Game 29: Rockets @ Spurs --Wednesday, Dec 25, 7:00PM (CST)

[TheGoldStandard]

Pop needs to punish these guys for the utter failure to play against elite teams.

[.G.]

This is becoming the norm for the Spurs now. Get absolutely demolished in a quarter, and then either tie or outscore the team in every other one....and still lose.

I have a feeling the z will come back and win this one. Probably see hack-a-coward as well

[timtonymanu]

Pop needs to punish these guys for the utter failure to play against elite teams.

His coaching alone is losing them this game.

He's approaching the defensive strategy in a completely wrong way.

[timmy2003]

Jefferson on the Spurs was a spot-up shooter. Leonard is experiencing the same thing RJ went through only Leonard isn't afraid of big moments and is a much better player than the Spurs' RJ.

Agree Kawhi is a much better player on defense and rebounding. But offensively, he isn't much better.

[timtonymanu]

The Clippers w/ Rivers>Clippers w/ Del Negro

Doc Rivers knows how to make adjustments. He took the Celtics who struggled in the regular season the past 2 years and got them to the ECF in 2012 and almost took the Knicks to a 7th game after losing the first 3 games in the 1st round last year. He also took Orlando back in 2000 who should've had the worst record in the league to an impressive .500 record.

He's not overrated at all.

Got taken to a Game 7 against the ing Sixers just before that.

This guy was already on his way out of Boston before they were gifted Garnett and Allen.

The Clippers should be playing better with Doc right now but they still look like a soft team that has a 2nd round exit as their ceiling.

[james evans]

what needs to happen in the 2nd half

- force harden right. if he wants to drive right all night, then let him, but make him beat you going right. until he does that, don't play him straight up
- leave danny green on the bench
- STOP LEAVING 3 POINT SHOOTERS WIDE OPEN!!!

if we do those 3 things, we will win this game.

[.G.]

Agree Kawhi is a much better player on defense and rebounding. But offensively, he isn't much better.

I'm not sure about this. IMO, Leonard's ability to create from mid-range (drive and pop, better finisher at the rim...)is better than jefferson's when he played for SAS. Time will tell, though

[Chris16]

Got taken to a Game 7 against the ing Sixers just before that.

This guy was already on his way out of Boston before they were gifted Garnett and Allen.

The Clippers should be playing better with Doc right now but they still look like a soft team that has a 2nd round exit as their ceiling.

The same "soft team" that killed San Antonio in a rout just last week.

And the Sixers weren't a bad team that year, they actually had a strong start to the regular season and then started cooling off towards the end.

[Raven]

what needs to happen in the 2nd half

- force harden right. if he wants to drive right all night, then let him, but make him beat you going right. until he does that, don't play him straight up
- leave danny green on the bench
- STOP LEAVING 3 POINT SHOOTERS WIDE OPEN!!!

if we do those 3 things, we will win this game.

the second and the third can't happen at the same time. who should guard, manu, marco?

[Ice009]

It would be nice if Parker took a month off, tbh..

I don't think I have ever said this before, but I think I've had enough of these national teams. If I was in the NBA I wouldn't play for my national team, well, not unless it was the best compe ion in the world. I'd say - Sorry, the NBA is the best compe ion in the world and I want to win there. The NBA season is too long and I need to be ready for that. I can't afford to get tired, fatigued or injured playing in a lower level compe ion.

Seriously - what does it mean to you guys when your team wins one of these tournaments? You didn't play against the best players in the world and you didn't beat the best team in the world to win it. What is the point of it?

edit : I'll add that if you are a bench player and need the reps to improve your game, then I can see a case for you playing in those compe ions. However, if you're an established player/star in the NBA, then I just don't see the point of playing those compe ions.

Guys like Dirk, Tony, Manu, Lebron, KD, those types shouldn't play, especially with the NBA contracts they have. They are very lucky to be getting paid what they do in the NBA. They won't get that type of money anywhere else, so why do they take the chance to possibly screw their NBA team over?

[crc21209]

Anybody else see that hottie Mic e Beadle sitting courtside by the scorers table?

[Johnny RIngo]

Pop needs to punish these guys for the utter failure to play against elite teams.

This begins and ends with Tony Parker. He was a pretty good playmaker the last two years. Had a case for best PG in the league. This year, he's reverted back to old TP...the heroball chucker that refuses to pass to anyone besides TD and has trouble running a competent offense.

[.G.]

Anybody else see that hottie Mic e Beadle sitting courtside by the scorers table?

That has incredible-edible S

[HarlemHeat37]

The same "soft team" that killed San Antonio in a rout just last week.

And the Sixers weren't a bad team that year, they actually had a strong start to the regular season and then started cooling off towards the end.

The Clippers won their first 2 games against the Spurs last year, including a 20-point blowout, tbh..

They also have virtually the same metrics they had last season, despite upgrading in talent..Rivers is an average coach, they'll go as far as Griffin's improvement..

[RD2191]

Forget tonight, Dirk and Monta gonna go in raw tomorrow night.

[boutons_deux]

At the half, spurs losing FG%, 3G%, RB, AST, BLK.

[TheGoldStandard]

His coaching alone is losing them this game.

He's approaching the defensive strategy in a completely wrong way.

This scrub spurs team is experienced enough to know how to play hard.

[timtonymanu]

The same "soft team" that killed San Antonio in a rout just last week.

And the Sixers weren't a bad team that year, they actually had a strong start to the regular season and then started cooling off towards the end.

D-Rose never goes down and the Bulls beat the Sixers in 5/6 max.

And putting stock into a regular season game.

The Clippers kicked our ass their first game last year and lost in the 1st round and I'm confident the Spurs would have beaten them in a series last year.

For the record, I do agree with you that Houston, Portland, and OKC could beat us in a series but at putting the Clips in there because Doc Rivers is a "good" coach.

[PlayNando]

Kevin Hart smh.

[Budkin]

Come one Spurs!

[Blizzardwizard]

I wish the Spurs had Andre Iguodala.

[RD2191]

[Spurs Brazil]

transition D

[Budkin]

[timtonymanu]

Splitter giving us nothing.