Spurs don't have a killer instinct? When they feel threatened they do. Denver took game one - Spurs took the next 4. Spurs took first two against Seattle convincingly; then Rashard went down; Spurs let up & it cost them a couple of games. Spurs recognized that Seattle was indeed a threat w/its 3 hot guards & phisical play; Spurs took care of business. 2-0 in elimination games this playoffs; Duncan has never been taken to a game 7 - and ONLY eliminated by Kobe & Shaq. Spurs can & will let up against an inferior opponent. Spurs also finish series against threats.
Denver, a 7th seed without a top notch offense or top notch 1st option, hardly counts. It wasn't that the Spurs "took care of business" Seattle had a last second shot to force game 7, just happend to miss. All you can say is the Spurs put them in position to win, not turned on the jets and buried an inferior opponent. Also, you could just as well say once Seattle settled down after the first 2 games the teams were neck and neck. 1st, in 2000 the Suns beat the Spurs, not the Lakers. It is true from 2001 on the Spurs have only been eliminated by Kobe-Shaq, but they haven't exactly had elite opponents. They never had to play overall the 2nd or 3rd best team from 00-04, the full Kings teams--who either the Lakers put them out or they went out to injury. The time they played peaking Dallas team (4th best in West over this period) was also when Dirk just got injured. They also never played the world champion Pistons--the best team in the east since the Bulls squads. They never probably played the next best EC team in my option, the 01 6er team. They did beat a solid Nets team in 6, but to put in in perspective this was the same offensively challenged team the Lakers swept and oliterated the year before. Overall, it has hardly been an overwhemling run for the Spurs since the 1999 season. Since 99 (when they were by far the best team), they clearly have been inferior to the Lakers when they had their complete team, and it is not clear they were better than the Kings most of the period either (the Kings gave the full Lakers teams much more trouble), and they generally got other favorable match-ups (e.g., no Detriot). I think the Spurs are going to get a rude awakening from Detriot, the likely next round match-ups unless the Suns get healthy quickly. If Detriot continues to shut down Miami--who had the best offense this year in efficiency, among the best defenses, and by far the best FG% differential (double the Spurs and Suns who had the next best differentials)--that spells big time trouble for the Spurs.
Did the series end before game 7 or not? I didn't say "The Spurs have only been eliminated...I said Duncan has only been eliminated" The Spurs have the best winning percentage IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS for the past 6 years. They can't help who they've played - they've beaten every opponent except the Lakers - and two times they lost to the Lakers, that Laker squad ended up being world champions. The key to the loss last season (beyond .04) was Karl Malone's ability to contain Duncan - then Malone went down & was unavailable/ineffective against the Pistons. Injuries happen, and Detroit is legit, but if Malone is healthy that series might have gone differently. No sense debating that right now, the teams will play, scoreboard will rule. If you, Sun's fan, wants to take solice in the fact that Detroit might beat the Spurs, after the Spurs smoke your little squad, go ahead, jump on that bandwagon. I'll just stick with my own team.
Doesn't look like they are going to split.... ofcourse I am stil kind of drunk from chillin at the pool.
Typical Robert Horry.."The Wicker Man"..It's like he decides,OK,it's time and flips the switch in the playoffs.I mean he can be the laziest player in the regular season but the last 25% and the playoffs,he goes into the phonebooth.
I don't care who wins this series, I only wish this series could be extended to 7 games. Hope that Suns can win the next 2 at SAS.
I would like to see Spurs vs. Pistons in the final and I think it will happen. If so, Pistons will win in 7: the two Wallace is slightly better than TD + Mohammed; Prince should hold a slight edge over Bowen in terms of defense in playoff, plus his offense game is better. I am new here. It seems a lot of people here dislike spurs. Can someone explain to me why? I only know Bowen is a little bit dirty, Ginobli flops a lot, and in 1995 Dream lost the MVP in regular season to Robinson (but I would think it is no big deal since Rockets won the championship that year). I like TD, the Big Fundamental. I haven't read or heard any bad thing about him.
I used to think Manu was all heart....now I think he's all vagina....seriously the guy flops more than Dirk....
Did you not watch the game? The guy made huge, brass-balled shots in crunch time. Did he even attempt one blatant flop tonight that got called? He's an incredible player, but everyone wants to make him out to be a guy who can only flop, like say Derek Fisher. He's incredible to watch also. A behind the back driving layup in the final minute of a crucial western conference game. He is a great player, and your above post makes it look like you cannot accept that.
Ummm...because this is a Rockets fan site, maybe? Alot of us tend to look at things with red tinted Rox sunglasses...and that means keep props to other players/teams to a minimum and/or gang up and disparage them. As for Flopu Gyno-bili, yeah that was...an okay move , that behind the back layup ....but watching the TMac miracle comeback is a way better alternative. (and Flopu is still needs an elbow in the face)
Everything you said above also describes Karl Malone and John Stockton. Floppers and good basketball players are not exclusive of each other. Flopping just makes it harder to respect a player.
