First half: Classic, 90's PHYSICAL playoff basketball. Second half: Travesty

[Spurs7794]

During the first half of this game, I was in awe watching the game. Both teams playing physical...it felt like each and every play had to be earned, the defense was everywhere and it felt like a game from the 90's. It was amazing.

Second half, the pussification of the NBA was in full force as the refs did what they do in ANY blowout now...get whistle happy. Lets call every ing ticky tack foul because we NEED to keep the game clean...which coincides with the Spurs losing their rhythm. And don't even get me started about that travesty of a flagrant. Basically, the NBA is saying "yeahhhh don't play to win, you have to play nice down the stretch of playoff games, so that everyone is happy." ing joke of a second half.

Spurs didn't help matters by becoming jumpshot happy.

[Gospursel]

I'm almost with you. The first half was some of the best Spurs basketball i've seen in years. We played great defense and were able to score against a great defense. But how can we blame the meltdown of the second half on the refs? Spurs let up on defense and frankly decided that they'd already won the game. Spurs play the second half at 80% of the first - its a blowout.

[Spurs7794]

I usually am the last person to blame the refs and I'm not saying they were against the Spurs per se. My problem was more that the NBA is now a league where the refs are told to clean up the game in blowouts which led to ticky tack fouls in the 3rd. Unfortunately, that led to our momentum sort of halting. And the NBA is a league where flagrants are tossed around like NOTHING.

With all that said, I absolutely think the Spurs played like in the second half and should only blame themselves. My comment was more my feelings on where this damn league has been going lately.

[Brunodf]

2nd half= Refs+Bonner+Neal+Pop brain farts

[Andthentherewas21]

I'm almost with you. The first half was some of the best Spurs basketball i've seen in years. We played great defense and were able to score against a great defense. But how can we blame the meltdown of the second half on the refs? Spurs let up on defense and frankly decided that they'd already won the game. Spurs play the second half at 80% of the first - its a blowout.

I wouldn't put it all on the refs, the Spurs have their fair share of the blame, but the game was called completely differently in the 2nd half to the detriment of the Spurs. As I pointed out in another thread, there is definitely something up when the most "physical" big on the court (aka Zbo and his pushes on rebounds, posting, ect) comes away with the fewest fouls of all the bigs for either team.

Again Spurs had their own issues but the shift in the officiating was obvious between the two halves and it favored the Grizzlies.

[T Park]

2nd half= Refs+Bonner+Neal+Pop brain farts

+ no ball movement, no aggression. But hey why stop at cool memes.