Spurs vs. Suns Game 6 - Grades

[timvp]

Tim Duncan
Duncan was a defensive monster tonight. He had nine blocks to go along with 24 points and 13 rebounds. When he's able to stay out of foul trouble and be that active on the defensive end of the court, he's as good of a defender as there is in the league. Offensively, he hit 11-of-19 shots, including a huge one late in the fourth.
Grade: A


Manu Ginobili
This was the performance Spurs fans have been waiting for out of Manu. 33 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals on 11-for-17 shooting from the field? That's just ridiculous. Ginobili was everywhere. When he's playing like this, he's one of the top ten players in the game. He again set up his outside shots with early drives to the basket. After he got the Suns guessing what he was doing, it was game over for Phoenix.
Grade: A+


Tony Parker
Parker kept the Spurs in the game early and was aggressive throughout. When Parker brings this much energy and focus, the Spurs rarely lose. He did have an off shooting night as he finished 11-for-27, but it's tough to complain about 30 points, six assists and one turnover. Defensively, he continued to play stellar defense. The way he single-handedly shut down Leandro Barbosa this series was amazing. I'm not sure any defender in the league could stop Barbosa as well as Parker did.
Grade: A-


Bruce Bowen
Bowen struggled with Nash all series but in this close out game, he finally was able to figure him out. He harassed Steve Nash all night and put him into uncomfortable situations. He had Nash crying to the refs all game long and that no doubt how a negative impact for the Suns. At 35 and a good six inches taller than Nash, it's a great sign that he could keep up with the two-time reigning MVP. Perhaps he isn't as done as some would make it seem.
Grade: B+


Francisco Elson
Elson wasn't horrible but also wasn't that great. He had some decent rotations defensively. He knew where to be more times than not. However, watching him fumble away rebound after rebound got annoying after a while. Even his teammates started to get frustrated by his clumsiness. But with Elson, you take whatever good you can squeeze out of him.
Grade: B-


Michael Finley
Finley was quiet for much of the contest, but answered with some big shots late in the game. So far in the playoffs, it seems that he has a knack of knocking down momentum saving shots. His defense was also better than it had been since early in the series.
Grade: B


Brent Barry
Barry played 11 ghost minutes. He missed both of his shots and only cracked the stat sheet with one assist and one steal. Although he did have a couple good defensive plays.
Grade: C


Fabricio Oberto
When he was on the court, Oberto was an effective player. The problem was that he was in foul trouble for almost all game. Again, Oberto was noticeably into the game right from the tip. His energy and attention to detail has been fantastic so far in the postseason.
Grade: C+


Robert Horry
This one was for you, Rob :smokin
Grade: A


Jacque Vaughn
Major props to Vaughn for having his best playoff game when the Spurs needed it most. His play late in the third quarter was huge. He had a couple baskets and a pair of assists to help increase the lead.
Grade: A


Pop
The only real negative you can take out of this game coaching wise is that the Spurs continually stepped off the gas after establishing leads in this series. The blame has to go somewhere and it starts with the head coach. You don't win championships if you let teams back in games time and time again. Other than that, I thought the rotations were very good and I didn't disagree with any of the strategy.
Grade: B+

[aaronstampler]

Took you 11 games to get Manu's grade right... :lol :toast

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Manu Ginobili
This was the performance Spurs fans have been waiting for out of Manu. 33 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals on 11-for-17 shooting from the field? That's just ridiculous. Ginobili was everywhere. When he's playing like this, he's one of the top ten players in the game. He again set up his outside shots with early drives to the basket. After he got the Suns guessing what he was doing, it was game over for Phoenix.
Grade: A+

Right on... but you might like to add that those 1st quarter drives were with his RIGHT HAND! ;)

Nice comment on Fin's knack for "momentum saving shots" - he's done that all playoffs, hasn't he?

[ChumpDumper]

"Tony's grade was too high."

[zekes]

i thought pop made a great decision by bringing in barry at the end of the 1st quarter instead of vaughn.

[whottt]

Nice job :tu

I kind of disagree with your grade of Oberto though...he was way better than C+ tonight. That huge run we went on was with Oberto in for Duncan...and I don't care what the stats say, Oberto was freakin aweseome during that part of the game....where are the tapped ball and disruptive influence stats? I don't see how Oberto could have less than a B.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Jackie Vaughn gets an F for stripping Tim Duncan of his triple double!


j/k he did great that final second play, in the third quarter, where Manu was handling the ball. He really helped deliver when our guys recognize him being open.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

C'mon Aaron, Manu took 11 games to get his grade right, not timvp! :lol

He played very well in 1 game in the Nugs series, and okay in 2 others. He played very well in 2 games this series, and brilliantly in this one. I see a trend here, and we might see Manu Reale turn up from now on, now that he remembers he has a right hand and can knock down a jumper! :D

[whottt]

I think the big 3 all deserved an A+....had to be the best game by the big 3 combined ever...definitely in the playoffs.

[kps0001]

I think Pop deserves an A but I don't know him as much as you guys. One reason is that the Suns are always gonna go on runs to try to get back in games. Two the reason Vaughn had that type of game was because the way Pop decided to use him when we doubled Timmy. He knew the Suns weren't gonna guard him so he threw him under the basket and got him involved. Luckily for Vaughn too that he made 2 out of his 3 shots. If the Suns were quick enough and/or cared to try to get a man on him Vaughn would just kick it out. Nice work. But I guess it is alot easier to do that sort of stuff when Manu and Parker go off like they did.

[timvp]

Nice job :tu

I kind of disagree with your grade of Oberto though...he was way better than C+ tonight. That huge run we went on was with Oberto in for Duncan...and I don't care what the stats say, Oberto was freakin aweseome during that part of the game....where are the tapped ball and disruptive influence stats? I don't see how Oberto could have less than a B.

I subtracted points from Oberto for getting in foul trouble. With Horry gone, Oberto had to know that he had to stay on the court.

Considering his play per minute and ignoring fouls, you was definitely B material. Right now he's playing so well it's scary. I just hope he keeps it up.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

C'mon Aaron, Manu took 11 games to get his grade right, not timvp! :lol

He played very well in 1 game in the Nugs series, and okay in 2 others. He played very well in 2 games this series, and brilliantly in this one. I see a trend here, and we might see Manu Reale turn up from now on, now that he remembers he has a right hand and can knock down a jumper! :D
He busted his game potential wide open today. Like Timvp said, that statline is insane, and he's definitely on par as a top ten player from these big game moments. He can only get better as the playoffs roll on, I feel.

[aaronstampler]

"Tony's grade was too high."

6:1 A/TO and great defense on LB. No complaints here.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I subtracted points from Oberto for getting in foul trouble. With Horry gone, Oberto had to know that he had to stay on the court.

Considering his play per minute and ignoring fouls, you was definitely B material. Right now he's playing so well it's scary. I just hope he keeps it up.

Yeah, he really is playing his best ball as a Spur right now. he's like a big, shaggy hustle machine, and now that he knows the system he's rarely out of position.

Props to Oberto, a guy most of us gave up on in year one when we should have known better - ie. that once he knew the system, he'd be a useful player, despite his ground-bound game.

Here's to you, Shaggy! :toast

[BeerIsGood!]

If anything could bump Pop up to an A it would be his decision to slash Vaughn to the rim every time Tim got doubled with Vaughn's man. That gave Tim an easy pass to Vaughn right under the basket causing Barbosa to collapse off of Bowen and giving Bowen two wide open shots that he drained for 5 points. Huge adjustment.

[gilmor]

I got one comment..

A+ for TiMVP for diligently doing this game-after grading all this while.. It really benefits overseas Spurs Fans like us..

[timvp]

I think the big 3 all deserved an A+....had to be the best game by the big 3 combined ever...definitely in the playoffs.

Yeah it was tough finding fault in Duncan and Parker this game. I thought Duncan could have demanded the ball a little more at the end of the game, but tough to knock him for that. The only thing I have against Tony was his field goal percentage. But if you think back on it, he had that shot at the end of the half and about two or three other desperation shots that shouldn't count against him.

Parker on Barbosa was a thing of beauty to watch. Barbosa destroyed everyone else in the league this year. When the Spurs got back on defense and put Parker on him to negate the any quickness advantage, they turned him back into 2005 Barbosa.

And Manu was just stupid good. Sure he had a couple ugly turnovers but he was just so damn good. Thinking about it, it might be his best playoff game ever. Against Raja Bell, in a semi must win elimination game and factoring in his rebounds and steals, this might have been Manu at his best. Although it's tough to top what he did Game 7 against the Pistons given the stakes of that game.

Have Tony and Manu ever had 30+ points in the same game? I don't remember it happening off the top of my head.

[ChumpDumper]

Parker forced his way into two defenders around the basket too many times.

[mVp]

Jacque Vaughn
Major props to Vaughn for having his best playoff game when the Spurs needed it most. His play late in the third quarter was huge. He had a couple baskets and a pair of assists to help increase the lead.
Grade: A

Finally he gets an A! (not his last one, I hope!) Fucking unbelievable :lol

This game was so perfect :spin

[Obstructed_View]

Spot on. I might have given Pop a little bump for the adjustments and Oberto a little slack for a couple of seemingly ticky tack calls on him. Credit to carrot-hands for stepping up. I thought Bowen's defense on Nash bordered on legendary, especially considering how badly he got beat by Nash until tonight.

Great win. Now we have a nice fresh Horry to throw at the Jazz.

[Obstructed_View]

Finally he gets an A! (not his last one, I hope!) Fucking unbelievable :lol

This game was so perfect :spin
It helps that he's been driving his expectations down for the entire playoffs. Same with Elson.

[aaronstampler]

Man I just finished watching the game beginning to end. That was the most fun to watch playoff game, start to finish, that I can remember. Even though they had tiny leads here or there, I never doubted we'd win and I wasn't stressed about it. And obviously it wasn't hard to notice how well the big three all played. I can't think of a single playoff game they all had it going like this before. Maybe Games 1 and 2 of the '05 series?

I can't imagine Manu and Tony having 30 in the same game before, regular season or playoffs. This was just an excellent sign going forward. I really couldn't be happier. Sloan is gonna look at this game film and shit a brick.

As I recall, the last time the big three played so well together, it was our last game vs. Utah.

[Obstructed_View]

And Duncan gets extra credit for bumping D'Antoni.

[mVp]

now I wanna see an A game by Elson... and I can die in peace :lol

[BeerIsGood!]

And Duncan gets extra credit for bumping D'Antoni.

When did that happen? I want to tune it up on the dvr because I missed it live.

[polandprzem]

Was Barry playing scared?????????????????????????????????


home game

[sabar]

Awesome grades, awesome game.
Vaughn did suprisingly well too, good thing Pop didn't switch to Beno.

[milkyway21]

pretty accurate, but i want Bruce Bowen's grade upgraded to:

Bowen: A-

-Ginobili and Bruce Bowen tossed in four 3-pointers between them, and the Spurs closed the quarter on an 18-6 run to break another excruciatingly close game open. The Spurs eventually built a 92-72 lead with 9:05 left in the game and then held on while Nash mounted another of his furious rallies.
-Nash had been stifled and smothered for three quarters by the defense of Bowen, the human wet blanket, unable to drive, unable to shoot, until the final minutes of the game.

i just can't take Vaughn despite playing better in limited minutes gets an A and Bowen B+.:D

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

One criticism, not sure who to put it on, but for the last four minutes or so we hardly drove the ball and settled for Js the whole time, which could've ended in disaster. They were in the penalty, and instant-doubling Tim to take him out of the game, so surely we should have been driving? When Parker hit a big 20fter, he had an open path to the hole.

Agree/disagree? Should that go against Pop?

Can't wait to watch this game again, it was a barn-burner! :)

[sabar]

Parker has had a rough time driving, he got blocked more than usual this series. Plus during those last minutes we were trying to run down the clock and it was hard to get an open hole with 4 seconds left on the shot clock. Dunno who gets points deducted for that, I have no idea what Pop called for.

[Obstructed_View]

When did that happen? I want to tune it up on the dvr because I missed it live.
3:18 in the 4th quarter. At the timeout after the foul on Finley when he got the jump ball. D'Antoni steps out on the court still jawing with the officials and steps right in front of Duncan. It wasn't much, but I have very little doubt that it was intentional.

[Obstructed_View]

One criticism, not sure who to put it on, but for the last four minutes or so we hardly drove the ball and settled for Js the whole time, which could've ended in disaster. They were in the penalty, and instant-doubling Tim to take him out of the game, so surely we should have been driving? When Parker hit a big 20fter, he had an open path to the hole.

Agree/disagree? Should that go against Pop?

Can't wait to watch this game again, it was a barn-burner! :)
I just thought the Spurs let up as a team. I'd ding the coach for that. It ain't the first time the Spurs have tigtened up.

[whottt]

Yeah it was tough finding fault in Duncan and Parker this game. I thought Duncan could have demanded the ball a little more at the end of the game, but tough to knock him for that. The only thing I have against Tony was his field goal percentage. But if you think back on it, he had that shot at the end of the half and about two or three other desperation shots that shouldn't count against him.

Parker on Barbosa was a thing of beauty to watch. Barbosa destroyed everyone else in the league this year. When the Spurs got back on defense and put Parker on him to negate the any quickness advantage, they turned him back into 2005 Barbosa.

And Manu was just stupid good. Sure he had a couple ugly turnovers but he was just so damn good. Thinking about it, it might be his best playoff game ever. Against Raja Bell, in a semi must win elimination game and factoring in his rebounds and steals, this might have been Manu at his best. Although it's tough to top what he did Game 7 against the Pistons given the stakes of that game.

Have Tony and Manu ever had 30+ points in the same game? I don't remember it happening off the top of my head.



I think they have done it before...like when Duncan was injured in 05. Maybe.


I think the last time two Spurs guards had 30 in the same playoff game period, was like 1991 VS GS....game 1. And I'm not entirely sure it happened then...I think that was the last time two Spurs players scored 30 in a game without at least one of them being named Duncan or Robinson.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I just thought the Spurs let up as a team. I'd ding the coach for that. It ain't the first time the Spurs have tigtened up.

Agreed, we tightened up. While I was watching it I was thinking "uh-oh, this is what we did in game 4... DRIVE THE FREAKIN BALL!!!"

I understand that we were trying to run the clock down, and that is smart, but that doesn't mean the possession has to end in a jumper. Right now, I'm just glad we hit a few of them! :)

[timvp]

Plus/Minus Suns Series
Tony Parker +24
Michael Finley +18
Fabricio Oberto +12
Robert Horry +4
Brent Barry +4
Tim Duncan +3
Manu Ginobili +2
Bruce Bowen -1
Francisco Elson -14
Jacque Vaughn -20

Plus/Minus Game 6
Manu Ginobili +12
Tim Duncan +7
Tony Parker +6
Brent Barry +4
Francisco Elson +4
Michael Finley +3
Fabricio Oberto +3
Bruce Bowen +2
Jacque Vaughn +0

Plus/Minus 2007 Playoffs
Tony Parker +39
Michael Finley +37
Fabricio Oberto +36
Tim Duncan +22
Brent Barry +18
Manu Ginobili +15
Robert Horry +8
Bruce Bowen +5
Beno Udrih -2
Matt Bonner -6
Jacque Vaughn -14
Franisco Elson -23

Props to Parker for leading the team in plus/minus in a playoff series for the first time in his career. So far, it appears that he's taking the next step in the playoffs from very good player to star.

For Game 6, the plus/minus showed that the Big Three led the way. Not sure the last time they held the top three spots for a single game.

In the playoffs as a whole plus/minus wise, props to Finley and Oberto for being big so far in the postseason.

[Admidave50]

I would downgrade Elson because he pissed me so much when he was in the game.

Big game from our big 3, hope they'll get enough rest for Game 1 vs Utah.

Timvp, will you give overall grades for the series against the Suns as you did for the Nuggets? I'm looking forward to it!

[timvp]

I would downgrade Elson because he pissed me so much when he was in the game.

Big game from our big 3, hope they'll get enough rest for Game 1 vs Utah.

Timvp, will you give overall grades for the series against the Suns as you did for the Nuggets? I'm looking forward to it!

Yeah, I will tomorrow. :fro

[Admidave50]

Yeah, I will tomorrow. :fro

Hehe, thanks in advance man

[Bruno]

Note to Brent : Being scoreless at home isn't the best way to prove that timvp was wrong. Having some great games on the road will be a more constructive way to show that you aren't scared.

[polandprzem]

:lol @ Bruno



:D

[Capt Bringdown]

I got one comment..

A+ for TiMVP for diligently doing this game-after grading all this while.. It really benefits overseas Spurs Fans like us..

Hear! Hear! Well done.

[wildbill2u]

Grade as a TEAM is missing. This TEAM has synergy that is more than its component parts separately.

For maintain their cool and playing winning basketball within their system despite a lot of pressure from an excellent and talented opponent, I give them an A+.

[Marcus Bryant]

Jacque Vaughn -14
Franisco Elson -23

[spurschick]

D'Antoni had some moments in this series, but in the end...

http://www.spurschick.com/dantoniowned.jpg

[DarrinS]

Wonder Twin Powers -- ACTIVATE.

Form of -- clumbsy, dunk-missing doofus.
http://www.hoopsvibe.com/IMG/francisco_elson-arton20953-240x240.jpg

Shape of -- brick thrower who loves taking his own shot
http://www.hoopsvibe.com/IMG/jacque_vaughn-arton21225-240x240.jpg

[duncanchick21]

D'Antoni had some moments in this series, but in the end...

http://www.spurschick.com/dantoniowned.jpg

Spurschick once again pure ownage!!!!! :clap :downspin: :flag: :flag: :cheer :cheer

[spurschick]

And while it took him a minute to kick it into gear, the inevitable happened.

http://www.spurschick.com/marionowned.jpg

[LoVeNSpuRs]

I thought Vaughn made a few key passes too.

[ShoogarBear]

Took you 11 games to get Manu's grade right... :lol :toastBecause you give him A+ no matter how he plays. :rolleyes

[Slippy]

[b]Bruce Bowen
Bowen struggled with Nash all series but in this close out game, he finally was able to figure him out. He harassed Steve Nash all night and put him into uncomfortable situations. He had Nash crying to the refs all game long and that no doubt how a negative impact for the Suns. At 35 and a good six inches taller than Nash, it's a great sign that he could keep up with the two-time reigning MVP. Perhaps he isn't as done as some would make it seem.
[SIZE=5]Grade: [FONT=Comic Sans MS]B+[/FONT

yah one of those uncomfortable situations was persisting with Nash even when he was playing from behind. only Bowen with his quick feet and hands could of kept up with him and having Timmmy in front just took away Nash's strengths.

[smeagol]

Because you give him A+ no matter how he plays. :rolleyes
It's called Devotion to the One Church :spin

[Kobulingam]

One criticism, not sure who to put it on, but for the last four minutes or so we hardly drove the ball and settled for Js the whole time, which could've ended in disaster. They were in the penalty, and instant-doubling Tim to take him out of the game, so surely we should have been driving? When Parker hit a big 20fter, he had an open path to the hole.

Agree/disagree? Should that go against Pop?

Can't wait to watch this game again, it was a barn-burner! :)

Classic case of a team trying to waste time by milking the shotclock. I am totally against this technique unless it's late late in the game.

GS lost games this postseason because of this stupid technique.

[gaKNOW!blee]

The only complaint I have there is Duncan believe it or not. IMO he was an A+. he didnt do a single thing wrong.

[mullet]

as the cliche goes, in the middle of the 4th the spurs stopped playing to win and started playing not to lose. thats when phoenix made their run.

Blame goes to Pop. I dont know what he said in the huddle, but he shouldve made it a point not to stop the aggressiveness to the basket. Spurs lost their lead when their motion offense went stagnant and they started taking 1 on 3 jumpers with 3 on the shot clock.

[spurschick]

It's called Devotion to the One Church :spin


"Thou shalt have no other guards before me."
- Book of Manu, 5:18


http://www.spurschick.com/bookofmanu.jpg

[LaMarcus Bryant]

If anything could bump Pop up to an A it would be his decision to slash Vaughn to the rim every time Tim got doubled with Vaughn's man. That gave Tim an easy pass to Vaughn right under the basket causing Barbosa to collapse off of Bowen and giving Bowen two wide open shots that he drained for 5 points. Huge adjustment.


Only because we turned those opportunities into real points. Had we missed those shots, Pop looks like a complete retard, and we're wondering why Duncan waited for the double team so long.

But props. The entire team played on the same page and we ended up DANTONIOWNING the suns.

[2centsworth]

Parker has progressed tremendously with his defense, clutch foul shooting, and overall composure in big games.

[peskypesky]

If anything could bump Pop up to an A it would be his decision to slash Vaughn to the rim every time Tim got doubled with Vaughn's man. That gave Tim an easy pass to Vaughn right under the basket causing Barbosa to collapse off of Bowen and giving Bowen two wide open shots that he drained for 5 points. Huge adjustment.

I agree. I was so excited that Pop finally showed some creative and effective offensive play-calling. Sending Vaughn down to the post when Duncan was doubled? Brilliant.

I wonder if Carlesimo suggested that?

[michaelwcho]

I agree. I was so excited that Pop finally showed some creative and effective offensive play-calling. Sending Vaughn down to the post when Duncan was doubled? Brilliant.

I wonder if Carlesimo suggested that?
I wonder if he was just holding that card in reserve for such an important time...just like I wonder if Duncan, Bill Russell-like, was holding on his blocks a little.

[peskypesky]

One criticism, not sure who to put it on, but for the last four minutes or so we hardly drove the ball and settled for Js the whole time, which could've ended in disaster. They were in the penalty, and instant-doubling Tim to take him out of the game, so surely we should have been driving? When Parker hit a big 20fter, he had an open path to the hole.

Agree/disagree? Should that go against Pop?

Can't wait to watch this game again, it was a barn-burner! :)

I was frustrated by that too, but I wonder if it was due to fatigue. It was the end of a hard-fought game in a hard-fought series against a team whose strategy is to run you to death. So maybe Parker & Manu and the rest just didn't have the gas to slash to the hoop.

I also wonder if the Spurs, knowing how bad Duncan's FT shooting was, were afraid of a Hack-a-Dunc strategy.

[peskypesky]

D'Antoni had some moments in this series, but in the end...

http://www.spurschick.com/dantoniowned.jpg

BEAUTIFUL!

Did you create that? If so, you must be a graphic designer, or you should be.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

We should start a seperate Dantowned thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[peskypesky]

The only complaint I have there is Duncan believe it or not. IMO he was an A+. he didnt do a single thing wrong.

Agree. Duncan deserves an A+. A monster game by the best PF in the history of the game.

[Obstructed_View]

Only because we turned those opportunities into real points. Had we missed those shots, Pop looks like a complete retard, and we're wondering why Duncan waited for the double team so long.
No fucking way. The point of that adjustment is that if they leave Vaughn to double someone else he has a layup instead of a jumper. They therefore have to guard him and someone else gets a shot from single coverage. That's a victory whether the shots go in or not, and it's a brilliant adjustment. He turned the biggest liability on the floor into a points machine.

[thousandth]

Plus/Minus Suns Series
Tony Parker +24
Michael Finley +18
Fabricio Oberto +12
Robert Horry +4
Brent Barry +4
Tim Duncan +3
Manu Ginobili +2
Bruce Bowen -1
Francisco Elson -14
Jacque Vaughn -20

Plus/Minus Game 6
Manu Ginobili +12
Tim Duncan +7
Tony Parker +6
Brent Barry +4
Francisco Elson +4
Michael Finley +3
Fabricio Oberto +3
Bruce Bowen +2
Jacque Vaughn +0

Plus/Minus 2007 Playoffs
Tony Parker +39
Michael Finley +37
Fabricio Oberto +36
Tim Duncan +22
Brent Barry +18
Manu Ginobili +15
Robert Horry +8
Bruce Bowen +5
Beno Udrih -2
Matt Bonner -6
Jacque Vaughn -14
Franisco Elson -23

Props to Parker for leading the team in plus/minus in a playoff series for the first time in his career. So far, it appears that he's taking the next step in the playoffs from very good player to star.

For Game 6, the plus/minus showed that the Big Three led the way. Not sure the last time they held the top three spots for a single game.

In the playoffs as a whole plus/minus wise, props to Finley and Oberto for being big so far in the postseason.

Yes, I agree and thanks to timvp! good job in all series! :clap

[itzsoweezee]

oberto + manu = A+ combo

i love watching these guys play together.

[baseline bum]

Tim Duncan
Duncan was a defensive monster tonight. He had nine blocks to go along with 24 points and 13 rebounds. When he's able to stay out of foul trouble and be that active on the defensive end of the court, he's as good of a defender as there is in the league. Offensively, he hit 11-of-19 shots, including a huge one late in the fourth.
Grade: A


Manu Ginobili
This was the performance Spurs fans have been waiting for out of Manu. 33 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals on 11-for-17 shooting from the field? That's just ridiculous. Ginobili was everywhere. When he's playing like this, he's one of the top ten players in the game. He again set up his outside shots with early drives to the basket. After he got the Suns guessing what he was doing, it was game over for Phoenix.
Grade: A+


Tony Parker
Parker kept the Spurs in the game early and was aggressive throughout. When Parker brings this much energy and focus, the Spurs rarely lose. He did have an off shooting night as he finished 11-for-27, but it's tough to complain about 30 points, six assists and one turnover. Defensively, he continued to play stellar defense. The way he single-handedly shut down Leandro Barbosa this series was amazing. I'm not sure any defender in the league could stop Barbosa as well as Parker did.
Grade: A-


Bruce Bowen
Bowen struggled with Nash all series but in this close out game, he finally was able to figure him out. He harassed Steve Nash all night and put him into uncomfortable situations. He had Nash crying to the refs all game long and that no doubt how a negative impact for the Suns. At 35 and a good six inches taller than Nash, it's a great sign that he could keep up with the two-time reigning MVP. Perhaps he isn't as done as some would make it seem.
Grade: B+


Francisco Elson
Elson wasn't horrible but also wasn't that great. He had some decent rotations defensively. He knew where to be more times than not. However, watching him fumble away rebound after rebound got annoying after a while. Even his teammates started to get frustrated by his clumsiness. But with Elson, you take whatever good you can squeeze out of him.
Grade: B-


Michael Finley
Finley was quiet for much of the contest, but answered with some big shots late in the game. So far in the playoffs, it seems that he has a knack of knocking down momentum saving shots. His defense was also better than it had been since early in the series.
Grade: B


Brent Barry
Barry played 11 ghost minutes. He missed both of his shots and only cracked the stat sheet with one assist and one steal. Although he did have a couple good defensive plays.
Grade: C


Fabricio Oberto
When he was on the court, Oberto was an effective player. The problem was that he was in foul trouble for almost all game. Again, Oberto was noticeably into the game right from the tip. His energy and attention to detail has been fantastic so far in the postseason.
Grade: C+


Robert Horry
This one was for you, Rob :smokin
Grade: A


Jacque Vaughn
Major props to Vaughn for having his best playoff game when the Spurs needed it most. His play late in the third quarter was huge. He had a couple baskets and a pair of assists to help increase the lead.
Grade: A


Pop
The only real negative you can take out of this game coaching wise is that the Spurs continually stepped off the gas after establishing leads in this series. The blame has to go somewhere and it starts with the head coach. You don't win championships if you let teams back in games time and time again. Other than that, I thought the rotations were very good and I didn't disagree with any of the strategy.
Grade: B+

That was the finest game of Manu's career last night, in as close to a must win as a non-elimination game can be. He really shut me the fuck up for calling him out earlier in the series.

Tim has to be A+ last night too though. That's about as efficient a performance as you'll see in the NBA. Amazing to see what this team can do when Tim, Manu, and Tony are all on.

[smeagol]

That was the finest game of Manu's career last night, in as close to a must win as a non-elimination game can be. He really shut me the fuck up for calling him out earlier in the series.

Props to Baseline for admitting his mistake.

The mookie crowd, on the other hand . . .

Pussies!