Lets be honest. The Spurs have BEEN one of the dirtiest teams in NBA history under Pop

Guess what...they won 5 championships...If you cant beat them, join them.

 

I feel like I've gone back in time 15 years when this argument actually mattered and people were in heavy denial.

I feel like Pop coaches his players to do the maximum that they can get away defensively under the rules - but it has still been noticeably better over the last 5 years.

Jerry Sloan's teams, on the other hand, were taught the philosophy of "they can't call everything." Clutch, hold, grab, push, pull, kick, fall, flail, flop - overload the refs and wear out the offense.

In other words, I think Sloan's teams were an example of crossing the line. I think Pop's know exactly where the line is, and get as close to it as possible. (Bruce Bowen being the exception. What that guy got away with [and celebrated for!] was really unprecedented in 2000s sports.)

 

Bruce Bowen Jersey Retirement, the dirtiest player perimeter "defender" Undercutting, putting his own foot underneath when the jumpshooter coming down landing on Bruce Bowen foot injuring the other player.

 

Spurs really got into the forum's skin with that throwaway game.

If we do meet them in the PO, let's not gloat until everything is done?

 

The NBA will never officiate the Spurs for Flagrant 2 for Any Spurs Player Ever, Ginobili, Mills, Parker. Popovich never seems to get thrown out vs the Rockets ever, against other teams yes but never against us.

 

I remember last year when we played the Spurs in the playoffs they called foul on Harden when Basil closed out and undercut him on a 3.

 

Pop preaches tough defense and welcomes hard-nosed, defensive minded players. You get enough of those on your team, there will be players who make “dirty” plays. You guys don’t think people thought Scola or Beverly were dirty when they were hustling their butt off for us? Does it mean, as an organization, we preached being dirty? No, it does not.

 

Dirtiest play of all time: Hamstring the Coach by holding out his best player and telling him to tank . . . .. then pick Tim Duncan and fire the coach and take his place

Rocket River
That was cold . .. .

 

This play away stands out to me.

 

so maybe this is the formula for winning?

no more good guys.

sign more goons!

 

The Yao Mac teams matched up well with the Spurs, they had a lot of hard fought games and the Spurs didn't dominate the Rockets over Yao/Mac's tenure by any stretch of the imagination. I always wanted a shot at them in the playoffs but sadly we kept on matching up with that awful, Yao-kryptonite Okur-Boozer Jazz squad.

The 00's Jazz were to us what the Sonics were in the 90's.
The Spurs were the Bulls; dynasty that we matched up well with and never really got a shot at.

 

Bowen is one of the dirties and luckiest players to ever play, am amazed that no one whopped his ass and got away with so much in his days.

 

The dirtiest player in the NBA...

 

The San Antonio Jazz

 

The refs let the Spurs get away with so much physical play it's ridiculous and they very rarely call a foul on the Spurs when they flop.

 

agree with op

 

People will cite the Westbrook knee injury as iffy, but I don't remember other plays that were Bowen or Zaza esque.

One was annoying and got under your skin by pushing the line and the other was a known flopper.

If anything, the rockets rep over the years has been a cupcake team that folds under pressure or bad flagrant fouls, which is why dirtbags like Fisher is who he is to Houston

 

The Horry steve Nash, Bowen understepping Francis

 

So much salt in this thread.

We got whooped, offensively, defensively, physically and mentally. Accept it.