Round 3, Game 1: At Los Angeles
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 7:57 PM CDT
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PrintHot damn, I'm glad I get the privilege of writing Round 3 up in the title. There were a couple days there when I thought maybe our team had gotten too old and we were done. But no more.
Now we get the Lakers and I'm very confident. I think we match up very well against them, or maybe a better way to put it, I don't think they match up very well against us. Their two best offensive players will be going against our two defensive players.
My series breakdown:
Them: The Pau Gasol trade didn't really get me all hot and bothered because I didn't think it made them a better team defensively. I still think that is the case. I think we will attack Gasol the same way we attacked Shaq. Move him away from the basket and make him play pick and roll. Gasol isn't the most agile and coordinated guy -- he's no Big Mouth -- but when we pull him away from the basket we can get him in foul trouble. They don't have anybody that can handle Tony Parker. They will have to back off of him and let him shoot. If Tony gets his outside shot going he will destroy them. They usually put Kobe on Bruce and let Kobe roam. If they do that this year, who will they put on Manu, Radmanovic? Walton? I like our chances there. If Kobe does play Manu, run him through a bunch of pick and rolls and wear him down. If Kobe's legs go, he's FAR less dangerous.
On their offensive end, we want to make it the Kobe show. Make him go against Bruce one-on-one and have him taking 30 shots a game. Odom could cause us problems because he could take Fab or Kurt off the dribble, but that means he's playing on the perimeter and I like that. I don't think he can abuse either guy in the low block. Fisher and Radman and Walton will hang on the perimeter to hit open looks.
Us: We need to do more of what we have been doing. Attack the rim, move the ball, hit open shots. We will get a LOT of open jumpers in this series. If we have one or two people on fire every game then we will score plenty of buckets.
Overall: I think 3-point shooting and rebounding will be key. Whoever is getting and hitting open looks and cleaning the glass will rule this series.
X-Factor: Experience. After Fisher and Kobe, they don't have much. Odom is known to fade in the playoffs. This is the first time past the second round for Gasol. Radman is way flaky. Farmar has already been disappearing in the playoffs (at least that is what I read on espn last week). I just don't think this team is very battle-tested.
X-Factor 2: Ime. Nuff said.
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ATS
I, as well, was glad to sign on this morning and see a post from you with the words: “Spurs” and “Round 3” in the title.
I love the fact
That we are guaranteed 4 more of these game threads.
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
with you totally on the match-up problems and the experience factor. their bench/role players are all very young and not so battle tested. that said, kobe bryant can cure a ton of ills.
in the games they have beat us recently odom was their X factor in a positive way for them. dealing with him one on one will be necessary. i am also a little worried about gasol getting tim in foul trouble and/or giving tim problems with his length. he did this the last time the two teams met.
bowen will get open shots when kobe roams and they dont have anyone to contend with frenchy for sure. ime will fill bruce’s shoes on kobe some in this series too, which should also leave him free for some shots. in the end, we will still go as far as our big 3 can take us, but our role players will have to step up like they just did in game 7. mike fin seems to like playing against these guys and maybe we’ll see some brent barry too. he can match with walton or radmanovich.
as far as our defense goes, i’d like to see pop mix up the looks frequently like he did in games 6 and 7 of the NOOCH series. sometimes trap kobe high, sometimes double and/or triple him, sometimes let him go one on one and take everyone else away. that kind of thing wont likely rattle kobe, but it could put the rest of their guys in ever changing situations and not let them get comfortable. i’m not against zoning them up a little here and there too.
this will be hard on the innards like everything else has been the last few weeks. hopefully, the boys will still have good energy. every game of this series will be played with one night of rest. that kind of meat grinder could also become a factor. and that doesn’t necessarily favor LA as many of their guys aren’t used to playing this deep into the season, whereas the spurs old and slow guys are.
I was so confident the Silver & Black would rise up last night. I’m confident they’ll do it again this series too and this time they won’t have to wait until game seven to get a road victory.
Spurs 105
Lakers 98
I never met anybody who said when they were a kid, "I wanna grow up and be a critic." - Richard Pryor
Tony Parker’s gonna go hog wild in this series. With no cp3 to worry about, he’ll eat fisher’s lunch at point.
"You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas." -Davy Crockett
"Give me an army of West Point graduates, and I'll win a battle. Give me a handful of Texas Aggies, and I'll win a war." -Gen. George S. Patton
i agree with most of what you said except for some of the matchup stuff. i think odom can - and probably will - absolutely abuse oberto, scoring on drives, post ups and dishing assists when tim has to come over to help. fab is terrible on defense. it’s like if he can’t draw the charge, he has no idea how to play. he stands there, feet flat on the court, and sticks his arms up in the air while guys twist around him and hit clean shots. with gasol out there, the lakers won’t have to depend on odom like they did in the past, which could alleviate some of his fabled “heart” problems.
the lakers are a much taller team than new orleans, too. i’m not sure we will be able to run the small lineups we did against the bugs. this could make oberto a much bigger liability as we’ll need his height on the court more than the last series.
i don’t remember poopooing fab’s game this bad last year. anyone else notice a change in his performance?
you ain't a beauty but hey you're alright.
I’m not sure where this “Lakers are much taller” comes from. The TNT guys were saying it last night. According to espn, Chandler has an inch on Gasol, Odom has an inch on West, Mo Pete has an inch on Kobe, Radmanovic and Peja are the same, Fisher has an inch on Paul.
I just don’t see the Lakers size being much of an issue compared to the Hornets. And Gasol isn’t nearly as physical as Chandler.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 20, 2008 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions
Aye, some ESPN guys (David Thorpe especially) are saying that NO is far more physical inside than LA is, and that is stemming from Gasol. He’s a finesse player, not a physical force. When you boil it all down-bench play, x factor, etc- I think the one thing people will have to watch the most is early foul trouble. Since Tim will be guarding Gasol (one would hope) then whoever gets saddled with 2 fouls/3 fouls early will probably be at the losing end.
Our offense flows through Tim, and that would leave Parker and Ginobili to create, but LA can collapse the paint forcing us to become a jump shooting team….if Gasol leaves then LA will take a sharp downturn in on-court talent, and Tim will go nuts/lanes open/etc…
the lakers have a sizable bench with turiaf, walton and mbenga (and ariza, if he comes back this series like reported). vujacic is fairly tall for a guard, too. i think when teams put their benches on the court, we’re going to have to keep an eye to height matchups. all i’m saying is it won’t be as easy to toy with the lineups, which means we need oberto to play decently. just my opinion, but i don’t think oberto/thomas/horry have much of a chance with odom, which is going to take away from tim’s clampdown on gasol.
but, then again, i thought mopete was shorter. you’re right, it’s not as drastic as i thought at first. you guys are good. make a brother do some real research and shit.
gasol being such a finesse player helps the lakers, i think. he and odom are just about the perfect players to put into a triangle offense because of their shooting versatility. there’s all kinds of matchup problems that could happen from some of their rotations.
spurs all the way, guys, but oberto bothers me right now. hopefully he’ll have another 10-10 game with 8 boards and make me look like a schmuk doubter.
you ain't a beauty but hey you're alright.
Haha.
I’ll take more stat lines like this from Fab.
Fabricio Oberto, PF 32 2-2 0-0 0-0 2 7 9 2 0 0 1 2 4
That is Game 7 in NO. If he or KT can do that each game we are in good shape.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 20, 2008 9:24 PM CDT up reply actions
If Fab can’t really handle Odom, they will start Thomas, who has handled him in the past (See his stint in PHO during the playoffs last year) or bring Thomas off the bench. Or they can stick Tim on him, and hope Thomas will somewhat control Gasol. The Spurs won last round conceding about 15-20 ppg to both West and Paul, also while conceding about 14 apg to Paul. The Lakers have no one that can create for his teammates like Paul can, so limiting Kobe in the 4th while taking out everyone else but Gasol will probably be what they go for.
Also having Odom going off might not be that bad of a thing, if it takes the ball out of Kobe’s hands :)
Last year you also have to look at the quality of opponent vs. this year. We had to face Denver-not known for defense, Camby is easy to guard-, Pheonix-Tim guarded Amare, Fab guarded whoever else that was not important, Utah-Okur mainly stays around the 3 pt line, not inside with Boozer-, Cleveland-Tim guarded Ilgauskas, again who else can you name in there?
This year he has actually had to guard a top level player in West, and had to guard Amare, so some defensive liabilities were shown. Not too bad though.
They slept on the plane!
You guys have probably heard this already, but for those who haven’t:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3405018
"Phil can kiss my asterisk"
Great. That must be refreshing. Especially for a bunch of guys in the 6’7” to 7’ range.
Why in the hell were the Spurs using a charter company that is shutting down in a couple of weeks? Was this a cost saving measure or something?
Lakers use the same plane
Here is a video of the plane that they use. Found it on a laker blog. Scroll down to the bottom video.
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/ontheroad_080122.html#dayone
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
hmm. At first i thought we were still using them because our owners are cheap. The charter company is barely hanging on and an onslaught of FAA safety violations for which they have no money to fix caused them to shut down at the end of May. But you say the Lakers use them, too?
puts on tinfoil hat
If i were in desperate need of money and someone offered me some cash to do something i’d probably do it
removes tinfoil hat
But thats insane. The series hasn’t even started yet and im pulling out conspiracy theories. What am I, a Suns fan?
who are you who can summon fire without flint or tinder? there are some who call me ... tim.
Wow
No love from Hollinger. He’s calling Lakers in 5.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/series?series=saslal
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
I don't think he cares
I think he just says what the numbers tell him to say.
He usually picks us to win it all (the past 2 or 3 years, I mean).
I'm comfortable winning -- Emmanuel Ginobili
Fun Facts
In the 4 games against LA this year, Mr. Potato Head is 12-15 from beyond the arc with games of 6-6 and 5-7.
In the Spurs' two victories against LA, they got 41 turnovers for 50 points. In two losses (one of them being a 4th quarter collapse), they had 21 turnovers for 20 points.Contrast, in those two loses, San Antonio had 25 turnovers for 32 points, but the 1st loss (the 4th quarter collapse) accounted for 16 turnovers for 24 points. For the other three games, the Spurs had 28 turnovers for 21 points.
Now, I haven’t checked out 82 games.com, but I have a hunch San Antonio probably protects the ball better against the Lakers than any other team. Additionally, they probably collect the highest average of points off turnover differential when matched against the Lakers.
Considering Chris Paul protects the ball better than anyone not named Jose Calderon, I would say this series will be a walk in the park. But I’m not saying that.
I feel extremely confident about this series that the Spurs will come out on top. I think:
Parker matches up better than Fisher.
Duncan matches up better than Gasol.
Ginobli/Bowen/Ime matches up better than Bryant
Thomas/Horry/Oberto match up better than Odom
Pop matches up better than Jackson. Pop is younger and more athletic. And he Jackson has a hard time walking with his bad knees.
We much more of a team effort that’s going to help us win. And I haven’t said anything about Finely and Barry yet. We almost hit 50% in threes in that last game and we’re making more threes than ever. And you notice that no Spur forces an outside three. They always seem uncontested.
I say we make sure that Bryant doesn’t get to the free throw line and we don’t have any turnovers. We need to keep our shots falling and don’t lose any more leads!!!! I hate seeing that with a passion. I know teams can make runs; however, the Spurs lost three leads yesterday. They could’ve won that game by 25 or more because of the poor shooting by NO. Most teams don’t play well from behind, we seem to get complacent after we get leads. But we did have three leads however.
James Stewart
by BigDaddyStewDog on May 20, 2008 3:11 PM CDT reply actions
I think the 2 big things to watch concerning the Lakers’ side of things are how much Odom gets going (Kobe will have his, and usually the Spurs let 1 other person have some of thiers) and how many calls Kobe gets. It astounded me in the Jazz series how many calls in the first 3 games the Lakers got, primarily Kobe. He could have been driving non-stop to the bucket, which will give him a lot of calls given his MVP status this year….but way too often you’d see everyone with anywhere from 4-9 FT, and Kobe with no less than 15-17, sometimes 20+. Seeing that he avgs. around 30 a game, then over 1/2 of his points come from the charity stripe. If we can make Kobe into a jump shooter, I like the Spurs’ chances VERY MUCH to take this in 6.
I have to disagree with the theory the Spurs will win in the halfcourt....
... because many of you are underestimating how good the Triangle works in the half-court. I am of the opinion that, in the half-court, the Lakers match the spurs better than any of the teams the Spurs have faced so far. Contrary to the past two series I believe the way the Spurs can win the Conference is with the fast break. The Lakers have Odom, Gasol and Turiaf who have length, and in Turiaf’s case:strength, to clog the lane better than PHX and NO did in the past two series’. In order to combat the Lakers length SA needs to grab the defensive rebound and push as quickly as possible to not let their bigs have a chance to get back to protect the paint. Obviously the Spurs will need to hit the mid-range jumper and a few 3’s but if the Spurs can win the rebound battle and push the pace I believe that gives them a greater chance to win the series.
Spurs fan in the Rio Grande Valley.
Tony will push it.
Tony will be able to get the ball and push it and make some easy layups. I believe Tony and Tim have to step up in this series. Manu might have a tough time being guarded by Kobe. But I still hope he gets a lot of open looks. I can’t doubt Ginobli at all. He is the reason that the Spurs are so great! I hope he steps it up even more and just adds to what Tony, Tim and the rest of the team will do!
I checked a lot of the Laker’s wins and losses this past year w/ Gasol. If we concede 30 pts to Kobe, which I don’t think we will then we have to shut down Odom & Gasol. Even after Bryant gets around 30, Gasol & Odom might be lucky to get 12 – 18 pts each. If we shut them down we have a good chance at winning this series. There’s nobody else that comes close in helping the LA Laker big three.
James Stewart
by BigDaddyStewDog on May 21, 2008 2:48 AM CDT up reply actions
GAME 1 PREVIEW
20:00 PM SA – 22:00 PM ARG
______________
(Sort of) Interesting facts:
â–º Previous games: They have met 4 times this season.
→Nov/13/07 – SA 107 | LAL 92 – @ SA.
→Dec/13/07 – LAL 102 | SA 97 – @ CA.
→Jan/23/08 – SA 103 | LAL 91 – @ SA.
→Apr/13/08 – LAL 106 | SA 85 – @ CA.
â–º Plays from game 7 against the Hornets:
→NBA TOP 5 – May 19th: #3 – Tony Parker: Penetrates for the no-look two-pointer and 1.
→Summary of Manu’s 26 points
► This was Gregg Popovich’s 100th postseason victory. He’s been the Spurs head coach since 1996, and he’s currently tied in third place all-time with Larry Brown.
â–º This is the first season that the Spurs make it past the 2nd round the year alter winning a championship. Will this finally be the year we repeat? (Yes, it will, dammit.)
► The third quarter was key, once more. The Spurs’ defense was what kept them in the game, after coming into the second half with a 9-point lead. The Spurs kept New Orleans unable to score in 2 consecutive possessions for the entire quarter. The Hornets were nearly 3 minutes without scoring at all, until CP finished the draught with 2 FTs.
â–º Experience was another important factor, especially in the final moments of the game. With the Spurs ahead by 10, the Hornets missed several open shots. Peja airballed a triple, and West missed a mid-distance jumper he usually makes.
► SA’s bench won us the game. The biggest contributions:
→ The hard defense on West, making him work for every point.
→ Thomas’ offensive rebounds. He grabbed 3 consecutive offensive rebounds in a single play that finished with two points for SA.
→ Finley’s three-pointers at the end of the third quarter and in the fourth quarter.
→ Horry’s three-pointers.
→ Udoka’s defense and offensive game. And his all around Algerian-slaying Fatalityness.
______________
(Likely) Starting lineup:
______________
Quotes after the 4-3:
â–º Manu:
→On if he is comfortable remaining in the starting lineup against the Lakers – “I’m just comfortable winning. Whatever helps to win a game, I’m happy with it. If I have to go back to the bench against L.A., I’ll take it anyway. As long as we keep winning, I’m fine."
â–º Coach Pop:
→On the game – "I’m sure glad that’s over. The Hornets are an unbelievably tough team in every way in that one could imagine, and they had a great year."
→On the importance of defense – "What we did today was much better in the third quarter, we made a couple shots – we actually scored 20 points, which is a miracle for us in the third quarter of this series. We held them down."
â–º Chris Paul:
→On the game – "We are not satisfied; D West said we will be back here next year in the same situation and our group."
→On ending their playoff run – "After the game coach called it growing pains, and great teams have to go through things like this. The make up of our team is special, we play for each other and that is why we are in the situation we are in."
â–º Coach Byron Scott:
→On the game – "We’re just weren’t making shots tonight, for whatever reason, especially in the third quarter. I thought we did a pretty good job defensively, but 14 points in the third quarter is just not going to get it done against the Spurs."
→On the season – "I told the guys that I am very proud of the way they played all season long and the way they competed tonight. Obviously we did not have our best stuff and you have to give the Spurs a lot of credit for that. But, again, I am very proud of this organization."
______________
INTERVIEWS after the 4-3:
TNT Courtside: Manu’s courtside interview after the game.
NBA Wired: Listen to Pop and Byron Scott during game 7.
Spurs:
→ Locker room:
Tony ParkerMichael FinleyRobert HorryIme UdokaKurt Thomas
→ Press conference:Manu GinóbiliTim Duncan Coach Pop
Hornets:
→ Press conference:
Coach Byron Scott
______________
Transmissions:
TNT will broadcast the game. However, one of the WMOE channels (probably WMOE 1) will also show the game. To watch these channels you need:
1. Internet Explorer
2. Sopcast
To tune into it: enter the STOOGETV site, go with your mouse to the WMOE button on the left-hand menu, and then click on the channel you want.
If that doesn’t work, check the links below:
During the game there should appear some Sopcast links. I’ll be around and paste them here, in the game thread, so let me know if you can’t find any feeds.
...And if there’s no other choice:
latinD, is there any link to the chris paul post game press conference? or can you lead me in the right direction? i’ve gone to a few hornets sites and i don’t know where you find this video gold.
What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)
the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post
by Hamer_SpursFan on May 20, 2008 11:29 PM CDT up reply actions
You can see Paul....
He did a dual conference with David West. If you go to broadband.nba.com and select the Postgame Presser: Spurs-Hornets , you can fast-forward towards the end and see both of them talking….
Joey Crawford is in Boston...
officiating the Celtics v. Pistons game. Somewhere in L.A. Tim Duncan is smiling.
GO SPURS GO
I will only wonder
If Crawford turns up like he did on Game 5 (pivotal game) and there are a LOT of things like in that game - announcers openly asking about some calls, refs shoving thier hands/fingers into coaches’ chests, large FT disparity in a quarter that both teams are driving hard to the basket, all that - then I will wonder aloud about any conspiracy theories… otherwise I won’t dwell on officiating. Calls go both ways, yes the home team gets calls more for them than the road team, it happens, etc. etc….
Spurs need to keep the Refs out of it & stay focused on the game (which they will)
I think Manu is right. It’s not often you see him complaining about a call. And we can’t let any bad calls detour our emotions. So if we play Spur basketball we should be fine.
I think if we carry our 7th game emotions over it’s very possible that we could win the first two games. We are the better team in this series. I honestly believe it. But I don’t know about how the Refs will call this series. If you see blatant travels by LA, mainly Gasol, and no touch fouls on Kobe then something might be afoot. You have to know the NBA personnel would love to see LA vs Boston for ratings. I thought a lot of calls went to LA in the Jazz series. I don’t want to relive that with the Spurs.
Supposedly the home team gets calls because the Refs feel the pressure from the fans. I can understand it to some degree. But you really need to be watching the plays and try not to listen to the fans. Easier said than done!
James Stewart
by BigDaddyStewDog on May 21, 2008 2:58 AM CDT reply actions
If you listen to TNT, they are calling the Spurs “the current modern dynasty” and Kobe “the best, most transendent player of his generation”....so I imagine Kobe will get a lot of those calls that are iffy….remember he avgs 30 a game, but over 1/2 of that (or 1/2) come from the FT line, as he gets like 15-17 FT’s a game. If we turn Kobe into a distributor/jump shooter, then SA’s chances of winning skyrocket.
this should be a big series for the finnnndoooogggiiiieee. he usually plays up to these guys and he just might get a match-up more favorable to his still (radmanovich/walton).
i do see a lot of people saying the bit about allowing kobe his 30 and taking away everyone else. i dont disagree with this strategy, but its not as simple as just allowing kobe his 30. with such a strategy strictly enforced, he could go for 50 or higher. and that would be trouble.
TNT to follow players for an entire quarter
TNT is putting in a new feature in which they track a player (one per team) for an entire quarter (Player Cam). More interesting still, fans can vote for which players get tracked:
Personally, I’d rather less obnoxious camera angles and more of the “standard” isometric view, but if I have to sit through this, it might as well be someone interesting.
It only let me vote for Lakers. And Kobe was winning the vote by miles. Isn’t he always being tracked ANYWAY?
Everytime the Spurs pass the ball like that, an angel gets its wings. - Hipuks in G6 vs NOOCH
beat me to it
Yeah, I tried to vote myself, and it is only letting me vote for the Lakers (conspiracy anyone? lol j/k, can’t wait for the resident Laker fans to see that….) and yes, Kobe is about 100% higher than anyone else. This is what they have from TrueHoop :
UPDATE: Wow. Look at this: TNT cameras are going to follow certain players for entire quarters of tonight’s game. You can watch that feed online. What’s more, you can vote to tell TNT which players to follow with those cameras. If it’s based on votes, get ready for the Kobe cam. Luckily there are eight of them - one per team per quarter - so I imagine we’ll also see a Manu cam.
We can only hope Manu/Ime/Tim/Tony are cammed…that’d be cool :) However, I imagine Kobe will be cammed all game :(
I won’t be in until about the half. See you guys then.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 5:58 PM CDT reply actions
is it just me?
does anyone else predict a beatddown tonight?
the plane fiasco. 1 day rest, lakers rested, no practice for the spurs….
i’m thinking lakers 95, spurs 75 type score, lotsa screen time for duncan and co watching the scrubs play from the bench in the 4th.
i am neither a laker fan or a spurs fan. not trolling to get an incensed reaction from yall, just to get that out of the way.
Wow did any of you see the TNT intro to the western conference finals?!
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
God that must hurt. Manu ripped his nail off in the weight room
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
Just a thang I need to say...
...Beat LA
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
That be good...
...hope it keeps happinin’
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
So
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Boooweeen!!
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Spurs, please beat the Lakers
SWEEP THE KNEE, Timmy! Don’t let that soft Euro Pau give you any guff.
From a Blazer fan, PLEASE WIN. It’s all I ask. You can hurt as many other players as you want, I really don’t mind for now. Just show NO MERCY.
Mortimer
Heeeeeeeeey Mort-Tay
Ya know tat’s a BROY thang. hehe
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Tanks
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Thank you!
And I sincerely wish you the best of luck and victory and success in this series. I’ll be supporting you guys all the way.
Until next time ya play the Blazers, of course. But that is for another day! Let us rejoice and join together as brothers against the stupid dumb headed poop eating Lakers.
Mortimer
I seen 'em
eatin’ dat stuff before!
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Go ya SpuRrioes!!!
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
You can hear a pin drop
Man, that arena is QUIET. I always wondered about that. Looking at the stands and such, the first like…10 rows are all people sitting down, talking on cell phones, munching things, etc…. no energy from the crowd whatsoever.
You never see that from NO, or even SA… sad.
Aint dat da trueth
Money don’t talk to me.
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Nice
Odom stopped by Horry, gotta like dat.
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Eh they may have an answer for Ginobili, not TP or TD
by One4theThumb on May 21, 2008 8:35 PM CDT up reply actions
No issues on D
They can keep the D up, question is can they keep shooting like this? We know the Spurs go through what Marv called “grouts”....it happens.
I had da grouts
an I hated it!
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Wasn't
just my opion.
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
yes, but I’ll take being up 3 at the half
"I'm comfortable with winning" - Manu Ginobili
by TdotSpursfan on May 21, 2008 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Who is "The Hulk" Oberto my guess.
Who’s “Crazy Eyes”? I can only imagine.
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
No, I didn't
droppin’ in from da Bedge. Just tryin’ to Kill da Lakers. hehe
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Gotcha
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Remember they are in LA
And home teams have been getting the majority of the calls….just relax. Manu has struggled early, he will get untracked, he always does.
Remember Manu always struggles the 1st quarter, then 2nd 1/2 he’s clutch. Or he’s on fire first 1/2, 2nd, not so much.
Crazy Eyes=Kurt Thomas
They let them play in NO
Till the 3rd quarter…. I’ve seen that too many times in the playoffs in each series the 2nd round—1st half the refs call it one way, 2nd half, completely different :(
Hey guys, how’s it going? I made it a quarter early.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 8:46 PM CDT reply actions
I miss 'im
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Hey guys
Did Manu start?
Everytime the Spurs pass the ball like that, an angel gets its wings. - Hipuks in G6 vs NOOCH
I don’t know what angle you guys see, but the replay couldn’t have been worse.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 8:51 PM CDT reply actions
TWO POINTS
Spurs have shot ONE free throw in 16 minutes… and JV must get off the court right now!
"I'm comfortable with winning" - Manu Ginobili
Wow. We look dead out there.
Nobody is hustling for loose balls. Manu looks like he is just kind of standing around out there.
I’m with Krukow.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 8:52 PM CDT reply actions
I’m watching the game online here. Very interesting angles. Feels like you’re in the stadium live. Crowd sucks.
http://www.tnt.tv/sports/nba/playoffs08_live/
might be time for barry to see the floor. he can bring an element of sanity during games that get into this kind of tempo. he’s a solid ball handler and will make the right pass.
gotta quit these turnovers.
I was about to say, “where’s bones to tell us we need to rebound.”
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 8:57 PM CDT reply actions
Crap Call
on Timmy
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
boy The Hornets looked 1000 times better than the Lakers!
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 8:59 PM CDT reply actions
I did!
"I'm comfortable with winning" - Manu Ginobili
by TdotSpursfan on May 21, 2008 9:00 PM CDT up reply actions
SO HUGE
"I'm comfortable with winning" - Manu Ginobili
by TdotSpursfan on May 21, 2008 9:01 PM CDT up reply actions
nice move by Tony..but he needs to stop dribbling the entire 24 seconds!
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:01 PM CDT reply actions
he has to with the current line up out there with him
"I'm comfortable with winning" - Manu Ginobili
by TdotSpursfan on May 21, 2008 9:02 PM CDT up reply actions
I don’t know but the Lakers don’t impress me at all!
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:02 PM CDT reply actions
I think we will blow them out…I have a feeling about it
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:03 PM CDT reply actions
Anyone see D Fish?
Looks like he can’t hang with TP…. I guess we do know something about this sport called basket ball
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
I'm stuck here at work listening on the radio -
Sounds like the Spurs pushing the pace— Either that or Schoening is all jacked up on Red Bull…
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It's really only Parker
He’s pushing it, sadly most of the other Spurs are standing around…KT is sure there for Off Reb though :)
Re: KT
He looked like the Worm last game… he’s seems to be finding the offensive boards a lot more lately…
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How was the exam? Hope you kicked it’s ass.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Andy your going bald buddy get rid of that hair!
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:04 PM CDT reply actions
My wife will probably tell me Farmar’s good-looking.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:06 PM CDT up reply actions
ATS’s wife thinks Reggie Miller is good looking. They fight about this.
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
Yeah, he’s right. We also had a long argument about it last week during the Hornets series.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:12 PM CDT up reply actions
My wife thinks Reggie Miller is a damn good-looking man. CMoney is usually kind enough to remind me regularly.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:11 PM CDT up reply actions
It seems like Lakers over-confidence
Seems that most of the Lakers are playing with the “eh, we’ll just let Kobe or Pau beat them, no biggie, we’re better than them” And the Spurs are playing with the remnants from the “Crap we can NOT lose this game” Game 7.
I don’t think it’s going to be a blowout, but I do really like the Spurs’ chances.
I'm not one to harp about this
But we are in the penalty due to cheap craptastic touch fouls that aren’t usually called.
On the other hand, they aren’t calling a lot of drives to the hoop, that can ONLY favor us becauase it takes Kobe out of the equation.
why aren’t we running the offensive through Manu..Sasha is guarding him!
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:07 PM CDT reply actions
I’m thinking Fisher made a good play. The ref looking at it didn’t call it.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:08 PM CDT reply actions
The Laker crowd seems to have quieted down
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That’s what happens when it costs over a grand to get a ticket ;)
"I'm comfortable with winning" - Manu Ginobili
by TdotSpursfan on May 21, 2008 9:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Right on
1450 guys were talking about the real fans being WAY up at the top of the Staples Center…
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The Laker crowd has never peeped one word
Compared to NO, the Lakers might as well be playing in a backyard, it’s so quiet.
it’s hard for Manu to make a move they are pushing him
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:08 PM CDT reply actions
Manu needs to play stronger. He’s letting them knock him around. He needs to get his balance and use their aggression against them.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:10 PM CDT up reply actions
yeah there is a ton of ball movement with this lineup
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:10 PM CDT reply actions
Bones is right take out Tim… we don’t need a cheap foul on him
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:12 PM CDT reply actions
I'd like to see..
..a few more Spurs pts. before the end o’ the Half.
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Do the Lakers not have a defensive answer for Duncan?
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True...
There are players that make him work – but it seems like he’s going up against the Pau Gasol of Memphis rather than the ESPN appointed Laker’s savior.
Some things never change = )
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boy the Lakers are going to pay by not doubling Tim
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:14 PM CDT reply actions
Who let K*be score?
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
Someone was also in the key for way more than 3 seconds
"I'm comfortable with winning" - Manu Ginobili
by TdotSpursfan on May 21, 2008 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions
I think. I don’t have a DVR or anything. I damn sure didn’t see a replay.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Damn. That was a good look there to end it.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:17 PM CDT reply actions
Good first half
Hope SAS builds on it.
"Always Willing, Ever Able" - rivbike.com
"A Dbl Shot O' Whiskey & A Pitcher O' Beearr" - BoilerMaker (It's Game Time Baby, see Ya Again, 'n the Second Half)
51-43 at half
Kobe has 2 pts. that’s gonna change. We have to stay aggressive.
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
Tim will have have 28 points
Tony will score 24 points
Manu will score 18 points
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:18 PM CDT reply actions
They don't have an answer for Tim or Tony
The Laker’s inexperience is going to kill them this series… I think the Spurs can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
They’re getting in gear… They just have to keep 24 in check.
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You have to be some kind of self-absorbed malcontent to be happy when you get a shout-out on a SPURS blog.
That said, I really enjoy getting shout-outs on a SPURS blog. I missed you guys.
I watched the 1st half at a bar in Denver with a laker fan co-worker (needless-to-say strangely quiet when down 20, only to find his fanhood when up by 4) and listened to Dr. Ramsey call the rest of the game on the radio for the drive home. Yeah, he’s still alive. Although you couldn’t tell it by the broadcast, aside from chastising “laker” fans for booing their own team at home in the playoffs.
I won’t miss out or let you guys down again. I’ll be here. Even got the wireless card up so that I can watch, AND talk jive.
by SgtinManusArmy on May 22, 2008 2:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Said it before
Ginobili is tired. If he wakes up though…
O M G
At this rate, if he wakes up, the Lakers are toast.
nickiak called it after first. +5 in the quarter leads to +8 at the half. kept good care of the ball, rebounded well enough and played some solid defense. we did have a few breakdowns, but we wont keep the from a run all night. just gotts keep their second half runs to a minimum.
so far, this is going to script for me. long way to go though.
Hey All
I finally got my stoogetv feed to work, just in time to watch the halftime show. dammit. Who’s ready to enjoy the 2nd half.
I'm comfortable winning -- Emmanuel Ginobili
And the first half exile continues. It is okay for me to be very nervous about leading? I did not expect this at all.
We haven't seen Kobe yet.
That has me a little worried since Manu looks bad.
Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.
Attention: This thread is dead
You guys know the drill.
Take your ass over to the second half thread.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:24 PM CDT reply actions
everyone is right if Manu somehow gets some energy for the second half..the Lakers are toast!
by adam8065 on May 21, 2008 9:33 PM CDT reply actions
Doug Collins is high. Our offense isn’t lulling them to sleep. Our defense has them in a sleeper hold right now.
by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2008 9:45 PM CDT reply actions
The Party is over
One down, three to go.
Lakers in four.
Oh contraire bon jour...
Look, I hate the Lakers. I loathe them with every fiber of my being. I delight in their misfortune and hope that they lose in the most agonizing possible fashion every time they take the court.
So as much as I hate to say it, the Lakers earned tonight’s win as much as the Spurs squandered it. Credit where credit is due. They amped up the D and made plays down the stretch when they needed them.
That said, Ginobili had about his worst game of the playoffs, and Kobe was 2 different guys in the 1st and 2nd halves, so I doubt this game is predictive of anything except that the Lakers aren’t going to roll over for anyone. But neither will my Spurs.
So here’s the thing, though the Spurs can’t lock down Kobe, noone NOONE on the Lakers can guard Duncan? And Parker?
I see this going 7, and the Spurs winning it.
The Lakers can suck it.
Aye
The Lakers have a lot to worry about though :
1) Fisher can NOT contain Parker. You saw it tonight.
2) Gasol defending Duncan is a joke. Gasol finished with 19/7, but 6 of those points came when Duncan was on the bench. So you are looking at 30/18(Duncan) vs. about 14/7(Gasol). Not good for Lakers.
3) Kobe went off when Bowen went to the bench, and Manu/anyone but Udoka was guarding him. Pop will adjust to that.
4) Manu had his WORST night of the Playoffs….dude just looked exhausted. Even some other Laker fans here are asking what was wrong with Manu. So don’t expect that again.
That being said : Good win by the Lakers….honestly. They did ramp up the D, got some timely shots, the Spurs started getting fancy, driving the lane and kicking it back out for poor shots instead of finishing it when the Lakers were in the penalty and NOT looking to foul….and the Spurs just looked very run down at the end of the game.
In any case, the Spurs look like a great shot to win Game 2 on LA’s floor. LA’s fans are nowhere NEAR NO’s or even Pheonix’s fans, it wasn’t until they tied that I could even HEAR the fans on the TV. The whole first half it was like they were playing in an empty stadium. Should the Spurs win Game 2(you have to be concerned again as a Laker fan, they can do it….) then win Game 3 on thier own home floor where they are also yet to be defeated in the playoffs….then they are up 2-1, and in a commanding lead of the series.
But I seriously doubt we’d see you at that point TruthSquad. :/
Never happen
I won’t be here for 2-1 because it will never be 2-1. Maybe 1-2 if the Spurs get lucky on their home court. If Ceap Shot or Dirt Bag can denut Kobe like Dirt Bag did to Nash, then maybe they can win one game. That is in the Spurs playbook. If you can’t beat them, hurt them. Right?
It’s impossible to actually “de-nut” a nash or a kobe, for obvious reasons. That’s why we rely only on hip checks and back-breaking forearms. We’re completely insensitive like that. No doubt the dirtiest team of all time.
by SgtinManusArmy on May 22, 2008 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Please don't tell me you are Ginobili Sucks
Beacause you sure are acting like he did … :/
Reminder for those that are new : GS came in during NO series, and constantly spammed “you suck, NO rules, you are dirty, Ginobili sucks, you will eat CP3’s lunch” etc…contributing no possible positive posts.
Please keep the posts positive. We have had several Laker fans in here, and several Hornet fans in here, that are an extreme pleasure to talk to. All you want to do is proclaim everything that GS had….and he’s already been banned 2x.
spurs may lose the first two games anew....
...bcoz they think they are heroes in which they will prevail at the end..
Maybe What They Need
Each 3rd quarter we seem to have a letdown for the most part. Now we’re losing. This could be a blessing in disguise. Come out with a sense of urgency and make good game/win of it. Manu needs to either sit and rest his body or shoot up his ankle and possibly sacrifice future seasons (prefer the former). Either way, Bruce on Kobe and making him work for his points is a must….
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