When Manu fouled Damon Jones, you ????

[Mavs<Spurs]

What did you think when Manu fouled Damon Jones in the act of shooting a 3 at that point in game 4?


:dramaquee

[MaNuMaNiAc]

It wasn't a foul for christ sake! it was a bad call from the refs. That block was as clean as they get

[powerpower]

Manu gives ...........Manu takes ........


but he really gave it that fourth quarter yesterday so....very proud of Manu and he is awesome ........

[Man In Black]

I thought that that was a bailout call be Eddie Rush. And looking at it in slo-mo...ALL-BALL.
Once the block is on, the rest of the contact, provided it ain't "un-natural" is ok.

[powerpower]

It wasn't a foul for christ sake! it was a bad call from the refs. That block was as clean as they get


welll that's what i thought but manu hot him on the head so i don't know if they should have called a foul or not?

[Mavs<Spurs]

It wasn't a foul for christ sake! it was a bad call from the refs. That block was as clean as they get


I agree.

Breen needs to stop trying to defend every call the refs make.

ABC needs to stop being biased towards the underdog.


Breen said that manu got him in the head, but I didn't see it.
There was nothing that you should call a foul for, especially at that point.

Nevertheless, Manu should have simply tried to contest, not block the shot.

[JamStone]

I thought it was pretty clear that Manu's elbow knicked Damon Jones on the top of the head. Even if it was slight, it was clearly a foul, and replay definitely showed that.

I'm sure many Spurs fans were like, "that was stupid."

But, being up 3-0 and witih a 5 point cushion with 5 seconds left, if I were a Spurs fan, I wouldn't have cared. Before the free throws, even if Damon made all 3, which he ended up doing, the Spurs were still in the power position and driver seat.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I agree.

Breen needs to stop trying to defend every call the refs make.

ABC needs to stop being biased towards the underdog.


Breen said that manu got him in the head, but I didn't see it.
There was nothing that you should call a foul for, especially at that point.

Nevertheless, Manu should have simply tried to contest, not block the shot.that's true, he should have just contested the shot and avoid ANY kind of contact 'cause we all know refs love to bail out the underdog

[Supergirl]

THERE WAS NO FOUL.
Repeat after me, THERE WAS NO FOUL.

It was so clear in the replay that it was all ball, a good clean block. But the refs had been trying their best to get the Cavs back into the series for 2 quarters at that point with a couple suspect calls and no-calls on Timmy (travel, defensive 3-second, no fouls called).

Fortunately, the Spurs didn't let it get to them and just grinded it out for the win.

[raspsa]

I was surprised he even tried to block it. I'm pretty sure Pop must have told them not to put the Cavs in the line shooting FTs.. I think its Manu's instincts taking over w/c can be good at times but also costly sometimes.. that's manu

[Mavs<Spurs]

I thought it was pretty clear that Manu's elbow knicked Damon Jones on the top of the head. Even if it was slight, it was clearly a foul, and replay definitely showed that.

I'm sure many Spurs fans were like, "that was stupid."

But, being up 3-0 and witih a 5 point cushion with 5 seconds left, if I were a Spurs fan, I wouldn't have cared. Before the free throws, even if Damon made all 3, which he ended up doing, the Spurs were still in the power position and driver seat.


I understand what you are saying.

However, if Manu misses a free throw (and remember Manu and Finley had both missed free throws at that point), then if Manu only makes one and they make a 3, game is tied.

[veronicamae]

I fell to my hands and knees with a desperate "noooooooo!"

No, really. I did. lol

It was way too flashbacky of Game 7 vs. Dallas - of course, I had to remind myself that that was not Game 7 and there was basically no way the Spurs would lose the series; but yeah.

[fyatuk]

I thought that that was a bailout call be Eddie Rush. And looking at it in slo-mo...ALL-BALL.
Once the block is on, the rest of the contact, provided it ain't "un-natural" is ok.

Eh. I think it's because the contact was with the head. The refs call week contact like that all the time when people try to block jump shots from behind and make minimal contact with the head. It's weak, but it was there and I can't really argue with the call.

My initial reaction was calling Manu stupid, but he more than made up for it with the rest of his end game dominance.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I fell to my hands and knees with a desperate "noooooooo!"

No, really. I did. lol

It was way too flashbacky of Game 7 vs. Dallas - of course, I had to remind myself that that was not Game 7 and there was basically no way the Spurs would lose the series; but yeah.


exactly.

way too eerily similar.

many bad memories.

And because of TPark's generosity, I was present at game 7 of the Mavs Spurs series. I remember it well.

[sleepybum]

I thought it was pretty clear that Manu's elbow knicked Damon Jones on the top of the head. Even if it was slight, it was clearly a foul, and replay definitely showed that.

I'm sure many Spurs fans were like, "that was stupid."

But, being up 3-0 and witih a 5 point cushion with 5 seconds left, if I were a Spurs fan, I wouldn't have cared. Before the free throws, even if Damon made all 3, which he ended up doing, the Spurs were still in the power position and driver seat.

Yeah, I didn't care at all. I didn't really believe they were losing this game at any point even with the foul.

[DarrinS]

It looked like a clean block to me.

[nkdlunch]

I was drunk and already celebrating the 4th championship

[thekingrobert]

clean block and now lets attempt to make it a good game for ratings

[Spurminator]

It looked like he got some body, but regardless, that's Manu being Manu. He's balls-to-the-wall on every play, and if that means he makes a careless foul now and then, it's totally worth it to me.

[SilverPlayer]

Here's the thing Manu clearly hit him on the head on the way down.
But the block was clean. Absolutely all ball.

Since the shot was already blocked the foul became incidental contact,
and should have been a no call.

[Fillmoe]

it was a clear foul.......... he hit his head

[Mr. Body]

I laughed like when he leapt out of bounds trying to save a ball on the offensive end a few plays earlier. Dude, the game's about wrapped up... you can take it easy.

[MoSpur]

I thought it was clean, but he may have gotten him on the head a little bit

[T Park]

Body, thats the epitome of Manu Ginobili.

Thats why hes one of the best players in the league :lol

What did I think? MANU NOT AGAIN!!!!

:lol

[Don Quixote]

Once the block is on, the rest of the contact, provided it ain't "un-natural" is ok.

Define unnatural? Did Manu attempt to take away Jones' manhood?

[Don Quixote]

I honestly didn't care about the foul. We had the game won either way. And Manu is an incredible competitor -- it is his defining characteristic, that and the bald spot.

He can't turn it off. We win because of it, and only occasionally get burned by it. But I'll take it, thank you.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

I didn't care about it. I knew the ball will come to manu next possession and he would make the FTs. At that point, there was little the Cavs could have done. 4th quarter it was all manu.

[ALVAREZ6]

it was a clear foul.......... he hit his headEat a cock...that was the cleanest block.





You're right, Manu might have grazed Damon's head with one of his arm hairs...

[Budkin]

I yelled because I didn't understand why he even needed to go for the block.... we were up 6 points at the time.

[~Sweetmelody~]

"Darn it that was not a foul! "

Then I laughed and said " I Love Manu!"

:lol

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

it was a clear foul.......... he hit his head after the block

Funny, Carlos Boozer blocks Duncan at the rim but completely hip checks him down low, and everyone defends it as a clean block.

Manu blocks Damon cleanly last night, but taps his head on the way down, and it was a legitimate foul.

The problem is Rush blew the whistle before Manu even had his hand on the ball, he was just looking for an excuse to blow the whistle at that point.

[TampaDude]

I watched the replay several times...it was ALL BALL...a clean block...the foul was utter bullshit.

It matters not, though...Spurs get #4! :toast

[2centsworth]

Clean block and it's no surprise it was Eddie Rush who made the call. However, I knew Manu was going to close it out so the call didn't bug me one bit.

[MadDog73]

I was a BIT nervous...

Than Manu hit those FTs and all was well again.

[Solid D]

That was a block for almost a full second and then after the block very light contact with the head. Eddie Rush being Eddie Rush.

I was still confident the Spurs had the game although the play took a slight edge off the emotions momentarily.

[spursfan09]

Manu should of just let it go...and not even touched him. It kind of reminded me of last year against the Mavs.

[dmac]

No foul, no way. Damn good thing it didn't change the outcome of the game.

[dmac]

Manu should of just let it go...and not even touched him. It kind of reminded me of last year against the Mavs.
I had a bit of a flashback there myself. But it was clean as a Safeway chitlin.

[Solid D]

That block was at least as clean as Bruce Bowen's block of Chauncey Billups' shot late in Game 7 in '05.

[ambchang]

No way that was a foul, you don't even call that stuff in church leagues.

[spursfan09]

i saw the replay and I could see it was not a foul, but I think Manu shouldn't of tried to block it to begin with. I bet Pop felt the same way.

[IceColdBrewski]

If there was contact, I sure as hell didn't see it. And I've seen the replay about a dozen times.

[ducks]

I screamed manu why

(he had no business being within 3 feet of him)

[ShoogarBear]

It was a foul, and not a very smart play. Fortunately, he made up for it.

[degenerate_gambler]

i think an 'F' bomb flew out of my mouth, looked at the score and then relaxed.

[ThomasGranger]

When I saw it I was pissed. I still assumed the Spurs would win, but I kissed $699 of v-bookie cash goodbye.

[MannyIsGod]

Whether or not it was a foul it wasn't a good play by Manu. You contested the shot, you flew by, let him just take the shot. If he makes it then he makes it, but don't put his ass at the line or take any chance of putting him at the line.

Manu really needs to get that in check. Seriously. I got upset when he did it and all I thought about was game 7 last year.

[smeagol]

It was a foul.

Other knowleadgeable posters say it wasn't.

The thing is, in most of the blocks there is some contact, especially when the ball has not left the attacking player's hands. If the block would have been from in fron and not from the back, and it is clean for about a second, as manu's was, but on the way down, the two players collide, nobody calls a foul.

You saw a foul, I did not see one.

What I do agree with you is that it was a risky play. Manu should not have contested it.

[smeagol]

it was a clear foul.......... he hit his head
The question is, what hit your head and left you thid stupid?

[mikekim]

Absolutely, unequivocally NO FOUL.

But the refs accomplished (an unspoken) part of their jobs. That call made the game more exciting and kept a number of viewers tuned in.

[JamStone]

Honestly, Spurs fans ... you guys won. Can't you admit that was a foul?

Put it to you this way, if that same exact play happened but it was Manu shooting the jumper and say Derek Fisher grazing him on the head a split second after the release of the ball, 98% of Spurs fans would say it was a foul.

It was a foul. A touch foul, yes. But, still a foul.

[MadDog73]

It doesn't matter if it was a "real" foul or not...

Manu should have never even made the play. What exactly was he thinking, especially after last year?

I love Manu, but I wish there was a way to keep in unbridled energy in check without hurting his scoring...

[smeagol]

Honestly, Spurs fans ... you guys won. Can't you admit that was a foul?

Put it to you this way, if that same exact play happened but it was Manu shooting the jumper and say Derek Fisher grazing him on the head a split second after the release of the ball, 98% of Spurs fans would say it was a foul.

It was a foul. A touch foul, yes. But, still a foul.
How can you say for sure it was a foul when the block clearly came first and the contact came afterwards?

I will be watching it on DVR tonight because I have not had the chance, but from the replays last night, it was a questionable call.

As I said in aprior post, when a block is done from the front, there is usually plenty of contact down below, or even with the same hand the defender blocks (after the block) and these are never called as fouls.

[carib]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71438

I said not again

[MadDog73]

I think because he came over the back, it was easy to call a foul...

[smeagol]

I love Manu, but I wish there was a way to keep in unbridled energy in check without hurting his scoring...

Not sure there is . . . so you take the good with the bad.

By the way, we won . . .

[itzsoweezee]

i didn't care. the game was over by that point.

[smeagol]

I think because he came over the back, it was easy to call a foul...
I've seen Manu, Bowen and even Barry block from behind with no whistles being blown.

[Rick Von Braun]

I saw it many times in slow motion from three different angles. No way that block was a foul... no way.

[carina_gino20]

I was actually laughing. It was a BS call from the officials. It was a clean block.

Granted, it was unnecessary. But what the heck, that's Manu in a nutshell. Diving for looseballs when they're up by 7, blocking a triple when they're up 6. And that is why Pop says that manu's the greatest competitor he's ever coached.

[VaSpursFan]

great hustle by manu, but stupid to try and block it since we had the lead.

[sa_butta]

Body, thats the epitome of Manu Ginobili.

Thats why hes one of the best players in the league :lol

What did I think? MANU NOT AGAIN!!!!

:lolExactly what I said, Why even try to block it, just let him go?

[2centsworth]

it was clean, no foul. saw Manu do it to ray allen and Bruce do it to Dirk.

It was an Eddie F. Rush call. Didn't matter though because Manu brought it home. of course no mention about the ice water through the guys veins. Maybe that's why he took the risk, because he knew he was going to knock down those FTs.

[SouthernFried]

That's Manu.

He hesitated for a moment after he went past, then looked at the ball just right there...waiting for him to block. He couldn't stop himself, it was soooo easy. He blocked it as clean as you can block any shot. And I saw him actually pause and think about it first. Which was weird. Manu is, generally, all instinct and reaction.

He blocked it cleanly. If he hadn't of even tried...his name wouldn't be Manu.

Manu, being Manu. I'll take it.

[Strike]

I agree.

Breen needs to stop trying to defend every call the refs make.

ABC needs to stop being biased towards the underdog.


Breen said that manu got him in the head, but I didn't see it.
There was nothing that you should call a foul for, especially at that point.

Nevertheless, Manu should have simply tried to contest, not block the shot.

Manu DID try to contest and got burned. That's why he blocked from behind.

I think the foul was called because of both the contact to Jones's head (and yes there WAS contact!) and because Manu was behind Jones/over the back kind of thing.

I wasn't worried about it, anyway. For some reason, it didn't concern me at all.

[Rogbok]

IMHO it was a foul. Yes, the hand on the ball was all clean, but before Jones released the ball Manu's elbow was hitting Jones in the head.

I have seen officials let contact go and call it and in this case they called it. I did not agree with it in real time, was questioning it on replays, but after watching it in slow-mo at home on the DVR, I could easily see why it was called.

[Solid D]

Manu had his hand on top of the ball so long, it was almost a jump ball.

[Kori Ellis]

I thought Manu got him on the head and with the body. So I didn't think it was a bad call. But no way in hell do I want to stop Manu from playing the way he does. He's not someone who can rein himself in and why the hell would you ever want him to. 90% of the time his energy and all out play is positive for the Spurs. I'll deal with the other 10% of the time.

[Marcus Bryant]

Classic Manu, pushing the envelope, trying to do everything in a tight game in which he was the reason the Spurs were ahead. He is what he is, a balls to the wall player more likely to commit an error of commission than an error of omission. Looking at the '03, '05, and '07 title runs I see Manu's hands all over those. We Spur fans will just have to live with the fact that those hands will also hit Dirk's wrist or Jones' head too.

[ShoogarBear]

Other knowleadgeable posters say it wasn't.Yeah, and there's a list of posters here who don't think Bruce fouled LeBron, either. I submit that perceptions are colored by the fact that a) a Spur committed the foul and ESPECIALLY b) it was Manu.

If the situation had been reversed, they would be screaming bloody murder.



What I do agree with you is that it was a risky play. Manu should not have contested it.And that's the key, it was a low IQ play.

[greens]

Honestly, I was thinking "NOT AGAIN! WHY, MANU! WHY??"

LOL...I actually got a bit worried because what if he had MISSED the two FTs afterwards, then the Cavs would have had a shot to win. So why risk it? I know Manu is a great FT shooter, but he is human and could have missed one...you never know.

Whether it was a block or foul or whatever, the point was that Manu should have just let him shoot the ball...he most likely would have missed anyway, and even if he had made that 3, then at least the time off the clock would have run out more. With putting him on the line to shoot 3 FTs and the time still the same was not very smart at all.

But yeah, Manu is Manu. It didn't surprise me. But I just wish he just wouldn't risk it like that at the end, just cuz of past history, of the heartbreak from 06. Plus his whole team was depending on him...So I didn't like that foul or whatever it was at all...made me very nervous!

BUT, Manu is the ultimate competitor. Very true. And I love him for it. But sometimes, you have to learn from past mistakes...and just let a shot go especially if you are up 6 points with barely any time left.

Either way, I'm just THRILLED that the Spurs won. And that last quarter was huge by Manu. So he was the hero for Game 4, no doubt about it.

[Cherry]

I thought Manu got him on the head and with the body. So I didn't think it was a bad call. But no way in hell do I want to stop Manu from playing the way he does. He's not someone who can rein himself in and why the hell would you ever want him to. 90% of the time his energy and all out play is positive for the Spurs. I'll deal with the other 10% of the time.

:tu

[Bruno]

Manu saved Spurs asses in game 4.
Without him, Sunday would be game 5 day and not parade day.
Yes, he makes a mistake with that foul but I don't know a single BB player who doesn't make mistakes. What is important is to do more good plays than bad plays.

[Solid D]

Yeah, and there's a list of posters here who don't think Bruce fouled LeBron, either.

You're kidding? It was plain as day on the replay that Bruce fouled LeBron intentionally.


I submit that perceptions are colored by the fact that a) a Spur committed the foul and ESPECIALLY b) it was Manu.

If the situation had been reversed, they would be screaming bloody murder.

And that's the key, it was a low IQ play.

Manu used bad judgment. Pop must have been guilty of your "a)" and "b)" above, too. Pop complained vehemently to Eddie Rush after the play, on camera and audibly, that Manu blocked the ball.

I know a man who has a genius-level IQ but he used bad judgment and didn't go to the Dr. to get his hypertension treated. He suffered a blow-out stroke and is paralyzed. His bad judgment (not IQ) may have led to the result.

Manu and Bruce both used bad judgment, in my view.

[Marcus Bryant]

Manu saved Spurs asses in game 4.
Without him, Sunday would be game 5 day and not parade day.
Yes, he makes a mistake with that foul but I don't know a single BB player who doesn't make mistakes. What is important is to do more good plays than bad plays.

No kidding. The 3 point play and the 3 pointer gave the Spurs control of that game.

[Borosai]

Manu should have elbowed Damon Jones in the head real good, in anticipatory retaliation, for that lame ass 3 he took at the end of the game. :loser

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

I thought Manu got him on the head and with the body. So I didn't think it was a bad call. But no way in hell do I want to stop Manu from playing the way he does. He's not someone who can rein himself in and why the hell would you ever want him to. 90% of the time his energy and all out play is positive for the Spurs. I'll deal with the other 10% of the time.

:tu

yeah, it's hard to stay mad, when you see the guy using that same energy to dive for a loose ball, and running across the court at blazing speed to drain the clock, in surrounding plays. I'll take that over a guy who doses off in the final minutes.


Manu saved Spurs asses in game 4.
Without him, Sunday would be game 5 day and not parade day.
Yes, he makes a mistake with that foul but I don't know a single BB player who doesn't make mistakes. What is important is to do more good plays than bad plays.

Agreed, As for some calling it a low-IQ play, while ti's true, this guy isn't the usual J.R. Smith type player who wasn't thinking.. With Manu, it's less a case of being boneheaded, and more a case of him being possessed during the moment, trying to do everything for the team. The plays can't make sense because Manu's a smart player. Yet, he's always played at a high risk, high reward level and that's why it didn't really worry me.
That block I've seen him pull off before in vids, where they succeeded without contact. I remember the block he had on Kobe earlier this year also being in crunch time.

[Obstructed_View]

All I know is, if that's a foul, then Bowen got away with one on Dirk last year, because Manu got a lot less body and a lot more ball.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

http://cosmicvariance.com/wp-images/BruceBowenBlocksDirk.jpg

[greens]

http://cosmicvariance.com/wp-images/BruceBowenBlocksDirk.jpg


Clean block...Notice, there is no contact with Dirk's head...

I think the problem with the Manu block was that there was contact with the head a bit.

[Manudona]

So... if you guys think that it was a foul for there was contact to the head... why the fuck did they count the block of Nate Robinson on Yao, when there was not only contact but he absolutely hit Yao's face? Fucking bullshit I tell you. bullshit.


Here is the block so nobody can claim ignorance :P

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kt5pOPn_0Ik&mode=related&search=

[Manudona]

So, where are the guys who said it was a foul? Why do not explain this Nate's block?