First reaction to: "The better team won"

[Solid D]

What first crosses your mind when you hear people say "well..the better team won" in the Mavs/Spurs series?

[DuncanInYourFace]

"Yea, the refs sure played great in games 3 and 4, the teamwork, and just the heart they showed out there, I mean, I was getting choked up"

[JHoLove]

That the better team won?

[Solid D]

Poll is posted. Ex. something about refs would be "Other"

[texlawman]

Spurs got the majority of calls this series. What did you get 3x times the number of calls that we did in Game 7. The better team won.

[E20]

It could have gotten either way.

[leemajors]

It could have gotten either way.

you may wanna edit your sig, manu put us up 104-101.

[BgT]

Team = players + coach, right?

[boutons_]

The Spurs made too many mistakes, Manu's "Repeat Killer Foul" being the marquee fuckup, and played too little defense.

If the Spurs deserved to win the 05 Title for winning the 4th qtr of 05 Finals Game7, then the Mavs deserve the "better team" for the 06 WC semis.

[shelshor]

Gag me with a fork

[Solid D]

By the way, "Not necessarily!" isn't tied to any excuses (i.e Stern, refs, etc.)

[Winnipeg_Spur]

What does being the better team mean if you can't beat them in a seven game series?

Isn't playing the games the best (and only) way of determining which team is better?

[Solid D]

What does being the better team mean if you can't beat them in a seven game series?

Isn't playing the games the best (and only) way of determining which team is better?

Is that your first reaction? If so, that would be either "That's true" or "Other"

[Winnipeg_Spur]

Is that your first reaction? If so, that would be either "That's true" or "Other"
I voted that's true, even though it was pretty painful to do so. :depressed

[samikeyp]

I would agree.

[adonis827]

the spurs is the best team for me!

[Pandaemonaeon]

Spurs got the majority of calls this series. What did you get 3x times the number of calls that we did in Game 7. The better team won.

There were a lot of bad calls throughout the series but with the game tied 3-3 it's tabula rasa. Going into game 7: San Antonio had homecourt, the mental edge, experience, momentum, and the refs on their side and still lost. They were beaten by a better team.

[SA Gunslinger]

Spurs had a great chance to win game seven but it didn't work out. You really can't complain about the refs. Bavetta and Javie more than made up for some of their bs early in the series in game seven.

If the guys come out with more energy, they win. Who knows?

But yeah, the Mavs have a better team this season.

For some reason, I feel better today. I am very excited to see how Pop improves this team.

GO SPURS GO!

[polandprzem]

What first crosses your mind when you hear people say "well..the better team won" in the Mavs/Spurs series?

No comment


I don't know why. This is a nightmare all day long.
SolidD it was so close of a series that I don't feel like a better team won. All in all take a look how many luck you needed to win a game. One possesion one mistake, one whistle damn.
And you want to erase the too missed chances to win games 4 and 7.
That's frustrating and that devestating

[dav4463]

The better team in game seven maybe, but not the better team overall. Very even, if they played again, I would take my chances with the Spurs. Mavericks are on a roll right now playing at their highest level. Duncan is playing at a high level, but the rest of the Spurs are at about 50% what they are capable of....Finley, Ginobli, maybe 80%.

[East Coast Babe]

The games were so close most of the time, it is hard to say who was the better team. I think Dallas may have wanted it more. They won with three of their guys fouled out in the 7th game. That is will to win!! But, this series could have gone either way for the most part.

[dunkinduncan]

its absolutely ridiculous to think the better team won. i am fed up with that. if the refs don't take cubans payooffs then this is a spurs sweep. the reffing in gamme 7 was teh worst i've ever seen. i have never seen such a weak foul called at teh end of a game than the won on ginobili on dirknazi. if you look at the replay you can tell teh refs are ready to blow there whistles as soon as dirk starts to drive. like they were gonna blow it no matter what. it was a fix!!!

the better team lost, and if daniel stern had any balls he would force a game 8 to decide the series for real.

[BigBinBigD]

its absolutely ridiculous to think the better team won. i am fed up with that. if the refs don't take cubans payooffs then this is a spurs sweep. the reffing in gamme 7 was teh worst i've ever seen. i have never seen such a weak foul called at teh end of a game than the won on ginobili on dirknazi. if you look at the replay you can tell teh refs are ready to blow there whistles as soon as dirk starts to drive. like they were gonna blow it no matter what. it was a fix!!!

the better team lost, and if daniel stern had any balls he would force a game 8 to decide the series for real.

:lol :lol :lol

[windboy226]

its absolutely ridiculous to think the better team won. i am fed up with that. if the refs don't take cubans payooffs then this is a spurs sweep. the reffing in gamme 7 was teh worst i've ever seen. i have never seen such a weak foul called at teh end of a game than the won on ginobili on dirknazi. if you look at the replay you can tell teh refs are ready to blow there whistles as soon as dirk starts to drive. like they were gonna blow it no matter what. it was a fix!!!

the better team lost, and if daniel stern had any balls he would force a game 8 to decide the series for real.

wow...just wow...it's great to be a homer but that's just kind of ridiculous...I can see why you would have a problem with the officiating in games 3 and 4(Mavs did get the calls during crunch time) but the Spurs didn't come to play in game 2 and no amount of officiating is going to change that. Games 5,6,7 were all tight and I would think that most Spurs fans were at least satisfied with the way the games were called. Dirk and Duncan both got superstar calls all series long. On the 3 point play in game 7, if Ginobilli admits he made a dumb foul on Nowitzki how can you really argue it? At the very least, you're going to have to admit the Mavs were better than you thought.

And Daniel Stern probably couldn't do much...though he was great as grown up Kevin Arnold's voice on the Wonder Years.

[zocool16]

"Yea, the refs sure played great in games 3 and 4, the teamwork, and just the heart they showed out there, I mean, I was getting choked up"

no no you got it all wrong the refs didnt play great in games 3 and 4, they were just 'clutch'

[East Coast Babe]

If that is the one I have seen pictures of, Ginobili is grabbing Dirk's arm clearly and it was a foul. Pistons would have loved a game 8 last year to decide the championship. We thought we were as good and should have won, but we didn't.

[zocool16]

wow...just wow...it's great to be a homer but that's just kind of ridiculous...I can see why you would have a problem with the officiating in games 3 and 4(Mavs did get the calls during crunch time) but the Spurs didn't come to play in game 2 and no amount of officiating is going to change that. Games 5,6,7 were all tight and I would think that most Spurs fans were at least satisfied with the way the games were called. Dirk and Duncan both got superstar calls all series long. On the 3 point play in game 7, if Ginobilli admits he made a dumb foul on Nowitzki how can you really argue it? At the very least, you're going to have to admit the Mavs were better than you thought.

And Daniel Stern probably couldn't do much...though he was great as grown up Kevin Arnold's voice on the Wonder Years.

lol yeah i gotta admit that shit is ridiculous, Manu's foul on Dirk WAS a foul, i mean i don't know about CALLING the foul but yes it was a foul nonetheless...the thing about this series is that just like the refs let them play at the ends of games 5, 6, and 7... why couldn't they do the same in games 3 and 4? i mean those calls really hurt us, they put us in that 3-1 hole. That's the one thing that I can't really get over, if it wasn't for that I'd give credit to the Mavs for being 'better', but I don't feel they're better, I feel they just cuz we were put in that hole in that first place.

p.s. the refs totally were giving us game 7, but not in crunch time, then they let the teams play

[timvp]

What first crosses your mind when you hear people say "well..the better team won" in the Mavs/Spurs series?

My reaction:

:madrun :madrun

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

We matched their depth with our heart and confidence...

they had a very hungry young team and leader...

anyone who says the better team won didn't watch the series, and/or don't know how great the Spurs have become....this is the first season where their playoff success showed a lot more heart and confidence and desire than even last year, because last year we had enough health to keep going all the way we had the pieces to counter pussy teams like Denver, Sonics...Suns were just mismatched. This year we were fighting uphill against two of the toughest teams in the West.

All it took was a mistake from each team to lose the game. Dirk made a mistake in game 6 by not going to the rim or passing for a 2. Manu made a mistake in game 7 by trying to go for the block. It was our night to avoid too many mistakes and we didn't. Otherwise we were just right there 22 seconds from advancing.

All this year has shown, was how we weren't exactly built to repeat fashionably. Our versatility to counter the league's adjustments to us came just short, unlike last year-- regular season wins were "meh"...the postseason success has shown, was that we're right there as an elite team, we're almost there to defend titles--just need one more solid player to put us over the top in the center spot again. We will be back to win the title next year.

[dunkinduncan]

wow...just wow...it's great to be a homer but that's just kind of ridiculous...I can see why you would have a problem with the officiating in games 3 and 4(Mavs did get the calls during crunch time) but the Spurs didn't come to play in game 2 and no amount of officiating is going to change that. Games 5,6,7 were all tight and I would think that most Spurs fans were at least satisfied with the way the games were called. Dirk and Duncan both got superstar calls all series long. On the 3 point play in game 7, if Ginobilli admits he made a dumb foul on Nowitzki how can you really argue it? At the very least, you're going to have to admit the Mavs were better than you thought.

And Daniel Stern probably couldn't do much...though he was great as grown up Kevin Arnold's voice on the Wonder Years.

wow... lol @ mavs fans. they think there so awesome. give me the quote where ginobli says its a dumb foul. and it cant be from a dallas paper.

very funny... i'm talking about the daniel stern who is commisioner of the nba smart guy. that only just shows how ignorant your arguyment is.

[windboy226]

If you watched sportscenter last night...Ginobilli says he made a mistake and that Nowitzki made a great play. You can also check numerous SA articles today about "the foul".

And if you don't know the commissioner of the NBA's name is David Stern..well I'm realizing it's kinda pointless to argue with you..the fix is on!

[dunkinduncan]

If you watched sportscenter last night...Ginobilli says he made a mistake and that Nowitzki made a great play. You can also check numerous SA articles today about "the foul".

And if you don't know the commissioner of the NBA's name is David Stern..well I'm realizing it's kinda pointless to argue with you..the fix is on!

that is what i said. are all mavs fans this stupid? learn to read.

and uif this ginobli foul is all over teh news like you said where is my link? i have watched that play over and over again and there was never a foul. it was the refs deciding the game. dont even get me started on overtime. did i see mark cuban hadning dollar bills to the refs during overtime? i think i did. diop shoul dhave fouled out in two minutes the way he was playing.

[windboy226]

Haha...wow..you're calling me stupid and ignorant? Check your original post and your subsequent reply..they both say Daniel Stern


wow... lol @ mavs fans. they think there so awesome. give me the quote where ginobli says its a dumb foul. and it cant be from a dallas paper.

very funny... i'm talking about the daniel stern who is commisioner of the nba smart guy. that only just shows how ignorant your arguyment is.

Here's one...
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/mmonroe/stories/MYSA052306.1D.COL.BKNmonroe.spurs.128e2252.html

Seeing as your posts tend to have a recurring theme I'll back off this argument with you. I come to this board for a few reasons..

1. The posters here are avid, passionate fans.
2. The posters here have a pretty in-depth knowledge of basketball.
3. The posters here are sensible and can see both sides of an argument.

Guess which two you're missing.

[dunkinduncan]

go back to dallas troll

[windboy226]

I guess that's your only response when you have nothing to back up your talk..I'll take that as a "we're done".

[Gerryatrics]

The better coach won. The lesser team played as more of a team so they beat the better team. But no way I buy "the better team won".

[Solid D]

Food for thought: Some say that the team that had come together and was playing the best by season's end was....

The Orlando Magic

[Jimcs50]

The better coach won, nuff said

[1Parker1]

As much as a I am despising Avery Johnson and Cuban after this series, it kills me to admit that I probably would agree with the statement, "The Better Team Won"

Not because of refereeing, which I thought after Games 3 and 4 turned out pretty even. Not because of Manu's TO's/Fouls in the crunch time. Not because of TP being injured.

But simply because Spurs had a chance to win this series, however our bench refused to show up. Meanwhile, Mavs managed to get points from KVH (After being out for months with an injury), Stackhouse, and even Diop! Team doesn't just constitute the starting 5...which I believe held their own against the Mavs. A Team is made up of players 1-12, with great teams...when it came to crunch time and needing to step up, Mavs bench players made the difference.

[DampierAmGod]

Better team always wins a 7 game series.

We had a better TEAM, Spurs had 2 good starters and an inconsistent PG. And Spurs fans should quit bitching about the refs. The refs kept you in game 7 and gave you a chance to win the series and you blew it. Can't blame the refs that the Spurs didn't show up in overtime.

[BigD1]

No comment


I don't know why. This is a nightmare all day long.
SolidD it was so close of a series that I don't feel like a better team won. All in all take a look how many luck you needed to win a game. One possesion one mistake, one whistle damn.
And you want to erase the too missed chances to win games 4 and 7.
That's frustrating and that devestatingAs a Mav's fan, you have a different perspective on that. We were one bad defensive rotation and a bad shooting decision by Stack from winning game 1. We were one unnecessary rushed shot(Terry) or a putback(Dirk) from winning game 5. Not only that, Terry clearly called timeout in that scuffle. Then you gotta look at game 6. Terry made a dumb mistake that cost him and the team tremendously. With the Spurs playing a terrible 1st half, and in early foul trouble, Dallas would have won that game had Terry played. We had no one to go to when Dirk was doubled. The Spurs were able to close the driving lanes easier with just Harris on the floor, who I might add, had an atrocious display at American Airlines. Just like Spur's fans feel like they could have won it or should have won it in 6 or 7...Dallas' fans feel like they could have or should have won it in 6 or 5 or even 4. Fact is, both sides have should've,would've,could'ves...the best team won in game 7 when it was all on the line.

[BigD1]

The better team in game seven maybe, but not the better team overall. Very even, if they played again, I would take my chances with the Spurs. Mavericks are on a roll right now playing at their highest level. Duncan is playing at a high level, but the rest of the Spurs are at about 50% what they are capable of....Finley, Ginobli, maybe 80%.Trust me, Finley is not capable of playing any better than what he did against Dallas. In fact, that was probably his most effective and efficient effort he has played in a playoff series in about 3-4 years. Ginobili played very well. Except for a few bone head plays, he hit clutch shots, made clutch steals, and made clutch layups. The problem was, he had to play against speed and athletiscm he hasn't had to play in a series ever. J.Ho, Stack,Terry,Harris,Daniels, and even Dirk. These guys kept him busy and often in foul trouble. Give a little credit to what the Mavs were doing. Ginobili was fine.

[DarrinS]

I think the better shooting team won. I also think the team with the better bench won.

Other than that, they are about equal.

[BigD1]

its absolutely ridiculous to think the better team won. i am fed up with that. if the refs don't take cubans payooffs then this is a spurs sweep. the reffing in gamme 7 was teh worst i've ever seen. i have never seen such a weak foul called at teh end of a game than the won on ginobili on dirknazi. if you look at the replay you can tell teh refs are ready to blow there whistles as soon as dirk starts to drive. like they were gonna blow it no matter what. it was a fix!!!

the better team lost, and if daniel stern had any balls he would force a game 8 to decide the series for real.The refs bailed u guys out time after time after time. Even Steve Kerr mentioned how one sided the calls were going in the Spurs favor. Everytime someone guarded Duncan, if they so much as breathed on him, it was a foul. It was absolutely ridiculous. There were several times when Van Horn just kept his hands in the air, without moving his feet, and the whistle was blown. Damp can't even get 2ft from Duncan without getting the whistle. In fact, Duncan often uses his hands to push off a bit to get a rebound. He never once got called out on that. the Mav's org. even addressed this to the league who in return admitted those were offensive fouls on Duncan's behalf. Still not one call got made against Duncan in game 7 or the entire series. and Duncan was pushing off. Anyway, u guys had the lead and the momentum with 20 sec's left and u didn't execute and Dallas did. Period. Don't be a sore loser! It was a fix!! haha. Whatever. U should show some class like most of the other posters on here and quit making excuses.

[texlawman]

Spursfans I don't know how you can honestly evalute this series and not say the better team won. For those who are upset about the officiating in games 3 and 4 you cannot get past the fact that you dropped two games on your home floor. Better teams just don't do that. Shouldn't even be a debate.

That being said you have a great team so retool in the offseason and we look forward to playing you again in the playoffs.

[BigD1]

lol yeah i gotta admit that shit is ridiculous, Manu's foul on Dirk WAS a foul, i mean i don't know about CALLING the foul but yes it was a foul nonetheless...the thing about this series is that just like the refs let them play at the ends of games 5, 6, and 7... why couldn't they do the same in games 3 and 4? i mean those calls really hurt us, they put us in that 3-1 hole. That's the one thing that I can't really get over, if it wasn't for that I'd give credit to the Mavs for being 'better', but I don't feel they're better, I feel they just cuz we were put in that hole in that first place.

p.s. the refs totally were giving us game 7, but not in crunch time, then they let the teams playIn games 3 and 4, the Spurs made way too many mistakes down the stretch. Throwing passes out of bounds, missing freethrows, Ginobli chasing a deflected pass down the other side of the court. On the other hand, the Mav's didn't make any mistakes at the end of games 3 and 4. It's all about who executes at the end of games. The Spurs didn't. Plain and Simple. p.s. I believe Dallas had more pf's than SA in both of those games. Go figure?

[BigD1]

The better coach won. The lesser team played as more of a team so they beat the better team. But no way I buy "the better team won".Dallas wins in 6 had Terry played. The better team won.

[Borosai]

Dallas was the better team this series. However, if they play 8 games, they probably split 4-4. So I can't honestly say the Mavs are better than the Spurs overall and going into next season, but they earned a big win in game 7, and were the better team that night, and that's what matters.

[clambake]

Yes, spurs were in a 3-1 hole. No argument with that. They filled that hole and made it vanish. They got what everyone here wanted. Game 7, all in. Spurs have all the experience, all the rings, game 7 at home...........Mavs Win. Give some credit. Most Spurs fans do.

[SAGambler]

While the teams are probably even and would split a 10 game series, this time the Mavs came out on top.

While I admit, there is no doubt that Manu fouled Dirk on that shot, there is also no doubt that both Manu and Duncan were fouled with time running out.

Tim says they don't make those calls at the end of the game, they sure as hell made the call with 21 seconds left...

Nuff said....On to next year.

[Rydia]

There were a lot of bad calls throughout the series but with the game tied 3-3 it's tabula rasa. Going into game 7: San Antonio had homecourt, the mental edge, experience, momentum, and the refs on their side and still lost. They were beaten by a better team.


Game 7 at home...82% of the time the home team wins...we should have won...

We were outplayed, out shot out everything. We just didn't have the heart for another championship...Dallas played with everything and EVERYONE they had. I thought this was like a game of chess with pops against avery..

at least Dallas showed up. No one on the Spurs played that well...simple fact. I am still in mourning! booo hoooo

[LEONARD]

The better team ALWAYS wins a best of 7... :fro

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

While the teams are probably even and would split a 10 game series, this time the Mavs came out on top.

While I admit, there is no doubt that Manu fouled Dirk on that shot, there is also no doubt that both Manu and Duncan were fouled with time running out.

Tim says they don't make those calls at the end of the game, they sure as hell made the call with 21 seconds left...

Nuff said....On to next year.
Dirk was lucky he had the last possession to go in and tie it up to go into overtime against a Bowen (as quoted from Bowen) "HORRIBLE" foul call in a game 4, instead of in game 7....
But I think the Mavs fans have a right to claim they were better. We had to adjust to them finally??? I think they had the upperhand and we were fighting and scrapping. We took control in the 3rd, 4th quarter...but they controlled 1st, 2nd, OT....IN other words, they controlled more minutes than us. I still think it came down to having one second more than the other team. So Mavs were better by a second and a possession. That is all.