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Detroit Dagger, like you said bigger stage
Someone brought up a great point during the "Memorial Day Miracle" vs "TD 3" debate...What about the Robert Horry 3? When I saw the thread, I thought "No brainer, Memorial Day Miracle outshines TD's 3 any day of the week." But this battle is a little tougher. IMO, Robert's was a bigger deal because it was on a bigger stage...I'll let you guys decide, though...Maybe this can spark up a small tournament between the best shots in Spurs history...I can throw in Avery's gamewinner in the '99 finals as well.
VS.
Detroit Dagger, like you said bigger stage
The first is always the sweetest, but Horry's was in the Finals and probably tipped the series in our favor overall. It's a tough choice, but I will go with Horry.
Horry. That shot made it one of the most entertaining Finals series I've ever seen.
Horry baby.
sean's shot was more difficult.
horry's shot affected the series more.
watching sheed chase the ball is so fun
Once again, if Sheed only knew how to properly run a shooter off the three-point line, Spurs history might be significantly altered.
After much deliberation, I gotta go with Horry's three. The MDM was amazing...but still early in the series, and early in the playoffs. Nothing dictates the Spurs don't go on to still win that le, just less dominant. Considering they only lost 2 games during that run, they had room to drop one or two.
Horry's shot (and overall play at the end of Game 5) felt like it was literally make or break for the Finals. The Pistons showed they could come back to San Antonio and win in Game 6. I honestly don't think the Spurs get that third le without that one shot.
Last edited by Dex; 06-10-2010 at 11:45 AM. Reason: Spelling is fundemental.
Both shots have an incredible story..like others have said about Elliott's shot, it was the beginning of the run and signified something special was happening..it was also the Spurs first lead of the entire game..
With Horry's shot, it capped off arguably the best role player performance in NBA history, and maybe the most clutch performance of all-time IMO..
Results of this are surprising. I figured MDM would be far-and-away ahead on nostalgia factor alone...
I voted for MDM, but from a context standpoint alone ( le-less Spurs' first "back the off moment" in the words of another poster). Also, from a reputation standpoint, the MDM was bigger. Sure, Sean was hot, but how many other game winners can you remember him hitting? Especially in the playoffs? His game winner came out of nowhere on a shot with a degree of difficulty so high it was laughable.
Horry, on the other hand, already had a reputation for being clutch. SA knew it long before he ever donned Silver and Black. His list of playoff heroics was as long as your arm, so even though he was a sparingly used role player, you KNEW he could go off at some point.
Also, while his game winner was nothing short of ice cold, it was a relatively mundane attempt (especially when juxtaposed with Sean's dagger). IMO, Horry's slam dunk in that game was far more impressive, but of course that's not what we're debating here.
Robert did what he was supposed to do--make Rasheed Wallace pay for foolishly collapsing on Ginobili in the corner.
Sean called for the ball beforehand (the play was originally drawn up for Robinson or Duncan to get a good look at a game-tying shot), then delivered an incredible shot that completely altered the way people looked at the Spurs from the standpoint of their ability to close out tough games on a big stage.
It's close...........but I still gotta go with the MDM.
There's no probably about it. The Pistons win it in 6 without that shot. It's hands down the bigger of the two (as much as I hate to say it.....).
I think the only difference would have been that the Spurs win that in 5 versus a sweep. 15-3 in the playoffs vs 15-2.
Put into its historical context, including what we now know about his health, his lackluster history as a clutch player and the fact that it kickstarted a dynasty, I would have to say the Memorial Day Miracle edges out the Horry 3 (slightly though).
Of any of the championship teams, the 1999 team had a swaggering aura about them. We forget, I think since it was 11 years ago, but that arguably is the Spurs team that most imposed their will on opponents. They could grind them into dust. The later Spurs teams were marked by an incredible ability to maintain defensive intensity but had a chameleon like ability to matchup.
I say this because, for the 1999 team that 3, despite its being in the WCF, has become its trademark. Even as an individual effort, I remember (in the moment) the MDM being more difficult. It resonates precisely because it was the moment when the Spurs went from being a team that was always close, but came up short in the heat of the playoffs, to being a dominant playoff performer.
It's a tough choice, but I have to go with MDM. And it's a miracle for so many reasons. Let's not forget what Spurs teams were like back then. They weren't the team that we view now. In many ways, the Spurs teams of the 90s were like the Mavs or the Suns of today. Good teams that would ultimately be a stepping stone to someone else's championship run. Year in and year out, we'd see players from other teams make big plays and see our players miss the big plays. Examples can include plays such as Barkely's last second dagger or Strickland's no look pass....
And losing game 2 to Portland would've been very tough for the Spurs. As much as many feel the Spurs would've bounced back from that loss, that wasn't the feeling of many spurs fans about a Spurs team back in that time. Making that shot was huge. After that shot, it really became real.
While Horry's shot was on the bigger stage and turned the tide of the series which ultimately lead to a championship, I have to say that the MDM changed the culture of a franchise from pretender to contender. And because of that, I say the MDM was a bigger shot.
I'll go with the Memorial day miracle. It was an amazing and tough shot. Horry's was indeed on a bigger stage but as leetonidas said, first is always the sweetest and for me that shot was really sweet. The beginning of many great things
That series was ok. That was the only great game of the entire series. Games 1 & 2 were blowout Spurs wins. Games 6 & 7 were good but not great games and games 3 & 4 were massive, massive Detroit blowouts. Every game but that one was decided by 9 or more points.
I would have to go with MDM. Not to take anything away from Horry's amazing performance but Seans shot was what set the stage for greatness the fallowing years of the franchise. That 1 shot is what finally made the big statement that the Spurs are the real deal and were championship contenders.
Agreed.
If Horry would miss that shot Spurs wouldn't win the le.
Horry shot is officially called the Father's Day Finisher you stupid got.
Props to this thread for also pointing out that post 2003 Spurs fan still doesn't give a about 1999 and what it meant to the franchise.
I voted for Horry. If we lost another game against the Pistons we'd be done. Everyone would remember TD missed that easy tip at the end of regulation and I think Pistons would finish us in game 6.
99 team was damn good. They would win that series in 5 or 6 even with a loss in game 2
The Spurs were Big Shot Rob's three from getting backdoor-swept by the Pistons. This choice should be obvious.
Yes, it should.
Without the MDM, Horry never even thinks about joining the Spurs, and Tim Duncan finishes his career with the Magic.
I still don't buy your assertion that a mentally weak Portland team would ride surviving game 2 to a series win. They may have felt like they gave game 1 away, but lots of teams have made that excuse against the Spurs for years. The Spurs would have gone on the road and mopped the floor with them the same way they did LA.
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