Seven stops to take the lead. Zero points?

[Skull-1]

Q3.... Seven chances to take the lead. Brick. Miss. Miss. Turnover. Miss...

On the eighth try we got it...

Pounding the rock is a good philosophy but come on! We shoulda won by twelve at least.

[Skull-1]

Bump. Anyone? How can we win making stop after stop after stop...with no points on the other end?

[MSPaint]

Spurs won.

[eyeh8u]

they just missed open shots, kawhi was open for 4 different 3's, it just missed, its didnt faze them and it worked out in the end

[DarrinS]

Spurs missed a lot of good looks, tbh

[Skull-1]

Can't we try for two instead of three? A layup or short jumper? It is so maddening to me. So glad we won, but geeze...

[Mr. Body]

The last possessions were rough. Miami threw themselves into their defense and the Spurs really struggled. Pop will need to find ways to get shots down the stretch.

[racm]

Fall down seven times. Stand up eight.

[sananspursfan21]

I've watched a lot of Spurs games in my day and I saw nothing out of the ordinary from any other win... Just shows how much the defense should be relied on

[wut]

Reminds me of series vs Grizz in the way we played bad and barely won, which should scare Miami but won't until after game 2 when Spurs shock them.

[dbreiden83080]

Spurs can play much much better.. Missed a ton of 3's we usually make, didn't take advantage of some crucial stops.. But a win is a win...

On to game 2...

[Richie]

At least 4 possessions in a short space of time we were down 3 and missed open corner 3s.

It's a make or miss league, and we won it in the end. Can't complain.

[Spurs9]

We should feel good about winning with all our missed open shots.

[wut]

Miami is 10-0 in game 2s after losing game 1.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

Spurs lost assists, rebounds, fg perc and they won. Scary

[Spursbu13]

I cringed after the 6th chance that came up empty. Leonard try too hard to force a 3 and there was a chance for Neal to drive in and he shot a 3. Not say we looked absolutely awful during that time, we actually made some big shots to keep pace.

[Budkin]

That's the best takeaway from the game... we didn't play that great and they did, and we beat them on their court.

[Brunodf]

Small ball/Neal and Bonner killing our offense per par

[100%duncan]

And I thought I was spoiled

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Yeah, we won't miss 6 wide open 3s like that again in this series. At least we got it out of our system. :lol

[jesterbobman]

So wait, someone is complaining that we got open Corner 3's, that players knock down at ~45%, because they missed.

In the Pop/Duncan era, the Spurs have always been about process over results. Complaining about the results suggests you don't get that.

[tesseractive]

Fall down seven times. Stand up eight.
This. :tu

That's why defense is so critical in the playoffs. If they stop you from scoring 10 times in a row, you have to stop them 11 times.

[Skull-1]

We aren't going to get away with that kind of missed opportunity for the series. Splitter made it on the eighth stop. Two points in eight possessions. Fortunate to have won. Need to capitalize on stops...

And wtf, Bonner? Manu hits him right under the basket and the dude doesn't even TRY to score. Isn't he almost seven feet tall? He can't jump?

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

So wait, someone is complaining that we got open Corner 3's, that players knock down at ~45%, because they missed.

In the Pop/Duncan era, the Spurs have always been about process over results. Complaining about the results suggests you don't get that.

Exactly. The Spurs created a number of good shot opportunities against an elite defense, they just didn't fall this time but that doesn't mean the Spurs played badly. They would have played badly if they hadn't created good looks and had missed awful, contested shots outside of the offensive flow. Then people would have been right to bitch about it.

[3 Legged Dog]

Miami is 10-0 in game 2s after losing game 1.
Good God. That's a lot of times to have lost game 1. How many of those series did Miami win? And he many were against week eastern conference teams?

[Knucklehead]

I cringed after the 6th chance that came up empty. Leonard try too hard to force a 3 and there was a chance for Neal to drive in and he shot a 3. Not say we looked absolutely awful during that time, we actually made some big shots to keep pace.
Neal pisses me off when hes part of a fast break, i dont know numbers but it seems like he always pulls up for a jumper or messes the fast break up.

[Skull-1]

Neal sucks bringing the ball up, too. He looks like Tracy Morgan, fwiw. Distracting!

[moisaenz]

I guess these last few years Spurs fans have forgotten that Spurs are the original Grit and Grind.....Just look at past playoff series 2005 and back...

[Uncle Drew]

1. Spurs won't sweep
2. Obviously not the same team that won 27 straight
3. Spurs win in 6 :lol

[Skull-1]

Grit and grind, yes, but we were a smashmouth defensive team then. Our defense isn't as good as 2005 so stops are more precious now.

[TampaDude]

Spurs missed a ton of shots and still won. If those 3s had fallen, they win by 10-15 points last night.

[moisaenz]

Grit and grind, yes, but we were a smashmouth defensive team then. Our defense isn't as good as 2005 so stops are more precious now.

Well all these years without bowen, Spurs had been weak at SF defensively.. definitely not a juggernaut defense but reasonable complement to the offense.

[Skull-1]

Spurs missed a ton of shots and still won. If those 3s had fallen, they win by 10-15 points last night.

But they had time to try for some twos. Make four of those eight and we win by 12...

[TampaDude]

But they had time to try for some twos. Make four of those eight and we win by 12...

Exactly...either way, the Spurs did not have a great shooting night yet still won on the road. If they start hitting more shots, Miami is in deep trouble.

[GSH]

Q3.... Seven chances to take the lead. Brick. Miss. Miss. Turnover. Miss...

On the eighth try we got it...

Pounding the rock is a good philosophy but come on! We shoulda won by twelve at least.


I'm not sure what point you're trying to make about this, but it's something I talk about a lot of times when we're watching games - a team that's been trailing, that just can't "get over the hump". Whenever I see a team get 4-5 chances to finally tie or take a lead, and fail each time, it usually means they just don't have the juice that night. If they manage to finally take a lead, even if they go back down by 5 or 6 right away, I feel like they have a pretty good chance of getting it back. We saw it in one of the Memphis games, where the Griz caught up but every time it looked like they might finally take a 1-point lead, they couldn't convert. Even though that game was neck-and-neck, I was pretty sure it was in the bag.

One of the things that really makes me crazy is when a team has been trailing most of the night, and they are finally down to a 1-point deficit, and they start jacking up 3's. What they should be doing is looking for a higher-percentage 2-point shot, just to take that lead back, even if it's only for one possession. It's a mental thing, and it affects both teams. Going up by 2 points (by making a 3) doesn't make that much difference. But failing to take a lead hurts a lot.

When the Spurs missed those opportunities, I was really worried that they were going to come up just that little bit short at the end. It was during that stretch that the Spurs got a turnover, and Gary Neal ran straight to the 3-P line and bricked one, rather than taking it to the rim or setting up the offense for a higher-percentage shot. Missing the shot wasn't the problem, it was his lack of game awareness. Robert Horry always had a sense of timing. He understood that a well-timed steal, or block, or drawing a charge could totally change the momentum of a game. He won a lot more games that way than he ever did with 3-balls.

The difference in this game was that the Spurs were just the better team last night. They did just keep chipping away at the lead, and they clamped down on defense. The ONLY reason the Heat had that lead to begin with was the Spurs missed shots at the rim. Not the missed 3-pointers; those are low-percentage shots. The Spurs probably missed 10 chip-shots right at the rim that are usually very high-percentage shots. If the Spurs make even a mediocre percentage of those, it's Miami playing catch up.

[moisaenz]

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make about this, but it's something I talk about a lot of times when we're watching games - a team that's been trailing, that just can't "get over the hump". Whenever I see a team get 4-5 chances to finally tie or take a lead, and fail each time, it usually means they just don't have the juice that night. If they manage to finally take a lead, even if they go back down by 5 or 6 right away, I feel like they have a pretty good chance of getting it back. We saw it in one of the Memphis games, where the Griz caught up but every time it looked like they might finally take a 1-point lead, they couldn't convert. Even though that game was neck-and-neck, I was pretty sure it was in the bag.

One of the things that really makes me crazy is when a team has been trailing most of the night, and they are finally down to a 1-point deficit, and they start jacking up 3's. What they should be doing is looking for a higher-percentage 2-point shot, just to take that lead back, even if it's only for one possession. It's a mental thing, and it affects both teams. Going up by 2 points (by making a 3) doesn't make that much difference. But failing to take a lead hurts a lot.

When the Spurs missed those opportunities, I was really worried that they were going to come up just that little bit short at the end. It was during that stretch that the Spurs got a turnover, and Gary Neal ran straight to the 3-P line and bricked one, rather than taking it to the rim or setting up the offense for a higher-percentage shot. Missing the shot wasn't the problem, it was his lack of game awareness. Robert Horry always had a sense of timing. He understood that a well-timed steal, or block, or drawing a charge could totally change the momentum of a game. He won a lot more games that way than he ever did with 3-balls.

The difference in this game was that the Spurs were just the better team last night. They did just keep chipping away at the lead, and they clamped down on defense. The ONLY reason the Heat had that lead to begin with was the Spurs missed shots at the rim. Not the missed 3-pointers; those are low-percentage shots. The Spurs probably missed 10 chip-shots right at the rim that are usually very high-percentage shots. If the Spurs make even a mediocre percentage of those, it's Miami playing catch up.

I agree completely. Some of those dumb missed 2 shots were those stupid layup attempts by bonner, and a couple of layups missed by Ginobili in which he seemed to want to dunk instead of doing a finger roll. Once the spurs tied the game and went up the heat started to somewhat panic. They got back because spurs failed to rotate on some 3s by the Heat and the foul by Green, regardless they were trying to get back with contested 3s.

[Skull-1]

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make about this, but it's something I talk about a lot of times when we're watching games - a team that's been trailing, that just can't "get over the hump". Whenever I see a team get 4-5 chances to finally tie or take a lead, and fail each time, it usually means they just don't have the juice that night.manage to finally take a lead, even if they go back down by 5 or 6 right away, I feel like they have a pretty good chance of getting it back.

(Munch)

One of the things that really makes me crazy is when a team has been trailing most of the night, and they are finally down to a 1-point deficit, and they start jacking up 3's. What they should be doing is looking for a higher-percentage 2-point shot, just to take that lead back, even if it's only for one possession. It's a mental thing, and it affects both teams. Going up by 2 points (by making a 3) doesn't make that much difference. But failing to take a lead hurts a lot.



Exactly! Go for the two To get in front.

But not having legs after nine days?

[Yuixafun]

I remember that stretch..

We just needed to find a way to get over the hump.

They were good looks, I was a bit annoyed at the amount of 3's being taken, but that's what the defense was giving.

It was remarkable because the Heat were at home, knowing what was at stake and fighting their hardest.

Spurs Execution finally won way. It was like an arm wrestling match. At the stand still point.


To Add to the Spirit Bomb the Spurs were calling for (Dragon Ball reference) ... my friends kiddos and I pledged enthusiastically to perform pushups if the Spurs took the lead. And every time they took the lead.

Lol after 3 rounds they took the lead for good!

[Skull-1]

Sure hope we can keep getting the stops in Game 2...

I was annoyed with the three attempts, too... Hopefully the film review will help avoid a similar run next time.

[ginobilized]

The defense was incredible and the offense generated good looks that didn't fall. Gotta love that! Oh, and we won.
The Spurs are creeping into the heads of the Heat who are already making excuses. Not sure Miami has the mental stamina for the Spurs.
On the other hand, not sure the Spurs have the physical stamina for the Heat. Execution is the best chance the Spurs have and they succeeded once.
Game 2 will be very important.