What is Your Confidence Level Heading into Game 5?

[Obstructed_View]

I didn't honestly think the Spurs could find themselves tied after 4 games without incredible play from every single player. Since Parker's dinged up, Duncan's underwhelming, Splitter's legendarily soft, Diaw's , and Manu is a disaster, there's not really any reason not to think the Spurs can't win if they play well and hit timely shots.

The biggest problem at this point is the offense when Parker goes to the bench. I've never seen the Spurs just come completely apart like they have the last couple of games when he's not out there.

I should have put another one in there to complete the quad-negative.

[superjames1992]

60% chance we win tonight, tbh, per par, IMO.

[ginobilized]

I am 100% confident that I have no idea what will happen tonight in game 5. These are really great teams. My sense is that a surprise positive performance for one of the Spurs could be enough....Splitter, Diaw, ol #20, or even the ultimate redemption...Matty B from downtown could push us over the edge to victory. So hard to say between these teams.

I am 100% certain that this Spurs team will do everything in their power to win this game. I feel confident about that.

[dbreiden83080]

If Manu doesn't play well tonight the Spurs can't win IMO.. The way the Heat are playing D we need an extra boost from somewhere. Games like this are usually where Manu shines.. Come on Manu.. You might have 3 games left in your career..

[Budkin]

Extremely confident we win tonight. Called Spurs in 6 and sticking with it. If it goes to 7 I won't be confident at all.

[Fabbs]

50/50
Team Ball and we got this.
Don't buy for a minute the b.s. that Miami is the better team.
Wade, yes he undoubtedly will do massive PEDs for the rest of the series. Aka *going off cruise control and kicking into another gear*.

Parker may or may not be good today. Agree, it's the 2nd half where his injury my slow him down too much. Will Poppy have faith in the bench and play team ball? Or sulk and ride Tony to a loss then give the deadpan bull in the interview while you Poppers all say "there is nothing we could have done". I hope not.
Ditto GNob. If he is playing like ass again, use the bench Poppy .

Stern unleashing Heatref?. Yeah, a chance of that and if so we will prolly be robbed again.

Team Ball and we got Game 5.

[blkroadrunners]

Half and half tbh

[gnsf0946]

i don't care anymore, in order to win it all we have to either win 2 in a row or game 7 in Miami

with 2 out of 3 games left are played in Miami I don't see us beating Miami 2 times in a row at this point, and I think we can all agree we aren't beating Miami in game 7 if for anything else but the refs

we had a chance in game 4, we blew it, hopefully we take them to 7 so we don't have to read "greatest team ever?" articles

[CGD]

If MIA wins the series, Revisionist ESPN historians will proclaim that the Spurs were no match. We all know, and the heat know, this series was a toss up from game one. Like that, I think game 5 is a toss up as well. All we can do is believe. GSG.

[m33p0]

our chances of winning 2 games in miami is slim to none. and slim just left town. i'm sure our guys know this. they'll give it their all.

[TheGreatYacht]

I hope I'm wrong...I really hope I'm wrong. But I get the feeling the NBA does NOT want to be James in a 3-2 position heading back home since he is an epic choker under these situations. I am going to say the officials magically get Timmy and Parker in foul trouble and the Heat steal this game. Comes down to the wire.

I've heard of other people say this too especially Spurs fans that do not live in San Antonio. I sincerely hope you're wrong. I hope that the officials are fair and that they let both teams play and decide the outcome of the game. The less whistles blown, the better. If anything I hope the officiating favors the home team tonight.

[RD2191]

Rumor has it Heat have won 42 of 46 when Wade scores 20 or more. Gotta keep him in check.

[TheGreatYacht]

The Spurs are not intimidated by Miami, but they are intimidated by the officials. They need to forget about the officials, and play hard even if they get called for 30-40 fouls. Playing to not get called allows too much room for Miami. Splitter needs to throw some elbows even he gets hit with a tech. They have to take the physical play to the next level.

LMAO this will never happen. Not part of the Spurs philosophy. Spurs are too classy and I mean it in a bad way. I wish Pop would complain a little harder to the officials and even get fined for criticizing the officials.

[Crookshanks]

This is a must win for the Spurs. And I think we see a much better game from Manu tonight. He's such a compe or, and he knows better than anyone that he's been stinking it up lately. If the game is called fairly and evenly, then I think the Spurs will win.

[silverblk mystix]

I am very in' confident that I won't see any playing time tonight...

I am not so confident that Pop will stay big and play TD/Tiago and allow the NBA's best big defensive tandem to do what they did all year- Unfortunately - I am confident that Pop will discard the above and "go micro" to help Miami like he did the last game.

But I am a homer so I am still predicting a Spurs win tonight.

[Capt Bringdown]

If we were in mid-season form, high hopes.
But now with Manu's astonishing decline and Tony's injury, we're in it's-gonna-take-a-miracle territory.
I see zero chance for a le now.

[Proxy]

Heat played as good as they can last game... Spurs were flat and they know that. Two days off... they'll play better. Manu doesn't need to score necessarily, but team needs him to be a spark and for Tiago to play smart under the rim instead of playing timidly. Spurs'll get the win and have two chances to win in Miami.

[GrandeDavid]

I'm supremely confident the Spurs will win tonight but if not then oh well. Life goes on and it's been a great ride! Who really knows and who could make even the slightest educated assumption about what will happen. Wouldn't surprise me if the Spurs won by one or thirty and, likewise, wouldn't surprise me if Miami ran the Spurs out of the gym.

End of the day we can only hope that the round thing leaving guys' hands actually settles into the net more often than the opposition. Should be entertaining regardless!

[xellos88330]

I actually feel pretty good heading into the game to the point where I am expecting the Spurs to win in a blowout.

[Keepin' it real]

I thought back to my confidence level before Game 5 of the 2005 Finals. Same situation 2-2, but:

• That was a road game
• The Spurs were coming off a 30 point ass-kicking (remember Pop counseling a despondent Duncan on the bench in Game 4?)
• Ginobili was in his prime but injured

So my confidence level was LOW. But Timmy rose to the occasion, played his best game of that Finals and delivered a 26-19 effort , then Robert Horry came out of nowhere and saved the Spurs' season.

This year, we have no Robert Horry, but maybe the aggregate of Danny Green, Gary Neal and Manu can match the big shots and intangible plays by Horry. And we'll see if Timmy can summon one more herculean performance for the ages.

Oh, and to answer the question, my confidence level is 75-80% that the Spurs will win.

[EVAY]

I'm scared out of my mind.

I fear that they figured something out about us prior to the last game, or else they were so embarrassed by the blowout we gave them in game 3 they decided not to let their collective foot off the gas again.

I really really hope we win. If we do not, I have never been more proud of a team that I rooted for in my life than I am this Spurs team.

[m33p0]

This is me pre-game


this is me after the game

[therealtruth]

The Spurs are not intimidated by Miami, but they are intimidated by the officials. They need to forget about the officials, and play hard even if they get called for 30-40 fouls. Playing to not get called allows too much room for Miami. Splitter needs to throw some elbows even he gets hit with a tech. They have to take the physical play to the next level.

I agree the team has played a little too soft. If Lebron/Wade are about to get a layup they need to be fouled hard.

[HI-FI]

I feel alright. I feel like our guys, including coaches, know what's at stake and play balls to the wall. They will represent, so i feel good about our will and purpose.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

If Parker was 100% I'd be very confident, but without that there are too many question marks... can TP be effective while not hurting himself worse? Does Timmy have another 20/14/4 in him? Can Manu give us anything? Is one of the role players (Leonard, Green, Neal, Diaw, Splitter) ready to step up and surprise us with a big game? Will the Heat's D remain at Superman level? Will the Heat's Big 3 all show up again? etc

Honestly, I don't have a clue what's going to happen today, but in my blood I feel another Horry game, this time with Leonard playing hero. Let's hope that's the case and the Spurs can go to Miami with 2 chances to win it.

GO SPURS GO!!!