Dominant 4th on a back to back!

[Rummpd]

Looking at the score and box, Parker with a bounceback game and Spurs rolling.

Most impressive is that on the 2nd of a back to back = Rolling in the 4th.

This is an awesome friggin team!

MadDoc

[Brodels]

Yeah, and if they keep thinking they can turn up the heat at the end and compensate for three quarters of crappy play every game, they are in for a rude awakening.

It's fine against the Celtics and Sixers, but it isn't going to work against the good teams. The Celtics have collapsed all year at the end of games. The Spurs haven't put together three consecutive quarters of good basketball in a while.

Don't get me wrong. It's nice to see them turn it up at the end after seeing them struggle to close out games for so many years. But I still think this team is a little bit too arrogant right now. They need to play good basketball for more than a quarter.

I think they will, but they have a ways to go before they are championship quality.

[ShoogarBear]

On the positive side: Both the last two games are games they would have lost last year. And both of these games were won because in the 4th quarter the suddenly said "hey, we're the Spurs, we should win this game". (Plus the Celtics seem to say "hey, these are the Spurs, we can't beat them!") Historically, only the great NBA teams are able to do that.

On the minus side, you're right, Brodels, they won't beat the Wolves, Mavs, Pacers, or Pistons this way.

[Brodels]

(Plus the Celtics seem to say "hey, these are the Spurs, we can't beat them!")

As they should. More than any team in the league, the Celtics are the Spurs' .

I'm from New England and many of my friends are Celtics fans. I gain great satisfaction from all of these wins over the Celtics.

But it is encouraging that they are winning in the fourth. We'll see what happens against Minny in a few days. They will need to play strong second and third quarters.

[TheWriter]

Um... two dominating fourth qts on the road is impressive no matter how you look at it.

[ducks]

I think that boston got 2 field goals from the field with 2 minutes left in the game
talk about great d

[Brodels]

Um... two dominating fourth qts on the road is impressive no matter how you look at it.

Nobody said that it wasn't.

All I'm saying is that the Spurs can't continue to play poorly for three quarters and hope to catch up in the fourth quarter. They haven't put together three good quarters in a game for a few games now.

You've got to play good for three or four quarters to win on the road against good teams. I think the Spurs have it in them, but they still need to do it. And they haven't yet.

[ducks]

I think they will play a full 48 minutes when they actually play a decent team

[Rummpd]

Agree with Ducks!

MadDoc

[Guru of Nothing]

Yeah, and if they keep thinking they can turn up the heat at the end and compensate for three quarters of crappy play every game, they are in for a rude awakening.

It's fine against the Celtics and Sixers, but it isn't going to work against the good teams. The Celtics have collapsed all year at the end of games. The Spurs haven't put together three consecutive quarters of good basketball in a while.

Don't get me wrong. It's nice to see them turn it up at the end after seeing them struggle to close out games for so many years. But I still think this team is a little bit too arrogant right now. They need to play good basketball for more than a quarter.

I think they will, but they have a ways to go before they are championship quality.

You see bad basketball, I see progress. Tonight's game (and last night's) are precisely the kind of games the Spurs would lose in previous seasons - the ones in which they are heavily favored, yet inexplicably lose. I'm thinking Hawks last year; the Bulls 3 seasons ago (to name 2).

They closed out road games on back-to-back nights with dominating 4th quarters.

As for the "this won't fly against Minnesota" argument, it is November.

[grjr]

As they should. More than any team in the league, the Celtics are the Spurs' .

Spurs/Celtics/Duncan/Parker..."The Curse of the Pitino"

[ShoogarBear]

As they should. More than any team in the league, the Celtics are the Spurs' .

Tell me about it. I lived in Boston for 17 years. Was there for all the Larry Bird years.

The Celtics could go 0-82 for the rest of the decade and I'd still despise them.

[exstatic]

All I'm saying is that the Spurs can't continue to play poorly for three quarters and hope to catch up in the fourth quarter.

Better than their usual play three quarters and forget how to play in the fourth early season woes. These are road games, and they did break the Philly streak, and close out both games decisively.

[Brodels]

You see bad basketball, I see progress. Tonight's game (and last night's) are precisely the kind of games the Spurs would lose in previous seasons - the ones in which they are heavily favored, yet inexplicably lose. I'm thinking Hawks last year; the Bulls 3 seasons ago (to name 2).

They closed out road games on back-to-back nights with dominating 4th quarters.

As for the "this won't fly against Minnesota" argument, it is November.

I'm not saying that the Spurs won't get there. But some people talk as if the Spurs are already championship quality. All I'm saying is that there is still a significant gap between how the team is playing now and how they will have to play to win a le. And they can't beat good teams unless they bring it for an entire four quarters. They haven't done that lately. Will they? It's a long season and they very well might.

We've always assumed that the Spurs will make huge strides during the regular season before peaking in March. The Spurs are playing better now than they have in previous Novembers, so it will be interesting to see how they progress.

They still will need to make those strides.

[xcoriate]

Brodels I completely agree, we are not there yet. Sure its November and we all understand that and while I have no doubt that the team will grow as the season progresses it is yet to happen.

[spurster]

Geez, Brodels, it's not time for the Spurs to turn the switch on yet.

[Nikos]

I don't see this game as a negative. I was at the game and I must admit, the Spurs did look bad in the first three quarters. But they made a nice comeback where they probably could have folded. With Duncan on the bench they inched their way back in. Payton and Pierce were hot. It's not like they didn't work hard for the win.

I could have easily seen them losing this and packing it in. But they played hard and executed very well starting before the end of the 3rd quarter. Good win. Sure they did not look great, but that is getting picky at this point.

[TwoHandJam]

Don't get me wrong. It's nice to see them turn it up at the end after seeing them struggle to close out games for so many years. But I still think this team is a little bit too arrogant right now. They need to play good basketball for more than a quarter.

I tend to agree. Pop noticed the arrogance with this team in the early loss to the Sonics. I'm also very pleased to see them showing killer instinct in fourth quarters this early in the season but their play has seemed undisciplined of late in the first three quarters of games. You cannot afford to play with fire, especially on the road. The good teams will not allow you to erase a 13 point deficit in the fourth quarter easily, if at all.

[ShoogarBear]

The other nice thing was the way they cut the gap to 7 at the end of the third with Duncan on the bench.

[boutons]

Shut up Brodels. 2nd night of a B2B on the road, in goddam November, against a frickin lottery team. It took them a while to find the engergy, but arrogance is not the word.

[Solid D]

The bench shook them out of their softness tonight. The worst rebounding team was killing the Spurs on the boards. Devin replaced Bruce and Horry replaced Rasho then Malik replaced Tim and Brent replaced Manu. Udrih wasn't cutting it so Pop put Tony in there with the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th men and BINGO. The Spurs went from 11 down in the 3rd quarter to taking the lead with that squad.

Malik second-efforts a rebound and putback, Devin dribble drives and scores the lead is down to 7. Start of 4th quarter - bang Horry hits a dagger 3 and the Boston margin is now 4. Tony hits a 3 and it's a 1-pt. game!!! Malik muscles in another one with great footwork and the Spurs have the lead with the benchmob doing the trick.

Rasho and Udrih sat with the other stars and watched what unfolded. The great shakeup that completely undid the Celts.

Well, in comes the starters and Bowen drapes Paul Pierce, Manu and Tim go to town and its a rout. Another 33 point quarter. Crazy, crazy game.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

The Spurs played a game tonight?

[GoSpurs21]

as long as the Spurs can continue to turn it up a couple of gears in the 4th quarter like they have this past couple games I am happy

dam these guys are playing kick ass defense and offense in the 4th quarter this year

my wife was all upset in the 3rd quarter and I kept telling her there is plenty of time left in the game...we still have the 4th quarter. Even in the Seattle game I thought the Spurs would win

dam I love watching this team