Spurs don't derserve to win

I could have sworn I was watching the Denver Nuggets last night. What happened to the team with playoff experience? The team with the great coach and the clutch performers? What happened to the team playing in front of their fans?

The Spurs last night released their foot from the necks of the Phoenix Suns and by doing so, are heading back to Phoenix tied 2-2 instead of up 3-1. They were done in by a combination of poor coaching, highlighted by several illogical substitutions and pathetic fourth quarter execution; especially from their quarterback, the great Tim Duncan. As phenomenal as Duncan was in game 3, he was equally as bad during the fourth quarter last night. turning the ball over five times in nine minutes and scoring only four points.

I really hope I'm wrong but to me, this series is now over. The Suns took our best punch, punched back and knocked us down effectively removing whatever psychological mystique we held over their heads and we must now try and win two of three in Phoenix with momentum having shifted to the valley of the Sun.

A series is often defined by simple things and I think we will unfortunately look back at this series when we're watching Steve Nash hoist the championship and ask ourselves why in the hell did Gregg Popovich remove Tim Duncan from the game with under five minutes to play and watch the Suns battle back to tie the game, take the momentum and convince themselves that they needn't fear the Spurs. Popovich's decision making was so asanine all night that it appeared he had seven figures riding on the Suns.

Popovich and the Spurs looked like scared rookies last night and it may very well have cost this franchise their last chance at winning a championship for quite some time.

For those blaming the referees, please. It wasn't the refs that decided to call a timeout with six minutes to play in the second quarter and thwart the momentum we were building. It wasn't the refs that inserted Jacque Vaughn into the game at that point after Tony Parker had hit three straight shots to give us the lead. It wasn't the refs that allowed the Suns to make their last seven shots (all in the paint) in the fourth quarter. It wasn't the refs that made Amare Stoudemire thouroughly dominate Tim Duncan on both ends of the floor in the final two minutes and it wasn't the refs that burnt all our timeouts for no reason other than fear.

I'm not sure we deserve to win, and I agree with most of your criticism.

But 'deserving' to win is bullshit anyway. You win or you don't. And that's done on the court. We can still win this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wildbill2u

I'm not sure we deserve to win, and I agree with most of your criticism.

But 'deserving' to win is bullshit anyway. You win or you don't. And that's done on the court. We can still win this.

---

Exactly...it's still either team's series to lose...

We've seen this before.

It seems right when we start feeling to good about the Spurs they implode or do something to tear down any momentum built during the series.

They don't do well with prosperity and and we all suffer for it!

:madrun :madrun

wow what a hangover...... :wakeup

Right now it comes down to which team wants it more. The Suns are a team that is hitting their A game right now. We need to be able to reel them back in, or expect to see them in the finals instead of us.

Whoever wins game 5 wins the series.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BigBeezie

Right now it comes down to which team wants it more. The Suns are a team that is hitting their A game right now. We need to be able to reel them back in, or expect to see them in the finals instead of us.

---

Good thing Horry gave them extra motivation to go along with the momentum.

This game so reminded me of games 1 and 5 of the 2003 WCF... only we had 18 point leads then.

The Suns did push back and as a result of not notching our game up to match, they took game 4 away from us. Tim Duncan's facial expression characterized the team's mindset at the end of the game. In all honesty, having everyone on the same page and refocusing on important game details will enable the Spurs to take their own agenda to Phoenix AZ and in the process show once again how to execute down the stretch to win the right way.

We are last year's Mavericks and Suns are last years Spurs.

history repeats itself and we will win the series. We dominate Suns most of the time.

Never, ever will I understand the Vaughn substitution patterns.

Pop's getting a little too smart for his own good

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Walton Buys Off Me

Popovich and the Spurs looked like scared rookies last night and it may very well have cost this franchise their last chance at winning a championship for quite some time.

---

I agree. This is a pivotal moment in the Duncan era. I'd hate to look back on this series, hell, to look back on the 4th quarter of this game and think "this is where is all became undone."

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by elpimpo4cc

pff no way suns win 2 of 3 from spurs. evuh.

---

As a Spurs fan, I'm always dissapointed when a fellow fan proves that he can't count. Who won game 2 in this series? Who won game 3 in this series? Who won game 4 in this series?

It's this taking Pheonix lightly that is letting them back into games we should be finishing off!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dingle Barry

Never, ever will I understand the Vaughn substitution patterns.

---

I heard it on the radio during the second and instantly got mad. Didn't they lose a 5 point lead in about a minute of Jacque time?

Regardless how this series goes, Tim Duncan should be Tim Duncan for at least another 5 or 6 seasons. You've got Parker and Ginobli locked up, and more cap flexibility than almost any other contender in the league. The statement this is somehow the last best opportunity for a championship is more dour than should be allowed around here, IMO.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gaddabout

Regardless how this series goes, Tim Duncan should be Tim Duncan for at least another 5 or 6 seasons. You've got Parker and Ginobli locked up, and more cap flexibility than almost any other contender in the league. The statement this is somehow the last best opportunity for a championship is more dour than should be allowed around here, IMO.

---

Not that much cap flexibility, aren't they looking at only having room for a slightly bigger than MLE deal in 08?.

Besides, everybody knew when he signed his deal that Manu's peak would be a short one because of how hard and recklessly he played and how he couldn't even handle 30 minutes a game when he was younger.

He'll be 30 next year. He'll probably never be an all-star again.

Sadly, the Big Three will become the Big Two before people are willing to admit it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Walton Buys Off Me

Iespecially from their quarterback, the great Tim Duncan. As phenomenal as Duncan was in game 3, he was equally as bad during the fourth quarter last night. turning the ball over five times in nine minutes and scoring only four points.

---

I really can't help but put this loss on Tim. One turnover after the other when he was getting the ball in perfect position.

You do have to look at the fact that the Spurs played damn good for 3 1/2 quarters. I think they'll take lessons learned from this game and take care of business. They don't often make the same mistakes two games in a row.

You know what it's time for? Time to concentrate on tomorrow night's game and let the "Tuesday morning quaterbacks" continue to bemoan last night's loss. I've seen worse losses in all my years supporting the Spurs. This is not that unique.

As for Horry, I'm sure he wishes he could take that moment back. As has been said before, it was uncharacteristic of him. I wish him a speedy recovery. Also, how about applauding the Suns for their effort?

Oh Yes, do we deserve to win? Only as much as any other team does.

It's one game. You could argue the Suns blew chances at the end of both games one and three. Do they not deserve to win either??

Maybe they should both concede and let the Utah/GS winner play in the Finals.

2-2. Pussies leave.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by wildbill2u

I'm not sure we deserve to win, and I agree with most of your criticism.

But 'deserving' to win is bullshit anyway. You win or you don't. And that's done on the court. We can still win this.

---

Thank you!

Give me a break about this foot on the throat shit. The Spurs lost because they sucked in the fourth, but Phoenix is not a lottery team. They showed some heart and sack and took it. These end of the world, depressing takes won't be coming from me until the Spurs are actually elminated. And, no, tomorrow is not a must win, unless Stoudemire is suspended. The Spurs can still win this and I have faith that they will.

I was watching some show on SportsCenter the other day and they were quoting David Robinson's take on the Spurs in the playoffs thus far (I believe this was before Game #3, but can't remember). He said this team has all the personnel to do what previous Spurs' championship teams did, but they lacked the "killer DEFENSIVE quality" that made those teams a level above (not verbatum quote - my translation). He said they have to have that DEFENSIVE mindset through the WHOLE game and not just in spurts. Honestly, I can see where he is coming from. It seems this Spurs team lacks something - some burning desire to be a notch higher than they are. I'm not saying they won't prevail in this series (I think they will), but that quality seems to be missing this year - especially in this series.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NoMoneyDown

I was watching some show on SportsCenter the other day and they were quoting David Robinson's take on the Spurs in the playoffs thus far (I believe this was before Game #3, but can't remember). He said this team has all the personnel to do what previous Spurs' championship teams did, but they lacked the "killer DEFENSIVE quality" that made those teams a level above (not verbatum quote - my translation). He said they have to have that DEFENSIVE mindset through the WHOLE game and not just in spurts. Honestly, I can see where he is coming from. It seems this Spurs team lacks something - some burning desire to be a notch higher than they are. I'm not saying they won't prevail in this series (I think they will), but that quality seems to be missing this year - especially in this series.

---

Take #21 out and that goes away.

Well when the Spurs were blowing lead after lead in 2003 in the playoffs there were times i felt they did not deserve to win the title but ultimately they pulled themselves together and got the job done. This is the ultimate test for them. Dallas a team that had never got by us did it last year and now the Suns another team that has struggled with us is knocking on that door. Who are we? Are the Spurs still good enough to be champs or is this run maybe coming to an end?

The spurs are finished. They needed to put phoenix away last night.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rascal

The spurs are finished. They needed to put phoenix away last night.

---

This is one of those series that teams alternate wins, and that means that Spurs will win in 7. The suspensions will cost Phoenix game 5, but they will come out hard in game 6, and steal back HCA, but Spurs will play their best game back in Phoenix with Horry back in the lineup and they will win it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NoMoneyDown

I was watching some show on SportsCenter the other day and they were quoting David Robinson's take on the Spurs in the playoffs thus far (I believe this was before Game #3, but can't remember). He said this team has all the personnel to do what previous Spurs' championship teams did, but they lacked the "killer DEFENSIVE quality" that made those teams a level above (not verbatum quote - my translation). He said they have to have that DEFENSIVE mindset through the WHOLE game and not just in spurts. Honestly, I can see where he is coming from. It seems this Spurs team lacks something - some burning desire to be a notch higher than they are. I'm not saying they won't prevail in this series (I think they will), but that quality seems to be missing this year - especially in this series.

---

I don't know if its an energy thing, guys are truly showing their age and wear and tear and simply cannot physically keep up that defensive intensity, I'm not sure. To me its also the stupid damn turnovers which shouldn't be indicative of a smart, veteran team. I'm looking for massive improvement in that area and rebounding. And I'm counting on a couple more shots to fall at critical junctures.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by objective

I heard it on the radio during the second and instantly got mad. Didn't they lose a 5 point lead in about a minute of Jacque time?

---

Plus the timing of the timeout was just out of this world. The spurs were quickly building momentum by scoring at will against the sun's D. If anything, I thought D'anotoni would have taken a timeout.

Instead pop inserts Vaughn and thereby blows the lead. Even Steve Kerr commented that Vaughn's insertion into the game was not routine. The lead dwindles and pop inserts tp when the momentum is now in the sun's favor.

:pctoss

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GrandeDavid

I don't know if its an energy thing, guys are truly showing their age and wear and tear and simply cannot physically keep up that defensive intensity, I'm not sure. To me its also the stupid damn turnovers which shouldn't be indicative of a smart, veteran team. I'm looking for massive improvement in that area and rebounding. And I'm counting on a couple more shots to fall at critical junctures.

---

Yesterday was bad the Spurs had them right where they wanted them after a so so first Qtr they controlled the tempo all the way through until about 5 min to play in the 4th. They let go of a game they had against a truly great team.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MadDog73

Whoever wins game 5 wins the series.

---

This has been said every game so far ...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MadDog73

Whoever wins game 5 wins the series.

---

That stats back that up...but the Rockets found out that that is not always the case.

:)

Spurs in 6...We come out just a fired up after last nights loss as the Suns. This will be a great series. But the Spurs can still take this team.