Unofficial Cavs v. Spurs Recap
by Big50 on Mar 9, 2010 2:15 PM CST
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PrintI missed most of the first half, but I think I got a pretty good grasp of the game. I'm going to make this short and sweet, since none of us want to re-live that loss. Manu Ginobili is the freaking man. George Hill is getting better all the time. This team has a mental block if the other team's best player is hurt.
The Freaking Man
Oh yeah...it helps when you make open shots.
I'm doing this mostly just to vent my own frustrations. Our defense wasn't bad last night. We made mediocre players make some very tough shots for the most part. If a team can do that, then you give them props and go on. I would have liked to see Hariston in to play defense when Bogans was getting abused, but other than that our defense wasn't too bad.
On the other hand Cleveland couldn't guard the Spurs. Manu and Hill were breaking them down routinely and our guys were getting open looks from everywhere. The problem came when the Spurs couldn't hit the ocean from a boat. The one shot that sticks out is Roger Mason having a wide open look to do the ONE thing he's supposed to be good at and throwing up a brick. You know it's a rough offensive night when only 3 players scored in double figures.
This about sums up the 4th quarter offense
Your 3 stars:
3: Tim Duncan - The Spurs needed him to better last night (13 points, 5 reb, 5 ast)
2: George Hill - Played really well, hope he keeps it up (23 points, 4 reb, 3 ast)
1: Manu Ginobili - Was awesome in this game. Hope to see this Manu all the time. (38 points, 7 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl)
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Mason’s last two misses from three were inexcusable. But on a lot of his earlier three-pointers he was regularly receiving the ball at his knees-it’s really hard to catch and shoot that way.
"It's Manuway or the Highway" - tlo
Yep. I was happy to see though that with Parker out Pop did not use him at PG. Hill logged a lot of minutes then Manu was playing point.
"It's Manuway or the Highway" - tlo
another great play by pop to get yet another open look for a big last second shot.
you can question pop on the play going to roger on a cold shooting night, but roger has made those kinds of game winning or tying shots before. you could argue that goerge was the hotter hand, but roger is clearly the more accomplished 3 point shooter and pop is not much for going on that kind of a whim for the last second shot.
i liked the call. pop did his job in terms of drawing it up. tim made a great pick to get roger free and manu delivered a perfect pass. it worked perfectly except for the most important part. roger didnt short arm it either. it was a clean, smooth release. just didnt go down.
actually, i am way more upset with what we got out of tim, RJ, mason and others throughout the game…which wasnt that much. we should have been up the whole game and had it closed out by late 4th.
did anyone notice shaq on the bench/with the team last night? i did not. maybe i missed him? i know…that’s hard to do. was he even there? and if not, why?
I am not sure that was the play drawn up by Pops. I would not be surprised if Manu was supposed to take the final shot but had too many defenders on him. Mason was probably plan B or C.
It was meant. Manu was looking for him all the way and Roger recieved a back screen to free him up. Such an awesome play call. It was very similar to the play at the end of last season for Finley against the NOOCH. Except Findog made it.
"It's Manuway or the Highway" - tlo
Ya, you are right. RMJ was having a pretty bad night so it did not make sense at the time, but on the other hand there was nobody else to go to. Hill missed one earlier and he is not the normal clutch 3, Manu would have the defense collapsing on him. I would have liked to see BonBon in the game taking that shot but he is sometimes questionable in clutch situations. At least Mason is always locked and loaded.
Lately, though, Bonner’s made 4 or 5 buzzer beaters. I wanted the ball in his or Manu’s hands.
"I like the fact that he’s a man." – Hubie Brown on Blair
by Manu ex Machina on Mar 9, 2010 5:42 PM CST up reply actions
The ball was in Manu’s hand to start the play. And of course everyone on the Cavs keyed in on him. That’s part of the reason Mase was so open. Again, great call by Pop, Mase just missed it.
"It's Manuway or the Highway" - tlo
Hill missed one earlier so it doesn’t make sense to go to him but to go with Mason when he has missed 7 earlier?
To serve man.
Gustatus similis pullus.
Quit that damn logic of yours! Yes, in retrospect Hill or Bonner would have been better choices. They probably practice that play with Mason a lot, and he is supposed to be our money 3 clutch guy so they went to him anyway. Nice play, wrong player.
I think so too, it really was a good play. And having Roger seen making those shot, which takes a lot of “clutchness” (if that’s a word), I was confident with it going down, and not to mad when it missed…
We just shouldn’t have been down in the final minute. We played miserably the last 6 minutes of the game.
It was a hell of a call by Pop. What i would have liked to see was Mason swing it around to Hill in the corner. He had made a shot in the game.
What I found interesting is the fact that the Cavs doubled Timmy every time he touched the ball. If we had made more open shots it would have been a 20 pt win
by Ohio Spurs Fan on Mar 9, 2010 6:09 PM CST up reply actions
I can’t believe the player who hadn’t made a shot all night missed the last shot. Damn, if only someone could’ve seen it coming, or expected it.
To serve man.
Gustatus similis pullus.
Yeah I saw that. He should get some PTR Points for that, to be exchanged for absolutely nothing.
To serve man.
Gustatus similis pullus.
What’s the procedure for redeeming my PTR points?
I was not joking. Of course I had no way of knowing the ball would go to Mason but I was almost certain Manu would be the decoy. Most teams just hand the ball to their stud and say “figure something out”, but Pop always judos that expectation into a wide-open shot.
I loved the last play but hated the execution. George Hill was in the corner for a reason. If George’s man leaves him Mason must make the pass for the higher percentage shot. He failed.
by doggydogworld on Mar 10, 2010 9:13 AM CST up reply actions
I agree that there was enough time on the clock to pass to Hill, and that a standing-still-catch-and-shoot three point attempt is a higher percentage shot than a coming-off-the-pick-raise-up attempt. But that’s Mason’s shot. If he was any kind of option in the play (seems obvious that he was) then he needs to shoot with confidence if he’s open, which he was.
He wasn’t shooting well in the game, but if the coach calls your number, you shoot. Otherwise you’ll sit.
Alfajores cause mojo! - janieannie
Five main players (RJ, Blair, Bogans, Dyce, RMJ) combined for 9 points. You can’t win that way on the road if ever. Cleveland is a good team-defense unit and yet the Spurs constantly got what they wanted. That speaks well for the guys having more rhythm about where they’re supposed to be; now if only they could hit the open shot that’s been created.
You gotta bring ass to get ass.
Don’t know where else to post this.
Yay UCONN lost! No NCAA tourny bid now. Suckers. And Stanley Robinson won’t be showcased, so he might drop to the middle end of the first round now. A win, win.
"It's Manuway or the Highway" - tlo
Could it be with Tony out, Pop changed the whole game plan back to 1/2 court rather than flow ball and that seems to have upset the new players offense. It has nothing to do with Mason missing the 3 at the end but we should never have been there in the first place. They outscored us 25 to 19 in the 4th. because the Cavs played their game and we did not play the style of game we previously were winning with to win.
I think the offense had great flow. Manu isolated like he and Tony usually do. They made an effort to get the ball in the post and Timmy passed well out of the double team. The problem was the stretch where we missed 9 of 11 shots in the 4th. If we go 5 of 11 in that span we will the game easily.
by Ohio Spurs Fan on Mar 9, 2010 6:21 PM CST up reply actions
My biggest thing is that Manu played well on the road
"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich
Manu was absolutely unbelievable. I don’t know if he ever played better.
We should start rebuilding around Durant
Not sure I can go along with Timmy as the 3rd star. Especially after that 4th quarter. Not that I have any other candidates to offer. Can I nominate (vacated) as the 3rd star?
I think, Bonner deserves to be the 3rd star. He made a few important shots and was noticeable on defense. He drew a nasty charge from Varejao, it takes a lot of heart to do that.
We should start rebuilding around Durant
I’m almost onboard with Bonner. But it’s hard to be a “star” when you let Hickson take the ball out of your hands right under the Cavs basket. Other than that he played his role well. But role-playing is different than starring.
by doggydogworld on Mar 10, 2010 4:24 PM CST up reply actions
Right under the Spurs basket? Yes, you are right about this. But the Varejao’s charge was a star play. I am always biased toward role players playing well rather than toward stars playing sub-par games. So I would go with Bonner rather than with Timmeh for this game.
We should start rebuilding around Durant
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