Game 2 was the best thing that could happen to the Spurs tonight

[baseline bum]

Nothing hurts more than a close loss after a monster comeback in a game that was supposed to be over. Remember the way we dropped LA by 28 in their building to send them to Cancun after they missed coming back from 25 down by one shot? Then, the Spurs were done in 2k4 after they fought from 16 down in the late third to lose to the luckiest fucking shot ever. Watch, the Spurs know they have to come out hard to take Cleveland in game 3, and they will. There will be no underestimation of the Cavs after that fourth quarter rally they put up. This was the perfect win tonight. I so badly wanted the Cavs to cut it to 10.

[Das Texan]

I bet Pop did that on purpose by leaving Barry in the game so long.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Spurs were lucky to get outta this one alive, they were on the verge of an epic collapse.

Good win though :smokin

[baseline bum]

The Spurs left no doubt as to who was the better team, while at the same time they now know in their gut that they won't get a win just for showing up in game 3.

[Marcus Bryant]

Too little, too late again for the Cavs. 2-0.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I think the team plays with the appropriate fear when it's still a game.

The problem is when your coach signals game over by putting in a shit lineup to start the fourth, and then using that shit lineup and running plays for everyone BUT the one guy on the court who could actually score or create his own shot (Manu).

That lineup has never worked out.

:wow Holy shit, Pop, just admitted in the post-game PC that he had some bad substitutions and called bad plays in the fourth to contribute to the comeback.

[samikeyp]

The Spurs nutted up when they had to and finished the game. Still.....I don't see a problem with playing the big three longer. Its the Finals....they can rest this summer.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

Dude. please... please... when they are connected there's no beating on the spurs. When the 1st unit was making stops at the end of the quarter you have a sense they can't be beaten at all. It doens't matter if they run on the supporting cast. This game was never close, not even when they made the run. That run was almost "self-induced". I don't think Pop wants team to blow out others. The comeback was just cosmetic.

[leemajors]

The Spurs nutted up when they had to and finished the game. Still.....I don't see a problem with playing the big three longer. Its the Finals....they can rest this summer.

i think not having horry in the court for elson in that stretch hurt as much as anything. dude was everywhere, even taking pop out!

[mVp]

:wow Holy shit, Pop, just admitted in the post-game PC that he had some bad substitutions and called bad plays in the fourth to contribute to the comeback.

everybody notice that anyway :lol

[samikeyp]

i think not having horry in the court for elson in that stretch hurt as much as anything. dude was everywhere, even taking pop out!

:lmao True.....Horry wants that 7th ring so bad, he will take anyone out! :)

[Budkin]

I'm glad we won this way... had we won by 25 the guys would have gotten blown out in game 3 ala Detroit in 2005.

[Marcus Bryant]

Only way Cleveland does anything in this series begins when the Spurs start coasting. Sack it up and take Game 3.

[td4mvp21]

I hope you're right. It's concerning that the Cavs did well with four shooters around Lebron. The Spurs didn't exactly play good defense. We dominated the whole game before that though, despite Cleveland hitting almost EVERYTHING in the fourth, they still only shot about 40% from the field. That's how good our D was before the fourth.

[dav4463]

It is a natural tendency to let down when you are so dominating early. The lineup Pop tried certainly helped Cleveland, but it is like any other sport. Tennis for example, if you are up 6-0 - 6-0 in the first two sets, you can bet that third set will be the toughest to close out.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Only way Cleveland does anything in this series begins when the Spurs start coasting. Sack it up and take Game 3.


http://www.82games.com/salvatore.jpg

[Marcus Bryant]

Spurs fucked around and won by 11 or whatever. You can fake that shit at the end, Bron.

[Marcus Bryant]

http://www.82games.com/salvatore.jpg

It'll take more than Bennett.

[Man Mountain]

:wow Holy shit, Pop, just admitted in the post-game PC that he had some bad substitutions and called bad plays in the fourth to contribute to the comeback.


:lol Elson was -16 in this game. I'm guessing he was one of the bad subs.

.. and Barry sucked too.

[Extra Stout]

Notice that Pop didn't put Bruce Bowen back into the game until 3:38 was left.

A little part of me thinks it was by design.

[DudleyDawson]

Nothing hurts more than a close loss after a monster comeback in a game that was supposed to be over. Remember the way we dropped LA by 28 in their building to send them to Cancun after they missed coming back from 25 down by one shot? Then, the Spurs were done in 2k4 after they fought from 16 down in the late third to lose to the luckiest fucking shot ever. Watch, the Spurs know they have to come out hard to take Cleveland in game 3, and they will. There will be no underestimation of the Cavs after that fourth quarter rally they put up. This was the perfect win tonight. I so badly wanted the Cavs to cut it to 10.If the shoe was on the other foot, and the Spurs had made the big comeback, you'd be saying the exact opposite of what you just wrote. It's all spin one way or the other. The best team will win the series. Period.

[E20]

Nothing hurts more than a close loss after a monster comeback in a game that was supposed to be over. Remember the way we dropped LA by 28 in their building to send them to Cancun after they missed coming back from 25 down by one shot? Then, the Spurs were done in 2k4 after they fought from 16 down in the late third to lose to the luckiest fucking shot ever. Watch, the Spurs know they have to come out hard to take Cleveland in game 3, and they will. There will be no underestimation of the Cavs after that fourth quarter rally they put up. This was the perfect win tonight. I so badly wanted the Cavs to cut it to 10.
Agree 110%.

Also, I wanted the Cavs to get it going because I wanted something a little more enjoyable to watch, sure it was fun seeing Spur after Spur making basket after basket, but it was getting dull after the 1000th time. So, it kind of got me off my seat with excitement as well. :lol

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

It'll take more than Bennett.

I hope you're right, but I remember a Spurs-Lakers game a few years back where Kobe and Shaq combined for about 50 FTs and Salvatore had whistled DRob out of the game in 10 minutes.

[Budkin]

Ok what was the horrible lineup that Pop put in that started the Cavs run?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Budkin -

Vaughn
Manu
Bowen
Elson
Oberto

[michaelwcho]

Ok what was the horrible lineup that Pop put in that started the Cavs run?

It's not a horrible lineup if Ginobili is getting the ball. For some reason it seemed that Jacque Vaughn was playing Rip Hamilton during that time...

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Notice that Pop didn't put Bruce Bowen back into the game until 3:38 was left.

A little part of me thinks it was by design.



Bruce for MVP?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

The biggest problem with that lineup was that Manu never got the ball in it. We did run plays with that group to get Vaughn, Oberto, and Bowen jumpers though :pctoss

Seriously, why even have Manu in if you're not even going to pass him the ball or run a fucking play for him?

[Jimcs50]

Beware:

Utah was dead in the water after game 2 in WCFs, they were blown out early, then made it a game in 4th Q to lose by 8 and 9 pts.


Cleveland did the same thing in SA in games 1 and 2.

Game 3, Spurs get blown out by 26 in SLC

Pop needs to remind them of that.

[baseline bum]

If the shoe was on the other foot, and the Spurs had made the big comeback, you'd be saying the exact opposite of what you just wrote. It's all spin one way or the other. The best team will win the series. Period.

No I wouldn't. I'd be wishing we just packed it in and lost by 30. You lose by 30 and never compete, you can just write off the game as your team not showing up. You make a comeback and then blow it, you know the other team just executed better than you when it mattered. It's what made the game 5 loss so devastating in 2004, that the Spurs had climbed the mountain, and then fallen back off it.

[T Park]

Yeah cleveland is gonna come out balls to the wall in game 3.

If they can learn from game 3 against Utah, and play better defense, and run the offense better, then they should be in good shape.

[florige]

I think the team plays with the appropriate fear when it's still a game.

The problem is when your coach signals game over by putting in a shit lineup to start the fourth, and then using that shit lineup and running plays for everyone BUT the one guy on the court who could actually score or create his own shot (Manu).

That lineup has never worked out.

:wow Holy shit, Pop, just admitted in the post-game PC that he had some bad substitutions and called bad plays in the fourth to contribute to the comeback.


So you think that Brown is going to go with the 4 shooters surrounding Lebron in game 3?

[SA210]

:wow Holy shit, Pop, just admitted in the post-game PC that he had some bad substitutions and called bad plays in the fourth to contribute to the comeback.
:lol I saw that. He was right too.

[florige]

No I wouldn't. I'd be wishing we just packed it in and lost by 30. You lose by 30 and never compete, you can just write off the game as your team not showing up. You make a comeback and then blow it, you know the other team just executed better than you when it mattered. It's what made the game 5 loss so devastating in 2004, that the Spurs had climbed the mountain, and then fallen back off it.



Most re-assur post of the night... :toast Sorry still to shell shocked to try spelling words.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

So you think that Brown is going to go with the 4 shooters surrounding Lebron in game 3?

You can count on it.

1) it forces us to take Oberto/Elson/Horry off the court and open up the lane some.

2) it opens up the paint for Lebron to get inside

3) Parker, for whatever reason, doesn't feel the need to guard Gibson on the perimeter

4) It gets Duncan out of the paint because someone's got to check Marshall out on the wing

5) If you noticed we were getting rung up for foul after foul while Pavlovic and James went to the rack strong. Couple that with a sympathetic officiating crew in game 3, and you can see it coming.

He'd be stupid not to.

[florige]

The biggest problem with that lineup was that Manu never got the ball in it. We did run plays with that group to get Vaughn, Oberto, and Bowen jumpers though :pctoss

Seriously, why even have Manu in if you're not even going to pass him the ball or run a fucking play for him?


decoy, I guess thats what Pop was thinking. I would at the very least had Finley in though.

[TampaDude]

Cavs will win Game 3 by 15-20 points.

[Marcus Bryant]

You can count on it.

1) it forces us to take Oberto/Elson/Horry off the court and open up the lane some.

2) it opens up the paint for Lebron to get inside

3) Parker, for whatever reason, doesn't feel the need to guard Gibson on the perimeter

4) It gets Duncan out of the paint because someone's got to check Marshall out on the wing

5) If you noticed we were getting rung up for foul after foul while Pavlovic and James went to the rack strong. Couple that with a sympathetic officiating crew in game 3, and you can see it coming.

He'd be stupid not to.


If he does that for a game the Spurs will be one win away. Gameplanning based upon with the other team is coasting is never a good idea.

[Marcus Bryant]

Cavs will win Game 3 by 15-20 points.

rofl.

[florige]

You can count on it.

1) it forces us to take Oberto/Elson/Horry off the court and open up the lane some.

2) it opens up the paint for Lebron to get inside

3) Parker, for whatever reason, doesn't feel the need to guard Gibson on the perimeter

4) It gets Duncan out of the paint because someone's got to check Marshall out on the wing

5) If you noticed we were getting rung up for foul after foul while Pavlovic and James went to the rack strong. Couple that with a sympathetic officiating crew in game 3, and you can see it coming.

He'd be stupid not to.






3) Parker, for whatever reason, doesn't feel the need to guard Gibson on the perimeter



We did GREAT on Gibson until the 4th. And it doesn't help that our guys were missing wide open jump shots too.

[BlackFlagg]

I'm glad we won this way... had we won by 25 the guys would have gotten blown out in game 3 ala Detroit in 2005.

That's what I'm thinking. We needed that little scare. Otherwise we could have gone to Cleveland overconfident. No need for that... just slow and easy. We've clearly proven once and for all that we not only can do this, we can do it HUGE. All in all, tonight's Spurs performance was better than G1.

Another trophy for San Antonio, and a ring for Mike.

Go, Spurs, Go!!!

[leemajors]

Notice that Pop didn't put Bruce Bowen back into the game until 3:38 was left.

A little part of me thinks it was by design.
it will help a contingency plan when bruce inevitable gets in foul trouble in game 3.

[florige]

Cavs will win Game 3 by 15-20 points.


Nah TampaJim, I'm not giving you that crap dude sorry!!! You already said Spurs in 5 a long time ago and you stamped it with your patented :toast Book IT!!! It's too late to go back on that now buddy. :fro


Im pissed but im not going to go as far as them winning 3 in Cle just because our coach made a MAJOR bonehead move in the 4th that nearly f'ed us BAD.. I still say Spurs in 5. I'll do it for you BOOK IT!!!! :toast

[TampaDude]

Nah TampaJim, I'm not giving you that crap dude sorry!!! You already said Spurs in 5 a long time ago and you stamped it with your patented :toast Book IT!!! It's too late to go back on that now buddy. :fro

Do the math, dude...Cavs win Game 3, Spurs win Game 4 and Game 5...Spurs in 5!!! BOOK IT!!! :toast

[Marcus Bryant]

If anything, the Cavs will ignore the reasons they were down 30 against the Spurs' regular rotation to focus on their ability to mount a comeback against the Spurs' scrubs. Game 3 will be close and likely there will not be a Brent Barry sighting.

[florige]

Do the math, dude...Cavs win Game 3, Spurs win Game 4 and Game 5...Spurs in 5!!! BOOK IT!!! :toast


At first you said Cavs will win the next three, thats what I was referring. :spin

[Budkin]

The biggest problem with that lineup was that Manu never got the ball in it. We did run plays with that group to get Vaughn, Oberto, and Bowen jumpers though :pctoss

Seriously, why even have Manu in if you're not even going to pass him the ball or run a fucking play for him?

Agreed. In that lineup Manu needs to take it in every damn time.

[florige]

If anything, the Cavs will ignore the reasons they were down 30 against the Spurs' regular rotation to focus on their ability to mount a comeback against the Spurs' scrubs. Game 3 will be close and likely there will not be a Brent Barry sighting.



Thats what I think too. If that were against TD and the starters I would be concerned.

[Budkin]

Do the math, dude...Cavs win Game 3, Spurs win Game 4 and Game 5...Spurs in 5!!! BOOK IT!!! :toast

I think that was frustration talking. :lol

[GrandeDavid]

The Spurs nutted up when they had to and finished the game. Still.....I don't see a problem with playing the big three longer. Its the Finals....they can rest this summer.

That's exactly what I was saying between screams to put Manu and Horry back in during the 4th quarter!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

If he does that for a game the Spurs will be one win away. Gameplanning based upon with the other team is coasting is never a good idea.

I don't see him doing it for the whole game, but I do see Brown utilizing the lineup in stretches for game 3.

[infinite styles]

The key to game 3 is to keep Duncan out of foul trouble early. Thats what burned the Spurs in game 3 against Utah because the calls got tighter and he couldn't stay on the floor. We will see a lot more of the breathe on Lebron calls in game 3 and the Spurs will have to pick and choose when to defend him aggressively at the basket.

That leads to key #2, do your job outside of the lane and you won't have that problem. I know you can't completely stop a guy like Lebron from getting to the lane all the time but make it a hell of a lot harder for him to do it and you'll keep your bigs on the floor.

Key 3 will be to remember that you've been here before up 2-0 and what you need to do to finish them off.

Side note I like how Mark Jackson thinks that the majority of the run that the Cavs put together was against the Spurs starters. I honestly don't think that he actually watches the games while he's sitting there.

[Marcus Bryant]

My guess is that Pop tightens the rotation heading into Cleveland. No Barry and small doses of Vaughn. If the Spurs build a good lead Pop isn't going to switch on cruise control like tonight.

[Obstructed_View]

Barry got time in the fourth to try to get his shot going. Fin picked a bad time to go cold. One of them better pick it up in Cleveland.

[2centsworth]

I think the team plays with the appropriate fear when it's still a game.

The problem is when your coach signals game over by putting in a shit lineup to start the fourth, and then using that shit lineup and running plays for everyone BUT the one guy on the court who could actually score or create his own shot (Manu).

That lineup has never worked out.

:wow Holy shit, Pop, just admitted in the post-game PC that he had some bad substitutions and called bad plays in the fourth to contribute to the comeback.
best post I've read tonight. 100% on the mark.

[Obstructed_View]

It's probably doubly disappointing to the Cavs that they made the run on the reserves and the starters just stepped in and closed it out.

[timvp]

I don't think the way the game ended will effect Game 3 either way. Whatever disappointment the Cavs took out of not completing the comeback is negated by the fact that they have reason to believe that it's possible to play well against the Spurs.

[T Park]

Whatever disappointment the Cavs took out of not completing the comeback is negated by the fact that they have reason to believe that it's possible to play well against the Spurs

kind of like they had reason to believe after game 1 they could play well against them, then played worse?

[BeerIsGood!]

It's all on the Spurs for game 3. They overmatch this team so badly that if they play to their level and the shooters start knocking down shots there isn't much the Cavs can do besides hope for the best shooting night of their lives. The Spurs hold all the cards and have layed the Ace of Clubs and Ace of Diamonds on the table, all that is left now is to show 'em the Spades and Hearts.

[T Park]

It just seems like this is all too good to be true.

I keep getting told "this is a tough series this is a tough series"

yet the Spurs make it seem otherwise.

[Capt Bringdown]

I think it would have helped the Spurs to finish off with a 25-30 point blowout. At one point in the 3rd we were outscored 24 to 6!
I think the Spurs were thinking about LeBron's 48 point game and their sphincters tightened a little.

[T Park]

At one point in the 3rd we were outscored 24 to 6!
I think the Spurs were thinking about LeBron's 48 point game and their sphincters tightened a little.

4th quarter.


But I think the Cavs pretty much started gunning away and made shots when the game was out of hand.


When it got to the nitty gritty down 8 with the ball

doinkage.

I dunno.

I think it was more of a case of "were down 30 lets just chuck"

[TampaDude]

Spurs were on cruise control, just trying to run out the clock, and the Cavs were making 3s and long jumpers...desperation shooting that fortunately for the Spurs did not close the gap...rest assured the Spurs will not come out soft in Game 3 like they did against the Jazz...no 26-point blowout for the Cavs in Game 3...

[raspsa]

I hope you're right. It's concerning that the Cavs did well with four shooters around Lebron. The Spurs didn't exactly play good defense. We dominated the whole game before that though, despite Cleveland hitting almost EVERYTHING in the fourth, they still only shot about 40% from the field. That's how good our D was before the fourth.

I hope Cleveland tries surrounding LBJ with shooters the next game.. it will be interesting what kind of defense they will put up vs the Spurs.