Finley finally reaches the Finals

[MajorMike]

SPORTSDAY Basketball:
Mavericks

Finley finally reaches the Finals

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/06-07/0601finley.jpg
Michael Finley (right) will end a streak of 85 playoff games without reaching the Finals.

01:13 AM CDT on Friday, June 1, 2007
David Moore
Dallas Morning News

This is what Michael Finley wanted.

Sure, he would have preferred to make it to the Finals alongside good friends Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. That's something the Big Three once dreamed of doing when they were in Dallas. But he'll take this.

After years of propping up some dreadful Mavericks teams, after his unceremonious departure and nearly 1,000 NBA games, Finley has the chance to win a championship.

The realization began to sink in moments after San Antonio eliminated Utah in the Western Conference Finals. Finley couldn't suppress a smile as he tried to explain his gratification to the reporters crowded around his locker. Seconds earlier, on the podium outside the Spurs' locker room, guard Tony Parker described Finley's deep disappointment in losing to the Mavericks in the second round last season.

Parker and Manu Ginobili have already won two titles. Tim Duncan has three. Robert Horry is working on No. 7. Yet much of their joy in making it back to the Finals was to present Finley with his first trip.

"I still haven't gotten there yet," Finley said, tapping the brakes on his emotions. "From a playoff standpoint, I remember in Dallas when we beat Utah and came back from a 0-2 deficit, that felt like winning the Finals for me.

"From that standpoint, I know I still have a long way to go. We still have four more wins to try to get it. Hopefully after that, it can be an overwhelming feeling."

It has to be better than what Finley was feeling this time last season.

The guard left the floor without talking to his former teammates when the Mavericks eliminated the Spurs in a Game 7. He didn't talk to the media that night either.

But the next day, Finley was the only San Antonio player to talk to the media. He also made it a point to congratulate the Mavericks by phone or text message.

So far, the only Mavericks player Finley has heard from in this playoff run is Nowitzki. The league's MVP sent a text message after San Antonio beat Utah in Game 4 to wish him luck in his search for that elusive championship. Nash did the same after the Spurs eliminated the Phoenix Suns in the second round.

Finley regards both as life-long friends.

"I mean, this basketball thing is going to end one day," Finley said. "I feel my friendship with Dirk and Steve will never end.

"Despite wins, losses, trophies or no trophies, they will always be two of my good friends. ... In a perfect world, we would have liked to have enjoyed this together. But the world is not perfect and this league is a business."

Business led the Mavericks to dump Finley in the summer of 2005. An amnesty clause in the collective bargaining agreement gave owner Mark Cuban a get-out-of-jail card that he played to escape the luxury tax implications of the veteran's contract.

But money wasn't the only reason behind Finley's departure. Finley is a jump shooter. Coach Avery Johnson wants his perimeter players to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket.

It wasn't a good fit. The Mavericks were also concerned that Finley, a starter for his eight-and-a-half seasons in Dallas, would balk if asked to come off the bench.

Finley has come off the bench for all but 34 of his 159 regular season games with San Antonio over the last two seasons. But he has started during the Spurs' post-season run and played well, averaging 13.1 points and 3.1 rebounds.

He's not just along for the ride.

"It's really not about starting and minutes and all those individual things," Finley said. "I think a lot of people blew that out of proportion when I was in Dallas. I tried to be the consummate team player and it might have cost me.

"Here, I can be a team player, do whatever it takes for the team to win whether it's a starter, coming off the bench or being a cheerleader on the bench. I'm going to do whatever it takes. The team concept has been one that has been very gratifying for me. I'm just happy to be a part of it."

Finley concedes that watching the Mavericks reach the Finals before him last season was difficult. But that was only part of it.

He believes the Mavericks deserved to make the Finals. What upset Finley, and the rest of the Spurs, was that they let an opportunity slip away.

This opportunity hasn't slipped away. Finley intends to rest for a few days, watch Detroit and Cleveland battle it out in the East and prepare for what lies ahead.

"I'm just going to ride this roller coaster, so to speak, and look to these guys for any advice I may need on and off the court," Finley said of the trip he always hoped to make with Nowitzki and Nash. "Once the ball tips up in the Finals, I'll be ready."

LONG ROAD
Michael Finley will end the second-longest active streak of playoff games played without reaching the Finals. It took Dirk Nowitzki 70 games to reach the Finals. The top three active streaks:


97
Steve Nash


85
Michael Finley


81
P.J. Brown

[SpursIndonesia]

Poor Nash, no wonder his whiney bitch side got the best of him a couple weeks ago. :lol

[judaspriestess]

Good luck Michael. This is why I personally feel the Spurs will win it this year.

They have a purpose. They want to give Michael a ring besides get another one for themselves and the rest of the team. It has all the best intentions.


GO SPURS GO!!

[41times]

Whatever you do Pop, don't let Michael the Swinging gate Finley try to gaurd LeBron or he might just break Wilt's scoring record!

[DDS4]

Spurs aren't winning the title with Finley. [/whottt]

[coopdogg3]

Whatever you do Pop, don't let Michael the Swinging gate Finley try to gaurd LeBron or he might just break Wilt's scoring record!

Mavericks giving advice on how to win in the Finals - that's just classic. Pop just needs to do the exact opposite of what AJ did last year, and we should be fine.

[TDMVPDPOY]

lets hope he shows up....

[Kevin Blackistone]

Finley, Oberto, Elson, Vaughn - Time to step it up another notch and help carry this team to the title and you to your first ring.


4.

[RJF08]

I'm glad for Fin, guy is great. Too bad it's with the Spurs...

[wildbill2u]

The NBA has some--but not enough--class players and Finley is one of them.

[WalterBenitez]

I'd love to watch Mike getting his ring in front of his ex team! ... and Cuban please to make the dream complete :D

[SuperManu!!!]

If finley gets a ring before nash or dirk....its going to be really funny!

[milkyway21]

i don't know if this article been posted yet.
But Finley said only his good friend Dirk from his former team congratulated him on his first finals appearance.

and said something about Cuban..
-------------------

SAN ANTONIO -- Michael Finley sent congratulatory text messages to some of his former teammates and talked to others after last season's epic Mavericks-Spurs series.

"This year only Dirk texted me with congratulations," Finley said Wednesday night after the Spurs eliminated the Jazz in five games to advance to the NBA Finals. "Me and Dirk have a very good friendship. I've been talking to him periodically through e-mails and through texting. He's just been telling me to keep my head up and good luck.

"He's in his secret location right now, but we have a good means of communication."

Also texting good karma from an undisclosed location, Finley said, is Suns point guard Steve Nash.

"This basketball thing is going to end one day, but I feel my friendship with Dirk and Steve will never end," Finley said. "We have a bond that's grown over the years. Those are the same guys that helped me become the player that I am in this game, and I think they would feel the same way about me.

"So despite wins, losses, trophies or no trophies, they will always be two of my good friends."

A year ago, Dirk or Steve seemed destined to win it all. Finley, waived by the Mavs, signed with the Spurs, only to lose in the second round to the Mavs, the team that could never slay the mighty Spurs when Fin was a Mav.

Basketball is a crazy business.

A year later, the top-seeded Mavs flopped in the first round, Nash and the second-seeded Suns were hip-checked out of the playoffs by the Spurs, the No. 3 seed, and Finley is the last of the old Big Three left standing.

"In a perfect world we would have liked to have enjoyed this together," Finley said. "But this world is not perfect and this league is a business and life goes on."

Much love obviously remains among Fin, Dirk and Nash, three players who once formed the nucleus for the Mavs but were dismantled before they could finish the job.

The thrill, however, is long gone between Finley and the Mavs' organization.

Finley can deal with owner Mark Cuban's financial decision that ended his Mavs career after almost nine seasons. But he's still dumbfounded as to why Cuban chose to paint him as the villain and pit Mavs fans against him after Jason Terry's Game 5 punch to Finley's groin last year.

"It was difficult," Finley said. "The fans in Dallas tried to make it personal. A couple of the guys on the team and the organization wanted to make it personal. But I knew it was business."

Finley barely raised an eyebrow after hearing about Cuban's attention-grabbing comments last week that he'd like Finley to consider a return to the Mavs after his Spurs contract expires.

"That's Mark," Finley shrugged.

Now it's Finley, still the ultimate professional, who's getting the last laugh. Spurs players are talking about winning a title for him, one of the few on the team without a ring.

Yet it's not as if Finley is just along for the ride. He's started every playoff game and is an integral, tough-minded veteran on a team-oriented squad, a role he believes he could have fulfilled as a piece in a Mavs championship puzzle.

"It's really not about starting and minutes and all those individual things," Finley said. "I think a lot of people took that out of proportion when I was in Dallas. I tried to be the consummate team player and it might have cost me.

"But here, I can be a team player, do whatever it takes for the team to win, whether it's starting, coming off the bench or just being a cheerleader on the bench."

--------------------------------------
i hope Finley will achieve his goal this yr with the Spurs.
4 wins more to go.

[GrandeDavid]

I hope whottt reads this article.

[ForestBrain]

Good for Finley. Guy deserves it.

[milkyway21]

who will win his first ring this season?
Chris Webb or
Donyell Marshall? or
Mike Finley?

-------------------------------------------------

more about Finley:

Finley has already done more than a little pushing. He closed out the Denver Nuggets in the first round with a franchise playoff record eight 3-pointers. He's also averaging 13.1 points while making 46.2 percent of his 3-point attempts in the postseason, which is why, when a reporter suggested Friday that Finley was nearing the end of his career, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich joked that he had already asked for a five-year extension. :D

"I'm just going to ride this roller coaster, so to speak," Finley said. "I'll look to these guys for any advice I may need about stuff on and off the court. But once the ball tips up in the Finals I'll be ready, because it's just basketball."

Finley's first concern is getting his back healthy. He tweaked it during practice midway through the conference finals and was clearly limited in Game 3 when he played only 17 minutes.

Finley said he's feeling better, but is also glad he has a week to rest before the Finals begin Thursday.

"He got through that (last) game real fine," Popovich said, "so we expect him to be 100 percent by the time we play."

Even with a sore back, Finley likes his current position compared to that of a year ago. He was already on vacation by the start of June after the Mavericks eliminated the Spurs in a seven-game second-round series that saw him punched in the groin by Jason Terry and booed during every game in Dallas.

"Unfortunately, we came up short," he said. "With the remainder of the team coming back and most of the team feeling that bitterness from losing to Dallas, I think that kind of helped us coming into this season.

"Early in the year I knew at one point we were going to hit a groove. It didn't come as quickly as I wished it would have. But it came just in time."

Finley contributed to the team's struggles, shooting only 37.9 percent in the season's first three months. He welcomed the league's decision to go back to using the leather basketball, along with Popovich's "stop deferring and shoot" instructions on what to do with it.

Horry also provided support.

"Throughout the season when things weren't going right for me and him," Finley said, "he just told me to keep my head up and this thing will turn around."

Finley eventually found his way into the starting lineup after Popovich moved Manu Ginobili to the bench and Brent Barry suffered a late-season back injury. Thursday, he'll walk onto the AT&T Center court for his first Finals game.

"To try to complete it and get the ring for him," Popovich said, "would be a great thrill for all of us."

Finley appreciates the "Win for Fin":cheer sentiment, but also can do without it. And while he's happy to be in the Finals — he didn't even sniff the playoffs in his first five seasons — he's not celebrating too much.

"I know I still have a long way to go," he said. "We still have four more wins to get. Hopefully after that, it can be an overwhelming feeling."

Oberto OK: Fabricio Oberto tweaked his ankle in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, but Popovich said the injury isn't serious and expects the center to be able to practice today.

* * *
FINLEY CAN CROSS HIS NAME OFF THE LIST
Michael Finley, in his 12th season, is headed to the NBA Finals. Here are other players with 10 or more years of experience who haven't been to the Finals.

14th -- P.J. Brown, Bulls; Bo Outlaw, Magic; Chris Webber, Pistons; David Wesley, Bobcats.

13th -- Juwan Howard, Rockets; Eddie Jones, Heat; Donyell Marshall, Cavaliers; Eric Piatkowski, Suns.

12th -- Kevin Garnett, Wolves; Alan Henderson, 76ers; Grant Hill, Magic; Darrick Martin, Raptors; Joe Smith, 76ers; Damon Stoudemire, Grizzlies; Kurt Thomas, Suns.

11th -- Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Kings; Ray Allen, Sonics; Othella Harrington, Bobcats; Randy Livingston, Sonics; Stephon Marbury, Knicks; Steve Nash, Suns; Jermaine O'Neal, Pacers; Vitaly Potapenko, Kings; Theo Ratliff, Celtics; Bob Sura, Rockets; Lorenzen Wright, Hawks.

10th -- Tony Battie, Magic; Kelvin Cato, Knicks; Danny Fortson, Sonics; Adonal Foyle, Warriors; Troy Hudson, Wolves; Bobby Jackson, Hornets; Tracy McGrady, Rockets; Jeff McInnis, Bobcats; Tim Thomas, Clippers.

source:Express News

[whottt]

I hope whottt reads this article.

I read it...still no sale.

Mavness doesn't come off easily....it'll take a title ;)

[Dre_7]

Fin haters can suck a *beep*!

[whottt]

Fuck Fin

[Dre_7]

You's a bitch and Im aint!!

[whottt]

It's going to be sad watching you guys turn on Fin after he chokes....and don't say it won't happen....it happened to Steve Smith.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It's going to be sad watching you guys turn on Fin after he chokes....and don't say it won't happen....it happened to Steve Smith.

I realize that its your thing to be negative and all that but this is just stupid.

We won those Finals and Finley is starting and has been money for these playoffs.

And how does a player choke in 2 minutes played? Jackson and Ginobilli were the primary players at the 2 spot and Smith didnt get in the rotation.

[whottt]

I realize that its your thing to be negative and all that but this is just stupid.

We won those Finals and Finley is starting and has been money for these playoffs.

We have had a very easy road in the playoffs.


And how does a player choke in 2 minutes played? .

He doesn't...he does it the year before against the Lakers in the second round.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

We have had a very easy road in the playoffs.



He doesn't...he does it the year before against the Lakers in the second round.

I guess you missed the part where we played the Suns.

The Cavs had Detroit, Washington and NJ. There has been no easier road than that assuming they beat Detroit.

Finley didnt choke in the second round. He actually hit some timely threes against the Suns. Your analogy is stupid.

[Jimcs50]

I do not ever remember a Spurs fan wishing ill will upon a key member of a championship contending Spurs team.

This is quite intriging.

I think Whottt needs to seek psychological help, as I think there is some disturbing mental pathology about. Whottt could snap at any given moment and cause harm to himself or others.

A lot of us have been discussing your behavior in PMs and we are freaked out.

Please Whottt, for your sake, get some help, I am serious here, we are concerned about you....scary stuff,

[whottt]

.

[Jimcs50]

And now anger rears its ugly head. negative and surly to boot. i bet your a blast at cocktail parties.


He really is. At the last Spurs Talk Halloween party, whottt came dressed as Finley and choked on an olive.....

:p:

[whottt]

And now anger rears its ugly head. negative and surly to boot. i bet your a blast at cocktail parties.

I need help because I don't like Finley?

Sorry...he is a choker, and I think what he did when he left the Mavs was weak...

And the only reason it doesn't bother you guys...is because he came to this team. If he'd done it to us...you guys would have come down on him just as bad as the MavFans.




Oh...and dude, if you are going to call people stupid and insult their "analogy" make sure you have the brains to keep track of the subject of your own sentences, stupid....Smitty choked in 02....I am not stupid becuase you didn't know that. You are...

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Oh...and dude, if you are going to call people stupid and insult their "analogy" make sure you have the brains to keep track of the subject of your own sentences....Smitty choked in 02....I am not stupid becuase you didn't know that. You are...

Well since we are playing in the finals i figured if you were going to make an analogy it would be of his play in the finals. im sorry if your analogy is still stupid. oh i never said you were stupid i said you are being stupid and there is a difference.

Finley is averaging 13 ppg and hitting 46% of his threes so far these playoffs. Saying that he is suddenly going to choke when hes already hit multiple timely threes these playoffs because some random guy did 5 years ago is dumb. I really dont know how to explain it better than that.

Oh and you are still pessimistic and surly even if Jim was mean to you in the past.

[whottt]

Well since we are playing in the finals i figured if you were going to make an analogy it would be of his play in the finals. im sorry if your analogy is still stupid. oh i never said you were stupid i said you are being stupid and there is a difference.


He hasn't played in the finals yet, stupid.

He(Smitty) choked against the Lakers in 02...had you been a fan then, you would know that...and not have confused it with 03...stupid.

And if you could keep track of the subject of your own damn sentences, you'd know that you were asking a question about Smitty, not Finley, which I then answered, stupid.




Finley is averaging 13 ppg and hitting 46% of his threes so far these playoffs. Saying that he is suddenly going to choke when hes already hit multiple timely threes these playoffs because some random guy did 5 years ago is dumb. I really dont know how to explain it better than that.

I didn't say that, stupid...I said the fans turn on him when he chokes, like they did Smitty, stupid.

For somebody that likes to call people stupid...you sure are fucking stupid.


Oh and you are still pessimistic and surly even if Jim was mean to you in the past.

C'est La Vie....I am surly and pessimistic, you're a stupid guy who didn't watch the 2002 playoffs, ...we all have our crosses to bear.

And I still think Finley is a choker...if he proves me wrong...I'll be the happiest guy on the board.

[cherylsteele]

I read it...still no sale.

Mavness doesn't come off easily....it'll take a title ;)
Ahem.....the difference between Steve Smith and Mike Finley is one played for the Mavs and one didn't.

Smith never played for the Mavs...maybe that is why he choked.
Finley did play for them...obviously.

[Findog]

I don't feel personally slighted as a Mavs fan that Finley went to the Spurs. It was the right financial move to make for the club to avoid the luxury tax, and Finley understood that. And he wasn't going to go play for the Sonics or Hawks. Signing up with the defending champs is a pretty good strategy for winning a title. It looks like it's going to pay off this year.

[mikejones99]

Finley is good. What about next year though?

[FuzzyLumpkins]

He hasn't played in the finals yet, stupid.

He(Smitty) choked against the Lakers in 02...had you been a fan then, you would know that...and not have confused it with 03...stupid.

And if you could keep track of the subject of your own damn sentences, you'd know that you were asking a question about Smitty, not Finley, which I then answered, stupid.





I didn't say that, stupid...I said the fans turn on him when he chokes, like they did Smitty, stupid.

For somebody that likes to call people stupid...you sure are fucking stupid.



C'est La Vie....I am surly and pessimistic, you're a stupid guy who didn't watch the 2002 playoffs, ...we all have our crosses to bear.

And I still think Finley is a choker...if he proves me wrong...I'll be the happiest guy on the board.

yeah im really dumb. :depressed

the two bolded parts are my favorite as they appear to completely contradict each other.

like i said i figured since we were talking about choking in the finals that you were going to compare another player choking in the finals and not just choose some lesser venue.

and in order for the fans to turn on finley choking wouldnt that mean that he would have to choke in the first place? I guess they could turn on him for not choking but for some reason I dont think that is what you were trying to say.

im just curious why you think that a guy who has been making timely shots this year and shooting well overall is suddenly going to choke so that we fans will turn on him?

And youre not getting a hug so you might as well stop.

[whottt]

yeah im really dumb. :depressed

the two bolded parts are my favorite as they appear to completely contradict each other.

like i said i figured since we were talking about choking in the finals that you were going to compare another player choking in the finals and not just choose some lesser venue.


Well in the case of Smitty, I'd say choking against the LA Lakers was the equivalent of choking in the finals...since they were 2 time defending champs at that time.


As for Finley...he's choked against the Spurs.






and in order for the fans to turn on finley choking wouldnt that mean that he would have to choke in the first place? I guess they could turn on him for not choking but for some reason I dont think that is what you were trying to say.

im just curious why you think that a guy who has been making timely shots this year and shooting well overall is suddenly going to choke so that we fans will turn on him?

LMAO...you must be new to SpursTalk...it was about a month ago that he was being trashed on this board.


My statements don't contradict each other...people are just stupid.

I don't want the Spurs to lose...and I don't know why anyone would conclude by my saying Finley is a choker.

I think Finley is going to choke in these finals, I think he will be a reason, either because of poor play, or because he'll underperform at the worst time.

It's just the vibe I get...I don't think Finley hung the moon. I feel absolutely not a shred of loyalty to this player...and he's going to have to prove himself to me to accept him as a Spur.

I have a very good trackrecord of picking these guys out, guys that are no longer with this team, and no one was really that sorry to see them go.

This board has long history..suffice to say, you are fucking with your daddy on this subject...

I hope I'll be wrong this time, as nothing beats a championship, and being able to say I was right is something that happens to me multiple times daily, it's not a novelty ;)

And I do think Finley choked in game 7 VS the Mavs last year..in the final minutes.

The day we signed him I said he's just good enough to be on the court to choke when it matters most...and that's exactly what he did last year.

He gets hot, starts knocking down shots, and invariably he gets trusted with big shots, game deciding shots, series deciding shots...and those are the ones he misses. I don't want him taking those shots...I don't even want him on the court in that situation...not with Robert Horry on this team. But he's going to be on the court against the Cavs...

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Well in the case of Smitty, I'd say choking against the LA Lakers was the equivalent of choking in the finals...since they were 2 time defending champs at that time.

As for Finley...he's choked against the Spurs.

LMAO...you must be new to SpursTalk...it was about a month ago that he was being trashed on this board.

My statements don't contradict each other...people are just stupid.

I don't want the Spurs to lose...and I don't know why anyone would conclude by my saying Finley is a choker.

I think Finley is going to choke in these finals, I think he will be a reason, either because of poor play, or because he'll underperform at the worst time.

It's just the vibe I get...I don't think Finley hung the moon. I feel absolutely not a shred of loyalty to this player...and he's going to have to prove himself to me to accept him as a Spur.

I have a very good trackrecord of picking these guys out, guys that are no longer with this team, and no one was really that sorry to see them go.

This board has long history..suffice to say, you are fucking with your daddy on this subject...

I hope I'll be wrong this time, as nothing beats a championship, and being able to say I was right is something that happens to me multiple times daily, it's not a novelty ;)

And I do think Finley choked in game 7 VS the Mavs last year..in the final minutes.

And youre not getting a hug so you might as well stop.[/QUOTE]

Ive been around since before this board was around and garzas board was over on ezboard with Funktiger spursfan and ghostwriter. i cant remember my handle back then i think it was sofaking or something.

i could give a shit what people thought three months ago if they think that Finley who has been hitting timely shots in pressure situations like in denver and is shooting 3s at a 46% clip is suddenly going to choke because of one shot he took 4 years ago. Like i said its dumb.

Recent past performance is the best predictor of future performance.