Game Thread: Spurs vs Cavs — Thurs. (3/28) - 7:30/C (2:30am Riga Time) + Manu’s Jersey Retirement Ceremony

[Play Boban]

Never forget. Never forgive.

[Kobe'sAchilles]

Yes, but you could say the same about that Mav team. They were very, very good.

Except we weren't made to beat the Mavs at all. They were made to beat us. They found a PG who could keep up with Tony and Dirk was unguardable by both Duncan (too slow) and Bowen (too small). Also we had no one to guard Howard. There weakness was that nobody won before and Dirk folded and then the entire team folded to the pressure in the finals. Timmy never once folded in the finals. Heat were a dream match up for us tbh. They had old man Payton and Alonzo mourning to guard TP and Timmy. Or Haslem lol. We had Bowen on Wade that would make him work for his points. And Shaq wasn't as good as he once was

[Mugen]

Please god let the Cavs win tonight. It'll be the wake up call this POS franchise and this loser fanbase needs tbh.

Sucks it would happen on Manu's night but I doubt he cares whether the team wins or not when the coach probably doesn't even give a .

Go Cavs Go!

[Spurs fever]

He seems more celebrated than Timmy....

[GreekSpursfan]

I met Emanuel David Ginóbili when he was a rookie for our Spurs 16,5 years ago. We had just drafted Tony the year before and after a disappointing shutdown of the Alamodome by the hands of them Fakers ending our '02 playoffs (I was in the building when it happened), we were about to start something special in our brand new SBC Center barn.

Manu made an appearance at a local iHop restaurant and me and my SA posse were sure to be there. We stood in line for hours and hours in the blistering Texas heat, but soon it would all be worth it. Just before we got there I had purchased a cool Spurs basketball from the Spurs fan shop celebrating the opening of the SBC Center. The cashier looked kinda weird when I said I didn´t need any air in it (well I needed to get it in my suitcase travelling back to Holland)!

I took pictures of my friends posing with Manu when it was their turn for the meet and greet. Sadly no picture of my meeting with the skinny kid from Argentina were taken. The meeting will stay with me forever in my memory though. I got to tell Manu back than already, that I loved to watch him play. He answered that he appreciated that and we shook hands. He signed my basketball and I wished him good luck during his rookie year. Now I don’t wanna say it was my good luck wish that was responsible for the Hall of Fame career of El Contusion, but it sure didn’t jinx him!

The next day I would get to watch Manu for the 1st time live in person vs. the Cleveland Caveliers. I have been blessed to be able to watch many more of Manu’s games live in person over the years in San Antonio, L.A., Dallas, Paris and Berlin.
Tonight Manu’s jersey will be raised to the rafters of the at&t center after we have beaten the Cavs again.
No need for me to write anything about what Manu has meant to me, all Spurs fans, global basketball fans, the country of Argentina and a certain bat.

GRACIAS MANU!

A true Spurs fan tbh.

[Millennial_Messiah]

Except we weren't made to beat the Mavs at all. They were made to beat us. They found a PG who could keep up with Tony and Dirk was unguardable by both Duncan (too slow) and Bowen (too small). Also we had no one to guard Howard. There weakness was that nobody won before and Dirk folded and then the entire team folded to the pressure in the finals. Timmy never once folded in the finals. Heat were a dream match up for us tbh. They had old man Payton and Alonzo mourning to guard TP and Timmy. Or Haslem lol. We had Bowen on Wade that would make him work for his points. And Shaq wasn't as good as he once was

As per the eye test the Mavs were way better than we were, not just that series but that whole season. That series the Mavs dominated our overmatched selves and we were extremely lucky to even make it to game 7. If Terry wasn't an idiot they would have finished us in 6. Even so the Mavs dominated game 7 until all their bigs got in foul trouble by the end of the 3rd quarter giving Duncan room to score at will and bring us back to even. Then Manu hit the big three which people always forget about when he gave it back on the next possession.

Overtime we should have won, but it was Duncan who curled up into the fetal position against seldom-used reserve big Deseagana Diop (who??) and couldn't score on that guy for some reason.

[Ron Swanson]

Don't lose on Manu's night.

[Kobe'sAchilles]

As per the eye test the Mavs were way better than we were, not just that series but that whole season. That series the Mavs dominated our overmatched selves and we were extremely lucky to even make it to game 7. If Terry wasn't an idiot they would have finished us in 6. Even so the Mavs dominated game 7 until all their bigs got in foul trouble by the end of the 3rd quarter giving Duncan room to score at will and bring us back to even. Then Manu hit the big three which people always forget about when he gave it back on the next possession.

Overtime we should have won, but it was Duncan who curled up into the fetal position against seldom-used reserve big Deseagana Diop (who??) and couldn't score on that guy for some reason.

Duncan had 40 and 20 in that game. Probably just ran out of gas. It's not NBA 2k kid. He played a lot of basketball at that point. Nobody forgot that Manu hit the 3 to put us up. He was a monster that game. But it coined the phrase you live by the Manu and died by the Manu. Also it was just an all time Spur stupid play (a long with Stricklands pass).

[$pursDynasty]

I think it was because he realized that for every boneheaded play, he may 5 great plays. He learned to live with boneheaded plays to avoid missing out on the more common great plays that he made.

That makes sense when talking about role players like SJAX or Diaw, but the point was Pop didn't hold back from berating players even greater than Manu, (the other members of the big 3), that's where the argument falls short for me at least. Not the day to criticize the legend though. My favorite memory off top of my head is hitting the shot to win that Warriors game in the WC semifinals.

[spurraider21]

Please god let the Cavs win tonight. It'll be the wake up call this POS franchise and this loser fanbase needs tbh.

Sucks it would happen on Manu's night but I doubt he cares whether the team wins or not when the coach probably doesn't even give a .

Go Cavs Go!

sad puppy

thats a self fulfilling prophecy breh.

[Roscoe P. Coltrane]

Thought this was pretty good.

[BatManu20]

[SpurPadre]

Where's the Tony Parker one? Have they withheld because he gives a back-handed compliment or uses as self promotion?

He gave a backhanded compliment? Not that it surprises me but I figured he wouldn't do it on Manu's night.

[BatManu20]

[BatManu20]

[BatManu20]

[BatManu20]

[BatManu20]

[BatManu20]

[SpurPadre]

That red-headed piece of can't even do that right.

[BatManu20]

[BatManu20]

[BatManu20]

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

GRACIAS MANU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BatManu20]