You guys need to relax, tbh..

[Malik Hairston]

This game just confirmed what everybody should have already known, this series is the Spurs team vs. Lebron..

If Lebron doesn't completely dominate, they can't beat the Spurs, and that will be the case all series long, tbh..

Lebron is arguably the greatest player to ever play, but I don't think he can single-handedly beat a team like the Spurs for an entire series..we'll see how Pop adjusts..

[dg7md]

Game told me that LeBron is more likely to dominate at home in Miami and they could come back to game 5 up 3-1...

[Malik Hairston]

Through 2 games:

Lebron is +14
Bosh is -22
Wade is -23

[baseline bum]

This game just confirmed what everybody should have already known, this series is the Spurs team vs. Lebron..

If Lebron doesn't completely dominate, they can't beat the Spurs, and that will be the case all series long, tbh..

Lebron is arguably the greatest player to ever play, but I don't think he can single-handedly beat a team like the Spurs for an entire series..we'll see how Pop adjusts..

:cry But we were winning it in 5 :cry

[Darius Bieber]

I am relaxed... I'm already ready and anticipating a backdoor sweep.

[Mugen]

Yeah, Spurfan shouldn't hit the panic button til they lose Game 3. Spurs are more than capable of winning in Miami. LeBron was terrific tonight as many expected.

[Splits]

Fucking Manu

[Chinook]

It helps Lebron "dominate" when Pop defends him poorly. No way Diaw should see another minute on him. And don't get me started on Beli.

[baseline bum]

Spurs just gotta have this 2-2 coming home for Game 5 and they're in decent shape

[Malik Hairston]

Game told me that LeBron is more likely to dominate at home in Miami and they could come back to game 5 up 3-1...

Miami only has 1 player that carries them on both ends, tbh..Wade isn't a notable player anymore, unless he's being guarded by Belinelli..

Ray Allen, Lewis and Bosh score when Lebron is on the floor, tbh..

A 1-man team cannot dominate a series, they will have lulls..we saw it with 2003 Duncan..

[slick'81]

Spurs gotta prove they can stop him

[SanDiegoSpursFan]

We can still be extremely disappointed with how the Spurs played though. Basically every role player sucked major dick, Parker and Duncan missed 4 really big FT's, and Ginobili + Parker were dribbling and passing to each other for entire possessions near the end. A lot less turnovers, which is an improvement, but the Spurs fucked up big time anyway.

[cjw]

Need to go back and analyze Kawhi's fouls. The third was particularly BS and led to Lebron's run in the third quarter.

I think he's in a funk now and not going to the hoop because he's afraid of getting whistled every play.

And Chinook's right, only Kawhi and Green on Lebron. Diaw should only be on him if they switch the pick.

[baseline bum]

Yeah, Spurfan shouldn't hit the panic button til they lose Game 3. Spurs are more than capable of winning in Miami. LeBron was terrific tonight as many expected.

Hit the panic button if they lose Game 3 and then lose Game 4.

[Malik Hairston]

It helps Lebron "dominate" when Pop defends him poorly. No way Diaw should see another minute on him. And don't get me started on Beli.

Pop will adjust IMO..the Spurs have a ton of weapons on both ends, they have much more room to adjust than Miami..

[Baam]

We lost while shooting 40+% from 3 and while turning it over only 11 times... We're fucked... Miami is in the driver seat...

[Mugen]

Hit the panic button if they lose Game 3 and then lose Game 4.

Yup, then full meltdown mode should be engaged and everybody should jump. Until then, just peer over the ledge for a little tbh :lol

[td4mvp21]

Hit the panic button if they lose Game 3 and then lose Game 4.

Losing Game 3 and winning Game 4 may be futile considering Miami doesn't lose two games in a row :lol That'd set up a home loss in pivotal Game 5.

[Malik Hairston]

The Spurs were never going to win a Finals game where Belinelli plays more than 20 minutes, realistically speaking..one of the worst coaching moves in Pop's career..

It's unreal how Wade sucks against every Spurs defender until Belinelli checks in the game:lol..

[Richie]

It helps Lebron "dominate" when Pop defends him poorly. No way Diaw should see another minute on him. And don't get me started on Beli.

Diaw can defend him fine. If Lebron shoots jump shots all series then I'll live with that. The problem is we have gone away from everything that worked last year, Kawhi is guarding him way too tight.

Belinelli on Wade is a tragic decision from Pop, now theres a problem. I'd happily see more Diaw on Lebron if it meant Lebron taking jumpshots and Kawhi on Wade when Lebron sits.

[team-work]

Relax! No further words needed.

[weebo]

If that scrub lewis is going to get 14 pts, the Spurs have no shot of winning this.

[Mugen]

:lol Honestly, if this is the game that convinces Pop that Beli should be glued to the bench this series, then I'll take it. I like the Spurs chances when Green/Leonard get 35+ mins a game.

[biskvito]

Miami's paint looking like the Everest, Spurs just want to camp at the base and live by the 3pt.

[spurraider21]

It helps Lebron "dominate" when Pop defends him poorly. No way Diaw should see another minute on him. And don't get me started on Beli.
leonard and green were in foul trouble, not sure who you expected them to turn to

[100%duncan]

:lol Spurs wins that game even with Lebron going apeshit if they hit the 4 ft's.

The usual Lebron dick-sucking will be hard until game 3 comes :lol

[Malik Hairston]

Lebron had one of the best 2nd half performances in Finals history..let's not ignore that:lol..

[xtremesteven33]

I think the Spurs are mentally preparing for a long series. They know its not going to be easy. Spurs fans do, but they dont.

[td4mvp21]

I have a hard time seeing them winning in Miami. They went 1-3 there last year in the Finals (Parker's miracle shot giving them their only win) and are 3-5 on the road in the playoffs. Then again, Miami hasn't lost at home in the playoffs this year...they might be overdue for a home loss.

[Malik Hairston]

leonard and green were in foul trouble, not sure who you expected them to turn to

Green had 3 fouls, he could have played..also, Leonard had 4 fouls and was still out a few minutes into the 4th, while Belinelli was still on the floor..

[xtremesteven33]

Lebron had one of the best 2nd half performances in Finals history..let's not ignore that:lol..

All would go unnoticed had the Spurs made their FTs.

[Chinook]

Pop will adjust IMO..the Spurs have a ton of weapons on both ends, they have much more room to adjust than Miami..

I agree that the Spurs have more upside in this series than Miami does. However, I have a feeling Pop isn't going to adjust all that much. I doubt he's saving Green-on-James for a special occasion; I think he just feels like Danny can't guard Lebron as well as Diaw can.

Kawhi did a decent job on James (as well as one can do), and he actually shouldn't have fouled out at the end. So I think Pop will just chock this game up to James' GOAT-mode and keep that part the same.

[objective]

You're mistaken, HH.

Lebron has and will dominate enough to win four games.

[HI-FI]

:lol Honestly, if this is the game that convinces Pop that Beli should be glued to the bench this series, then I'll take it. I like the Spurs chances when Green/Leonard get 35+ mins a game.
only problem is they got put in foul trouble real easily. maybe that's on them, but it would be a good plan by the league to take them out, then make it Belinelli time.
fuck, I can only imagine the officiating in game 3. it seems SA is one of the few places that doesn't get homecooking like other top teams.

[RD2191]

I will stop posting for what's left of this season if the Spurs get a win in Miami.

[Chinook]

leonard and green were in foul trouble, not sure who you expected them to turn to

Green was only in foul trouble in the first quarter. He should have been on James after half-time for sure, especially since Green actually rarely fouls his own man.

[th3answ3r]

im not scared of lebron. dont lose faith, built not bought

[timtonymanu]

I expected a 1-1 series anyway. Spurs still have a chance to win this series. Belinelli needs to stay in San Antonio for Games 3 and 4, tbh.

[Chinook]

Diaw can defend him fine. If Lebron shoots jump shots all series then I'll live with that. The problem is we have gone away from everything that worked last year, Kawhi is guarding him way too tight.

Belinelli on Wade is a tragic decision from Pop, now theres a problem. I'd happily see more Diaw on Lebron if it meant Lebron taking jumpshots and Kawhi on Wade when Lebron sits.

No. Diaw can't defend James. He never could outside of Game Five last year, when Lebron was hell-bent on posting up and played into Diaw's strengths. Miami is starting James' possessions from outside the three-point line in this series, and because of that, Diaw can neither contest the shot nor protect against the drive.

Diaw allows James to drive, face up. Green, Manu, Leonard encourage jumpers/post plays.

[benefactor]

Agreed...Spurs will be fine.

[ElNono]

Green was only in foul trouble in the first quarter. He should have been on James after half-time for sure, especially since Green actually rarely fouls his own man.

He was... thanks to jumping to contest and Wade drawing the foul :lol

Danny is not going to cover Lebron. And Beli will keep on playing. The Spurs are playing to outscore Miami, and the Heat do a good job of staying on Danny, rendering him fairly useless on offense.

I think Pop will pin this game on missed freethrows and Lebron being Lebron... but the Spurs should take a look at some tape at the end of the game. Miami knew exactly what we were going to run, and we ended up with bad possessions...

[myhc]

I'm not panicing. I thought before this series started, both teams would each win once on the other's home court. I thought tonight, barring an almost perfect game from the Spurs, Lebron was going to deliver for the Heat and he did just that. Shame we could've gone up 2-0 but woulda coulda shoulda. On to game 3 and time for us to win on their home floor.

[-21-]

It's not that we're tied 1-1 and think we're gonna lose this series. It's just that we had this game but didn't take advantage, which really really sucks.

[Darius McCrary]

We should have won that game there is plenty reason to worry tbh

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Yep so true, plus the heat never lose 2 in a row. Foul trouble also fcked the spurs over pretty hard.

[Capt Bringdown]

Ray Allen, Lewis and Bosh score when Lebron is on the floor, tbh..


uhh, Ray Allen second only to LeBron with +9. Allen a fucking assassin as far as the Spurs are concerned. He was all over the place with killer timely plays.
Ray Allen = ultimate Spurs Killah

[jag]

I'm leaving the game now. Not feeling too bad about this loss, tbh. There was some hot poon at the game, there were some horrible calls, Bron dominated, Spurs played terrible offense at the end, too much 1on1, 4 missed FTs in crunch time...Spurs still only lost by 2. The Heat haven't managed to really dominate the Spurs yet. Even when they go on runs. They don't seem to be able to really build a lead. That's encouraging.

[baseline bum]

Losing Game 3 and winning Game 4 may be futile considering Miami doesn't lose two games in a row :lol That'd set up a home loss in pivotal Game 5.

You could panic then after Game 5 too :lol

[Chinook]

He was... thanks to jumping to contest and Wade drawing the foul :lol

Danny is not going to cover Lebron. And Beli will keep on playing. The Spurs are playing to outscore Miami, and the Heat do a good job of staying on Danny, rendering him fairly useless on offense.

I think Pop will pin this game on missed freethrows and Lebron being Lebron... but the Spurs should take a look at some tape at the end of the game. Miami knew exactly what we were going to run, and we ended up with bad possessions...

The Spurs don't have to "play to outscore" the Heat. They have the pieces to adequately defend them. They made it to the Finals last year by being a defensive-minded team that could score. I don't why they'd shift to a high-scoring team that can defend when their personnel didn't change.

[spurraider21]

despite lebron's spectacular game, the 2 turning points of the game were gaffes by the spurs...

in the first half we were putting on a good run, took an 11 point lead, and both marco and boris abandoned Ray Allen who knocked in a 3. big momentum shifting play.

the second was of course the 4 consecutive missed free throws

[jag]

Last 2 finals games I've been to have been losses. That kind of sucks

[ElNono]

The Spurs don't have to "play to outscore" the Heat. They have the pieces to adequately defend them. They made it to the Finals last year by being a defensive-minded team that could score. I don't why they'd shift to a high-scoring team that can defend when their personnel didn't change.

We didn't win last year, that's why we're going with something a little different. Pop does want this team to play defense for stretches, but also understands that Lebron can drop 30+ any given night, and no Spurs will be able to match that output. So he'll trot out offense-only lineups out there from time to time, and hope he gets some spacing and production. That's why Mills and Beli will keep playing. I mean, it wasn't THAT much different from last year. Neal was still getting minutes in Games 3, 4, 5, etc..

[BillMc]

Parker sounds really down in the postgame interview. Depressed more than pissed. Hope he's ok with the ribs....

[Agloco]

Spurs gotta prove they can stop him

It's not really about stopping him. It's about limiting players like Lewis. He's killing us tbh.

[Chinook]

We didn't win last year, that's why we're going with something a little different. Pop does want this team to play defense for stretches, but also understands that Lebron can drop 30+ any given night, and no Spurs will be able to match that output. So he'll trot out offense-only lineups out there from time to time, and hope he gets some spacing and production. That's why Mills and Beli will keep playing. I mean, it wasn't THAT much different from last year. Neal was still getting minutes in Games 3, 4, 5, etc..

The Spurs were a much stronger team in last year's playoffs than they've been so far this season. This year, they can't seem to be able to close a series unless Pop falls back on his defensive players. We can keep acting like this year's team is so much different due to Marco's and Patty's emergences, but in reality, the Spurs have to hope the same top six players can carry them home. This group may well be deeper, but it also has a lot more noise in it.

It's not that I think Pop needs to make huge changes to his rotation or anything. I feel confident in the Spurs' ability to win at least one of the next two games. But I don't get the idea that the Spurs need to prioritize scoring players over defenders. I don't remember a game this year where Spurs lost because Belinelli didn't play enough crunch-time minutes.

[Malik Hairston]

Boris was awful tonight, too, I don't know if the box score shows it, I haven't checked yet..

Passed up so many shots, and some of the shots he actually did take were some awful looks(strange floater against Lewis, and 2 awful post attempts, off the top of my head)..Spurs need him to play a lot better..

[ElNono]

Boris was awful tonight, too, I don't know if the box score shows it, I haven't checked yet..

Passed up so many shots, and some of the shots he actually did take were some awful looks(strange floater against Lewis, and 2 awful post attempts, off the top of my head)..Spurs need him to play a lot better..

Boris: -5
Kawhi: -6
Beli: -7

[midnightpulp]

I agree. Lebron shot 14-22, perfect from 3, hit like every jumper, and the Heat scraped out a 1 possession win.

My fear is when is the Wade bomb going to off? Or even the Bosh bomb (a player I've long criticized, but he's been dialed in since the ECF)?

And then there's the issue of our role players having deer-in-headlights syndrome. All of them got outplayed by Rashard Lewis on the offensive end.

[Chinook]

Boris was awful tonight, too, I don't know if the box score shows it, I haven't checked yet..

Passed up so many shots, and some of the shots he actually did take were some awful looks(strange floater against Lewis, and 2 awful post attempts, off the top of my head)..Spurs need him to play a lot better..

The Heat playing Lewis instead of Battier really reduces the advantage that Diaw was supposed to give the Spurs. This is not the same as the WCF.

[crc21209]

Boris was awful tonight, too, I don't know if the box score shows it, I haven't checked yet..

Passed up so many shots, and some of the shots he actually did take were some awful looks(strange floater against Lewis, and 2 awful post attempts, off the top of my head)..Spurs need him to play a lot better..

Yeah he didnt look so great tonight. Very sub-par based on the way he's been playing lately. He just looked awkward out there at times. Hell, toward the end when the ball stopped I noticed Allen was guarding Boris, but Tony and Manu either didnt see it or just didnt go to it. I wouldve liked to see Boris posting Allen up there, if anything it may have forced a double team that could have led to an open shot..

[Baam]

He was too tentative, even when he attacked he rushed things... Played like a pussy tbh and I'm the biggest Boris homer around...

[RD2191]

I agree. Lebron shot 14-22, perfect from 3, hit like every jumper, and the Heat scraped out a 1 possession win.

My fear is when is the Wade bomb going to off? Or even the Bosh bomb (a player I've long criticized, but he's been dialed in since the ECF)?

And then there's the issue of our role players having deer-in-headlights syndrome. All of them got outplayed by Rashard Lewis on the offensive end.

[007nites]

im not scared of lebron. dont lose faith, built not bought

You should be scared

[100%duncan]

If anything this game shows that Lebron can go nuts we still can win.

[TD 21]

Yeah he didnt look so great tonight. Very sub-par based on the way he's been playing lately. He just looked awkward out there at times. Hell, toward the end when the ball stopped I noticed Allen was guarding Boris, but Tony and Manu either didnt see it or just didnt go to it. I wouldve liked to see Boris posting Allen up there, if anything it may have forced a double team that could have led to an open shot..

Yeah, that was a crucial possession and whichever had the ball (can't remember either), despite being on the same side of the court with him, didn't see him and he went to spot up in the corner instead of demanding the ball. Between that and the inexplicable Ginobili step back a possession or two later, they shot themselves in the foot.

The bottom line is James realized from the jump this year that Diaw shouldn't be able to guard him, which makes it doubly crucial that Leonard stay out of foul trouble. Either way, Pop needs to stop overreacting to it, in his case and others and he also needs to stop respecting Lewis' post game so much. There's no reason they can't play small and get away with Ginobili on him for stretches. If the Heat want to milk that, great, that just keeps it out of James' and Wade's hands.


Don't kid yourself; this was an absolutely crucial loss. The next two are on short rest, but even more importantly, they could have punctured this team's psyche. They're already mentally and physically on fumes. If their streak without back to back losses would have ended and they'd have had to win 4 of 5, it probably would have been over. Not in 4 or 5, but I couldn't have envisioned them overcoming that. Instead, as usual they were let off the hook and they're back in control.

[Capt Bringdown]

If anything this game shows that Lebron can go nuts we still can win.

Oh, can we? Can we get it done? Miami says no, and the Spurs got nothing.
Scoreboard.

[Agloco]

The Spurs don't have to "play to outscore" the Heat. They have the pieces to adequately defend them. They made it to the Finals last year by being a defensive-minded team that could score. I don't why they'd shift to a high-scoring team that can defend when their personnel didn't change.

Ordinarily I'd agree, but when LeBron is in god mode like tonight you need to help yourself by making good decisions on the offensive end. Matching them is really the only way to weather that storm. They did it in the third but for some inexplicable reason they stopped moving the ball in the fourth.

[100%duncan]

Oh, can we? Can we get it done? Miami says no, and the Spurs got nothing.
Scoreboard.

You gave up in OKC remember?

[timtonymanu]

Capt Bringdown and Darius Bieber need to get together. Perfect match.

[limlsy]

Oh, can we? Can we get it done? Miami says no, and the Spurs got nothing.
Scoreboard.

You're always so negative. Serves as a good defense mechanism though, I have to say.

[ElNono]

The Spurs were a much stronger team in last year's playoffs than they've been so far this season. This year, they can't seem to be able to close a series unless Pop falls back on his defensive players. We can keep acting like this year's team is so much different due to Marco's and Patty's emergences, but in reality, the Spurs have to hope the same top six players can carry them home. This group may well be deeper, but it also has a lot more noise in it.

It's not that I think Pop needs to make huge changes to his rotation or anything. I feel confident in the Spurs' ability to win at least one of the next two games. But I don't get the idea that the Spurs need to prioritize scoring players over defenders. I don't remember a game this year where Spurs lost because Belinelli didn't play enough crunch-time minutes.

I think the Spurs being stronger last year is directly related to Tony being MVParker instead of being "good to great" Tony... that makes the offense rely much less on everyone else, and gives Pop the chance to play better defensive players that are offensively-challenged. This isn't last year though, and Tony and everyone else is doing a great job. You don't get to the Finals and go toe-to-toe with the champ if you're not doing something right.

Miami is a great team tho, I can't take that away from them.

[Chinook]

I think the Spurs being stronger last year is directly related to Tony being MVParker instead of being "good to great" Tony... that makes the offense rely much less on everyone else, and gives Pop the chance to play better defensive players that are offensively-challenged. This isn't last year though, and Tony and everyone else is doing a great job. You don't get to the Finals and go toe-to-toe with the champ if you're not doing something right.

Miami is a great team tho, I can't take that away from them.

What I am saying is that the Spurs didn't actually get to THIS Finals by being the offensive-minded team Pop seems to prioritize. They pretty much spent most of the post-season trying that before going back to their roots for a game or a quarter to close a series out. The only time the Spurs really had trouble scoring this year was at the beginning of the season when Leonard and Duncan couldn't hit anything from outside. After that got fixed, the team's "defensive" lineup could score fine.

[baseline bum]

Spurs fan needs to enjoy this Finals even if they lose it again. It took 26 years to get there the first time, and it could take 26 more to return once this one is over, regardless of outcome.

[Baam]

What I am saying is that the Spurs didn't actually get to THIS Finals by being the offensive-minded team Pop seems to prioritize. They pretty much spent most of the post-season trying that before going back to their roots for a game or a quarter to close a series out. The only time the Spurs really had trouble scoring this year was at the beginning of the season when Leonard and Duncan couldn't hit anything from outside. After that got fixed, the team's "defensive" lineup could score fine.

They prioritized offense in the WCF and it made all the difference...

[ElNono]

What I am saying is that the Spurs didn't actually get to THIS Finals by being the offensive-minded team Pop seems to prioritize. They pretty much spent most of the post-season trying that before going back to their roots for a game or a quarter to close a series out. The only time the Spurs really had trouble scoring this year was at the beginning of the season when Leonard and Duncan couldn't hit anything from outside. After that got fixed, the team's "defensive" lineup could score fine.

I agree they're not the 2011 Spurs. The D has been greatly improved since then. But Pop has a difficult job balancing that rock solid defense with also a consistent offensive output.

We held up Miami to under 100 pts for two games in a row, playing Beli, Boris on Lebron, Mills, etc, even with them shooting 52% this last game. The defense is there for long stretches. But if we can't score 100+, we can't win. All the previous series have been more or less using a combo of our potent offense with our solid D to put pressure on the other team's offense. I don't think Pop is going to change much from here on out.

[ElNono]

Spurs fan needs to enjoy this Finals even if they lose it again. It took 26 years to get there the first time, and it could take 26 more to return once this one is over, regardless of outcome.

Agreed. We all want to win as much as anybody, but if you didn't enjoy the ride and enjoy being here, then it's your loss.

[mercos]

Miami has played really well, SA has played mediocre, and the Spurs were this close to being up 2-0. For Miami to win this series, Lebron is going to have to play like he did tonight every game. I'm not sure Miami can win without that effort. The problem is, Lebron is more than capable of keeping up level of play. If he does, it will go down as one of the greatest Finals performances of all time.

[Capt Bringdown]

Spurs vs Miami, a clash of the titans.
Miami has proven they can win in must-win situations. The Spurs have not. Can the Spurs turn the page on past choke jobs?

[Chinook]

They prioritized offense in the WCF and it made all the difference...

The 37-20 third quarter of Game Six was about the Spurs' defense forcing so many turnovers. It was very much a defensive movement. If anything it highlights what I'm saying here: The Spurs' defensive unit can still score in bunches. They don't need to play players like Beli and Mills big minutes for them to have enough offense.

[Malik Hairston]

The numbers are outrageous through 2 games, I don't know if I've ever seen anything like it:lol :

Miami in these 1st 2 games has a +8.3 net points per/poss when Lebron is on the floor, and a -52.2 net points/per when he's off the floor:wow:wow..

[Chinook]

I agree they're not the 2011 Spurs. The D has been greatly improved since then. But Pop has a difficult job balancing that rock solid defense with also a consistent offensive output.

We held up Miami to under 100 pts for two games in a row, playing Beli, Boris on Lebron, Mills, etc, even with them shooting 52% this last game. The defense is there for long stretches. But if we can't score 100+, we can't win. All the previous series have been more or less using a combo of our potent offense with our solid D to put pressure on the other team's offense. I don't think Pop is going to change much from here on out.

So the Spurs have managed to play decent defense despite not prioritizing it, but they can't seem to score despite playing offensive-minded players big minutes? Doesn't that fly in the face of that line of thinking, then? It suggests the Spurs can get a lot better on defense (like holding Miami in the low 90s, high 80s) without really sacrificing much on offense. Perhaps the Spurs need to stop trying to outscore Miami and play to the strengths of their best players and actually try to defend them to the best of their abilities.

[Baam]

The 37-20 third quarter of Game Six was about the Spurs' defense forcing so many turnovers. It was very much a defensive movement. If anything it highlights what I'm saying here: The Spurs' defensive unit can still score in bunches. They don't need to play players like Beli and Mills big minutes for them to have enough offense.

They can't afford to play the defensive black hole Belinelli another second but then again the Duncan-Splitter offensive blackhole shouldn't play much either...

The margin for error is just too small to keep doing anything counter productive for the sake of thing like "keeping guys confident/happy" "not messing with the rotations" or whatever the fuck is used as an excuse... These guys are professionnals and Pop should really trim the fat go with the best possible rotation...

[Chinook]

They can't afford to play the defensive black hole Belinelli another second but then again the Duncan-Splitter offensive blackhole shouldn't play much either...

The margin for error is just too small to keep doing anything counter productive for the sake of thing like "keeping guys confident/happy" "not messing with the rotations" or whatever the fuck is used as an excuse... These guys are professionnals and Pop should really trim the fat go with the best possible rotation...

Even if we quabble on the Splitter situation, we can agree on that last part. I don't want Pop to make the obvious moves when the Spurs are down 3-1.

[therealtruth]

The Spurs don't have to "play to outscore" the Heat. They have the pieces to adequately defend them. They made it to the Finals last year by being a defensive-minded team that could score. I don't why they'd shift to a high-scoring team that can defend when their personnel didn't change.

I agree with defense first. Trust our best defenders out there. Beli should only play spot minutes. Amazing a guy who was hitting big shots against the Heat last playoffs has now become scared to shoot. There's something about Pop that turns players soft.

[ElNono]

So the Spurs have managed to play decent defense despite not prioritizing it, but they can't seem to score despite playing offensive-minded players big minutes? Doesn't that fly in the face of that line of thinking, then? It suggests the Spurs can get a lot better on defense (like holding Miami in the low 90s, high 80s) without really sacrificing much on offense. Perhaps the Spurs need to stop trying to outscore Miami and play to the strengths of their best players and actually try to defend them to the best of their abilities.

It's a balance. We don't hold them up to under 100 playing all-offense lineups and we don't score 100 with an all-defense lineup. So Pop mixes it up, and you get what we had this season. Last year, Tony was a lot sharper offensively and in better shape, so you could play him more instead of Mills. It's misguided to think that playing the defensive lineup more will hold Miami to lower and lower scoring numbers. At some point, Lebron starts making shots and he's unguardable. The Spurs rarely have that kind of benefit, so the offense has to be there, coming from a lot of guys.

[Crookshanks]

This series is about money and ratings - period. If the Heat go down 0-2, tv's turn off, and the league loses money. They want this series to go 7 games, and they're going to do what they can to insure that happens. Both teams are good, but the NBA loves to push LeBron as the greatest player ever, so they're going to help protect his image and his legacy. After what happened in game 1, is anyone really surprised by what happened tonight? And yet, the Spurs had several chances to win the game, but couldn't seal the deal. However, even after a monster game from LeBron, and tons of help from the refs, the Heat barely won by 2 points. Anyone who thinks the series is over is delusional - Spurs are more than capable of winning in Miami, and I'll be very surprised if they don't come home with the series tied 2-2.

[dg7md]

Nothing about this loss was on the refs. LeBron did travel on his play he got fouled on, but that was one of the only few moments that swung the game by the referees (it was still a 3 point game when he made one of them). We lost through mistakes down the stretch and missed freebies... That's it, no ref involvement in this one.

In a (lighter?) note, I'm not sure I see Wade going off this series... as far as I am concerned the main threats are LBJ, Bosh, Lewis, and Allen as the biggest Spurkillers.

[Ice009]

I am relaxed... I'm already ready and anticipating a backdoor sweep.

That's great for you. Why don't you leave and stop posting here. No one gives a shit what you've got to say. What's the point of even posting here? I guess you're a troll.

[bobcatfan4life]

That's great for you. Why don't you leave and stop posting here. No one gives a shit what you've got to say. What's the point of even posting here? I guess you're a troll.

Deep down Darius Bieber still believes.

[Ice009]

The 37-20 third quarter of Game Six was about the Spurs' defense forcing so many turnovers. It was very much a defensive movement. If anything it highlights what I'm saying here: The Spurs' defensive unit can still score in bunches. They don't need to play players like Beli and Mills big minutes for them to have enough offense.

I agree with what you've said. Great take. I guess Pop doesn't agree though as he keeps playing shitty defenders that are choking shots and giving up points on the other end. Pop needs to wake up. The defensive lineup is always the way to go.

[weeks]

I have a hard time seeing them winning in Miami. They went 1-3 there last year in the Finals (Parker's miracle shot giving them their only win) and are 3-5 on the road in the playoffs. Then again, Miami hasn't lost at home in the playoffs this year...they might be overdue for a home loss.

we were already winning before parker's miracle shot
it was great, but it wasn't a game winner. dagger sure, but in theory we could have won without it.

[heyheymymy]

you guys are crazy jumping ship like this. spurs could not win in okc... till they did. now is not the time to cliff jump. remember how you felt in games 3 & 4 of the WCF? fans were hopeless till the spurs came out in 5 & 6 and showed their true colors.

believe in your team.

[smaka]

I can only laugh to those who claim Miami can't be beaten at home in the playoffs.. Yeah and who did they play? Bobcats, Nets, Indy.. All those teams would be a first round exit in West or wouldn't even made the playoffs. Miami hasn't even been tested at home, that's why they haven't lost, YET. Time to change that in 2 days, and Spurs will do it.

[BillMc]

I can only laugh to those who claim Miami can't be beaten at home in the playoffs.. Yeah and who did they play? Bobcats, Nets, Indy.. All those teams would be a first round exit in West or wouldn't even made the playoffs. Miami hasn't even been tested at home, that's why they haven't lost, YET. Time to change that in 2 days, and Spurs will do it.

And we're the best road team in the league. We'll steal one. No problem.

[smaka]

And we're the best road team in the league. We'll steal one. No problem.
I keep saying, in order to be Spurs in 6, as I predicted, a loss eventually has to happen. ;) But we're winning game 3!

[polandprzem]

We got to get those two on a road!
We cannot just think of getting one win and a loss. We need game 3 to win and then game 4 be back home with 3-1 lead

[smaka]

We got to get those two on a road!
We cannot just think of getting one win and a loss. We need game 3 to win and then game 4 be back home with 3-1 lead
Yeah but that will be kind of hard. I'll be ok with a split, tbh.

[Horse]

Diaw has to be aggressive or we have no advantage he needs to post Lewis is not strong enough to deal with him.

[DBMethos]

Not too worried. If it had been us up 2-0, guarantee Miami would have won Game 3. But with the split, I can realistically see a Spurs win instead. So we'd get the same result, 2-1 Spurs.

[ohmwrecker]

The key is for Kawai to be allowed to stay agressive and out of foul trouble AND contribute something offensively. If that doesn't happen, the Spurs are in big trouble.

[Spur|n|Austin]

I'm not panicing. I thought before this series started, both teams would each win once on the other's home court. I thought tonight, barring an almost perfect game from the Spurs, Lebron was going to deliver for the Heat and he did just that. Shame we could've gone up 2-0 but woulda coulda shoulda. On to game 3 and time for us to win on their home floor.

[cd98]

Sucks that Spurs lost, but that game could have been won by either team, and it was just a matter of luck. Bosh misses a three or Manu makes the jumper and it changes everything. When games are that close, they're impossible to predict. I imagine there will be two or three more like that in this series, and I hope Spurs have the luck go there way in that one.

[coachmac87]

Kawhi is averaging 28mpg Belli is averaging 20mpg...

Not a recipe for success in the Finals..

[peskypesky]

Lebron is arguably the greatest player to ever play, but I don't think he can single-handedly beat a team like the Spurs for an entire series..we'll see how Pop adjusts..

With the current NBA rules, which favor perimeter players, yeah, Lebron may be the best ever. I'll still take Jordan and Kareem over him though.

But yeah, Lebron is the best now, and he couldn't beat us with a crappy Cavs team…..but with Wade and Bosh, he has.

[peskypesky]

I keep saying, in order to be Spurs in 6, as I predicted, a loss eventually has to happen. ;) But we're winning game 3!

I predicted Spurs in 6 too, so a couple of losses have to happen.

[packers78210]

Yes I agree those four missed free throws was a momentum killer but there was over 6 mins remaining in game and would not have guarantee a win at that time, had those free throw been missed with under 2 mins it's a different story.Miami needed game more than spurs and both played like it. Spurs should play with more effort and have the mindset to win game 3 which would put us back in the drivers seat.

[TheGoldStandard]

Bonner made an appearance twice in this game for no reason. Gotta question the motives for that.

[Leetonidas]

I hate you all. I see your Spurs flags and shit all around the city and I think you're probably some gnsf cliff jumping after a loss or proclaiming a sweep after we win. Spurfan is the whiniest pussy fanbase I've encountered tbh it's almost shameful to be associated with such fairweather frontrunning fake fans imo


this is for the flip flopping cliff divers, not real niggas like myself or Harlem

[Darius Bieber]

That's great for you. Why don't you leave and stop posting here. No one gives a shit what you've got to say. What's the point of even posting here? I guess you're a troll.

No one gives a shit what anyone says on Spurstalk. So why doesn't everyone stop posting? Obviously you give a shit about my post, you're the one who is replying to them. :lol

[024]

Agreed. I found it hilarious Spurs fans were poking the bear after Lebron's early exit due. They celebrated like the Spurs already won the championship and Lebron would cower away. In fact, the Spurs are facing one of the greatest players in the history of the game. You don't need to give him extra motivation to beat down the Spurs. When he is motivated and determined to score, Lebron is unstoppable. The Spurs better hope Lebron retreats back into complacency.

[spurtech09]

We can still be extremely disappointed with how the Spurs played though. Basically every role player sucked major dick, Parker and Duncan missed 4 really big FT's, and Ginobili + Parker were dribbling and passing to each other for entire possessions near the end. A lot less turnovers, which is an improvement, but the Spurs fucked up big time anyway.you can also take away d wade's flop freethrows

[Malik Hairston]

I told you niggas to relax, tbh..

[Malik Hairston]

When Lebron doesn't go into God-mode, Miami can't beat the Spurs, as I said in the OP..


They just don't have the weapons, outside of Lebron..Wade can only score in this series when he isn't guarded by Green/Leonard, and his style of play just doesn't hurt the Spurs..Lewis/Allen only score from Lebron kick-outs, too..