Game Thread: 3/3 Spurs @ Pelicans 8:30PM CST (9:30 PM EST, 4:30 AM Riga Time)

[rasuo214]

And he's hitting around 75% of them in the 4th quarter now, which is a big dropoff from his 90% overall

It's actually 85.4% and 87.5% in the clutch.

Edit to include links:

4th Quarter:
http://stats.nba.com/players/traditi...EVIATION*E*SAS

Clutch:
http://stats.nba.com/players/clutch-...EVIATION*E*SAS

[spurs10]

Victory!

Durant has always been injury prone. That's a risk the dubs took...

Is that Larsen in your sig or a copycat?

[100%duncan]

It's actually 85.4% and 87.5% in the clutch.

[GSH]

and they're constantly doom-and-glooming every thread and then scattering like roaches when the Spurs win.

I'm not gloom and doom. I thought the Spurs execution on the offensive end was horrible. Lots of bad decisions and mental lapses. But even after giving up 30 points in the first quarter, they held the Pelicans to 89 points in regulation. That's probably gotten overlooked in all the discussion.

I still say that AD has challenged the Spurs pretty effectively in the past, and he never really had that much of a supporting cast. They were pretty damned compe ive tonight. I guess the difference between good teams and bad teams is that the bad teams are compe ive, but lose anyway.

[Chinook]

Meh. Semantics. I'm not getting into that kind of argument. I know what you're saying. But you always expect a little easier win against a .387 team. The Pels are just about as consistent at challenging the Spurs as the Spurs are about winning games against them. I guess if I had to pick one or the other, I'll take the wins. But tonight the Spurs felt more lucky than dominant to me.

That's fine. Just saying I wouldn't be worried about meeting them in the first round.

[100%duncan]

It's actually 85.4% and 87.5% in the clutch.

[SpurPadre]

It doesn't make a difference. You can look bad and still win or you can lose. The Spurs won. Stop ing about that we know will be fixed in the playoffs. Stop acting like scrub teams are going to be anything other than doormats. The Spurs are struggling and picking up W's. The Warriors are struggling and picking up L's. The struggle is inevitable in an 82-game season. How you handle yourself while you're struggling is the key.

People aren't just pulling stuff out of their asses, but they are spending an awful long time harping on the things, and they're constantly doom-and-glooming every thread and then scattering like roaches when the Spurs win.

We don't know if that will be fixed in the playoffs, not all of it, at least. 2007 TP nor 2005 Manu are walking through that door. Doesn't mean we'll stop watching but pointing out actual flaws isn't unreasonable and isn't just doom and glooming...at least not on my part.

[GSH]

To state the obvious: without him tonight the Spurs lose - quite probably in a blow-out.

I will take a lucky win over a loss.

There's two things I can agree with without any hesitation. Sounds like a good time to turn it off. Have a good evening. Or morning, depending on where you happen to be (Bill).

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Yes please give me some actual statistics rather than spouting the first thing that comes on your mind.

For example, Kawhi shot 8-10 ft's this game, 1 early miss and 1 late game. But sure he tends to miss more in 4th quarter because you said so right?

Kawhi's free throw shooting by quarter per nba.com:

1st : 91.4
2nd: 93.1
3rd: 88.5
4th: 85.4

Still, pretty damn good, and could also depend on being tired, but it's a fact his percentages drop a bit.

[SpurPadre]

It's still a dropoff from our MVP and every point will count in the playoffs.

[Chinook]

Still here tbh. Glad the Spurs got the win, but there are very serious flaws on display that have been apparent since the start of the season (and even beyond). Still pissed the Spurs didn't pick up a guard at the deadline, but I never expected them to make a move regardless. The drop-off in FT shooting since the start of the year is also alarming; not sure what can fix that. Only brightside is seeing the defense recover towards the end of the fourth/OT to get the W. Despite my earlier ing the D definitely looks better the past 10 games or so.

The Spurs have problems, but they're also not playing at capacity. They have the talent to compete with any team, and with their coaching and chemistry, they have the edge in intangibles. But they will need to step up like Green did last playoffs. Most of the complaints go away when everyone tries.

And I was pushing for a guard all last summer, though people remember my rants as "lol, Chinook wants David West to start". The money had to come from somewhere, and Pop thought Pau and Manu needed it more. After that, nothing else was realistic.

[Chinook]

We don't know if that will be fixed in the playoffs, not all of it, at least. 2007 TP nor 2005 Manu are walking through that door. Doesn't mean we'll stop watching but pointing out actual flaws isn't unreasonable and isn't just doom and glooming...at least not on my part.

"This team is horrible." "First-round exit." " this team." Those things are not flaws. They're doom-and-glooming. I've been as critical as anyone when it comes to the Spurs. There's nothing wrong with that. Not talking about that stuff.

[Robz4000]

The Spurs have problems, but they're also not playing at capacity. They have the talent to compete with any team, and with their coaching and chemistry, they have the edge in intangibles. But they will need to step up like Green did last playoffs. Most of the complaints go away when everyone tries.

And I was pushing for a guard all last summer, though people remember my rants as "lol, Chinook wants David West to start". The money had to come from somewhere, and Pop thought Pau and Manu needed it more. After that, nothing else was realistic.

That's another thing too: I really don't trust Pop coaching this team anymore. He just seems to make bad decision after bad decision while pushing all the wrong buttons, especially in the postseason. Maybe he'll step up this year, but I've been waiting for 2011-2014 Pop for three years now and he has yet to return.

[GSH]

That's fine. Just saying I wouldn't be worried about meeting them in the first round.

No, you know what... you're right. The old D'Antoni Suns always challenged the out of the Spurs. And they won more games against the Spurs than the Pelicans have been. But the Spurs won more than their share, and they ALWAYS won the ones that counted. And I didn't have any problem saying that the Spurs dominated those Suns teams. So if that's domination, then what the Spurs have been doing to the Pelicans must be dominating.

You're right, I was wrong. NOW I'm turning it off.

[Robz4000]

"This team is horrible." "First-round exit." " this team." Those things are not flaws. They're doom-and-glooming. I've been as critical as anyone when it comes to the Spurs. There's nothing wrong with that. Not talking about that stuff.

This is also the game thread. Things like that have been posted ad-nauseam for years. No reason to put much thought into comments made in the heat of the moment (especially when half of them are from me ).

[SpurPadre]

"This team is horrible." "First-round exit." " this team." Those things are not flaws. They're doom-and-glooming. I've been as critical as anyone when it comes to the Spurs. There's nothing wrong with that. Not talking about that stuff.

Fair but I haven't been saying they're terrible either and most definitely not " this team" and I know you're referring to others like Darius Bieber. I do think the team looks very flawed for a contender that is increasingly relying on their best player to do everything for them to win games...which is too much pressure for someone who has yet to reach his prime. And shoot, he might very well do that because he's that good but it's not an ideal situation.

[bklynspursfan]

It doesn't make a difference. You can look bad and still win or you can lose. The Spurs won. Stop ing about that we know will be fixed in the playoffs. Stop acting like scrub teams are going to be anything other than doormats. The Spurs are struggling and picking up W's. The Warriors are struggling and picking up L's. The struggle is inevitable in an 82-game season. How you handle yourself while you're struggling is the key.

People aren't just pulling stuff out of their asses, but they are spending an awful long time harping on the things, and they're constantly doom-and-glooming every thread and then scattering like roaches when the Spurs win.

Bingo

[BatManu20]

[spursgu]

"This team is horrible." "First-round exit." " this team." Those things are not flaws. They're doom-and-glooming. I've been as critical as anyone when it comes to the Spurs. There's nothing wrong with that. Not talking about that stuff.

[BatManu20]

[HI-FI]

What a badass finish. is on another level lately and only getting better. I will be at today's Timberwolves game.

[BillMc]

Is that Larsen in your sig or a copycat?

It is a Far Side cartoon, so real.

[BillMc]

"This team is horrible." "First-round exit." " this team." Those things are not flaws. They're doom-and-glooming. I've been as critical as anyone when it comes to the Spurs. There's nothing wrong with that. Not talking about that stuff.

+1 billion

[BillMc]

Pau proving he's a class act even when relegated to the bench!

[TampaDude]

10 missed FTs...damn...I don't know how we won this game...we didn't deserve to.

Oh, well...an ugly win is better than a pretty loss.