Props to Manu and Pop

[tmtcsc]

Props to Manu for scoring 14 pts and handing out 6 assists in 18 minutes of play. Props also to Pop for benching Manu in crunch time and saving him from himself. Manu also had 4 turnovers. I'll take that. Not sure why Patty wasn't in the game late though. Clippers had to foul and Patty was on the bench. That was a head scratcher.

[kaji157]

Props to your avatar

[UZER]

Credit to pop for calling the zone D and saving the game at the end of the first qrt against their bench.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

Props to your avatar

Indeed.

[SpurPadre]

Props to Diaw for those big buckets in the final minutes. He should start Game 6 over Splitter, tbh.

[tmtcsc]

I'm not sure whether to be pissed at some of Pop's decisions or marvel at what a great coach he is. He didn't give a fuck about taking heat for hack-a-Jordan. He managed to get 2 W's on the road against a very good team. Tony, Tiago and Manu look as though they are sloshing through end of days and the Spurs manage to win. Unreal. By any means necessary I guess.

[UZER]

I'm not sure whether to be pissed at some of Pop's decisions or marvel at what a great coach he is. He didn't give a fuck about taking heat for hack-a-Jordan. He managed to get 2 W's on the road against a very good team. Tony, Tiago and Manu look as though they are sloshing through end of days and the Spurs manage to win. Unreal. By any means necessary I guess.

Hack is stupid. It's helps the already drained Paul and Griffin rest to much. You could see after they took out Jordan in the third, how they just turned manus turnovers into quick easy buckets.

[sananspursfan21]

If I see that one handed sling pass with a defender right on top of him again, I'm gonna lose it

[tmtcsc]

Hack is stupid. It's helps the already drained Paul and Griffin rest to much. You could see after they took out Jordan in the third, how they just turned manus turnovers into quick easy buckets.

The Hacks were pissing me off and I'm obviously a Spurs fan. It slowed the game down and when things got back to normal, the Clipps shit all over the Spurs with easy baskets. But at the end of the day we got the win and dude has 5 rings.

[tmtcsc]

Props to Diaw for those big buckets in the final minutes. He should start Game 6 over Splitter, tbh.

:bobo

[vagabundios]

Hack is stupid. It's helps the already drained Paul and Griffin rest to much. You could see after they took out Jordan in the third, how they just turned manus turnovers into quick easy buckets.

You guys just don't get it, Pop plays mind games. This isn't about getting physically tired, it is about frustration, anxiety, and mental endurance. This proffesional athletes get tired in the head, thats why they make mistakes... only the real champs can overcome this kind of pressure. And Pop knows very well all of this.

[UZER]

You guys just don't get it, Pop plays mind games. This isn't about getting physically tired, it is about frustration, anxiety, and mental endurance. This proffesional athletes get tired in the head, thats why they make mistakes... only the real champs can overcome this kind of pressure. And Pop knows very well all of this.

yes we do get it. It's still stupid.

[UZER]

actually it does have its place. I was ok with late in the first half. It felt like pop was just trying to get to the half even.

It's was dumb in the third.

[DAF86]

I'm not sure whether to be pissed at some of Pop's decisions or marvel at what a great coach he is. He didn't give a fuck about taking heat for hack-a-Jordan. He managed to get 2 W's on the road against a very good team. Tony, Tiago and Manu look as though they are sloshing through end of days and the Spurs manage to win. Unreal. By any means necessary I guess.

Yeah, that's what 14 pts, 6 assts, 3 rbds and 1 block in 18 minutes screams. How do you people watch games, tbh? :lol

[tmtcsc]

Yeah, that's what 14 pts, 6 assts, 3 rbds and 1 block in 18 minutes screams. How do you people watch games, tbh? :lol

Well, we watch ALL the games, so conveniently choosing one of Manu's good games to argue my point doesn't work. Who the hell are you trying to kid? You forgot to post his 4 turnover number too.

[ElNono]

It's true that Manu looks old at times, and those two turnovers in a row were a dark spot in an otherwise extremely solid night for him. But I also think Pop would take nights like this from Manu every game if he could. I mean, that was what, a 5 point swing? We left 11pts on missed freethrows out there tonight (on a night where Gino mysteriously went 6-6 from the charity stripe).

Now Gino is at the tail end of his career. I hope neither Tony or Tiago are. Then we're definitely in deep shit.

[DAF86]

Well, we watch ALL the games, so conveniently choosing one of Manu's good games to argue my point doesn't work. Who the hell are you trying to kid? You forgot to post his 4 turnover number too.

Yeah, he had two awful TO's at the end of the 3rd that gave the Clippers some momentum. He also had a great first half that helped the Spurs (alongside Mills) not get blown the fuck out. With Patty and Manu there to end the game we wouldn't have needed Jordan to fuckup what was going to be a Griffin basket to win the game.

[ElNono]

I also agree with OP that Pop did the right thing by sitting Manu out at the end. We had a relatively solid lead and we needed the defense. We did get the stops and the W.

[DAF86]

I also agree with OP that Pop did the right thing by sitting Manu out at the end. We had a relatively solid lead and we needed the defense. We did get the stops and the W.

The fuck you're talking about? We were a mind blowing DeMonkey mistake away from fucking up a crucial game.

[DAF86]

I don't think folks fully understand how lucky we got with that stupid play by Jordan. That was the game and probably the series.

[ElNono]

I don't think folks fully understand how lucky we got with that stupid play by Jordan. That was the game and probably the series.

It's never one play. It was the missed Danny 3, our failure to rebound the Blake misses, the Jordan fuckup, their failure to rebound Danny's miss.

Manu gave us a lot that night, but I thought he was gassed at the end. Old and gassed doesn't normally works well.

On the other hand, I would've preferred Patty out there. Or even Marco, to get a clean jumper.

[ElNono]

Here, DAF... get the Manu > Jordan thread going downstairs...


Jordan Howenstine @AirlessJordan
(https://twitter.com/AirlessJordan)MANU GINOBILI now has more playoff wins than MICHAEL JORDAN. Ginobili passed Jordan for 11th in NBA history with his 120th win tonight.

[Horry Hipcheck]

Props to Manu for scoring 14 pts and handing out 6 assists in 18 minutes of play.

It wasn't as sexy as some of his other, more iconic performances, but Mr. Game 5 showed up for those 18 minutes.

[DAF86]

It's never one play. It was the missed Danny 3, our failure to rebound the Blake misses, the Jordan fuckup, their failure to rebound Danny's miss.

Manu gave us a lot that night, but I thought he was gassed at the end. Old and gassed doesn't normally works well.

On the other hand, I would've preferred Patty out there. Or even Marco, to get a clean jumper.

Manu wouldn't have been gassed coming back with 6 or 5 minutes remaing after having 4 or 3 minutes of rest. Patty deserved to close out the game tonight the way he (and specially Parker) was shooting the ball and with Patty out there you need to have Manu in for ball handling measures. Patty and Manu >>>> Tony and Green tonight. I have no doubt in my mind we would have closed the game a lot more comfortably with the Patty-Manu duo. We would have actually closed it, tbh. Instead of depending on a historic last possesion mistake to pull it off.

[tmtcsc]

Before things get twisted here, I thought Manu, despite the turnovers was solid tonight. That's why I started the thread. Like ElNono said, I'll take those numbers anytime at this stage of his career.

I'd like to see Joseph get some more minutes too. He had a tough game 1 but he's a good defensive player and can harass Paul and stick with Reddick.

[ElNono]

Before things get twisted here, I thought Manu, despite the turnovers was solid tonight. That's why I started the thread. Like ElNono said, I'll take those numbers anytime at this stage of his career.

I'd like to see Joseph get some more minutes too. He had a tough game 1 but he's a good defensive player and can harass Paul and stick with Reddick.

Cojo and Manu is an awful backcourt pairing IMO... Cojo just not aggressive enough. Maybe playing at home it would be different, but it's hard to tell. I feel he hasn't even earned respect from the refs at this point.

[tmtcsc]

Cojo and Manu is an awful backcourt pairing IMO... Cojo just not aggressive enough. Maybe playing at home it would be different, but it's hard to tell. I feel he hasn't even earned respect from the refs at this point.

I was thinking of CJ taking some of Parker or Manu's minutes. He's a better ball handler than Patty.

[ElNono]

I was thinking of CJ taking some of Parker or Manu's minutes. He's a better ball handler than Patty.

Pop is going to win or lose with Tony and Manu's 20mpg. We knew that going in, that's what we gonna have to live with.

[will_spurs]

Manu is great when the Spurs are behind but he has no notion of protecting the ball or making a safe play and should not be in when the Spurs are in the lead.

[itzsoweezee]

Manu wouldn't have been gassed coming back with 6 or 5 minutes remaing after having 4 or 3 minutes of rest. Patty deserved to close out the game tonight the way he (and specially Parker) was shooting the ball and with Patty out there you need to have Manu in for ball handling measures. Patty and Manu >>>> Tony and Green tonight. I have no doubt in my mind we would have closed the game a lot more comfortably with the Patty-Manu duo. We would have actually closed it, tbh. Instead of depending on a historic last possesion mistake to pull it off.

I don't have confidence inManu in late game situations anymore. The more dire the situation is, the more he tries to force things.

[ElNono]

Manu is great when the Spurs are behind but he has no notion of protecting the ball or making a safe play and should not be in when the Spurs are in the lead.

Not really true. See Game 3 for reference. He still had his 2 TOs or whatever it was, but he ran the offense masterfully and we turned a solid lead into a blowout.

[ElNono]

I think what Pop did today is probably what he'll have to do. One TO, okay... back to back TOs, get the hook...

He was still out there to rebound Danny's FT miss, so you know, Pop is still going to play him in those tight situations.

[#2!]

I don't think folks fully understand how lucky we got with that stupid play by Jordan. That was the game and probably the series.

It's not lucky if that player is prone to those kind of mistakes. Back in the mid 2000s Spurs v. Suns series, STAT would post 34 & 14 on the Spurs before turning the ball over, or having an offensive interference call against him, or leave the bench during an altercation. That guy's idiocy was a reliable advantage for the Spurs. Same here. Spurs want smart players for a reason.

[cd021]

Props to Diaw for those big buckets in the final minutes. He should start Game 6 over Splitter, tbh.

Seems to come up big in big games, like the Game 4 @ Mavs game winning 3 and the monster 25 pt game OKC in game 6.

Acorner 3, the turnaround jumper over Griffin and the ridiculous turnaround jumper to beat the buzzer.

8 points, 3 rebounds, and a late steal in 10 forth quarter minutes.

[emanueldavidginobili]

I expect Manu to have a vintage game, coming off an 18 min night and a close out game in front of the home crowd

[Capt Bringdown]

Manu's sloppy, careless turnovers - in crunch time/critical situations, no less. Why?
Surely as a pro he must recognize this as a weakness in his own game, and take corrective steps.
But he can't or won't, and that's why at this stage in his career, he cannot be trusted in critical situations. Kudo to Pops for recognizing that.
In this game at least.

[Phenomanul]

It's true that Manu looks old at times, and those two turnovers in a row were a dark spot in an otherwise extremely solid night for him. But I also think Pop would take nights like this from Manu every game if he could. I mean, that was what, a 5 point swing? We left 11pts on missed freethrows out there tonight (on a night where Gino mysteriously went 6-6 from the charity stripe).

Now Gino is at the tail end of his career. I hope neither Tony or Tiago are. Then we're definitely in deep shit.

Two of those turnovers were clearly fouls that caused Manu to cough the ball up (or otherwise fail to complete his intended pass).

[Capster]

Props to Manu for scoring 14 pts and handing out 6 assists in 18 minutes of play. Props also to Pop for benching Manu in crunch time and saving him from himself. Manu also had 4 turnovers. I'll take that. Not sure why Patty wasn't in the game late though. Clippers had to foul and Patty was on the bench. That was a head scratcher.

Pop sitting Mills is killing me!!! What is Pop Thinking??? Mills drains 3's consistently!!!

[DAF86]

I don't have confidence inManu in late game situations anymore. The more dire the situation is, the more he tries to force things.

You didn't trust him last season?

[DAF86]

It's not lucky if that player is prone to those kind of mistakes. Back in the mid 2000s Spurs v. Suns series, STAT would post 34 & 14 on the Spurs before turning the ball over, or having an offensive interference call against him, or leave the bench during an altercation. That guy's idiocy was a reliable advantage for the Spurs. Same here. Spurs want smart players for a reason.

It's lucky 'cause if Jordan would have just stayed still we probably lose that game and the series. I would rather not have to depend on such incredible mistakes to win games and last night if we would have played the guys that were playing better we shouldn't have needed of DeMonkey.

[diego]

I'm not sure whether to be pissed at some of Pop's decisions or marvel at what a great coach he is. He didn't give a fuck about taking heat for hack-a-Jordan. He managed to get 2 W's on the road against a very good team. Tony, Tiago and Manu look as though they are sloshing through end of days and the Spurs manage to win. Unreal. By any means necessary I guess.

why are you lumping manu with tony and tiago? the older manu has significantly better raw and advanced stats (including a solid 18.3 PER, above league average), makes less than either and has a smaller role than either. sure, he's old and several notches below his peak performance, but nowhere near the liability tony and tiago have been this series.

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

It's lucky 'cause if Jordan would have just stayed still we probably lose that game and the series. I would rather not have to depend on such incredible mistakes to win games and last night if we would have played the guys that were playing better we shouldn't have needed of DeMonkey.

When a conference is as tough as the WCF is, you are going to have to have luck to win sometimes. The team that makes the least mental mistakes wins. Blake coughing up the ball in game 2. Mental Mistake. Jordan's tip in over the cylinder, Mental Mistake. Spurs missing FTs down the stretch and Pop pulling Duncan on the last two plays that resulted in two Off rebounds and two 3's off those rebounds, Mental Mistakes. Tim missing an easy layup and missing an easy put back, Mental Mistake. You can tell he knew it when he pounded the ground. Something Duncan hardly ever does. Plays like these separate champions from contenders.

Spurs deserved to win both games. They made the fewest mental mistakes and won.

[Skull-1]

Props to your avatar

You can say that again.