Spurs: Christ, why are the Spurs so historically bad at holding big leads?

[midnightpulp]

Well, not historically in the sense going back to Gervin and Co., but the Pop-era Spurs have been terrible at holding big leads since about the '03 season, which I remember as a very frustrating experience (even though we won the le, which we probably wouldn't have if Horry's shot fell, which was a result of blown 25 pt 3rd quarter lead).

I can get blowing big 1st half leads. Happens all the time. But the Spurs are special when it comes to giving up a 15+ point lead in the second half. I know the Spurs have been more clutch than choke, 4 les is evidence of that, but I can't count how many games played out like tonight's. Spurs go up big, blow the lead, and then barely hang on.

My instinct tells me to blame the rotations. Pop has never been one to stomp on the throat at the beginning of the 4th when the Spurs are up 10-15 points. He always starts with the bench and plays them way too long until an 8-0 run by the other team forces his hand.

Thoughts?

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Well, not historically in the sense going back to Gervin and Co., but the Pop-era Spurs have been terrible at holding big leads since about the '03 season, which I remember as a very frustrating experience (even though we won the le, which we probably wouldn't have if Horry's shot fell, which was a result of blown 25 pt 3rd quarter lead).

I can get blowing big 1st half leads. Happens all the time. But the Spurs are special when it comes to giving up a 15+ point lead in the second half. I know the Spurs have been more clutch than choke, 4 les is evidence of that, but I can't count how many games played out like tonight's. Spurs go up big, blow the lead, and then barely hang on.

My instinct tells me to blame the rotations. Pop has never been one to stomp on the throat at the beginning of the 4th when the Spurs are up 10-15 points. He always starts with the bench and plays them way too long until an 8-0 run by the other team forces his hand.

Thoughts?

Their loss in game 3 was their first loss of the entire year when a game is decided by 3 points or less.

[midnightpulp]

Their loss in game 3 was their first loss of the entire year when a game is decided by 3 points or less.

Blowing big lead=/=losing the game. Yeah, scoreboard and all that, but the Spurs love to make it hard on themselves. Go up big and then get themselves into a nailbiter in crunch time.

[wtgspurs]

Its true...like the 2012 OKC series...

[MI21]

Well, not historically in the sense going back to Gervin and Co., but the Pop-era Spurs have been terrible at holding big leads since about the '03 season, which I remember as a very frustrating experience (even though we won the le, which we probably wouldn't have if Horry's shot fell, which was a result of blown 25 pt 3rd quarter lead).

I can get blowing big 1st half leads. Happens all the time. But the Spurs are special when it comes to giving up a 15+ point lead in the second half. I know the Spurs have been more clutch than choke, 4 les is evidence of that, but I can't count how many games played out like tonight's. Spurs go up big, blow the lead, and then barely hang on.

My instinct tells me to blame the rotations. Pop has never been one to stomp on the throat at the beginning of the 4th when the Spurs are up 10-15 points. He always starts with the bench and plays them way too long until an 8-0 run by the other team forces his hand.

Thoughts?

Game 1 2008 WCF sucked , that one was on Pop as well for benching Bowen with foul trouble when LA were nearly gone. That whole season could of been different if not for that.

[TDMVPDPOY]

big leads, means certain players can go into chuck mode to chase their own individual stats at the expense of the overall team objective

we all know who is the common variance in these situations

[Expert]

Good teams will make scoring runs. That's what a big lead is for, to absorb it. You don't need any points other than the 1 more than them you used to win the game. Teams cannot play full bore for 48 minutes and you're not going to keep an offensive team like Dallas down. Spurs started off ty else they'd have been up by 25+ at the break. They were down 10 before they went on that tear and took a 15pt lead into the break.

[TDfan2007]

I've long wondered about this too. One reason why is that Pop is not that great with in-game adjustments, and the Spurs never really had a perimeter player with that supreme confidence and clutch gene until Manu circa 20p5-2011. But honestly there's no good answer. The Pop era Spurs have just about as many epic comebacks as they do epic choke jobs. Really baffling fact...

[The Reckoning]

spurs can't slow the pace of the game for . someone always turns it over.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Good teams will make scoring runs. That's what a big lead is for, to absorb it. You don't need any points other than the 1 more than them you used to win the game. Teams cannot play full bore for 48 minutes and you're not going to keep an offensive team like Dallas down. Spurs started off ty else they'd have been up by 25+ at the break. They were down 10 before they went on that tear and took a 15pt lead into the break.

enrique panicks alot in big leads when his the man responsible for chucking the game away with his own individual goals

[Expert]

enrique panicks alot in big leads when his the man responsible for chucking the game away with his own individual goals

Not really. The Spurs change their attack when they are up big, mostly because Pop puts in ty players to experiment. They weren't up big tonight. 20 points is not a big lead in the 2nd quarter of a playoff game on the road. It's better than being down 20, but Spurs have lost 22pt 1st quarter leads in the 2nd quarter.

[Clipper Nation]

Enrique is simply a playoff choker when he's expected to play the alpha role, tbh.....

[Budkin]

The Big 3 get comfortable with big leads and the aggression gets flushed down the ter. Always been that way.

[ElNono]

Enrique is simply a playoff choker when he's expected to play the alpha role, tbh.....

What do you have to say about my client now?

[Clipper Nation]

What do you have to say about my client now?

He'll turn it over 15 times next game and brick all his free throws, tbh....

[Expert]

Enrique is simply a playoff choker when he's expected to play the alpha role, tbh.....

Why should he play the alpha role? He's the PG. Teams with PGs as their best player historically don't fare well in the playoffs. Maybe he knows that. How's det racism thing working out btw?

[TDMVPDPOY]

Why should he play the alpha role? He's the PG. Teams with PGs as their best player historically don't fare well in the playoffs. Maybe he knows that. How's det racism thing working out btw?

you forgot the part where he goes away from the hot hand

out of all the playoff losses where duncan just flat out dominates in the first half only to see his touches dry up in t he 2nd half for no apparent reason, not even certain if his deferring, but there has to be a case where he steps in tell them chuckers to stop chucking and go back into him....this fkn has been a reoccuring event in every playoff game, blind s upstairs wont address the issue cause they busy focusing on a clutch basket after blowing continuous possessions

[DMX7]

53-1 this season when leading after 3 quarters....

[mercos]

The Spurs get very conservative offensively when they are up big. They often go into "run out the clock mode" way too early. Though they are often clutch at the end of close games, they do seem to panic when teams make a run on them in the third and early fourth quarter.

[Franklin]

A win is a win and I'm happy with the results. Just like I said we're still trying to adapt to the rhythm of playoffs and it's very lucky of us that the series is tied 2-2. We'll only get better as the playoffs progress, better consistency and better efficiency. WCF will be another tough challenge to us facing either OKC or monkeyball, but I believe we will once again survive and you'll see a rematch of Spurs and Heat in the 2014 NBA finals, where we all will be proud of our team despite the final results...

[TDMVPDPOY]

prown to premature ejaculations, still didnt get that fix since 6 apparently

[Kool Bob Love]

A win is a win and I'm happy with the results. Just like I said we're still trying to adapt to the rhythm of playoffs and it's very lucky of us that the series is tied 2-2. We'll only get better as the playoffs progress, better consistency and better efficiency. WCF will be another tough challenge to us facing either OKC or monkeyball, but I believe we will once again survive and you'll see a rematch of Spurs and Heat in the 2014 NBA finals, where we all will be proud of our team despite the final results...

aren't you a mavs fan? Or a kobe fan? I don't know.

[scanry]

Well, not historically in the sense going back to Gervin and Co., but the Pop-era Spurs have been terrible at holding big leads since about the '03 season, which I remember as a very frustrating experience (even though we won the le, which we probably wouldn't have if Horry's shot fell, which was a result of blown 25 pt 3rd quarter lead).

I can get blowing big 1st half leads. Happens all the time. But the Spurs are special when it comes to giving up a 15+ point lead in the second half. I know the Spurs have been more clutch than choke, 4 les is evidence of that, but I can't count how many games played out like tonight's. Spurs go up big, blow the lead, and then barely hang on.

My instinct tells me to blame the rotations. Pop has never been one to stomp on the throat at the beginning of the 4th when the Spurs are up 10-15 points. He always starts with the bench and plays them way too long until an 8-0 run by the other team forces his hand.

Thoughts?

Man that 03 run was so epic cause we lost leads like crazy in every darn series throughout the playoffs and still had the poise to finish team off. I mean if we look at it.

Round 1 - Phx
Should've been a sweep as we gave away G1 & G4.

Round 2 - LAL
G4 - This Spurs couldn't take care of the Lakers despite going into the half up 7. The Spurs even out shot the Lakers.

WCF - Dallas
G1 - Was in the bag when Finley, Dirk & Nash went nuts.
G5 - Were up huge in the 3rd (15+) and they came back.

My favorite le run by far cause Tim was in his prime and looked unbeatable. Also felt good dispatching the 3 peat Lakers. I do think the 11' Dallas run tops this cause they were on a very similar feat and Dirk was ballin out of his mind. Pop & Carlisle also coached their a$$es off that post season.

[smaka]

big leads, means certain players can go into chuck mode to chase their own individual stats at the expense of the overall team objective

we all know who is the common variance in these situations

Your posts are always something special

[313]

Man that 03 run was so epic cause we lost leads like crazy in every darn series throughout the playoffs and still had the poise to finish team off. I mean if we look at it.

Round 1 - Phx
Should've been a sweep as we gave away G1 & G4.

Round 2 - LAL
G4 - This Spurs couldn't take care of the Lakers despite going into the half up 7. The Spurs even out shot the Lakers.

WCF - Dallas
G1 - Was in the bag when Finley, Dirk & Nash went nuts.
G5 - Were up huge in the 3rd (15+) and they came back.

My favorite le run by far cause Tim was in his prime and looked unbeatable. Also felt good dispatching the 3 peat Lakers. I do think the 11' Dallas run tops this cause they were on a very similar feat and Dirk was ballin out of his mind. Pop & Carlisle also coached their a$$es off that post season.

06 would have been up there if not for the and 1