You guys need to relax, tbh..

[jag]

Last 2 finals games I've been to have been losses. That kind of sucks

[ElNono]

The Spurs don't have to "play to outscore" the Heat. They have the pieces to adequately defend them. They made it to the Finals last year by being a defensive-minded team that could score. I don't why they'd shift to a high-scoring team that can defend when their personnel didn't change.

We didn't win last year, that's why we're going with something a little different. Pop does want this team to play defense for stretches, but also understands that Lebron can drop 30+ any given night, and no Spurs will be able to match that output. So he'll trot out offense-only lineups out there from time to time, and hope he gets some spacing and production. That's why Mills and Beli will keep playing. I mean, it wasn't THAT much different from last year. Neal was still getting minutes in Games 3, 4, 5, etc..

[BillMc]

Parker sounds really down in the postgame interview. Depressed more than pissed. Hope he's ok with the ribs....

[Agloco]

Spurs gotta prove they can stop him

It's not really about stopping him. It's about limiting players like Lewis. He's killing us tbh.

[Chinook]

We didn't win last year, that's why we're going with something a little different. Pop does want this team to play defense for stretches, but also understands that Lebron can drop 30+ any given night, and no Spurs will be able to match that output. So he'll trot out offense-only lineups out there from time to time, and hope he gets some spacing and production. That's why Mills and Beli will keep playing. I mean, it wasn't THAT much different from last year. Neal was still getting minutes in Games 3, 4, 5, etc..

The Spurs were a much stronger team in last year's playoffs than they've been so far this season. This year, they can't seem to be able to close a series unless Pop falls back on his defensive players. We can keep acting like this year's team is so much different due to Marco's and Patty's emergences, but in reality, the Spurs have to hope the same top six players can carry them home. This group may well be deeper, but it also has a lot more noise in it.

It's not that I think Pop needs to make huge changes to his rotation or anything. I feel confident in the Spurs' ability to win at least one of the next two games. But I don't get the idea that the Spurs need to prioritize scoring players over defenders. I don't remember a game this year where Spurs lost because Belinelli didn't play enough crunch-time minutes.

[Malik Hairston]

Boris was awful tonight, too, I don't know if the box score shows it, I haven't checked yet..

Passed up so many shots, and some of the shots he actually did take were some awful looks(strange floater against Lewis, and 2 awful post attempts, off the top of my head)..Spurs need him to play a lot better..

[ElNono]

Boris was awful tonight, too, I don't know if the box score shows it, I haven't checked yet..

Passed up so many shots, and some of the shots he actually did take were some awful looks(strange floater against Lewis, and 2 awful post attempts, off the top of my head)..Spurs need him to play a lot better..

Boris: -5
Kawhi: -6
Beli: -7

[midnightpulp]

I agree. Lebron shot 14-22, perfect from 3, hit like every jumper, and the Heat scraped out a 1 possession win.

My fear is when is the Wade bomb going to off? Or even the Bosh bomb (a player I've long criticized, but he's been dialed in since the ECF)?

And then there's the issue of our role players having deer-in-headlights syndrome. All of them got outplayed by Rashard Lewis on the offensive end.

[Chinook]

Boris was awful tonight, too, I don't know if the box score shows it, I haven't checked yet..

Passed up so many shots, and some of the shots he actually did take were some awful looks(strange floater against Lewis, and 2 awful post attempts, off the top of my head)..Spurs need him to play a lot better..

The Heat playing Lewis instead of Battier really reduces the advantage that Diaw was supposed to give the Spurs. This is not the same as the WCF.

[crc21209]

Boris was awful tonight, too, I don't know if the box score shows it, I haven't checked yet..

Passed up so many shots, and some of the shots he actually did take were some awful looks(strange floater against Lewis, and 2 awful post attempts, off the top of my head)..Spurs need him to play a lot better..

Yeah he didnt look so great tonight. Very sub-par based on the way he's been playing lately. He just looked awkward out there at times. , toward the end when the ball stopped I noticed Allen was guarding Boris, but Tony and Manu either didnt see it or just didnt go to it. I wouldve liked to see Boris posting Allen up there, if anything it may have forced a double team that could have led to an open shot..

[Baam]

He was too tentative, even when he attacked he rushed things... Played like a pussy tbh and I'm the biggest Boris homer around...

[RD2191]

I agree. Lebron shot 14-22, perfect from 3, hit like every jumper, and the Heat scraped out a 1 possession win.

My fear is when is the Wade bomb going to off? Or even the Bosh bomb (a player I've long criticized, but he's been dialed in since the ECF)?

And then there's the issue of our role players having deer-in-headlights syndrome. All of them got outplayed by Rashard Lewis on the offensive end.

[007nites]

im not scared of lebron. dont lose faith, built not bought

You should be scared

[100%duncan]

If anything this game shows that Lebron can go nuts we still can win.

[TD 21]

Yeah he didnt look so great tonight. Very sub-par based on the way he's been playing lately. He just looked awkward out there at times. , toward the end when the ball stopped I noticed Allen was guarding Boris, but Tony and Manu either didnt see it or just didnt go to it. I wouldve liked to see Boris posting Allen up there, if anything it may have forced a double team that could have led to an open shot..

Yeah, that was a crucial possession and whichever had the ball (can't remember either), despite being on the same side of the court with him, didn't see him and he went to spot up in the corner instead of demanding the ball. Between that and the inexplicable Ginobili step back a possession or two later, they shot themselves in the foot.

The bottom line is James realized from the jump this year that Diaw shouldn't be able to guard him, which makes it doubly crucial that Leonard stay out of foul trouble. Either way, Pop needs to stop overreacting to it, in his case and others and he also needs to stop respecting Lewis' post game so much. There's no reason they can't play small and get away with Ginobili on him for stretches. If the Heat want to milk that, great, that just keeps it out of James' and Wade's hands.


Don't kid yourself; this was an absolutely crucial loss. The next two are on short rest, but even more importantly, they could have punctured this team's psyche. They're already mentally and physically on fumes. If their streak without back to back losses would have ended and they'd have had to win 4 of 5, it probably would have been over. Not in 4 or 5, but I couldn't have envisioned them overcoming that. Instead, as usual they were let off the hook and they're back in control.

[Capt Bringdown]

If anything this game shows that Lebron can go nuts we still can win.

Oh, can we? Can we get it done? Miami says no, and the Spurs got nothing.
Scoreboard.

[Agloco]

The Spurs don't have to "play to outscore" the Heat. They have the pieces to adequately defend them. They made it to the Finals last year by being a defensive-minded team that could score. I don't why they'd shift to a high-scoring team that can defend when their personnel didn't change.

Ordinarily I'd agree, but when LeBron is in god mode like tonight you need to help yourself by making good decisions on the offensive end. Matching them is really the only way to weather that storm. They did it in the third but for some inexplicable reason they stopped moving the ball in the fourth.

[100%duncan]

Oh, can we? Can we get it done? Miami says no, and the Spurs got nothing.
Scoreboard.

You gave up in OKC remember?

[timtonymanu]

Capt Bringdown and Darius Bieber need to get together. Perfect match.

[limlsy]

Oh, can we? Can we get it done? Miami says no, and the Spurs got nothing.
Scoreboard.

You're always so negative. Serves as a good defense mechanism though, I have to say.

[ElNono]

The Spurs were a much stronger team in last year's playoffs than they've been so far this season. This year, they can't seem to be able to close a series unless Pop falls back on his defensive players. We can keep acting like this year's team is so much different due to Marco's and Patty's emergences, but in reality, the Spurs have to hope the same top six players can carry them home. This group may well be deeper, but it also has a lot more noise in it.

It's not that I think Pop needs to make huge changes to his rotation or anything. I feel confident in the Spurs' ability to win at least one of the next two games. But I don't get the idea that the Spurs need to prioritize scoring players over defenders. I don't remember a game this year where Spurs lost because Belinelli didn't play enough crunch-time minutes.

I think the Spurs being stronger last year is directly related to Tony being MVParker instead of being "good to great" Tony... that makes the offense rely much less on everyone else, and gives Pop the chance to play better defensive players that are offensively-challenged. This isn't last year though, and Tony and everyone else is doing a great job. You don't get to the Finals and go toe-to-toe with the champ if you're not doing something right.

Miami is a great team tho, I can't take that away from them.

[Chinook]

I think the Spurs being stronger last year is directly related to Tony being MVParker instead of being "good to great" Tony... that makes the offense rely much less on everyone else, and gives Pop the chance to play better defensive players that are offensively-challenged. This isn't last year though, and Tony and everyone else is doing a great job. You don't get to the Finals and go toe-to-toe with the champ if you're not doing something right.

Miami is a great team tho, I can't take that away from them.

What I am saying is that the Spurs didn't actually get to THIS Finals by being the offensive-minded team Pop seems to prioritize. They pretty much spent most of the post-season trying that before going back to their roots for a game or a quarter to close a series out. The only time the Spurs really had trouble scoring this year was at the beginning of the season when Leonard and Duncan couldn't hit anything from outside. After that got fixed, the team's "defensive" lineup could score fine.

[baseline bum]

Spurs fan needs to enjoy this Finals even if they lose it again. It took 26 years to get there the first time, and it could take 26 more to return once this one is over, regardless of outcome.

[Baam]

What I am saying is that the Spurs didn't actually get to THIS Finals by being the offensive-minded team Pop seems to prioritize. They pretty much spent most of the post-season trying that before going back to their roots for a game or a quarter to close a series out. The only time the Spurs really had trouble scoring this year was at the beginning of the season when Leonard and Duncan couldn't hit anything from outside. After that got fixed, the team's "defensive" lineup could score fine.

They prioritized offense in the WCF and it made all the difference...

[ElNono]

What I am saying is that the Spurs didn't actually get to THIS Finals by being the offensive-minded team Pop seems to prioritize. They pretty much spent most of the post-season trying that before going back to their roots for a game or a quarter to close a series out. The only time the Spurs really had trouble scoring this year was at the beginning of the season when Leonard and Duncan couldn't hit anything from outside. After that got fixed, the team's "defensive" lineup could score fine.

I agree they're not the 2011 Spurs. The D has been greatly improved since then. But Pop has a difficult job balancing that rock solid defense with also a consistent offensive output.

We held up Miami to under 100 pts for two games in a row, playing Beli, Boris on Lebron, Mills, etc, even with them shooting 52% this last game. The defense is there for long stretches. But if we can't score 100+, we can't win. All the previous series have been more or less using a combo of our potent offense with our solid D to put pressure on the other team's offense. I don't think Pop is going to change much from here on out.