Game Thoughts: Spurs vs. Celtics Mar. 17

[timvp]

Well, I was wrong. I guaranteed that the Spurs would win tonight against the Boston Celtics and it didn’t happen. The Spurs came out roaring and quickly built a 22-point lead – only to stumble and give it all back. I’m not sure how it evaporated as quickly as it did but the Celtics proved that their best record in the NBA is no joke.

First I have to tip my hats to the Celtics. That team is really, really good. Extremely good. The scary thing is they remind me of championship Spurs teams of the past. They win with stifling defense and great offensive execution. As of this second, I’d rate the Celtics as the team with the best chance to win the championship.

Their recent signing of Sam Cassell is already paying dividends. He’s a clutch shooter and he’s a player who can score no matter the cir stance. Cassell was the Celtic most responsible for pulling Boston out of the 22-point hole and then hit the game-winning jumper. Amazing game for a guy who is even older than Robert Horry – if you can believe that. Whenever Cassell decides to hang it up, Spurs fans all over the globe will breathe a sigh of relief. He’s been killing the Spurs for 15 years now.

If the Celtics have a weakness, I think it’s ironically enough their biggest strength – Kevin Garnett. When it was money time, Garnett didn’t look like he wanted any part of the action. Against the Spurs over the years, he has usually shriveled up in clutch moments. He looked like the same ol’ KG in that regard. Superstar for 45 minutes, role player for the final three minutes.

The Spurs officially have Spurs Nation in full panic mode. Four losses in a row late in the season? Six losses in their last seven games? This is uncharted territory for these Spurs. The effort is there from the team, it’s just not translating into positive production on a consistent basis.

It’s not time to drain the river and blame the Even Year Curse just yet. The Spurs are healthy and they have the personnel to get it done. If the consistency can be raised on both sides of the court and Pop can find a rotation that works, the Spurs can turn this streak around. That said, it’s going to take a lot of hard work. If nothing else, the confidence of this team has to be shaken after recent events.

Overall, I’m concerned and worried about the team. They are on a slippery slope headed toward the basketball graveyard. One misstep and Spurs fans could be scrambling to brush up on their draft knowledge.

-Tim Duncan was flustered by the Celtics’ defense. Boston came out of the gates daring Duncan with single-team coverage. After Duncan toyed with them early on, the Celtics changed it up and starting sending boatloads of help. Duncan never readjusted and instead simply disappeared. He finished with ten points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots, while shooting 4-for-8 from the field. Considering he wasn’t in foul trouble, it was just a very un-Duncan like performance. I’m confident he’ll turn it around but the Spurs need that turnaround to be ASAP. Duncan putting up a Rasho Nesterovic-esque line won’t get it done.

-Manu Ginboili played really well. His energy and scoring touch helped fuel the team to its 22-point lead. Coming off the bench once again, Ginobili exploded onto the scene upon entering the game. He had 18 of his 32 points in the first half. In the second half, he didn’t play as well as he played in the first half but he played good enough. Ginobili had some positive plays and negative plays in crunch time but that could be said for everyone on the court for the Spurs. On the night, Ginobili finished with 32 points, four rebounds and two assists, while shooting 10-for-18 from the floor, 4-for-7 from beyond the three-point arc and 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

-Tony Parker played great at the beginning of the game. He pushed the action and had the Celtics on their heels. His constant penetration was perhaps the biggest reason for San Antonio’s success early in the game. However, Parker took his foot off the gas and was never able to rev it back up again. He couldn’t help the Spurs wake their stagnant offense in the second half. Defensively, he played poorly against Rajon Rondo. Lately, Parker has either been into it defensively and played well or zoned out and ignored his defensive responsibilities.

-Bruce Bowen hasn’t been quite the same since his suspension. He’s not as aggressive as he was before – almost as if he’s holding back. This same exact thing happened the last time he was fined and it took a couple games (and a scolding from Pop) to get him back into the right frame of mind. Bowen right now is defending to not cause trouble and he can’t have success that way. He has to go all out and if he gets suspended again, the Spurs will just have to deal with it. He defended Pierce decently but his usual relentlessness wasn’t there. Offensively, he hit 2-of-5 shots and 1-of-2 three-point looks for a total of five points.

-Fabricio Oberto was back in the starting lineup for the Spurs. After seeing what Kurt Thomas could do in the starting lineup, I actually like Oberto better as the starter for the Spurs. He’s a better passer and has good chemistry with Duncan and Parker. Defensively, he’s not as good as Thomas but he’s more mobile. Duncan and Thomas together, as I feared when the trade was made, is an extremely stationary duo. Oberto isn’t exactly Jesse Owens but he’s fluid enough to move out on the perimeter when needed. Against the Celtics, I thought Oberto played rather well. His stats don’t look special (four points, three rebounds in 17 minutes) but he showed more heart than he had in the last two weeks combined.

-It’s sad to see a player reach the point of no return but it looks like we might be at that point with Michael Finley. Both offensively and defensively, he just doesn’t look like he has anything to offer. It started a few weeks ago when he all of a sudden lost most of his lateral quickness. Since then, there’s been a rapid decrease in production. Back in the starting lineup, Finley did next to nothing in his 27 minutes on the court. He fished 1-for-5 with two points, one rebound and one assist. Playing with Finley on the court right now is like playing four-on-five. He just can’t do anything. Hopefully he’s just battling a minor injury or is out of it mentally because if this is him giving 100% effort, it's over for him.

-Ime Udoka played 24 minutes off the bench. He started off nailing his first two shots from the field. However, Udoka then missed his final five field goal attempts to finish 2-for-7 with six points. The good news is that he looked a lot better defensively than he did before taking time off to deal with his ankle injury. His movements were a lot freer and he was jumping better. Although he only had one rebound, he did have three steals and a block.

-Kurt Thomas came off the bench and he played well. I think it’s just a much better fit to use Thomas as Duncan’s backup. He can hold down the fort defensively with Duncan out and then offensively, he’s able to play good pick-and-roll basketball with Ginobili and Parker. Tonight, Thomas had three points, four rebounds and an assist in 15 minutes of action. We’ll see if Pop continues to use him off the bench or again tries him at starter at some point later in the season.

-Jacque Vaughn apparently got his backup point guard job back as Damon Stoudamire didn’t play. I think it was a very good decision by Pop because Stoudamire’s play of late had really been hurting the team. Against the Celtics, Vaughn actually played really good offensively. He had four points and three assists and took little time to re-adjust to his old role. Defensively, Vaughn got lit up by Cassell. While Cassell has lit up a lot of guards over the years, it would have been nice to see Vaughn not let Cassell erase the lead practically by himself.

-Robert Horry played 13 minutes of solid basketball. He missed a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer that could have given the Spurs the victory, but besides that he did a good job. In those 13 minutes, he had seven points, six rebounds and one assist. Even though Oberto and Thomas are quality options, it appears like Horry is once again the bigman who Pop will go with to close out games until further notice.

-I was really happy with how Pop altered the rotation. Ginobili and Thomas to the bench were correct moves. Oberto as a starter makes sense. Finley as a starter doesn’t make much sense but in Pop’s defense, he doesn’t really have another option until Brent Barry returns. Tonight, I think we finally got a glimpse of a real playoff rotation out of Pop.

When the Celtics went small in the fourth quarter, Pop responded by going small. I don’t think that was a horrible decision but I do think he made a mistake in going with Finley in the small ball lineup. Udoka or even Vaughn would have been better options.

I don’t have any major beef with Pop after this game. I was happy to see him alter his rotation and he didn’t overwork any of the Big Three. Small ball was questionable but it wasn’t the reason the Spurs lost. The Spurs, for whatever reason, just can’t sustain their play right now. I don’t know if it’s fatigue, a lack of confidence, boredom, old age or something else. They hit a wall during a game and then it’s a slow death until they eventually flat line at the end of the game.

The bottomline is the Spurs are in trouble. I was worried going into the seven-game stretch that the Spurs just completed, but I didn’t think the team was going to go 1-6 during that stretch. While the upcoming schedule is still somewhat difficult, it’s much easier than the stretch they just finished. It’s time to buckle down, sack up and get back on the winning track. It starts Thursday in Chicago.

Believe.

[GrandeDavid]

I also feel pretty humbled, having been all but sure the Spurs would stomp the Celtics into the hardwood and fight their way out of this rare late season swoon. Wow. Was I ever wrong! Didn't watch the game but followed online and became frustrated at what seemed to be turnover after turnover down the stretch. And I hate singling out guys, but Michael Finley is really become a tough liability...fast.

Anyway, I'm upset with this team but have been a fan long enough to know that they can streak the other way and turn it around.

[Udrihlooms]

Thanks timvp for the (now) objective, unadulterated assessment that we are in dire situation right now.

I always like it sugar-free coming from you!

[roycrikside]

It's the same pattern for the Spurs every goddamn game. When Manu starts the bench is horrible and they're the reason we lose. When Manu goes to the bench the starters are horrible and they're the reason we lose. Look at the +/- of the starters today. They all suck, especially Bowen and Fin. Then look at the bench guys +/-.

It was exactly the same thing the last time Manu was on the bench, against Phoenix.

We shouldn't have played small, and even if we did, we should have gone with Udoka in there instead of Fin. At least Udoka can grab a rebound every once in a while.

Also, I'm happy that Tony has rediscovered his offense, and he's shooting better, and the passing is coming back slowly but surely, but his defense is KILLING the team. He has been awful in his own end for quite a while now. What happened to the guy who shut down AI last May? What happened to the guy who guarded Barbosa so well?

Every team we play, regardless of how mediocre their points are (Rondo, Miller) are having him for lunch. Whatever he gets on one end, he gives back and then some on the other end. Not Spurs basketball. What are we gonna do in the playoffs? Every West team has a quality point it seems, and even Houston has Alston who can bomb threes if not covered.

I don't understand why Pop hasn't lit into him for his defense yet (or anyone on the team for anything it seems) but if he doesn't show more effort there, the season is over. And hopefully Barry can come back by Friday and be into the flow the week after that and be our starter for 24 mins a night, because even if he can't guard anyone, neither can Finley but at least Barry can hit open shots and space the floor a little. We need Manu to stay on the bench to have a bench and we need our starters to not flat out suck the 16 minutes a game Ginobili doens't play.

[Streakyshooter08]

Thanks! I like that Tony looks better again. If he is healthy and Gino gets his energy back I think the Spurs could still make a run. That said, I hope the Spurs get some wins ASAP. Denver is not far behind and the Spurs still have 2 tough weeks ahead of them.

[duncan228]

It's been re-hashed all over the place, thanks for once again putting it in a logical format.

I believe, I really do.
I don't think it's blind faith. This team knows what it takes, they have what it takes, and most importantly they've done it before. This has been a horrible stretch of games for them. I think they'll use it to their advantage. They've got 2 days to regroup. I think they'll come out of it on Thursday and there will be no looking back.

[romsho]

Their recent signing of Sam Cassell is already paying dividends. He’s a clutch shooter and he’s a player who can score no matter the cir stance. Cassell was the Celtic most responsible for pulling Boston out of the 22-point hole and then hit the game-winning jumper. Amazing game for a guy who is even older than Robert Horry – if you can believe that. Whenever Cassell decides to hang it up, Spurs fans all over the globe will breathe a sigh of relief. He’s been killing the Spurs for 15 years now.

Believe.

I thought Pop waited way too long to put Bowen or Udoka on Cassell...that is the last guy you want to mess with and let get hot. It was obvious right away that Jacque Vaughn couldn't handle him. He shot them right back in the game.

[duncan228]

Oh...

This is going to go over real well with some people.

Duncan putting up a Rasho Nesterovic-esque line won’t get it done.

[timvp]

Thanks timvp for the (now) objective, unadulterated assessment that we are in dire situation right now.

I always like it sugar-free coming from you!

Putting my long range thinking cap on, I do think the Spurs will be fine. Looking at the pieces and the big picture, I don't think the current situation will even be remembered whenever the final chapter of this team is written.

However, right now it sucks and the Spurs are definitely in trouble. They may not even be able to reach those long range projections I have for them if they don't turn it around. Looking at the Spurs in only as far as how they're currently performing, it's tough to have much excitement at all.

[duncan228]

Does anyone know what the tape on Duncan's left index finger is about?
It's been on a few times lately but not every game.
I have to think it's nothing but I can't find anything about it and he's not known for being taped like that.

Also, I can't find a word from Duncan after this game.
If anyone has something please let me know.
It looks like he didn't speak but I don't want to miss it if he did.

Thanks.

[timvp]

It's the same pattern for the Spurs every goddamn game. When Manu starts the bench is horrible and they're the reason we lose. When Manu goes to the bench the starters are horrible and they're the reason we lose. Look at the +/- of the starters today. They all suck, especially Bowen and Fin. Then look at the bench guys +/-.

It was exactly the same thing the last time Manu was on the bench, against Phoenix.

We shouldn't have played small, and even if we did, we should have gone with Udoka in there instead of Fin. At least Udoka can grab a rebound every once in a while.

Also, I'm happy that Tony has rediscovered his offense, and he's shooting better, and the passing is coming back slowly but surely, but his defense is KILLING the team. He has been awful in his own end for quite a while now. What happened to the guy who shut down AI last May? What happened to the guy who guarded Barbosa so well?

Every team we play, regardless of how mediocre their points are (Rondo, Miller) are having him for lunch. Whatever he gets on one end, he gives back and then some on the other end. Not Spurs basketball. What are we gonna do in the playoffs? Every West team has a quality point it seems, and even Houston has Alston who can bomb threes if not covered.

I don't understand why Pop hasn't lit into him for his defense yet (or anyone on the team for anything it seems) but if he doesn't show more effort there, the season is over. And hopefully Barry can come back by Friday and be into the flow the week after that and be our starter for 24 mins a night, because even if he can't guard anyone, neither can Finley but at least Barry can hit open shots and space the floor a little. We need Manu to stay on the bench to have a bench and we need our starters to not flat out suck the 16 minutes a game Ginobili doens't play.

ROFL. Gotta love the "Manu is the whole team" take followed by the "Parker sucks on defense" take, all the while ignoring that Teflon Ginobili's defense as of late has forced Parker into taking on a larger than usual defensive burden.

[duncan228]

"Teflon Ginobili's defense."

[polandprzem]

Ginobili finished with 32 points, four assists and two assists...

A special player with special stats!

Other teams are just too quick. The spurs can't find a way to open the guys up. Boston is realy quick in rotatons plus they thowing the best double team on Duncan possible, with closing the most common passing lanes. On O they have too much gunner on the team. Spurs don't have any.

I've watched the Rox game against LA, their passionate defense and unbelivable ofense is what deermines todays (NBA) basketball, and it all started with Suns. Although the suns had not much of a success back then, right now that kind of basket is the most effective.

Spurs have no long reabounds. Nothing much changed inplus after the last spurs-celtics visit.

[urunobili]

this team has always needed something to fix... something to be wrong... to put it all together... i am a Believer... thanks timvp

[The_Game]

the fact boston were also without ray allen makes this loss even worse. I've said it before...the spurs will not beat the celtics in a 7 game series and this games has done nothing to change that. S.A may not beat any of the top teams in a 7 game series

[TampaDude]

To build a 22-point lead...that's an eight-possession lead, folks...at home...and then choke it all away and have to hope for a miracle 3-bomb to win it at the buzzer is INEXCUSABLE...good teams, quality teams, championship teams just DO NOT DO THAT!!! This game should have been an easy win for the Spurs with Allen out. I think they are just burnt...they play well enough to win for most of the game, and then fold like cheap lawn chairs in the 4th...they just don't seem to have the energy to hang for the whole 48 minutes anymore.

Also, about Finley...hey, Findawg...we love ya, bro...but YOU SUCK this year...time to sit your ass down, fondle your ring, and collect your two checks...and maybe think about retirement???

[Obstructed_View]

The effort is there? Only for 20 minutes or so. That won't cut it.

[vanvannen]

Very dissapointing loss indeed. I just almost didn't realize how fast Boston was erasing the lead until the Spurs were down 1 in the 3rd and I was like WTF??
I'd like to say I see any signs of the team coming together but right now, there are just too many things that seem wrong.
The defense is just terrible. Not only Tony, but Gambling Ginobili, Finley and even Timmy and BB are not getting it done at all.
I just don't see the light, man.

[MoSpur]

They got too relaxed. That's typical at times for the Spurs, but they usually pull it out after relaxing. Not this time though. The Celtics are for real obviously. I cannot stand Cassell. He reminds me too much of 1995.

[wildchild]

I don't know about Finley in starting lineup, but moving Manu out and coming off the bench he played better, his stats looks really good and his games are improving.
I guess Thomas is a solid Duncan's backup much better than Oberto for this reason I just wish Pop doesn't make more moves in starting lineup. Oberto needs a confidence's shot every time after those moves.

Good decisions right moves but we chalk up another loss?

By the way, do you know what happened in the 3rd quarter?
yeah, we sucked. other reason as to why? defensive? ofensive? as far as I know, both.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

what's awesome is that the Nuggets won't likely face the Spurs in the playoffs, assuming the Nuggets get in.

In reality i don't think either team wants to face each other in the 1st round. I'd be alot more confident this time around but i was confident the last time and the Spurs just flexed their championship muscles

At the moment im just hoping the Nuggets scrape into the playoffs but i never thought the Spurs would be battling anywhere below the 3rd seed.

[1Parker1]

I can't believe Timvp was ok with Pop's rotation. There were times when he put in Vaughn for defensive purposes to close out the 2nd Quarter and 3rd Quarter. He has Michael Finley in there with 3 minutes left in the game, getting crunch time minutes which is absolutely unreal. He made no adjustment at halftime to get Duncan free from the aggressive double teams. Spurs coming out flat in the 2nd half for so many games is partially do be blamed on poor coaching. Continuing to put so much faith in Horry and giving him more and more minutes in these last 6 games over Thomas and Oberto and even Bonner is also questionable coaching.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

Emotional loss. Four losses in a row is tough to stomach, especially late in the season when the team should be getting ready for the playoffs.

Am I worried? You have to be a little bit worried because there will come a time when the Spurs just don't have it anymore. However, I just don't think we've reached that point in time.

The Spurs are definitely struggling right now but the pieces are still there to make a championship run. Tim Duncan is struggling but the man always picks it up for the playoffs. Always. He's not going to go down without a fight once the postseason starts. He's healthy, he might be fatigued at the moment, but he's healthy.

Tony Parker struggled with injuries all year but he's almost all the way back. He has that burst again that makes him extremely difficult to defend. He can play as well as he did last playoff run. There's no reason he can't.

And Manu Ginobili is better than ever. The Spurs won a championship last year and Ginobili wasn't playing anywhere near as well as he's playing right now. Today, Ginobili can score 35 points and make it look routine.

Bruce Bowen's defense is still top of the line. If he falls off at any point, the Spurs have a backup defender in Ime Udoka ... which is a luxury the Spurs have never head in their previous championship runs with this group.

Fabricio Oberto, Kurt Thomas and Robert Horry form an impressive and multi-dimensional group of options to put next to Tim Duncan. The Spurs have never had this quality and depth of bigmen to put next to Duncan since David Robinson to retired. And I'm not even including Matt Bonner, who has shown glimpses of high production this season.

Out of Michael Finley and Brent Barry, the Spurs will be able to find at least one shooter who is able to knock down shots. These are two of the better shooters in NBA history. Even if individually they aren't what they used to be, combined at least one of them will be able to help the team.

Jacque Vaughn proved last year that he's good enough to win a championship. He got better as last season's playoffs went along and I expect him to be even better this year in the postseason. If Vaughn falters, Damon Stoudamire is a guy who can come in, run the offense and spread the court.

At the helm, Pop knows what he's doing. He knows what buttons to push with these guys. While Spurs Nation is panicking, the Spurs and Pop are not. The Spurs are the only team in the league who go without gameday practices. Pop is going to do what he needs to do to keep this team fresh -- especially mentally fresh.

I still have supreme confidence in this group. It's not going to be easy but I wouldn't bet against the Spurs. They know how to win championships. When it's money time, I'm glad that this group is my horse in the race.

They got this.

Believe.

I'm very sad you Timvp cave in to the pressure of a lot of posters for having talked with your heart last night when you posted the above. At the end of the day, heart is all that matters and this team will get through this as you well said it yesterday.

For those who don't believe or are talking about sinking ships and be "real"; those I will hold accountable for their words up to this moment. The spurs will once again prove them wrong and we will know who really is a real fan after this. Don't lose your hopes despite the apparent odds - don't compare against the past, every instance is different but the heart has always been there. There has to be more than one reason other than they "suck" to justify the current situation.

I'm very sorry for those who have attacked you in this way. Very sorry.

[MoSpur]

I kind of agree with giving more minutes to Finley is a no, no right now, but who else do they have? Hopefully when Barry comes back, he will be able to take some of those minutes away from Finley.

[1Parker1]

^At this point you ride out a combo of Bowen or Udoka until either fouls out. You can play Bonner, Horry, and Duncan along with Parker and Ginobili.