The Spurs control their own destiny, the magic number is 4 with 2 to play and they own the tiebreaker.
Ready to wake up yet?
I'm still nervous about game 6. Call me a pussy or whatever, but it feels like the Spurs are never in control of any of the games in this series. They can never hold a lead.
I will say this, if the Spurs can get Game 6, they will get this series.
I hope that Memphis crowd doesn't rattle them.
Don't blame you, and I don't think you're a pussy. The Spurs haven't shown that they look ready for the playoffs. Hoping this woke them up. I can see them winning game six and falling asleep at home in game seven. Basically the only hope they have is to act like it's the playoffs for a change.
The season boils down to one road game. If they get it, and go on to win the series, their confidence will be sky high. OKC looks strong but we've dealt with them pretty well the past few seasons. The Lakers look weak as and don't scare anyone. If we get game 6 in MEM, the Finals don't look that far off.
Pretty much. They've got a great opportunity to practice the whole "one game at a time" thing starting now.
OKC says what's up.
I'm not looking ahead to anything but Friday. I'm gonna sit back and savor this one for sure though. Gary Neal, Manu and Tony all came up huge at the end.
gnsf on parade
Considering that the Lakers are playing the actual 8th seed in the west, you can't possibly be happy about how they look the last month.
No, they look like the typical, complacent s that they are...but I have little doubt they'll make it to the WCF. I just hope OKC isn't waiting for them there.
Spurs need to give Randolph and Gasol different looks. Surprise them with a double more often. Make Young and Allen have to hit open shots. They've been doing a good job of it so far, but sometimes i feel like that's who they should put the onus on to make shots.
Neal needs to get more playing time. 6 points from RJ?
Splitter played really well when he was out there.
Duncan's gotta play more like he did in the 1st half and less like in the 2nd.
TP finding his mid-range game in OT might be the best thing i saw. it just opens his game up so much. he becomes unguardable.
Neal's shot should serve as a reminder to our underachievers that the playoffs have begun. The playoffs are not for shrinking violets. Not only is our season on the line, but individual careers are at stake. You call yourself a Spur? Prove it.
I'm with you. My sphincter is as tight as tight can be thinking about the Spurs going into Memphis to try and steal one. But they just need to win 1 in that building and they get a game 7 in their own. 1.
Also, lol @ your sig.
I'd love to see both the Lakers and Spurs wake up and start playing their best ball so we can just see how it goes.
I don't know. I feel like the Spurs should just let Randolph do what he's going to do, especially now that Pop is actually giving Splitter playing time. Duncan, Dice and Splitter can limit him to an extent, but you know he's going to get his. If the Spurs can play tighter defense on the other players that have been killing us all series like Conley, Young, Allen, Arthur, etc. then they've got a great chance. I think doubling down on Randolph eases the pressure off all the rest of the Grizzlies around him.
I feel like Duncan matched Gasol today, and Bonner actually did a fair job limiting Arthur for a change, Parker matched Conley and beat him in the clutch, and this was the first game I've seen all series where Hill and Neal actually played better than Mayo and Battier. If those trends can continue, I think the Spurs will take the next two games.
The other thing is sharing the ball. According to the box scores, the Spurs have lost every game where they were behind in the assist total. Memphis has been great at sharing the ball, and I think the doubling has aided them in that respect. It seems to me that the Spurs are playing at their peak offensively when they're making smart passes, extra passes, and finding the absolute best shot. They've struggled mightily because of the stagnation and sloppiness to this point. They need to buckle down, focus, and win that stat going forward.
The lineup that could kill the Grizzlies is Parker, Ginobili, Neal, Duncan and Splitter. Splitter on Gasol and Duncan on Randolph. It's no coincidence that those are the guys who seem least intimidated by the moment and least physically overmatched.
i feel like if you come hard at either Randolph or Gasol (more so Gasol) maybe they get flustered. Gasol, esp., is not used to being doubled. Some players just don't handle a double well at first, it usually takes time fo rthem to read those situations and be comfortable with them. i'm not saying they should do it all the time or anything, but when a guy like Allen or Young is on the floor, or both of them, i think that's when they should double. make Allen and Young hit shots. i think they're playing above their heads.
Randolph looks so calm and collected it annoys the outta me
Hopefully with the "it's a series now" he gets nervous and shaky. I don't see the spurs winning if he keeps shooting the way he is and making them with little to no effort. Props to Dyess for making him work under the rim a few times.
game 6 Friday @ 8pm
is this on ESPN or TNT?
1 ing road win, and get this back home boys!
The grizzlies have been posting up every mismatch they get at the sf spot, that's why RJ gets more time than Neal. Battier may still post up Richard, but Young won't.
Richard Jefferson's size makes him a near lock for serious minutes given the team's personnel. At the end of games the ball will be in the post for he grizzlies, most likely with Randolph, so Neal and Hill can be used more because they can handle those players on the perimeter.
I am one of the few who still defends Bonner. But it was very obvious that they look at him as a mis-match on EVERY single play that he is in for. We can argue about whether it's true or not, but there's no doubt that Memphis believes it. And their confidence is so high, they're making everything they shoot over him. There have been some plays where he has actually defended pretty well, but they act like they don't even see him. That looks like a recipe for losing a lead on the road.
Only for those who don't live in S.A
Will be watching the local homer telecast.
Everyone always talks about Randolph, Gasol, and Conley. They guy who really needs to be handled is SAM YOUNG. Defensively, he's athletic and he's making Jefferson look idiotic. It's as if Sam is Superman and Richard is Bizzaro Superman.
If the Spurs limit Young, those other guys won't have enough scoring to win...as long as the Big 3 produce and 1 and 1/2 other guys can get double digit scoring. Hill played like a dog until late in the game.
I do notice a bad pass tendency from the following 3 players. Hill, McDyess, and Jefferson. Old Spurs teams lived hard on the fact that ball-possession was key to their success. It would behoove the team greatly, if they lived that hard now.
Then put in Anderson instead of RJ. I think Manu's finally figured out both Battier and Young. If I'm Pop, I'm giving RJ a very short time to prove he's ready to be December RJ again.
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