Game Blog: 12/27/08 - Spurs vs. Grizzlies

[MarHill]

Cleveland is winning by 12 points per game, LA and Boston are winning by around 9-10 points per game, San Antonio is winning by less than 4 points per game.

So it is fair to say that the Spurs do not get as much out of their offensive and defensive possessions as these teams. And you can't say that the early season injuries created this large of a gap.

I didn't mean to get off on a tangent, all I said is that the Spurs are not as good as their record (due to the abundance of close calls that they EASILY could've lost) and Mayo got hacked on his last drive.

Also, the Spurs got hacked quite a bit in this game and didn't get the calls. The refs went both ways in this game. That's a lame excuse!!

[Warlord23]

Cleveland is winning by 12 points per game, LA and Boston are winning by around 9-10 points per game, San Antonio is winning by less than 4 points per game.

So it is fair to say that the Spurs do not get as much out of their offensive and defensive possessions as these teams. And you can't say that the early season injuries created this large of a gap.

I didn't mean to get off on a tangent, all I said is that the Spurs are not as good as their record (due to the abundance of close calls that they EASILY could've lost) and Mayo got hacked on his last drive.

Oh, so now you change your tune and bust out the Hollinger ppg differential stat! Well, the 2006 Miami Heat need to give their le back ... they only had a +3.9 PPG differential ... the Spurs led the league in PPG diff that year and should have had their 5th le! Injustice!

[Biggems]

Mayo has a huge hard on for the Spurs. I swear, he has a blood vendetta against us or something. It's like he has a very nice game (skillset), but when he plays the Spurs, he is able to go Emeril and kick it up several notches.......BAM.

My only solace is that they no longer have Miller. If they still had Miller, this most likely would have been a loss....since Miller, Gay, and Mayo all kill the Spurs.

[Obstructed_View]

Records of NBA teams since the San Antonio/Houston game:

Cleveland
18-2

Boston
19-3

San Antonio
18-5

LA Lakers
17-5

Good enough for me. I'll take an ugly win over any kind of loss any day of the week. The Spurs are 3-0 in double overtime games this year. Not bad for a bunch of old farts who weren't going to make the playoffs this year.

[Ghazi]

Oh, so now you change your tune and bust out the Hollinger ppg differential stat! Well, the 2006 Miami Heat need to give their le back ... they only had a +3.9 PPG differential ... the Spurs led the league in PPG diff that year and should have had their 5th le! Injustice!

That le was a fraud. The Spurs were the best team that year, but the Mavs got a little lucky v them and proceeded to get jobbed by the refs in the FInals.

[pawe]

I'd welcome this kind of games this point of the season. It builds up confidence, makes you mentally tough and the new spurs need the experience in closing out games. Great win by the Spurs.

[MarHill]

Not to mention their dismal record vs .500 teams:

This is a misleading statistic!!!

First of all they are 6-9 against .500 teams I could if they were 2-13 or 3-12 against those teams. So it's not great..but it's not terrible either!!

Plus good teams are supposed to beat bad teams. They didn't make the schedule and if they didn't win those games...you would be posting that Spurs can't even beat those teams.

Also, Cleveland, Boston, LA Lakers have beat a lot of bad teams as well to get their wins.

The whole schedule argument is lame......

Also, the Spurs schedule will get tougher as the season goes along and they will show themselves against the better teams.

[Borosai]

Championship!

[Biggems]

Cleveland is winning by 12 points per game, LA and Boston are winning by around 9-10 points per game, San Antonio is winning by less than 4 points per game.

So it is fair to say that the Spurs do not get as much out of their offensive and defensive possessions as these teams. And you can't say that the early season injuries created this large of a gap.

I didn't mean to get off on a tangent, all I said is that the Spurs are not as good as their record (due to the abundance of close calls that they EASILY could've lost) and Mayo got hacked on his last drive.

I agree the Spurs aren't as good as their record......they are better.

GO SPURS GO

[ploto]

Some people don't understand NBA basketball.

First, this was the Spurs 7th game in 11 days and it definitely showed.

You realize all the teams have to do this.

In January, the Pacers play 7 games in 11 days and then a week and a half later, they start a stretch of 6 games in 9 days. In February- 7 games in 11 days again. It is not a valid excuse.

[Warlord23]

That le was a fraud. The Spurs were the best team that year, but the Mavs got a little lucky v them and proceeded to get jobbed by the refs in the FInals.

OK, so how about these cases:

2000-01: Spurs +7.8, Kings +5.8, Lakers +3.4; champs - Lakers
2002-03: Mavs +7.8, Kings: +6.5, Spurs +5.4; champs - Spurs
2003-04: Spurs +7.2, Wolves +5.5, Kings +5.0, Lakers +3.9; WC champs - Lakers

You can also go back in time to the 1999 Knicks (8th seed) or the 1995 Rockets (6th seed) which came out of their respective conferences.

PPG differential doesn't factor in injuries (which the Spurs have had this year), trades / midseason signings (which any contending team might well have this year), playoff experience, matchups etc.

I'll wait till this year's playoffs actually play out before announcing anyone's demise

[Warlord23]

You realize all the teams have to do this.

In January, the Pacers play 7 games in 11 days and then a week and a half later, they start a stretch of 6 games in 9 days. In February- 7 games in 11 days again. It is not a valid excuse.

So by your count the Lakers, Celtics, Cavs and all other teams who've lost to and/or struggled with bad teams can give up now?

[spursfan09]

You realize all the teams have to do this.

In January, the Pacers play 7 games in 11 days and then a week and a half later, they start a stretch of 6 games in 9 days. In February- 7 games in 11 days again. It is not a valid excuse.

yes all teams have to do this, but does that mean we can't appreciate it that Spurs overcame the tough schedule?

[Biggems]

No- I am just honest and not a homer. Memphis got fouled but a young team will never get a call like that at the end of a game on the road.

This season Spurs fans get all excited about close wins over awful teams and then implode when they lose to the above .500 teams.

Tony got grabbed and then hacked by Conley and didnt get the call. In fact, Duncan cant seem to buy a call lately. Then there was the over and back in the 1st overtime by Memphis that wasn't called. Gay dribbles the ball off his foot, but the refs conveniently dont see it, so there is a jump ball, that the Spurs fortunately won.

[spursfan09]

I think opposing fans are just so eager to see the demise of the Spurs that when the Spurs don't die or go away that angers them. The Spurs are quietly making themselve legit contenders once again

[SpursDynasty]

Good win tonight, but we should have had this game put away by the first half. I don't know who the Grizzlies think they are, trying to come out and shoot some shots on us, trying to win this game. Losers.

[MarHill]

You realize all the teams have to do this.

In January, the Pacers play 7 games in 11 days and then a week and a half later, they start a stretch of 6 games in 9 days. In February- 7 games in 11 days again. It is not a valid excuse.

You are right!

That's my point!

Even bad teams are going to play well against good teams on nights like this.

So it is a valid excuse and they still won the game.

Boston just lost to GS on a back-to-back. So now is Boston a bad team?

Basketball is rhythm game and these are professionals and its a 82 game season.

I just dislike the fact that people overreact close wins against bad teams or if bad teams beat good teams during the season. It happens all the time!!!

[xellos88330]

I think opposing fans are just so eager to see the demise of the Spurs that when the Spurs don't die or go away that angers them. The Spurs are quietly making themselve legit contenders once again

+1

I have witnessed that first hand. Some dude took a swing at me for laughing at a bar during the Dallas/Spurs 2OT game. After he missed, he proceeded to apologize and explained that he is frustrated that the Spurs never go away.

[Ice009]

I didn't mean to get off on a tangent, all I said is that the Spurs are not as good as their record (due to the abundance of close calls that they EASILY could've lost) and Mayo got hacked on his last drive.

Tim Duncan got hacked against the Mavs game 7 last possession. WHY DON'T YOU JUST SHUT THE UP.

[pawe]

I think opposing fans are just so eager to see the demise of the Spurs that when the Spurs don't die or go away that angers them. The Spurs are quietly making themselve legit contenders once again

This is exactly what my friends said to me. They hate the spurs because they're so good, they're like a sickness, they never go away plus they are suns fans.

[SpursDynasty]

I'm satisfied with a 20-10 record for now, but honestly all 20 wins were games we were supposed to win....the Dallas 2OT and Phoenix Christmas day game were fun to win though, and there were some BS losses that should have been wins too against Phoenix, Portland, Milwaukee, Houston, and New Orleans. We should be 25-5 right now.

[Budkin]

Damn I missed this one but it sounded like a nail biter! Glad to see the Spurs pull it out!

[Reck]

I think opposing fans are just so eager to see the demise of the Spurs that when the Spurs don't die or go away that angers them. The Spurs are quietly making themselve legit contenders once again

That's what Ghazi and company are suffering from.

They are only depressing themselves sadly.

[HarlemHeat37]

I don't know why you guys feed the trolls..Mavs fans have never seen a winning team in their lives, how would they know what it takes to be a contender? let them cry..let them have their 1 finals appearance that they still complain about..they all have Wade nightmares every night..

you guys need to realize that we're 2nd place in the West despite Parker and Ginobili missing significant time..this is the equivalent of Boston missing Pierce and Allen, Lakers missing Gasol and somebody else, Cavs missing Z and Williams..think about that..

furthermore, Manu is still CLEARLY far away from a 100%..I'd say he's about 75% now..we're also a team that relies on grind-out games, not blow outs..we've always been like that..we always have games vs. worse teams that we fall asleep against, this is nothing new..

some of you just like to be dramatic..remember those Suns teams that used to blow EVERY bad team out every night? what did that get them? blow outs and point differential mean nothing..wins mean everything..

it's only December, stop crying..

[Killakobe81]

no kidding they are better
had they been healthy all season they would have mybe 4 losses

LOL would be better for sure no way to know how much (record wise) ...