Dallas or San Antonio? Who will win the "Texas Two Step"?

DragonCowboy

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Ok, Ok, quit yapping at each other. How about a temporary ceasefire until Friday? I guess sports don't work that way..
 

Danny White

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trickblue said:
Well... Spurs fans should be happy... Jason Terry has been suspended for alledgedly punching Finley while scuffling for a ball at the end of the game...
I'm not that happy about it. I don't want to give the Mavs added motivation. I hope they start looking at it as an excuse to lose... but my fear is that it'll focus them. They're still a very dangerous team.
 

The30YardSlant

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capt.38d15eef5e784c368f57b0f880eac2d8.mavericks_spurs_basketball_dn110.jpg


HH31 see's no punch, however he does see Finley and Ginobili all over Terry with Finley's arm in his side
 

SA_Gunslinger

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HeavyHitta31 said:
capt.38d15eef5e784c368f57b0f880eac2d8.mavericks_spurs_basketball_dn110.jpg


HH31 see's no punch, however he does see Finley and Ginobili all over Terry with Finley's arm in his side



instead of taking still shots and making judgements like you like to do, you need to actually WATCH these plays.

he punched finley clear as day.

look on espn.com
 

Yeagermeister

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HeavyHitta31 said:
capt.38d15eef5e784c368f57b0f880eac2d8.mavericks_spurs_basketball_dn110.jpg


HH31 see's no punch, however he does see Finley and Ginobili all over Terry with Finley's arm in his side
You must have xray vision because there is no way too see Terry's arms in that picture. I saw the video and he did not call for the TO before Manu was already trying to wrestle the ball from him. Terry did punch him on purpose and will pay the price of one game.
 

Danny White

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I'm sure Heavy doesn't want to see or hear this, but here is a pretty clear video with commentary from Dale Hansen:

http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?vidId=66280&catId=104
 

Yeagermeister

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Danny White said:
I'm sure Heavy doesn't want to see or hear this, but here is a pretty clear video with commentary from Dale Hansen:

http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?vidId=66280&catId=104
Now Danny you know that is faked. David Stern had that clip made because he hates Cuban.
 

Danny White

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phillycowboyslover said:
I hate Bayless, but this is a good article. I guess even a stopped clock is right twice a day...

By Skip Bayless
Page 2

LeBron!

Sorry, just wanted to keep your attention for six letters. This isn't about LeBron. Goodbye.

No, forgive me, this is about the defending National Basketball Association champions.

That's all.

Just about the team that has won two of the last three titles and three of the last seven. About the team a majority of analysts picked (in October and again in April) to win it all this season. About the -- for the clueless out there -- San Antonio Spurs.

Yes, about the non-LeBrons, the Team Everyone Wants to Go Away, the one that bores people to fears -- fears of "please don't let the Spurs ruin another NBA Finals."

Forget the Alamo.

More stories
• Jackson: Kobe can't win
• Jones: Nike nailed it with LeBron
• Full NBA Playoffs coverage

So why in the name of Davy Crockett am I writing about the team that as of a couple days had about as much chance of surviving as those valiant souls who once defended that little mission in what is now downtown San Antone against General Santa Anna's vast army?

Because of an outrageous injustice, that's why.

Because in Dallas, the refs have treated the defending champs like they're Memphis Grizzlies. These games have had more shockingly bad calls than "When a Stranger Calls." In Game 3 they fouled out two-time MVP Tim Duncan, and Dallas won 104-103. In Game 4 they fouled out All-Star Manu Ginobili (who had scored 26 points in 24 minutes, including 4-for-4 on 3s), and Dallas won in overtime to go up 3-1 in the series.

Mark Cuban
David Zalubowski/AP Photo
Apparently Mark Cuban has gotten into the heads of the refs in this series.

No, while Duncan once again has been the best player in the playoffs, the MVP of this series has been Mark Cuban. He owns the Mavericks -- and, apparently, the minds of the refs.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson was right earlier this season: Cuban complains so much about officiating that he intimidates the refs at the American Airlines Center. Or at least he shames them into being absurdly fair to the home team.

That $200,000 fine Cuban had to pay after Game 1 in San Antonio was the best cookie-jar money this billionaire ever spent. He had accosted the refs on the floor during San Antonio's 87-85 win -- and he had criticized the way refs are selected for the playoffs in his blog. This, of course, was just the latest in Cuban's ref-bashing fines. He once said he wouldn't hire the NBA's director of officials "to manage a Dairy Queen."

Now in Dallas, he has turned the refs into soft ice cream. This time, the 200 grand fine and all the attention it detonated had this effect on the Game 3 and Game 4 officiating crews: They gave Cuban's team the benefit of nearly every doubt. Bully for Cuban.

The Spurs were privately furious after both games in Dallas.

Of course, the refs also could be subconsciously influenced by the general attitude of media, fans and the NBA marketing arm. Please, no more Spurs. Maybe the guys with the whistles are starting to feel the same way -- and Cuban knows it.

From his seat near the Mavs' bench, he has worked the refs like a puppet master.

And he was at it again Thursday evening.

Near the end of Wednesday night's Game 5 -- in San Antonio -- a loose-ball scramble ensued near midcourt. The Mavs' Jason Terry wound up on his back trying to control the ball with Ginobili diving over him after it and Michael Finley trying to wrestle it away while hunched over Terry.

Whistles blew. A jump ball was called.

But as Finley let go of the ball and stood up, Terry sucker-punched him. Finley later told teammates and San Antonio officials that it was a closed-fisted shot to the groin. The TNT replays caught only Finley having to be restrained by teammates.

Curiously, none of the three refs saw a punch thrown by the guy with the ball -- or perhaps they chose to look the other way with the game on the line in the final seconds.

But Spurs officials had videotape of the punch to the privates and fired it off to the league office. Terry was correctly suspended for Friday night's Game 6 in Dallas. A rule is a rule: Any closed-fisted punch means automatic suspension.

This was no judgment call. The tape didn't lie. But now it's as if Dallas has gotten away with so much in this series that Terry thinks he can get away with going Andrew Golota on ex-teammate Finley.

Cue Cuban, who began firing off e-mail responses to media outlets saying that Finley did a "pile driver to Jason's head" and that Jason should be allowed to protect himself and that, yes, he should have been fined, but no, Jason doesn't remember throwing a punch and should not have been suspended.

Beautiful: Cuban is turning the Mavs into victims. And he knows most of his fans -- and some in the media -- will buy his baloney. Deep down, the refs probably will, too.

The Spurs have practically no chance in Game 6. Yes, Dallas will be down a quick guard who scored 32 points while playing 51 minutes in the Game 4 overtime win. But you watch: Duncan or Ginobili will be whistled for foul No. 6 before this one is over.

Team Turnoff will be eliminated. The NBA world will be safe.

This steams me because I respect the Spurs as much as I do any team in sports. Yes, I've called Duncan the most boring superstar in sports history -- but that's because of the way he's perceived by the instant-gratification masses. LeBron's dunks dominate "SportsCenter." Duncan's sensational subtleties do not.

Tim Duncan
Eric Gay/AP Photo
Tim Duncan has been the victim of some very suspect foul calls.

But was that a reason to treat him with no more respect than Erick Dampier in Game 3? Just because he struggled much of the season on a sore foot, did he suddenly lose the prestige he has built in winning three Finals MVPs in three tries and in making first team All-NBA in his first eight seasons?

Two of Duncan's six fouls were offensive fouls without the ball. I defy you to study the tape and tell me these should have been called. The sixth came when Dirk Nowitzki went hurtling down the lane and Duncan merely ran across his path, making sure to hold his hands back over his shoulders and away from Nowitzki's arms. But Nowitzki stepped on Duncan's foot and went crashing into the photographers.

Referee Joey Crawford, one of the best, was standing in the corner near Cuban. He blew his whistle. Then he walked all the way to the official scorer before divulging if Duncan was gone. You wonder if Crawford was trying to think of a scenario in which he could pin it on any other Spur.

In Game 3, the Mavs shot 50 free throws -- 22 in the fourth quarter! Yes, Avery Johnson's Mavs are attacking the basket like never before. But does that mean the Spurs have suddenly turned from the NBA's best defensive team to the worst?

Way to go, Mark Cuban.

With Duncan gone, Nowitzki was able to grab an offensive rebound, get fouled and make the free throws that won it 104-103.

In Game 4, Ginobili's fourth foul was called as he had inside rebounding position on the taller Nowitzki and jostled with him. This happens nearly every possession under every basket every night. Yes, Ginobili has earned a reputation for flopping. But does that mean he deserves a phantom foul when he's on fire in a game that could determine the NBA championship?

Ginobili's sixth foul came after he had made a running jump at Terry on the 3-point line. Terry faked the shot and went by him. As Ginobili trailed him, Terry suddenly pulled up and jumped backward, elbowing Ginobili in the chest. Tweet! Ginobili was gone with 2:28 left.

Look at it again and tell me it's a foul on Ginobili.

With 8 seconds left, the NBA's best perimeter defender, Bruce Bowen, was whistled for a cheap foul on Nowitzki and yelled to no one in particular (though commissioner David Stern was within earshot) that this league used to let players decide playoff games.

Regulation ended with Duncan having to shoot a running one-hander from 8 feet for the win. The ball hit the front of the rim but couldn't climb over. The Spurs have never trusted Duncan to create his own last-second shot. That ball would have been in Ginobili's hands.

Maybe they would have won. Maybe not. Now they're down 3-2 going back to Dallas.

Rejoice! The NBA could wind up with Cuban vs. LeBron in the Finals.
 

SA_Gunslinger

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WHAT A SERIES!

HEY JERK-FACE CUBAN.....YOU NEVER SHOULD HAVE INSULTED THE RIVERWALK. NOW YOU'RE GONNA PAY.


SEE YOU MONDAY!!!!!!!!!


GO!
SPURS!
GO!

http://i30.***BLOCKED***/albums/c333/marv41/amanu.jpg
 

Danny White

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Wow! What a game! I can't believe it.

I have to admit, I was so frustrated by the officiating in the first half, I decided to go to bed because I couldn't stand to watch the rest of the game if that was the way it was going to go... I think I would have ended up with an ulcer!

I couldn't sleep with the outcome of the game in doubt, though, so I turned it back on for the very end.

Needless to say, I'm still awake, two hours later at a quarter to three in the morning! :D

I've already watched the 4th quarter on TIVO, and now I'm going back and watching the 3rd quarter. It's amazing how much more effective Duncan is when he's on the floor instead of on the bench. :p:

The best thing about this game is that it didn't come down to any questionable calls in the closing minutes. After the refs controlled the game so much in the first half, it was nice to see them let it play out on the court down the stretch. I hope the refs forget their whistles at home for game 7 and let the players play.

This has been an unbelievable series, and it's only right that it's going 7. The Mavs have played tremendously tough, and it's clear to me that they are either the best or the second-best team in the NBA. The rest of the playoffs are going to be a let-down after this series.

And whatever the outcome of game 7... no hard feelings to all my Mavs friends here. Your team has played the Spurs as tough as any team I've seen in a long time.

Here's to a great game 7. :toast:
 

TruBlueCowboy

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GINOBIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!

And as far as I'm concerned, Michael Finley is a life-long Spur. Fin and Manu saved the season. Game 6 in San Antonio baby!! Turn out the lights, the party's over!!

Great series, I knew this team was enough of a champion to come back from a 3-1 deficit!!
 

DragonCowboy

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Attention:

This series is over for the mavericks.

Side Note:

Did you guys see Finley head butt the ball? Talk about taunting...
 

Rack

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DragonCowboy said:
Attention:

This series is over for the mavericks.

Side Note:

Did you guys see Finley head butt the ball? Talk about taunting...


I didn't watch the game. What happened?
 

Danny White

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Rack said:
I didn't watch the game. What happened?
Nothing. He dunked over Dampeer again, and after the ball went through and bounced, he butted it like a soccer ball down into the ground. He was pumped after the jam. He didn't do it at or towards anyone, he didn't glare at anyone in the process. I'm not sure why it would be taunting. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen "taunting" called in the NBA. Don't they encourage trash talk and showboating... not that this incident was either?

It was no worse, certainly, than Nowitzkis "gorilla walk" after the three pointer in game 5.

I also disagree that this series is over. I still think the Spurs will win, but I think it will be a 1-2 point game and in those, anyone can pull it out.
 

zrinkill

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CowboysZone LOYAL Fan
Originally Posted by HeavyHitta31
BTW, this is on the front page of the Dallas Morning News:

13810590065.jpg


Nice jab Finley


Nice Crop Job.

http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/05-06/0520terrypunch.jpg
 
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