Game 4 Preview: Mavs @ Spurs

Hey guys. This is my first post and, coincidentally, the first post on this entry. Double-first!

I signed up with PtR minutes before the last game started and it wouldn’t let me comment. I’m pretty confident that if I comment during the next game, it won’t mess with the mojo since I was commenting in spirit during the entire last game.

The comment i wanted to make was that RJ needs to be waaaaay more aggressive. I recall a play last game where someone set a pick for him and he was driving toward the hoop. The only person between him and the basket was Barea. He drove to the edge of the paint before kicking the ball out to someone (I forget who) standing outside the 3-pt line… Really? You can’t just pull up and pop an easy one over Barea? Don’t you have like 8 inches on him?

FRUSTRATING.

Pivotal game 5 of the 2005 NBA finals against the Defending champion Pistons. Timmy had a great overall game, but had missed six straight fouls shots down the stretch in overtime, and Detroit led as a result. Duncan was visibly upset with himself. But Manu would pass the ball to a certain assassin named Robert Horry for a series altering three point shot, and the rest is history.

After the game, Duncan was asked about the nightmare game he had. This was his response… “An absolute nightmare, yes,” Duncan said. “[Horry] pulled me out of an incredible hole that I put myself in.”

The despair apparent in Duncan’s face after missing the foul shots, and his post-game admition of relief left a lasting impression on me. It humanized him in a way I had never seen another athlete humanized let alone one approching his stature. It was just an amazing moment, and from then on I realized just how humble and awe inspiring this individual truly is…

Happy Birthday TD! It wouldn’t be a birthday without a party and there won’t be a party without a win. Guess we really got to win this game for the birthday boy.

An often forgotten clutch playoff memory would be 1999, second round vs Lakers, game 2. If memory serves, LA went up 3 on a made 3 by Kobe. Timmy got a quick hoop, Kobe missed his FTs, and Timmy hit the game winning hook on an inbounds pass from Elie. That was one of those moments when I believed we had turned the corner as a franchise, as these were the types of games we had always lost in the past. And here we were being saved by this second year stud.

As for tonight’s game, just continue to control the pace of the game, execute on offense, rotate and rebound on defense. I’ve said it many times but the Mavs always make one offensive driven run per half. Our job is to not feed that run and make it any bigger than it has to be by committing turnovers, taking quick shots or getting lazy on defense. Just fight through it, hit a few shots and know that that streaky team will miss 8 of 9 only minutes after scoring on seven straight possessions. That’s who they are, a bit of a front running team. We’re the poised team that allows our defense to spring our runs. Just hold the MLP down and punish them after they make a run and they’ll hang their heads, especially after the Marion/Butler frustration from last game.

Go Spurs!

Hey remember in game two when we really need someone down the stretch to make some points because no else was scoring and the team looked kinda lost on offense and then Tim had 8 straight points and then we won?

That was pretty cool.

My favorite memory of Timmy was 2007 Finals, one of the post game interviews. Tim came in and sat down then his face lit up. He made a face and waved his fingers. His wife and baby girl had slipped in the back of the room, that was his focus.

I know that Robinson set a fine example of how to be a Spur. How lucky are we to have had such upstanding individuals on our team. Talk about the type of player you would love your kids to look up to.

Oh and that three against the Suns is a close second. Happy Birthday Timmy !

Love the clip, Cap! Hey mojo, hello in there…we need you to rain humiliation on the MLPs! For Timmeh’s sake, pllllllleeease! Happy Birthday, Big FUNdamental, and thanks for years of great basketball!

Legendary Spurs supporter Gloria Drash, who frequently sits on the front row near the bench, loves Tim and wears his jersey to every game. But once, last year, she wore Bruce Bowen’s jersey. Tim noticed and walked over to her and asked, “Gloria, what’s wrong?” She had no idea why he was asking, so she replied, “Nothing, Tim, everything’s fine.” He asked again, “No, Gloria, I mean what’s WRONG?” and stood squarely in front of her, staring intently. She remained puzzled for a minute and then figured it out. She had to promise on the spot to always wear his jersey, and she does. Her husband, Will, usually wears Hill’s jersey because the two of them have "adopted " him and he calls them his adopted grandparents.

You can see a photo of Gloria & Will at the last game in my photo post. Today is also Gloria’s birthday, and they will be sitting on the front row, baseline by the Spurs’ bench and she will be the honorary co-captain of the game and get to wish Tim a Happy Birthday. Really!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Duncan.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Duncan.

JJ Barea is quickly becoming 2nd on my Hatest Maverick® list (2nd to Mark Cuban, and passing Jason Terry).

I really feel for Wade right now. Such a gutsy effort. He needs a better team around him next year.

Happy birthday, Merlin.

Good article and video about Timmeh’s college career. 3-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year – we should have known what was coming. :)

My favorite Tim memory is when he psychoanalyzed himself during the 1999 lockout. One of the most interesting things I’ve read from any NBA player. And one of the main reasons I get so irritated whenever fair-weather NBA fans say Tim is “boring”.

Well CapHill you already took my awesome Timmeh story about how I’ve followed him since college but one of my favorite things I remember about him was the near QUADRUPLE-double in the finals clincher in 03. Just a phenomenal display by one of the greatest players of all time.

Too bad for Chicago that Joakim Noah is the only guy still playing with any passion….