Game Thread: Spurs @ Rockets - Christmas Day @ 7:00 PM CST (3:00 AM Riga time)

[Kawhitstorm]

LMA has been as good or better than I expected. But I thought this game his effort was poor. And yes, whether it has ever been a part of his game before, he needs to have some Nasty when the situation calls for it. All the pump fakes are really annoying, and another poster who claimed to have watched LMA in Portland stated that was not his style back there.

It wasn't his style when Boris was checking him but he was pump faking against Tiago in the 2014 series. Basically, he only goes at guys who are 6'10" or below w/ average wing spans unless he's in a zone; at least Draymond is 6'6" despite his 7ft+ wingspan

[UNT Eagles 2016]

it's called rage sarcasm

[sasaint]

It wasn't his style when Boris was checking him but he was pump faking against Tiago in the 2014 series. Basically, he only goes at guys who are 6'10" or below w/ average wing spans unless he's in a zone; at least Draymond is 6'6" despite his 7ft+ wingspan

Good for our team. Can hardly wait to meet the Dubs now! Although he has s a much better rebounder than I expected, the guy clearly doesn't like contact. Where our offense with Tiago ran on PnRs, LMA rarely rolls to the basket. He almost always pops. It is maddening after a pick to see an empty lane and LMA POPPING instead of rolling. He has got to learn some Nasty.

[LakerHater]

[UNT Eagles 2016]

at least Pop has a few brain cells left

[LakerHater]

The Rockets have won 18 straight games when holding an opponent to less than 90 points. ... Houston's bench outscored San Antonio's 41-26!

[Kawhitstorm]

Good for our team. Can hardly wait to meet the Dubs now! Although he has s a much better rebounder than I expected, the guy clearly doesn't like contact. Where our offense with Tiago ran on PnRs, LMA rarely rolls to the basket. He almost always pops. It is maddening after a pick to see an empty lane and LMA POPPING instead of rolling. He has got to learn some Nasty.

LMA popping is what's opening up the lanes for Tony though, against the Rockets Dwight refused to step up & guard Tim so Tony had alligator arms

[Kawhitstorm]

Must be a punishment for Porker / Diaw

[UNT Eagles 2016]

The Rockets have won 18 straight games when holding an opponent to less than 90 points. ... Houston's bench outscored San Antonio's 41-26!

Yep. Mills was especially godawful off the bench. Not that the guy he replaced was any better.

[sasaint]

LMA popping is what's opening up the lanes for Tony though, against the Rockets Dwight refused to step up & guard Tim so Tony had alligator arms

LMA just needs to develop better judgment about when to pop and when to roll. He seems averse to rolling at this point.

[Kawhitstorm]

Yep. Mills was especially godawful off the bench. Not that the guy he replaced was any better.

Pop should have put Patty on Terry instead of Lawson just like he put him on Re as opposed to Rivers but . Diaw was atrocious & got murder by T-Jones plus Manu was over-helping.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Pop should have put Patty on Terry instead of Lawson just like he put him on Re as opposed to Rivers but . Diaw was atrocious & got murder by T-Jones plus Manu was over-helping.

god I ing hate Terry.

[Kawhitstorm]

LMA just needs to develop better judgment about when to pop and when to roll. He seems averse to rolling at this point.

It's just like how Kawhi like to pull up for mid-range shots, it's their sweet spot. At least he isn't jacking up 3 against Curry or struggling to post up JJ Barea like LeBron

[UNT Eagles 2016]

It's just like how Kawhi like to pull up for mid-range shots, it's their sweet spot. At least he isn't jacking up 3 against Curry or struggling to post up JJ Barea like LeBron

eh.

[Kawhitstorm]

god I ing hate Terry.

Patty is the type of player that would piss off Terry just like Patty got under Fishers' skin.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Patty is the type of player that would piss off Terry just like Patty got under Fishers' skin.

Not great quality, but I remember this very vividly:




Was 2 nights after Christmas and looked like the Spurs were going ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE that season. Put this game on VHS tape and went with family to see LOTR: The Two Towers at Regal Cinemas by Ingram Park. Came back expecting an easy win. Ended up fast forwarding most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters because we were always losing by 8 or 10 or something. Watched the 4th still expecting a win but then this happened

[Kawhitstorm]

Was 2 nights after Christmas and looked like the Spurs were going ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE that season. Put this game on VHS tape and went with family to see LOTR: The Two Towers at Regal Cinemas by Ingram Park. Came back expecting an easy win. Ended up fast forwarding most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters because we were always losing by 8 or 10 or something. Watched the 4th still expecting a win but then this happened

Terry has been hitting dagger shots like Stephen Jackson throughout his career. He hit the biggest shot in the 2011 Finals in LeBron's face. Would have traded Porker for JET in a heart beat.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Terry has been hitting dagger shots like Stephen Jackson throughout his career. He hit the biggest shot in the 2011 Finals in LeBron's face. Would have traded Porker for JET in a heart beat.

Especially if Stephen Jackson was going to the Hawks anyway, we could have done a S&T or something for him. But he's a loser so meh

[spurs10]

god I ing hate Terry.

Everybody hates Terry, I'm sure that includes family and former teammates. Just be thankful you only have to see him on rare occasion.

[Kawhitstorm]

Especially if Stephen Jackson was going to the Hawks anyway, we could have done a S&T or something for him. But he's a loser so meh

JET got traded in 2004 (Jackson left in 2003) after he cooked Nash for a couple of seasons (Cuban was watching):

[rasuo214]

Tough loss. Can't win them all but it sucks when the Warriors pretty much are.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Tough loss. Can't win them all but it sucks when the Warriors pretty much are.

This is the sole reason these losses are so painful. I could live with only being 3 up on Cleveland and 4 up on OKC.... but being down 5 on GSW is just ing brutal. And there's no kryptonite 8th seed to knock them out for us this time like in 2007.

[Spurtacular]

My thoughts on the game:

1. Worst game I've seen Diaw play all year.
2. Ginobili reverting to Clippers series Manu.
3. Aldridge missing every time he takes a 17 plus foot shot on the move (like he has done all season). He shouldn't shoot outside 17 feet except for spot-ups.
4. Duncan waiting too long to get aggressive when it was clear the team needed him to have one of his big games.
5. Haven't looked at the stats; but Kawhi played well.
6. DG just looked terrible. I don't care if he remains a starter; but he should have to earn his minutes. Mills should've gotten more time.
7. Just too many missed good looks and careless turnovers. It was defense that had us in this game; but with more precise offense, this one would've been over half way through the fourth.
8. We should've went to the hack-a earlier; but perhaps Pop was trying to keep the league off his back. And on that note: Shut the up, Jeff Van Gundy. If a player can't make free throws, we don't need to hear you ing and moaning about the rules. Anybody can be a fifty percent plus free throw shooter.
9. A costly loss putting us five back of GS, who simply won't be racking up many L's against the lackluster compe ion.
10. Houston does not scare me at all if we should play them in the playoffs.

[spurs10]

This is the sole reason these losses are so painful. I could live with only being 3 up on Cleveland and 4 up on OKC.... but being down 5 on GSW is just ing brutal. And there's no kryptonite 8th seed to knock them out for us this time like in 2007.

We are down 4 on Dubs and up 4.5 on The Thunderrefs who also lost today..

[Kawhitstorm]

My thoughts on the game:

10. Houston does not scare me at all if we should play them in the playoffs.

If Porker keeps turning into a pussy when there is an elite shot blocker on the floor (Dwight) then it's going to be like the 2014 Mavs series w/ Kawhi having to play the Manu role. It's pretty clear Patty can't guard Lawson & he's only going to get more comfortable in his role as a 6th man as he has been the worst rated point guard in the entire league thus far. Diaw also can't guard Terrance Jones although he can manhandle him in the post. Brewer/Ariza have also been in a season long funk like Danny but can bomb a better team out of a series as we saw them do against the Clippers. Harden also gives Kawhi trouble b/c of his herky jerky style & tends to hit BS dagger 3s against him. D-Mo also will jump hook D-West to death if they are matched up.