulled GS and not Denver. Even the regular season games against them are heart-thumpers, and I'm completely glued to my seat the entire time. I've never seen The Spurs play a Playoff series against these guys, though, obviously. Curry is truly a babyfaced deadly assassin. Love him, love him, love him... wish we could steal him for ourselves, seriously. Now... here's to hoping we don't fuck this all up. :toast :rollin

[Obstructed_View]

He looked completely exhausted in the post game presser. Its encouraging to see him play so many minutes, all we can do is hope he's got 11-20 games of that left in his tank.

Yep. A guy with two bad hamstrings who was being limited to 4 minutes a quarter in the first round who hit the game winner in double overtime. That's a good sign.

[boutons_deux]

this game SHOULD give the young Warriors bad dreams and a serious funk and doubting, "what does it take to beat the Spurs?", but maybe they're too young and naive.

We'll find out Wed if the Spurs can get started better and if the Warriors balls have disappeared.

[emanueldavidginobili]

Wow Danny hit some HUGE shots without hesitation and KL three at the end of the 4 th was huge....Manu is looking good physically another nice dunk in a half court set. The most impressive thinjg about Manu 3 was he was 36 minutes and still had the legs fo that shot

[tesseractive]

I did a little research last night and found that Mike Malone, one of the assistant coaches, is the one who draws up the plays. Since Mark Jackson is new to coaching, he doesn't know the x's and o's of coaching yet, apparently. So he just sticks to motivating his players.

He was an NBA point guard, and a smart one -- the Xs and Os are nothing he can't handle. But some coaches delegate stuff like that, just as lots of (most?) NFL head coaches don't call the plays themselves.

But yeah, team representatives are watching the broadcasts in real time. There's no way that teams would let a network broadcast them drawing up plays, because their opponent could potentially use that to defend it.

[tesseractive]

One note on Gary Neal. He was a part of that miraculous four minutes at the end of regulation. He made two plays specifically that don't end up in the box score, but saved us.

1) He drew a charge against Curry - ending a possession
2) On Richard Jefferson's breakaway, he got back in time to foul him and prevent the easy layup. And then Dick missed both FT's. Way to go Jefferson!

If Gary doesn't make either of those plays, we probably don't win. Just thought I'd give him a shout out when it's due.

Good call. Neal gets a bad rap for his defense, and it's completely deserved. But both those plays were absolutely pivotal. The charge on Curry was big enough, but chasing down RJ absolutely changed the outcome of the game.

[EricB]

The slow rotations by Duncan are easily explained.


at a loss at how you guard this team.

[elec99]

It wasn't 11 seconds on the game clock it was 11 seconds on the shot clock. There was still about 40 seconds or more in the game but still a terrible shot to take

That's what I said, "11 secs on the shot clock."

40 secs go down to about 30, also hoping it would take them over 6 secs to set up their offense and by the time they get a shot out, make or miss, hopefully it's less than 24 secs of game time left. As long as it isn't a 3 they make, just hold on to the ball and make it a free throw game.

[Obstructed_View]

I went back and watched the first half again, and my first half thoughts in the game thread are pretty much how I still see it.

The Spurs missed a ton of shots, got badly outrebounded, didn't rotate well, made bad fouls, Timmy was slow, Bonner was AWFUL on both ends, and the Warriors ... were only up six at the half??

In any normal Spurs game, the Spurs are probably up at least eight or ten at that point. I counted nine shots inside about 10 feet that the Spurs missed in the first half, and that's not including Blair's out of control layup attempt. After watching Curry's third quarter, weren't you guys surprised to see that the Warriors were only up 12? They should have been up by 30.

[capek]

-Unlike others, Gary Neal peaked early. He got some great shots in rhythm (hat tip @ Manu) and appeared headed to a big game. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. His scoring fizzled out and his defense seemingly got worse and worse.


Gotta disagree with this a little. Gary had some good defensive plays down the stretch. He got that charge call on Curry at the beginning of our run in the 4th. And he hustled back to foul HWWNBN on that break away which allowed Dick to choke at the line. Surprisingly enough Neal had some good defensive plays when we needed it most.

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

I wonder if Nando would do a good job on Curry. He's slower than CJ but a lot longer and if he can get around screens quickly he could prevent 3s.

[Spurs Brazil]

Crazy game and great win. When TD went to the locker room late in the 4th I had no hope. For me the game was over. Fantastic run, props to the whole team to keep fighting until the end

[letmk]

He was an NBA point guard, and a smart one -- the Xs and Os are nothing he can't handle. But some coaches delegate stuff like that, just as lots of (most?) NFL head coaches don't call the plays themselves.

But yeah, team representatives are watching the broadcasts in real time. There's no way that teams would let a network broadcast them drawing up plays, because their opponent could potentially use that to defend it.

This. This man got more than 10K assists during his paying career. There is little basketball strategies, if any, that he doesn't know about.

[Embedded]

Both the Spurs and Heat were extremely rusty coming of layoffs of Sunday to Monday = 8 days. We were more fortunate that El Heat, we won, but as anybody who saw the game knows, we could just as easily have lost. Mr. Ginobili would hit that last three about 1 out of 3 times. Bless his heart. I slept like crap last night after the game, I was so amped up. Okay, finally we got our mojo back, very late into the game, and we shocked that young team. My prediction is that Game 2 will go much better for us. Mr. Duncan was sick and hadn't practiced, no Mr. Splitter, and Mr. Diaw had been out for a long time, add to that the layoff, and it's amazing we won.

[silverblackfan]

Just rewatched the 4th quarter and both OTs. Pretty funny when Klay Thompson fouls out ~4 minutes left, Webber comments that Klay is lucky that his team does not need him anymore. Then the commentators start talking about GS defense and how the Spurs will need to come back for the next game more serious. All this while Tony scores 4 quick points.
Its pretty obvious that when Thompson fouled out, the Spurs went on their run. The Spurs just kept on plugging away and stole that game back from a very shocked Warriors team.

[playblair]

..............@blair hating.................. blairs defense = 3 traveling violations on landry ......................... bonner = turrible defense ...................

[pgardn]

:toast

[pgardn]

Check the video of the postgame coverage by TNT, with Kenny Smith and Barkley, they analyze the play very well. Basically the coach told his players to all switch on picks. Except one guy didn't get picked an the whole switching scheme broke down, with a double team on Parker and nobody covering Manu. After that it's a classic 2v1 offense: either Manu shoots wide open, or if the defender closes fast then Manu can pass to Diaw for an uncontested layup. As soon as the defensive rotation breaks down this means a (relatively) easy basket.



Actually if you listen to "Inside Trax" you will notice many coaches turn into motivators toward the end of games. In some cases it's because that's all the coach knows how to do, in other cases it's because that's what's needed. I don't know for certain that Jackson can't draw up a play late. I know I was surprised when every "Inside Trax" in the previous round had d'Antoni spouting clichés each and every time.

Remember that Pop is THE best coach by a mile on drawing plays coming out of a timeout, he's really the king of that and Spurs fans are a bit spoiled in this respect.

Most of the coaches won't allow any discussion of a play to get out of the circle. So most of what we hear is motivational or instructional, but nothing exact.. Even from Pop. I have failed to see Jackson draw up anything in a number of games offensively or defensively. I posit that he does not. There are quit a few coaches who give these responsibilities to assistants here and there. But the entire game? Every game?

any Warrior fans who can shed light on this, Bay Area folks?

Oh, thanks for what happened on the last play. Manu said Boris was open and the play was going to him until he found himself wide open. That's really bad D for where we got to throw the ball in from.

[MR-Clutch]

I was at the game and I think that all the banandwagon fans leaving made the game that much more special to witness. Luckily, when half the fans left, my friend and I were able to move up to about the 4th row on the floor, just in time for the most amazing parts. :toast To the bandwagon fans.

[milkyway21]

that the double OT is risky on Manu's health

In one interview Manu said


"I took a really bad shot," Ginobili said. "I was on the top of the key. I had no chance whatsoever to make it to the basket. I couldn't penetrate; I was very tired. (Jarrett) Jack gave me a couple of feet and I thought I could make it."

On the second attempt, Ginobili launched a high-arcing shot off a cross-court inbound pass from Kawhi Leonard.

"On the last play, it wasn't for me; they just left me open," Ginobili said. "I set a screen for (Tony Parker) and they both went with him and left me open on the weak side. When I caught it I just saw Brazemore flying. I just gave it a lot of air and it went in.

"I wasn't even an option. They told me just go screen and stay far from the play. The play was for Tony or Boris. And they got confused."

[manu]

I guess we already forgot....oh well.

I was beyond sad/upset/frustrated to see the way he played tonight, but still got his back. I hope to see him comeback strong, can't get any worse than tonight anyways. Spurs in 6...(I HOPE) :flag: