This one's on Bowen and Pop

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Bowen for kicking Allen in the back, I'm sorry but that was a bitch move. And it ignited a slumbering Allen, who has since gone off.

Pop, the Seattle Supersonics have run exactly one play on offense tonight - the pick and roll.

But we switch every single fucking one of them, and give them a mismatch that has destroyed the team's structure defensively because we're having to help on every single fucking possession.

At some point you'd think that we'd change it up and maybe think about hedging or doubling on the pick and roll instead of giving Seattle what they want every single fucking time.

Stupid.

[SequSpur]

Not to mention Ginobili sitting on the fukkin bench.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

well he does have five, but I agree he should have brought him back in sooner.

[SequSpur]

WTF... Bring him back with 5 minutes and if he fouls out then he fouls out....

The Spurs got this anyway.... but this Ginobili on the bench shit will be brought up later. :pctoss

[Kori Ellis]

AHF - The game isn't over. Premature ejac again.

So it's not on anyone yet. :rolleyes

[Vashner]

I don't think this needed it's own thread.. what's wrong with the blog for bandwagoneer falling off early??

[SequSpur]

Bill Land is a Spurs Fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's going off!!!!!!!!!

[mouse]

you think your team sucked today? wait till April the 7th :lmao

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Okay, I have to add Tim to the list. Um, it's Ray fucking Allen. You should be in his grill coming off a screen.

Then you don't go to the inbounds pass and let the Sonics make a play. WTF?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Premature ejac again.

You were saying?

[ChumpDumper]

Shit, the Switches didn't even play any D until the last three minutes.

[Kori Ellis]

You were saying?

I was saying you gave up and started throwing around accusations when the game wasn't over yet.

What did you think I was saying?

[Leetonidas]

Okay, I have to add Tim to the list. Um, it's Ray fucking Allen. You should be in his grill coming off a screen.

Then you don't go to the inbounds pass and let the Sonics make a play. WTF?

Are you retarded? Did you not notice Tim being held by Petro?

[MannyIsGod]

I don't think the loss was on anyone in particular, but I agree that the move by Bowen to kick Allen was fucking stupid. The Spurs had the game in their hands at that point, but it got the Sonics riled up.

[Vashner]

I"ll call Cheney tomorrow to see if he can blow away a Crow for us. How do you like it fried or baked?

[1Parker1]

Bowen and Pop?? What about Nazr and Rasho with their combined 4 rebounds? What about Finley, Beno, and Barry for bad offense??

This sucks, I think this is a sign that the Spurs just weren't meant to catch up with the Pistons for HCA. Spurs need to concentrate on just getting better, forget the Finals...they need to worry about getting out of the West first.

[yeahone]

lol

[Spurminator]

I guess you could blame a Magic Kick, but I think the lack of production out of the center position was the main killer.

[MannyIsGod]

Are you retarded? Did you not notice Tim being held by Petro?Tim wasn't held by anyone on that play. He needs to come up and not give Allen an inch of daylight. If someone else hits a shot, so be it, but you don't give Allen an INCH.

[SequSpur]

Ray Allen did what he had to do, he jacked it up and it went in.

Our play calling in the last 5.4 was fucking ridiculous. Tim Duncan hasn't done shit all year. They should've just dropped to Tony and run iso at the top, take a jumper or drive and dish....

Another bullshit last second play by Popadufus.

[picnroll]

Why the fuck didn't Horry call time out when he had the ball?

[Extra Stout]

This was a bad loss to a bad team.

[1Parker1]

I don't think the loss was on anyone in particular, but I agree that the move by Bowen to kick Allen was fucking stupid. The Spurs had the game in their hands at that point, but it got the Sonics riled up.

I missed that part...what happened that made Bowen kick Allen? He literally kicked Allen in the back??

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Are you retarded? Did you not notice Tim being held by Petro?

Dude, quit listening to Sean Elliott's homerism (I love Sean, but he is a homer), Petro wasn't holding Tim.

And it doesn't take away from the fact Tim waited for the ball to come to him instead of going to it. Or the fact that the entire Seattle defense knew it would go to Tim.

You've gotta go to the ball in that situation.

Kori, there was nothing premature about my comment, it was obvious if it came down to the end that Ray Allen would find a way to beat us, especially considering how shitty we played the pick and roll all night.

[MannyIsGod]

There were a ton of misplays by the Spurs in this one that ended up coming together to cost them the game. I don't have a problem with the play call for Tim considering how he was dominating the Sonics the entire game. He got fouled (obviously too) on that play and there was no call, but they had plenty of other plays they fucked up on their own so you can't blame the refs.

[Leetonidas]

Tim wasn't held by anyone on that play. He needs to come up and not give Allen an inch of daylight. If someone else hits a shot, so be it, but you don't give Allen an INCH.

I was talking about the inbounds pass. :rolleyes

[Kori Ellis]

Bowen and Pop?? What about Nazr and Rasho with their combined 4 rebounds?

Don't give them that much credit. I believe they only combined for three rebounds :)

[SequSpur]

Tony Parker or Gino was the correct option and they managed to fuck it up again.

[MannyIsGod]

I missed that part...what happened that made Bowen kick Allen? He literally kicked Allen in the back??Yeah, they stumbled to the ground when Ray Allen was called for a charge. Allen was on Bowens legs and bowen gave him a shove in the back with his foot trying to get him off. It was just a stupid move and it gave them a spark.

[Spurminator]

Didn't the Allen 3 come after an offensive rebound?

[CHAMPS AGAIN]

wow alot of people sound like mav's fan after every lost,start pointing fingers at players and coaches,it's a lost and get over it.

[ChumpDumper]

C'mon, it's obvious the Spurs didn't take the Sonics seriously and only put in the effort late. They left themselves at the mercy of the refs at that point, and presto.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I missed that part...what happened that made Bowen kick Allen? He literally kicked Allen in the back??

The Spurs were rolling, up double figures. Allen tried to jump into Bowen to draw a foul, but Bruce played it perfectly and they called Allen for an offensive foul.

When they fell on the ground Allen was on top of one of Bowen's legs, and Bowen kicked him in the back.

Allen got pissed, and the rest is history. Let's put it this way - Allen was like 1-5 at that point and I think he finished 16-20. The Spurs had all the momentum at that point, but when Bowen did that he set Ray Allen off, and the rest of the Sonics followed.

[JamStone]

The Spurs got this anyway.... but this Ginobili on the bench shit will be brought up later. :pctoss


Seattle > San Antonio


(just teasing SequSpur)

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Tony Parker or Gino was the correct option and they managed to fuck it up again.

Yep. Like I said, Seattle knew Tim was going to get the ball at the end, and wouldn't you know the help defender made the steal.

The ball should have been in Manu's hands at the end, if not his then Tony's. Going to Tim was lame, predictable, Pop's sole brainstorm at the end of games when we need a bucket, and gets us beat 8 times out of 10.

Gregg Popovich special. Six seconds left on the clock and you get a turnover because you're trying to force it into Duncan. Fuckin' A...

[MannyIsGod]

Didn't the Allen 3 come after an offensive rebound?No, it came off of a Pick and roll.

[ploto]

Bowen and Pop?? What about Nazr and Rasho with their combined 4 rebounds?
How are you including Rasho in this?? He played less than 7 minutes, grabbed 2 rebounds, blocked a Ray Allen shot from behind, and the team played well with him in there. He should have been in there in the second half instead of Nazr who had 1 rebound and 3 turnovers in 20 minutes tonight.

I am sick of bad defense-- Seattle shot 52% tonight. I do not care what anyone says-- the defense was so much better when Rasho started. The defensive tone was set from the beginning.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Yep. Like I said, Seattle knew Tim was going to get the ball at the end, and wouldn't you know the help defender made the steal.

The ball should have been in Manu's hands at the end, if not his then Tony's. Going to Tim was lame, predictable, Pop's sole brainstorm at the end of games when we need a bucket, and gets us beat 8 times out of 10.

Gregg Popovich special. Six seconds left on the clock and you get a turnover because you're trying to force it into Duncan. Fuckin' A...

see my tim should not be the #1 option thread.

[leemajors]

i thought horry should have inbounded, and manu could have come to the ball. i seem to remember that being successful before, i was surprised manu inbounded.

[MannyIsGod]

Yep. Like I said, Seattle knew Tim was going to get the ball at the end, and wouldn't you know the help defender made the steal.

The ball should have been in Manu's hands at the end, if not his then Tony's. Going to Tim was lame, predictable, Pop's sole brainstorm at the end of games when we need a bucket, and gets us beat 8 times out of 10.

Gregg Popovich special. Six seconds left on the clock and you get a turnover because you're trying to force it into Duncan. Fuckin' A...Oh wtf ever. This thread is an AHF special if anything. Duncan dominated all game inside while Manu couldnt' stay on the court in the fourth. The help defender made the steal because tehre was no call while Duncan was held. The play call was fine.

[1Parker1]

The Spurs were rolling, up double figures. Allen tried to jump into Bowen to draw a foul, but Bruce played it perfectly and they called Allen for an offensive foul.

When they fell on the ground Allen was on top of one of Bowen's legs, and Bowen kicked him in the back.

Allen got pissed, and the rest is history. Let's put it this way - Allen was like 1-5 at that point and I think he finished 16-20. The Spurs had all the momentum at that point, but when Bowen did that he set Ray Allen off, and the rest of the Sonics followed.

That sucks...seems a little out of character for Bruce.

[Kori Ellis]

The Spurs were rolling, up double figures. Allen tried to jump into Bowen to draw a foul, but Bruce played it perfectly and they called Allen for an offensive foul.

When they fell on the ground Allen was on top of one of Bowen's legs, and Bowen kicked him in the back.

Allen got pissed, and the rest is history. Let's put it this way - Allen was like 1-5 at that point and I think he finished 16-20. The Spurs had all the momentum at that point, but when Bowen did that he set Ray Allen off, and the rest of the Sonics followed.

Umm.. I get your point but Ray Allen was 5-for-10 at the time of the incident.

[ploto]

... especially considering how shitty we played the pick and roll all night.
Our best big pick and roll defender sits on the bench. Wait until we play Sacramento in the play-offs.

[1Parker1]

Don't give them that much credit. I believe they only combined for three rebounds :)

:lol Damn, how the hell does that happen?

[ploto]

:lol Damn, how the hell does that happen?
Nazr sucked. Rasho played fine.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I do not care what anyone says-- the defense was so much better when Rasho started. The defensive tone was set from the beginning.

Actually our defense was great until Bowen kicked the hornet's nest in the back.


Oh wtf ever. This thread is an AHF special if anything. Duncan dominated all game inside while Manu couldnt' stay on the court in the fourth.

While Duncan "dominated" we ended up down 9 points with 3 minutes left to play. In the last two minutes of the game Manu brought us back to give us a two point lead (that's +11).

Who the fuck cares about foul trouble during the game? The point is you want the ball in the hands of the guy who can create at the end of the game, not someone who had just shortarmed a shot over Johan freakin' Petro two minutes earlier.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

BTW, Amuseddaysleeper - you're preaching to the choir on the go to option thing. Glad to see you're getting some run with it - whenever I bring it up people ask for my NBA coaching credentials :rolleyes

[Kori Ellis]

Actually our defense was great until Bowen kicked the hornet's nest in the back.



While Duncan "dominated" we ended up down 9 points with 3 minutes left to play. In the last two minutes of the game Manu brought us back to give us a two point lead (that's +11).

Who the fuck cares about foul trouble during the game? The point is you want the ball in the hands of the guy who can create at the end of the game, not someone who had just shortarmed a shot over Johan freakin' Petro two minutes earlier.


Are you going to address the fact you exagerated the hell out of your point with your 1-for-5 statement?

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Actually our defense was great until Bowen kicked the hornet's nest in the back.



While Duncan "dominated" we ended up down 9 points with 3 minutes left to play. In the last two minutes of the game Manu brought us back to give us a two point lead (that's +11).

Who the fuck cares about foul trouble during the game? The point is you want the ball in the hands of the guy who can create at the end of the game, not someone who had just shortarmed a shot over Johan freakin' Petro two minutes earlier.

exactly, with the game on the line you fucking should just go for it. i dont care if manu has 5 fouls with 2 minutes left, you take the risk because you're LOSING. i dont know what was worse, the defense, or the coaching

[Amuseddaysleeper]

BTW, Amuseddaysleeper - you're preaching to the choir on the go to option thing. Glad to see you're getting some run with it - whenever I bring it up people ask for my NBA coaching credentials :rolleyes


way too many homers on the board man, but unlike me, at least your posts have logic! :lol

[Kori Ellis]

But you are right about Manu, I was screaming at the TV -- Are they saving his 6th foul for Tuesday??!?!

[ChumpDumper]

i dont know what was worse, the defense, or the coachingFor the first 45 minutes, definitely the defense.

[SequSpur]

But you are right about Manu, I was screaming at the TV -- Are they saving his 6th foul for Tuesday??!?!

I was saying the same thing.

[leemajors]

it was the defense giving up dunk after dunk late in the 4th. manu came back in, got us back in the game, and we blew it. next game, please.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Kori, you need to ask Pop that at the next PC you go to :lol


Are you going to address the fact you exagerated the hell out of your point with your 1-for-5 statement?

Sorry, I didn't remember Allen having hit five shots at that point, I knew he had missed several though.

The point remains, he wasn't really "that hot" until Bowen kicked him in the back. That was almost as stupid as Pop sitting Manu on the pine and thinking he needed to go to Duncan at the end.

[Tejano War Veteran]

So they didn't show the freaking game out here but I am soooo fucken disappointed in my Spurs. When are they gonna get it together? How bad is Timmy's foot problem?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

t was the defense giving up dunk after dunk late in the 4th.

The defense looked like shit because Pop refused to give up on the whole switching thing on the pick and roll. Talk about a complete disaster.

If we make it to the Finals and employ that defensive strategy against Detroit we'll get smoked in four games.

[Kori Ellis]

Kori, you need to ask Pop that at the next PC you go to :lol



Sorry, I didn't remember Allen having hit five shots at that point, I knew he had missed several though.

The point remains, he wasn't really "that hot" until Bowen kicked him in the back. That was almost as stupid as Pop sitting Manu on the pine and thinking he needed to go to Duncan at the end.

He was already shooting 50 percent. He just started shooting in volume after that. I agree it was stupid of Bowen unless he was getting hurt.

[SequSpur]

I don't understand the last play... was Duncan going to go one on three?

Why wasn't Parker involved? The best penetrator in the NBA. Ask Eva.

This should always be the option at the end.... It would've been easy...

Why the fuck do they make this game so hard?

Pisses me off, I've been saying this for fuckin years.... There is no creativity from this coaching staff...

Watch some Magic, KJ, shit watch Barkley over Robinson... ISO up top.. The options the Spurs have would be a damn guaranteed bucket....

[Amuseddaysleeper]

The defense looked like shit because Pop refused to give up on the whole switching thing on the pick and roll. Talk about a complete disaster.

If we make it to the Finals and employ that defensive strategy against Detroit we'll get smoked in four games.

forget the pick and roll, with this horrific rebounding i dont think we'l; take detroit to 6. i really thought this rebounding issue would be fixed by now

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Kori, I guess the more accurate description about Ray Allen is that up until that point he was having a ho hum night.

After Bowen kicked him, he was on a mission to impose his will on the game. And he did.

[Obstructed_View]

It's pretty hard to beat a team if you allow them 64 points in the second half. Not having seen the game, I can only guess that the Spurs started out shooting well and forgot that they needed to play defense. If so, it's probably a good lesson. The Spurs need a bad loss to get them focused. Fortunately, they aren't likely to jump off the nearest roof like many of the crybabies that post here.

[ploto]

^ It's not just one game of bad defense. That's the problem. Last time we held someone under 42% FG%- March 4 against Portand. 8/12 games the opponent has shot over 47% and 3/12 over 50%.

[E20]

I guess the little bra thing didn't work.

[Kori Ellis]

I guess the little bra thing didn't work.

Yeah too bad we didn't have the bra thread for the game.

It's back up now.

[polandprzem]

Why wasn't Parker involved? The best penetrator in the NBA. Ask Eva.
Well Eva told us :rolleyes

So hold on on your "best penetrator" thing :fro

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Well Eva told us :rolleyes

So hold on on your "best penetrator" thing :fro

instead of sitting in the stands maybe Eva should be on the court to guide Tony some more! :lol

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

What are you going to do? Have her spread eagle under the basket? :lol

[polandprzem]

instead of sitting in the stands maybe Eva should be on the court to guide Tony some more! :lol

Yeah.

Pop should think about her as an asistant or somehing like that.

Tony has got the shooting coach and now..."Penetration coach" will be on his a$$ when he won't do it the right way. I mean go all the way hard and strong. And even if he is fast Pop want's them to be perfect. "We don't need fast, we need perfect" And Tony can do both with Pop and Eva.
Go deep inside , strong and fast - well that's sound good.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

:lol :lol @ ahf and poland


oh and aggie, in your honest opinion, as of right now, whats your finals prediction?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Like I've said, it will be us vs. Detroit and go 7. I like our chances of winning a game 7 a lot better at SBC than I do the Palace.

Of course, if we act as stubborn come the playoffs as we did tonight we might not get past _allas.

[Winnipeg_Spur]

I'm not a big fan of this switch every pick and roll defense either. I mean switching is fine, in certain situations, like late in the game or you can try it midway through a game if nothing else is working, just to change things up (like Game 6 vs. Dallas in 2003) but to use it every possesion from the opening tip gets kind of silly. I mean, why not just have Duncan guard their point all game and save everyone a lot of time? The other team can get that matchup whenever they want it, anyway.

[GoSpurs21]

we wont see seatle in the playoffs so who gives a fuck

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Like I've said, it will be us vs. Detroit and go 7. I like our chances of winning a game 7 a lot better at SBC than I do the Palace.

Of course, if we act as stubborn come the playoffs as we did tonight we might not get past _allas.

agreed, but since HCA looks very unlikely, do you honestly think that maybe detroit will get the last laugh this year since a 6&7th game at auburn hills will be tough to overcome?

[Trainwreck2100]

I believe Pop and Bowen were too in awe of the Nets athletcism, they tried to somehow capture VC's dunkability, instead of focussing on the game.

[ChumpDumper]

Why does HCA look unlikely? It's not like we're 10 back.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Why does HCA look unlikely? It's not like we're 10 back.

i believe we are 3 back (including tiebreaker)and there arent too many games left. we also have squandered so many oppurtunities to catch up i have a hard time seeing detroit lose 3 more times and us win 3 more games than them to catch up. i think the HCA race ended tonight

[polandprzem]

http://www.spursreport.com/allenkicksequence.jpg

[Dre_7]

Who cares about HCA against DET?

Miami is going to the Finals so SA will have HCA.

[1Parker1]

:lol @ Nazr trying to stop Ray from hurting Bruce.

[Hook Dem]

"Fortunately, they aren't likely to jump off the nearest roof like many of the crybabies that post here.".................................................. .....................EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nkdlunch]

Crazyleg Bowen strikes again

[polandprzem]

The hate on Bowen is realy unbelivable.

One of the basketball fans said that sombody should "accidently" hit Bowen like he "accidenlty" is doing that...


Damn some people do not know sports.
And some people do not know Bowen.


It's sometimes happen on the basketball court. You fight for ball, you fight for a space on the court , you have a ruval out there. Bang, bang and in the flow of the game (fight) it's just happen you slap somebody. Well Bowen kicked Allen. But that is reaction sometimes you do not do it purpose even if it looks like that.

[polandprzem]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=260326025

To that who haven't seen it

[boutons_]

Bruce fucked up big time.

His reputation in some quarters as "dirty" is solidified, and bitchin by Ray and Vince about Bruce a couple years ago doesn't sound so bitchy.

But Bruce's fuckup was just one of many Spurs fuckups in giving away a critical game in late March to a lottery team.

[1Parker1]

:lol @ the homers. You know that if another player had kicked Parker or Manu in the back like that, Spurs fans would be all over him.

Bowen admitted he kicked Allen in the heat of the moment and that he shouldn't have done that, but that it's done and he can't go back and undo it. Take it for what it was, Bowen shouldn't have done that and Allen should stop bitching about Bowen to the media and concentrate on getting his team to the playoffs.

[polandprzem]

what homers 1Parker1?

[nkdlunch]

ahhh offensive foul was called on Allen. and Bowen gave Allen a little love kick. Nothing else to be discussed here.

[SAGambler]

i believe we are 3 back (including tiebreaker)and there arent too many games left. we also have squandered so many oppurtunities to catch up i have a hard time seeing detroit lose 3 more times and us win 3 more games than them to catch up. i think the HCA race ended tonight

Yeah, as I watched the Nets beat Detroit on one channel, and the Spurs rolling along on another, I was thinking, Ok, Dallas gets them this week, the Suns run them to death, and the Spurs have HCA.

Then the Spurs piss this game away. It's almost like they don't want HCA for the finals.

Two weeks ago, the way Detroit was playing, I thought for sure the Spurs had the edge. Now it doesn't look that way.

I think you are right. HCA race for the finals ended tonight.

[foot doctor]

I wasn't able to see this one on the East coast but with Detroit losing as well this was probably one of the games that needed to be taken advantage of being that the Pistons are not likely to lose many more, barring a complete meltdown. I really believe this one sealed Detroit's HCA for the playoffs.
:depressed

[FromWayDowntown]

Bruce fucked up big time.

His reputation in some quarters as "dirty" is solidified, and bitchin by Ray and Vince about Bruce a couple years ago doesn't sound so bitchy.

But Bruce's fuckup was just one of many Spurs fuckups in giving away a critical game in late March to a lottery team.

I never thought I would say this, but I agree with everything that boutons says here. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I saw the replay of Bruce and Ray. It's out of character for Bruce, which made me wonder if there was more that we hadn't seen; but there's nothing to suggest that there was. I've labored under the belief that Bruce just takes that foul, hops up and goes to the other end, satisfied that he'd gotten under Ray's skin. After last night, I have to say I wonder if there hasn't been more that's gone unseen over the years. I don't want to doubt Bruce Bowen, but last night makes me wonder a bit.

Mostly, that play -- for whatever effect it had on last night's game (and I'd argue that it was significant in many different respects) -- made me wonder about the poise of this team. I wonder if they aren't feeling some pressure and, for the moment at least, lacking the mental toughness to deal with it in a productive way. It's a play that was decidedly out of character, but one that bothered me all night last night.

That play had nothing to do with the horrendous and soft defensive effort (like the soft defensive effort in Denver) that is uncharacteristic of Spurs' teams at this time of year.

Last night's loss bothers me for more reasons than just another loss. There was a lot of bad stuff that went down in basketball terms and in psychic terms. A loss to either the Clippers or the Lakers would be even more troubling, particularly if the lack of mental and physical toughness continues.

[MannyIsGod]

I think some of you have the wrong angelic view of Bowen on the court. He is somewhat dirty, and things like the kick have happened for years. The Finley incident? The Wally karate kick? What happend last night was not really out of character.

I wouldn't change him for anything, however. Last night was a bonehead play, but Bruce rarely makes bonehead plays.

[polandprzem]

Damn people. That was not that horrible what Bowen did even taking off all of the circumstances

[MannyIsGod]

Damn people. That was not that horrible what Bowen did even taking all of the circumstancesHe didn't charge into the stands and kick a fan, but you're not going to win citizenship awards for kicking players. It was a flat out dirty play - theres not really much more too it.

[leemajors]

i think bowen was probably pretty frustrated with allen constantly talking shit about him, and the way allen jumped into him trying to draw a foul. it doesn't, however, excuse him for kicking allen like that. it will just feed the fire and make some people think allen has more of a legit gripe against bowen, which i still don't believe he does. that kick was not a good move at all.

[boutons_]

Along with SPAM, the idea that the Spurs, or any team, can just switch on Championship play whenever they want is a myth.

How can people say they think the Pistons are playing now in a way that doesn't scare anbody, and then say the way the Spurs are playing now is totally independent of how they wil play after April 19? If the Spurs can switch it from their current soft mediocrity, so can the Pistons.

Pop always talks about the team making progress, "getting there". With the soft loss @Nuggets and now @Sonics, it sure looks like the Spurs aren't there, yet, and it's almost April. The Spurs defense, hustle, rebounding is really shitty.

The Spurs weaknesses now are mental, leadership, boredom, whatever, but talent isn't the problem.

[leemajors]

march isn't over yet! SPAM could still arrive! in other news, i got my game 2 first round playoff tickets earlier... will be my first playoff game NBA wise, i was at the final four championship game in 98.

[BigVee]

This isn't a Spurs team of the past, where they had many parts to integrate into a new way of doing things, gradually getting better. Their best 6 minutes of basketball was the opening exhibition against Miami. This team is very veteran, biding their time until the playoffs start. They have gotten the record they have mostly on talent not disire. They could very well lose the next two games also. But when the talent and desire come together, and it will, they will be fine, no matter where they are playing.

[Supergirl]

Bowen kicking Allen is very out of character for him. Not that this would excuse this in any way - and he hasn't suggested it would, like some players would immediately do - but was there some backstory behind the kick? Had Allen been a punk to him earlier? What was the circumstances of Allen's offensive foul earlier?

[nkdlunch]

but was there some backstory behind the kick?

yes. Allen truly hates Bowen and vice-versa, this goes years back

[Kori Ellis]

It was just a heat of the moment thing. That possession was the offensive foul. When they went down, Ray was laying (leaning back) on Bowen's other leg and pissed off at the O foul call. Bowen wanted to get up and used the bottom of his foot to push Ray in the back. If he used his hand to push Ray off, then people probably wouldn't be so outraged.

Was it a bonehead play? Sure. But was it really dirty, trying to hurt someone, or anything like that? No.

[FromWayDowntown]

It was just a heat of the moment thing. That possession was the offensive foul. When they went down, Ray was laying (leaning back) on Bowen's other leg and pissed off at the O foul call. Bowen wanted to get up and used the bottom of his foot to push Ray in the back to get him off his leg. If he used his hand to push Ray off his leg, then people probably wouldn't be so outraged.

Was it a bonehead play? Sure. But was it really dirty, trying to hurt someone, or anything like that? No.

I'd agree with all of that. My problem with it was that it showed a lack of poise, which is terribly unusual for both Bruce and the Spurs. I'd be more inclined to let it go had it been the only one, but the generally soft defensive attitude of the team, the Horry play on the sideline, the early 4th quarter layup line that the Sonics bigs ran with put-backs, and the poor execution on the last meaningful offensive set for the Spurs all bothered me too. They're different in degree, but I don't see those plays really being any different in kind from each other -- largely, the shortcomings in those situations was the result of mentally sloppy play.

They may be beaten physically sometimes -- because they don't hit shots or things like that -- but championship teams are rarely beaten mentally by lottery teams in March.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I think some of you have the wrong angelic view of Bowen on the court. He is somewhat dirty, and things like the kick have happened for years. The Finley incident? The Wally karate kick? What happend last night was not really out of character.

I wouldn't change him for anything, however. Last night was a bonehead play, but Bruce rarely makes bonehead plays.

The difference in last night and those other situations (say the Finley and Carter incidents, for example) is that in those other situations the player in question was shooting out of their minds and what Bowen did ended that hot streak.

Last night Ray Allen was on his way to a pedestrian, average night for himself and the Spurs were on their way to a comfortable win.

Then the kick happened, and it changed the complexion of the game (and not in the right direction).

I'm with WayDowntown on this one, it's troubling. You had Horry waiting for a ref to bail him out on the sideline, and Duncan waiting for a soft lob pass to get to him on our last possession.

Where's the urgency? Forget SPAM, it's almost April.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

SPAM is dead.


this whole year posters kept saying "oh wait till january when the spurs kick it up a notch" january came around and nothing............then we waited on february, then we waited till after the asg and once again nothing. then we had pages of SPAM topics and we are still struggling for consistency which this late in the season is downright scary. now i guess we'll have to wait for SPAA :rolleyes

[polandprzem]

It was just a heat of the moment thing......was it really dirty, trying to hurt someone, or anything like that? No.

That was what I have in mind.

Enybody who played basketball knows how it is on the court.


I'm not sayin Bruce did a right thing. He didn't and everybody knows that.
But Man. Sometimes I feel like I know the players and situacions better then most of the people.

[ChumpDumper]

I'm just glad no one threw a cup of ice at his face right then.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I'm just glad no one threw a cup of ice at his face right then.

:lmao

[gameFACE]

I thought Allen was laying on Bruce's left ankle and that is what started it. I also thought Bruce's reaction was weak. If you're going to react give the guy a serious clocking not a fluffy push with your foot. All that did was feul Allen.

[nkdlunch]

anybody who's punched someone in the face for being an asshole understands Bowen's actions for the rest, let's just say sometimes ANYBODY, even a saint can lose their temper.

[smeagol]

I'm not concearned at all. There were positives to take away from last night's game. Mainly the way Tim and Manu played.

[smeagol]

SPAM is dead.


this whole year posters kept saying "oh wait till january when the spurs kick it up a notch" january came around and nothing............then we waited on february, then we waited till after the asg and once again nothing. then we had pages of SPAM topics and we are still struggling for consistency which this late in the season is downright scary. now i guess we'll have to wait for SPAA :rolleyes
Can we trade Amuseddaysleeper to another board?

At this stage, I'd take mombear and a box of chips ahoy

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Can we trade Amuseddaysleeper to another board?

At this stage, I'd take mombear and a box of chips ahoy

look, the SPAM thing IS ridiculous, you guys kept going on and on about since january and it hasn't happend. and for every pessimistic boardi elike me there are 1200 blind homers on this board

[polandprzem]

look, the SPAM thing IS ridiculous, you guys kept going on and on about since january and it hasn't happend. and for every pessimistic boardi elike me there are 1200 blind homers on this board

I'm with you on that 'spam' thing

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I'm with you on that 'spam' thing

thank you, i know my bitching can be way too much but the SPAM thing is a thing of the past

[gameFACE]

How are you including Rasho in this?? He played less than 7 minutes, grabbed 2 rebounds, blocked a Ray Allen shot from behind, and the team played well with him in there. He should have been in there in the second half instead of Nazr who had 1 rebound and 3 turnovers in 20 minutes tonight.

I am sick of bad defense-- Seattle shot 52% tonight. I do not care what anyone says-- the defense was so much better when Rasho started. The defensive tone was set from the beginning.

Like clockwork you come to Rasho's defense. He's as guilty as anyone else aside from Tony last night. How do you explain why he wasn't given more than 7 minutes to play? The Spurs defense has not been up to par all year. One of their weaknesses had been rebounding. There was no two headed monster last night. No Nazr OR Rasho.

Despite being outrebounded, having less turnovers, Manu in foul trouble, Tony getting hurt, Bruce's fluffy foot push, the Spurs still managed to put themselves in a position to win. They relaxed for about 10 seconds and POOF!

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Like clockwork you come to Rasho's defense. He's as guilty as anyone else aside from Tony last night. How do you explain why he wasn't given more than 7 minutes to play? The Spurs defense has not been up to par all year. One of their weaknesses had been rebounding. There was no two headed monster last night. No Nazr OR Rasho.

Despite being outrebounded, having less turnovers, Manu in foul trouble, Tony getting hurt, Bruce's fluffy foot push, the Spurs still managed to put themselves in a position to win. They relaxed for about 10 seconds and POOF!


those are def. positives but the problem is that this was against seattle had this been a playoff team we woulda lost by 30 easily. also i can't stress on the rebounding enough. its been a problem all year long and i can't for the life of me understand how these players dont wake the fuck up to boxing out. we didn't lose on ray allen's shot, we lost on the offensive board we allowed them to have to get that 2nd shot off. without SOLID rebounding we aren't going anywhere this year. before ft's, before switching on the pick and roll, rebounding is our #1 priority to improve on for the playoffs

[ChumpDumper]

How do you explain why he wasn't given more than 7 minutes to play?In truth, I really don't know why he wasn't given more burn. Might've helped with Nazr having a particularly bad night.

[smeagol]

look, the SPAM thing IS ridiculous, you guys kept going on and on about since january and it hasn't happend. and for every pessimistic boardi elike me there are 1200 blind homers on this board
Yeah, SPAM is so ridiculous we won two out of the last three rings with both championship teams stepping it up a notch after March (this means stepping it up in the post season too).

[island_dude]

Any questions about Bowen being a punk?
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=260326025

[Amuseddaysleeper]

at least Bowen apologized, there was no need for him to react the way he did against Allen, but as they say


whatevs yo whatevs

[leemajors]

as in punking nowitzki? gimme a break.

[ChumpDumper]

"I did what I did and I'm sorry for that," Bowen said.Wow what an unbelieveable punk.

He should have blamed it on Dampier.

[polandprzem]

Yeah what a punk :smokin

And he did it infront of the cameras. WTF he was thinking?

[ploto]

In truth, I really don't know why he wasn't given more burn. Might've helped with Nazr having a particularly bad night.
Swift was in foul trouble a lot the second half and I suppose Pop does not think Rasho matches up with Chris Wilcox.

As for rebounding, we have been outrebounded the last 4 games, I believe.

[island_dude]

as in punking nowitzki? gimme a break.
23 points and 11 rebounds isn't exactly getting punked. Frustrated yes, punked no!

[Dre_7]

As for rebounding, we have been outrebounded the last 4 games, I believe.

If we are getting outrebounded, then Rasho is the LAST person I want to see on the floor!

[Obstructed_View]

look, the SPAM thing IS ridiculous, you guys kept going on and on about since january and it hasn't happend. and for every pessimistic boardi elike me there are 1200 blind homers on this board
You must admit that this season isn't exactly like any recent season by the Spurs. Usually they play dismal basketball at some point and lose enough games that Pop can pull out the soft speech. They then go on a tear. Unless you've lost track, they've been perhaps the most consistent team in the league this year, while coming off a championship. Last night was probably the first bad loss for them this season. Is it disappointing? Yep. Is it a sign that the Spurs are vulnerable? No more so than the loss to Houston when they gave up all the threes to TMac. They made a bunch of stupid mistakes and turned a W into an L. Oh, well. Pop has a reason to give them shit and they have a reason to come together as a team.

[Spurminator]

Maybe Bruce should've kicked the entire bench last night since his foot has such magic powers.

[ALVAREZ6]

I hate fucking losing to the Sonics, I can't stand Ray Allen.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

You must admit that this season isn't exactly like any recent season by the Spurs. Usually they play dismal basketball at some point and lose enough games that Pop can pull out the soft speech. They then go on a tear. Unless you've lost track, they've been perhaps the most consistent team in the league this year, while coming off a championship. Last night was probably the first bad loss for them this season. Is it disappointing? Yep. Is it a sign that the Spurs are vulnerable? No more so than the loss to Houston when they gave up all the threes to TMac. They made a bunch of stupid mistakes and turned a W into an L. Oh, well. Pop has a reason to give them shit and they have a reason to come together as a team.


i should've reworded what i had said. its not so much the idea of SPAM thats annoying b/c spurs have historically gone on tears after ASG break, its when people keep on pushing our peak time from january to february to march and now to april :rolleyes people just aren't facing reality with the dismal play of this time but luckily we have arguably more room to improve than both our biggest rivals (mavs and pistons) and yet are still #2 in the league. i just hope we get it together in time

[ALVAREZ6]

That is fucking incredible.

Manu not shooting because he has 5 fouls, and you are LOSING with 2 MINUTES left???

Did that really happen???




That is just retarded. Manu is way more likely to pick up a foul on defense than on offense, so what's the difference?

Pop is a genious.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Unless you've lost track, they've been perhaps the most consistent team in the league this year,

Obstructed view is an appropriate user name for you. The most consistent team in the league has been the Pistons.

Sadly it's probably going to take us getting smoked in the Finals for some of you to realize that, and then it will probably all be the ref's fault anyway.

[Sec24Row7]

Aggie... I don't mind people so much around here that wear homer glasses ok? But if you INSIST on wearing them, the LEAST you can do is NOT put them on BACKWARDS.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Backwards? WTF? Look, I'm going to be praying like God that we win another championship.

Just because I acknowledge the fact that Detroit has played better over the course of the season doesn't make me any less of a Spurs fan.

Like I said, lots of folks around here have this myopic view of the Spurs that they're the only team playing good basketball.

I'm still waiting for this team to come together, I don't see it yet. *shrugs*

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Backwards? WTF? Look, I'm going to be praying like God that we win another championship.

Just because I acknowledge the fact that Detroit has played better over the course of the season doesn't make me any less of a Spurs fan.

Like I said, lots of folks around here have this myopic view of the Spurs that they're the only team playing good basketball.

I'm still waiting for this team to come together, I don't see it yet. *shrugs*


aggie my friend, me and you are the 2 most misunderstood posters on this board. people call us annoying and cliff jumpers but like you said, i keep waiting for that key moment to happen. this entire board was like 1000% sure the road trip this year was gonna get us over the hump and it started great (6-0) but i believe the 2 losses at the end of that trip has set up the dissapointment we've been playing with ever since. like you, im still waiting for this team to get its shit together, and the most irritating excuse has got to be "championships arent won in march" well OK but games that setup your seeding and HCA which is huge in deciding your fate in the playoffs ARE won in march, as well as april, february, january, december, and november. to me during the regular season there is no such thing as "unimportant" games, you can't win them all but instead of playing like a team on a mission these guys are playing like a team that just wants its paychecks. there are only 15 games left or so, and before you know it the playoffs we'll be here and this team will barely survive hanging on to the #1 seed. I just hope seattle could be the turning point but everytime i think we see the turning point its only a turning point for the worst.

[polandprzem]

Maybe Bruce should've kicked the entire bench last night since his foot has such magic powers.

Tht's right :)


When I hear all the comments I say just wow. It is like he kicked his ass out of the Arena or broke Allen in half...

I hear the Bowen is a puusy cause he is hiding after this incidents. I hera he is not playing basketball and his defense is not even close to the Pippen or Jordan ones... and so on and so on...

That kick had a magical power like Spurminator said


:elephant