2013 NBA playoff thread

[WV Cowboy]

I hope he tears every ligament in his knee and never scores another bucket.

Wow, .. such class.

 

[juck]

This is so painful, I haven't felt this way in my entire life outside of relatives dying. It's more painful than any girl heartbreak I've ever had. I think you guys know that I love the spurs about as much as anyone can love a team, I'm not a bandwagon fan, I truly care about them. And I honestly don't know at this moment if I can continue to watch the nba in general anymore. It's not because I'm jumping the bandwagon, but I just don't want to feel this way. This is more painful than .4 or Manu fouling dirk in 06. We might have won the title those years, but who knows, injuries, other teams beating us, etc. But this was literally it. We had the title and just let it slip away.

We aren't like the lakers or the celtics, just destined to have great teams all the time. We aren't New York, Chicago, or even Dallas, where we can build a championship caliber team through free agency. This isn't baseball, Hispanic players that would be attracted to SA don't exist in this sport. We got lucky to have the iceman, he was the reason the NBA took us, and we didn't go the way of the Kentucky colonels or Virginia squires. We got lucky to win the lottery the year David Robinson was in it. And we got extremely lucky to get a era defining talent like Tim Duncan to become such a successful franchise.

I don't know what the future holds for us, 20 years from now the spurs could be a forgotten former championship team. 40 years from now people might not know about us, like people don't know the Milwaukee bucks used to be dominant and won a title, or the Rochester Royals (kings). We might be the team rumored to be moving to whatever the version of Seattle is in 2053.

I feel so bad for Timmy, wasted a great game, only to see his team choke it away in the end, even with lebron trying to choke it back with his turnovers. Tonight at least made me decide I don't want my kids to be as interested in sports as I am, it's too cruel. I'd rather they be into other things that won't kick them in the stomach so much. Thanks for letting me vent so I could move on from this. I won't be watching game 7 because I know what's going to happen, and you guys can flame me if you want, I prob won't see it anyway.

Dude ,in all seriousness I troll you Spurs fans and what not. But I know how you feel trust me. Look what happened to us in 06 against Miami. And what about our Cowboys. So many kicks in the gut. Trust me Dont risk ur mental wellbeing on a sports team you cannot control. Its just entertainment. U are not playing man.BTW only reason Im rooting for the Heat is cause I bet on them.

 

[juck]

Manu reminds me of Tony Romo. Can make breathtaking plays that no one else can. But also makes stupid, mind-boggling turnovers and mistakes. This goes back to 2006, when he fouled Dirk when we were down by 3. Manu lets Dirk score, and the Spurs probably win the game.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Lot of good observations in this thread...

From an unbiased perspective, I thought both teams played terrible at times which allowed the game to even be that close. Spurs should've run the Heat off the court simply because they turned them into jump shooters and the Heat couldn't buy a shot.

Duncan carried them and definitely earned every bit of props he has gotten because of it. But Manu and Parker disappeared for long stretches...until the 4th quarter which got them the lead again.

However, on that last controversial non-call in OT. Ray Allen fouled him, but Manu was totally out of control and traveled all the way to Argentina, that no ref is going to call that. I'll have to re-look at the vid, but I don't think Bosh fouled Danny Green on that block. If the contact was made before the block, then yeah they could've called it. But if it's a all-ball block and contact is AFTER the block, then there's no foul.

The Heat weren't driving the lane. They'd go halfway and then kick it out. They weren't driving and challenging Duncan early on. Wade had his moments, but in the end, he needs to just go rehab his knee, because he's giving them nothing.

On Ray Allen's 3-pter to send the game into OT, Tony Parker actually fouled him, because he didn't allow Ray to land. They could've ended the game right then with a free-throw.

 

[WoodysGirl]

NBA ‏@NBA 56m The @Spurs have taken the floor for today's #NBAFinals practice, live on @NBATV. http://twitpic.com/cy2ywg
"Tomorrow when that ball goes up, we'll all be ready." - Tim Duncan of the @spurs #NBAFinals http://twitpic.com/cy3434
Tony Parker & Manu Ginobili, @Spurs #NBAFinals practice, live on @NBATV. http://twitpic.com/cy317q


J.A. Adande ‏@jadande 54m
Trying to find the word to describe the Spurs walking into practice. Somber?.funereal?
Spurs are all stretching except for Tim Duncan, who I'd say had earned right to do whatever he wants. In fact, he just left.
Spurs are taking the "if someone told you you'd have 1 game for the title..." approach.
Parker said this loss was "a little bit different than .4, because it's the Finals."

 

[Supercowboy1986]

Lot of good observations in this thread...

From an unbiased perspective, I thought both teams played terrible at times which allowed the game to even be that close. Spurs should've run the Heat off the court simply because they turned them into jump shooters and the Heat couldn't buy a shot.

Duncan carried them and definitely earned every bit of props he has gotten because of it. But Manu and Parker disappeared for long stretches...until the 4th quarter which got them the lead again.

However, on that last controversial non-call in OT. Ray Allen fouled him, but Manu was totally out of control and traveled all the way to Argentina, that no ref is going to call that. I'll have to re-look at the vid, but I don't think Bosh fouled Danny Green on that block. If the contact was made before the block, then yeah they could've called it. But if it's a all-ball block and contact is AFTER the block, then there's no foul.

The Heat weren't driving the lane. They'd go halfway and then kick it out. They weren't driving and challenging Duncan early on. Wade had his moments, but in the end, he needs to just go rehab his knee, because he's giving them nothing.

On Ray Allen's 3-pter to send the game into OT, Tony Parker actually fouled him, because he didn't allow Ray to land. They could've ended the game right then with a free-throw.

thats EXACTLY what I said when I saw it live last night. kudos to you WG

either way that shot alone has earned Ray Allen a championship ring with the heat (assuming they win tomorrow, which i hope they do.) On paper signing Ray Allen was a good move but it hasn't translated to the court all year IMO.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Lot of good observations in this thread...

From an unbiased perspective, I thought both teams played terrible at times which allowed the game to even be that close. Spurs should've run the Heat off the court simply because they turned them into jump shooters and the Heat couldn't buy a shot.

Duncan carried them and definitely earned every bit of props he has gotten because of it. But Manu and Parker disappeared for long stretches...until the 4th quarter which got them the lead again.

However, on that last controversial non-call in OT. Ray Allen fouled him, but Manu was totally out of control and traveled all the way to Argentina, that no ref is going to call that. I'll have to re-look at the vid, but I don't think Bosh fouled Danny Green on that block. If the contact was made before the block, then yeah they could've called it. But if it's a all-ball block and contact is AFTER the block, then there's no foul.

The Heat weren't driving the lane. They'd go halfway and then kick it out. They weren't driving and challenging Duncan early on. Wade had his moments, but in the end, he needs to just go rehab his knee, because he's giving them nothing.

On Ray Allen's 3-pter to send the game into OT, Tony Parker actually fouled him, because he didn't allow Ray to land. They could've ended the game right then with a free-throw.

According to the rule, if you block a shot but make contact with your body, it's a foul. I'll say no more on it because you have already said you will go back and look at it and if you actually do that, I am confident you will see that it was a foul.

Having said all of this, it should never have come to that. Spurs choked on this one. I don't think there is any question but of course, there will be.

:laugh2:

 

[WoodysGirl]

According to the rule, if you block a shot but make contact with your body, it's a foul. I'll say no more on it because you have already said you will go back and look at it and if you actually do that, I am confident you will see that it was a foul.

Having said all of this, it should never have come to that. Spurs choked on this one. I don't think there is any question but of course, there will be.

:laugh2:

Looked at it again, Yes he made contact early with his body before the block... Should've been a foul. But not because he made contact along with the block. It's only a foul if there's contact before the block...As far as I know and how I have called games in the past, contact after a block is irrelevant. But you are correct on the Bosh foul.

I look at it the same way I looked at the Ray Allen 3-pter. Parker wasn't called for not allowing Ray Allen to cleanly land.

So ya know, there were more than a few things that weren't called in that game that I don't believe either team benefitted from the officials inconsistency.

 

[jimmy40]

Are you talking about the Ginobili play where he was out of control and traveled with about 5, 6 or 7 steps - that no call?

since when is taking 5,6 or 7 steps in the NBA traveling?

 

[bounce]

This was a tough one. My thoughts are, this wasn't as hard for me as .4, mainly because .4 has made me cautiously excited, rather than all-out until the clock hits zero. If there's time on the clock, anything can happen. Still an absolute gut punch. I'm worse today than I was last night.

My Game 6 thoughts, for what they're worth:

- Yes, there were some terrible missed calls in the closing seconds. The Manu foul and the Green foul were both bad non-calls. That said, I never expect a call to be made in those situations, so I can't be that mad at them. It never happens, against any team.

- Also on officiating, the Spurs had some calls go against them late, but they had a lot of calls go their way in the 3rd.

- Was there a travel on Ginobili? Probably so. The exact same amount of steps that Dwyane Wade took on his crossover, up and over drive earlier in the game against Duncan. Both teams do the Euro-step all the time, and it's rarely called. Both teams got away with one/multiple.

- For all the missed opportunities the Spurs had, don't discount the Heat stepping up. Lebron went into video game mode and was clearly the best player on the planet in the 4th. Ray Allen hit one of the most clutch shots in NBA history. Bosh made great defensive plays. They stepped up more than the Spurs choked.


Game 7 thoughts:

- If there's any team that can rebound after a loss like that, it's the Spurs. They don't get fazed by pressure.

- Pop makes game to game adjustments better than anyone in the league. They'll be ready to play. Has to find a way to free up Danny Green through multiple screens.

- Wade was bad last night, and looked like he was playing hurt the whole time. More pressure on LBJ in G7.

- Duncan's knee concerns the hell out of me.

- Home court advantage is pretty null when you have a bunch of casual fans who bail out when it looks tough. Not worried about the crowd energy. They can be taken out of it very easily.

 

[Gemini Dolly]

I think the Manu non foul was the correct call. He did take like 4-5 steps with hands all over him. So they cancel each other out. Thats how it goes in the NBA, right?

The Green last second three did look like a foul on one angle, but they showed it again, and it looked like a block.


Bottom line, the referrees had nothing to do with the Spurs blowing a 5 point lead with 30 seconds left. Missed free throws and lack of rebounding did them in.

 

[bounce]

I think the Manu non foul was the correct call. He did take like 4-5 steps with hands all over him. So they cancel each other out. Thats how it goes in the NBA, right?

The Green last second three did look like a foul on one angle, but they showed it again, and it looked like a block.


Bottom line, the referrees had nothing to do with the Spurs blowing a 5 point lead with 30 seconds left. Missed free throws and lack of rebounding did them in.

I wasn't upset about the Manu non-call, because calls like that are never made at the end of games, especially big games. They never have been, they never will be.

The BLOCK on Green was totally clean - the body slamming into him wasn't clean at all. Look at it from this angle. Bosh has hit him so hard his left leg is being pushed back and he's being twisted.

Agreed on the 3rd point. Can't really fault Pop for not having Duncan in on the Ray Allen 3p, though. He had to go with a lineup to deny the 3pt shot. The first one, not a potential second one. They defended the first shot (by James) and Bosh got the board and kicked it to Allen. But, you can't prevent everything. It was a gamble that didn't work, but I understand it.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I wasn't upset about the Manu non-call, because calls like that are never made at the end of games, especially big games. They never have been, they never will be.

The BLOCK on Green was totally clean - the body slamming into him wasn't clean at all. Look at it from this angle. Bosh has hit him so hard his left leg is being pushed back and he's being twisted.

Agreed on the 3rd point. Can't really fault Pop for not having Duncan in on the Ray Allen 3p, though. He had to go with a lineup to deny the 3pt shot. The first one, not a potential second one. They defended the first shot (by James) and Bosh got the board and kicked it to Allen. But, you can't prevent everything. It was a gamble that didn't work, but I understand it.

I think Pop mad a mistake there at the end of the game because he didn't have enough 3 pt shooters on the floor. If he had substituted for some shooters, I don't think Bosh is able to come off his man and just disregard him as a threat. He probably has to stick closer and that prevents him from trailing Green on the play. Does Green make the shot? Who knows but I do think it was an error not to have enough guys on the floor to keep the defense honest in defending the arce.

 

[Gemini Dolly]

What are the chances back to back games come down to the final possessions?

I hope Game 7 is just as thrilling.


What I do not want is for the Spurs to come out somber and flat and this getting out of hand quickly.

You know the Heat are coming out with intense energy. I hope the Spurs still have some in the tank.

 

[khiladi]

Ginobli pulled a John Starks, game 7 against Houston routine...

 

[ghst187]

why not just ask Stern aka Vince McMahon who will win because I'm pretty sure he has the outcome scripted.
The tiny fig leaf that keeps me from full blown belief the NBA is tainted will be completely removed if the Heat win game 7.
The Spurs aren't that marketable and Stern gets a bigger bonus if the Heat win.
I was able to predict every game's outcome plus whether or not the spread would be covered plus in 3 cases which player would have a huge game on the winning team dating to game 7 of the eastern conference finals. I'm not that good of an analyst or maybe I should've been betting money.....or...more likely there's semblance of a scripted performance>

 

[Red Dragon]

If the Spurs lose Game 7, then Game 6 easily goes down as the worst defeat in Spurs history.


If the Spurs win Game 7, then Game 7 would go down as one of the greatest victories in Spurs history.

 

[Gemini Dolly]

If the Spurs can win a Game 7 road game for the 'ship, then they have big cojones.

I mean, I already figured they have big cojones, but BIGGER ones if they pull this off.

Its going to be tough.


Now, if Lebron wins his 2nd 'ship in a row, will the critics go to sleep for a while? Give the man his due. Hes a beast.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

why not just ask Stern aka Vince McMahon who will win because I'm pretty sure he has the outcome scripted.
The tiny fig leaf that keeps me from full blown belief the NBA is tainted will be completely removed if the Heat win game 7.
The Spurs aren't that marketable and Stern gets a bigger bonus if the Heat win.
I was able to predict every game's outcome plus whether or not the spread would be covered plus in 3 cases which player would have a huge game on the winning team dating to game 7 of the eastern conference finals. I'm not that good of an analyst or maybe I should've been betting money.....or...more likely there's semblance of a scripted performance>

How could that game ending be scripted by anyone ahead of time?

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Are you talking about the Ginobili play where he was out of control and traveled with about 5, 6 or 7 steps - that no call?

It was pretty much 3 steps, 4 max.. and it was definitely a foul. Hacked him across the arm. That being said, there were a few non calls against the Heat from what i saw in the 4th quarter so i don't see a big problem with that one either.

Make your free throws, you're the NBA champs right now.