I found this on Tiago's performance in the Euroleague Final Four.

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via www.nba.com

Since it is 7am here and I am too full of excitement and caffeine to sleep before work, I figured I would try my hand at a game recap. Let me know if it sucks.

Tim Duncan is a champion. Hornets fans who were hoping that the Spurs game 3 win was like Dallas' game 3 win in Round 1 have already realized their mistake. Tim Duncan is not Dirk Nowitski, he doesn't play like Dirk, he doesn't lead like Dirk, and most of all, his team doesn't fold when the games start to matter (like Dirk's).

We all knew that TD was going to come on strong tonight. He had been sick and underperforming during the first three games of this series. Maybe he was "due," maybe he had something to prove, maybe the Hornets just played him differently, but TD went off. 22pts on 10-13 shooting from the field, 15 boards, 4 blocks, and 3 assists (including a Manuesque zinger to TP underneath), and 5 Tyson Chandler fouls meant that the Spurs were going back to NO with the series all tied up.

Now he has done that which causes NO fans to tremble, he made the Hornets think. He is in their head. Scrappy-doo is pissed, West is pushing people and complaining to officials, Chandler is cussing himself out on the bench, Peja is forcing up 10 ft runners with two guys in his face. Sure, this isn't all the work of TD, but he made it possible. His defensive and offensive presence allow the lesser Spurs (read: all of them) to do what they do best instead of having to force the issue.

Because of Duncan, Thomas and Oberto can stay closer to West because they know TD has the rim protected. Because of Duncan, Parker can go under the screen because he knows TD will push Scrappy out and give him time to recover. Because of Duncan, Bowen can invade Peja's personal space because a driver will simply end in another awkward layup attempt. Because of Duncan; Bowen, Finley, Ginobili, Udoka, Horry, Barry, Parker, and Thomas can all shoot open jumpers off of New Orleans double-teams.

Tonight, once again, we are reminded that this is Duncan's team. Pop may be the front-man, Ginobili is our favorite, Parker is the flashy one, but in the end it all comes down to #21. When Duncan plays well, the Spurs win. When Duncan does not play well, the Spurs do not win.

Other Observations:

It may just be me, but I'm really getting tired of Scrappy-doo getting the Jordan treatment. One play in the 3rd quarter illustrated this best: Paul drove into the lane, barely missed Bowen with his right elbow (which was above his own shoulder) barreled into Parker with his left forearm, threw the ball wildly at the basket, and was rewarded with 2 fts. (Please note: I'm not complaining about the calls in general today, if anything I think the reffing favored SA, but I HATE the idea that superstars are somehow entitled to get those calls).

Udoka seems to be getting more comfortable as the playoffs go on. Let's hope he continues to get playing time, as he is our best rebounding win player and is the only Spur who can match up well with a fully-functional Bonzi Wells (who, I admit, we haven't seen this series).

David West is a bitch. I know that Oberto flopped on his elbow/push underneath the basket, and I suspect TD probably did on the other end as well, but West just cannot control his frustration when he is playing poorly. The Spurs have gotten into his head in each of the last three games. His response is usually a mixture of covert violence and complaining to the refs.

Reggie Miller is an alien who is still learning the English language. I don't think this requires an explanation.

 

Let's Go Spurs. Take game five and really get these kids doubting themselves.

Are you a Spurs fan 24/7? Do you know a guy named Mike Mitchell? If your responses are yep and yep, you can express your thoughts on your most favorite Spurs past and present. By the way, here are some Spurs-related research lists.

 

Most Spurs NBA Seasons 1977-1989

1. Johnny Moore                 10

2. George Gervin                 9

3. Mike Mitchell                    7

4. Mark Olberding               6

5. James Silas                   5

5. Mike Gale                        5

5. Billy Paultz                       5

5. Artis Gilmore                   5

5. Alvin Robertson              5

10. Larry Kenon                  4

10. Paul Griffin                    4

10. Coby Dietrick                4

10. Gene Banks                  4

10. Dave Greenwood         4

10. Frank Brickowski          4

 

Most Spurs NBA Seasons in the 90’s

1. David Robinson              10           (‘99 ring (and ‘03 ring))

2. Sean Elliott                       9             (‘99 ring)

3. Avery Johnson                 8             (‘99 ring) 

4. Terry Cummings             6

4. Willie Anderson               6

4. Vinny Del Negro              6

7. J.R. Reid                          4

7. Will Perdue                      4             (‘99 ring)

9. Rod Strickland                3

9. Sidney Green                  3

9. Antoine Carr                    3

9. Monty Williams                3

9. Chuck Person                 3

9. Carl Herrera                     3         

9. Cory Alexander                3

 

Most Spurs NBA Seasons since 1989-90

1. David Robinson              14           (‘99, ‘03 ring)      

2. Sean Elliott                       11           (‘99 ring)

2. Tim Duncan                     11 !         (‘99, ‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)        (! = active)

4. Avery Johnson                 10           (‘99 ring)

5. Malik Rose                        8             (‘99, ‘03 ring)

6. Tony Parker                       7 !           (‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

6. Bruce Bowen                    7 !           (‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

8. Terry Cummings              6

8. Willie Anderson                6 (7 overall - 1988-89)

8. Vinny Del Negro               6

8. Manu Ginobili                   6 !           (‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

12. Robert Horry                   5 !           (‘05, ‘07 ring)

13. J.R. Reid                         4

13. Will Perdue                     4             (‘99 ring)

13. Jaren Jackson               4             (‘99 ring)

13. Antonio Daniels            4             (‘’99 ring)

13. Steve Kerr                       4             (‘99, ‘03  ring)

13. Brent Barry                      4 !           (‘05, ‘07 ring)

19. Rod Strickland               3

19. Sidney Green                 3

19. Antoine Carr                   3

19. Monty Williams              3

19. Chuck Person               3

19. Carl Herrera                   3         

19. Cory Alexander              3

19. Charles Smith               3

19. Terry Porter                    3

19. Danny Ferry                    3             (‘03 ring)

19. Devin Brown                   3             (‘05 ring)

19. Rasho Nesterovic         3             (‘05 ring)

19. Sean Marks                    3             (‘05 ring)

19. Beno Udrih                     3             (‘05, ‘07 ring)

19. Michael Finley                3 !           (’07 ring)

19. Fabricio Oberto              3 !           (’07 ring)

 

Most Spurs NBA Seasons 1977-2008

1. David Robinson              14           (‘99, ‘03 ring)

2. Sean Elliott                       11           (‘99 ring)

2. Tim Duncan                     11 !         (‘99, ‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

4. Johnny Moore                  10

4. Avery Johnson                 10           (‘99 ring)

6. George Gervin                   9

7. Malik Rose                         8             (‘99, ‘03 ring)

8. Mike Mitchell                      7

8. Willie Anderson                7

8. Tony Parker                       7 !           (‘03, ‘05, ‘07 ring)

8. Bruce Bowen                    7 !           (‘03, ‘05, ‘07 ring)

12. Mark Olberding              6

12. Terry Cummings           6

12. Vinny Del Negro             6

12. Manu Ginobili                 6 !           (‘03, ’05, ‘07 ring)

 

Former Spurs Ultimate Roster (retired/*inactive Spurs; at least 5 seasons/**4 seasons)

- Robinson

- Elliott

- Moore

- Johnson

- Gervin

- Rose*

- Mitchell

- Anderson

- Olberding

- Cummings

- Del Negro

- Silas

- Gale

- Paultz

- Gilmore             

- Robertson

- Kenon**

 

Posted by Foreigner in CS - May 11 2008 9:58PM

Yes, I could have done this a long time ago.  I probably should have.  This if the first non-spammer I've ever banned and I didn't do it lightly.  I tried to avoid it because it will likely encourage other, more obvoius trolls to come out of the woodwork.

I have no problem with non-Spurs fans posting here.  However, there is a requirement.  You have to consistently show a modicum of intelligence, and you have to be here for a reason other than antagonization.  The former requirement is a total double-standard; moronic Spurs fans can post here all they want.  The second applies to everyone.  In fact, if I found out a PtR member was going to other blogs and behaving like Ginobli Sucks I would ban them from PtR.  NO questions asked.

I should have banned him the minute I saw his user name and further comments about Manu.  It's on thing to call him any of the following:  a flopper, overrated, bald, foreign, or big-nosed.  I can see pssible truth to any of those comments.  But to say he "sucks?"  And then to follow it up with comments like you actually believe that?  That's just stupid, and you're just trying to piss people off.  Do it somewhere else.

In 2002, there was a great movie released called Bubba Ho-tep.  Most of you guys have probably never heard of it.  I'm telling you RIGHT NOW that you should watch it.  The movie is just brilliant.  It's about two guys in a retirement home in East Texas that is being stalked by a chaps wearing mummy.  One of the guys is an Elvis impersonator who now thinks he is Elvis, the other is a black man who thinks he is JFK.  What does Bubba Ho-tep have to do with the Spurs?  Nothing.  This is about US, the PtR family.  We, like the old men, are being attacked by an Undead enemy --blog trolls-- who attempts to slap his lips on our assholes to suck our souls.  We need to band together, be diligent, and watch our assholes until this antagonist has been vanquished.

In the meantime, bone up on your game day rituals and routines.  LatinD wants to know what they are and how much you are willing to bring to the Mojo table.

Poll

The Spurs finally got a 'W' and now trail 2 games to 1. How do you see this series ending?

• Spurs in 6
• Spurs in 7
• Hornets in 7
• Hornets in 6
• Hornets in 5

  87 votes | Results

So yeah, the Spurs need to repeat what they did in game 3, and we must have a big game from our  Huge Three, and Pop needs to make some defensive adjustments, et cetera, et cetera. I'm not really worrying about those details, because frankly, I can't do much about it. I trust the Spurs, and I trust Pop and his team.

What I can do is work on the general mojo and win the game with the most powerful tool a sports fan has: sheer superstition.

Some of you know that I didn't comment on the game thread till the final minute of the game. I was stuck downtown because of my job and was risking missing the game entirely, but I managed to ditch my boss right before tipoff, and quickly found a cybercafe whose kind owner let me install Sopcast to watch it. So I did exactly that, and right after Manu's awesome shot's second replay was shown, I quickly took a cab back home, to watch the rest of the game. I only missed about half of the third quarter, but I still didn't comment on the thread till I was certain of the victory - that's right, because I didn't want to jinx us.

The playoffs, and particularly this series' rough start, has driven my superstition to an all-time high. Matthew asked Michael the other day whether he really believed that his beard had any effect on the games. Well, Matthew, I'm an engineer, like you, so know perfectly well that we're taught all about logic. If you ask me whether I truly believe in all this jinx/counterjinx/mojo/positive vibes crap, believe in it deep down, really truly think anything I'll do will have an effect on the game... honestly, despite what every rational bone in my body says - I really don't know. But just in case, I'm going to go with the flow.

If anything this kind of thing makes me feel like I'm contributing to the cause somehow, and helps me keep the stress levels down. I know it's a silly thought, but I'm a silly person.

So! For game 4, I'm pulling out all the stops: I'm going to the same cybercafe, already booked the same computer I was using that night, and have just talked a friend into driving me home at halftime so I don't miss half a quarter again. And I definitely won't be commenting on the game thread from the moment I post the preview to the final minute of the game.

I'm pretty sure we're going to win game 4, because the gods up there (foremost amongst them Flying Spaghetti Monster) won't let my sacrifice go in vain. I also know that poor SiMA has condemned himself to Internet silence to keep the winning ways alive, so that will help too. (My heart goes out to you, SiMA, really. You're taking one for the team.)

The question is, what are you guys going to do to build up the positive mojo?

I expect something worthy from my fellow Spurs fans. At leas the irrational half of them.

 

Keep 'em crossed, fellas. We've got this.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/community/profile.htm?UID=f06a7610a6fe2b78&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3af06a7610a6fe2b78Post%3a4811755b-164c-40a8-9c2c-5e117a62c0e0

-----------------

But that humor evanesced when a local reporter asked him if he thought the Hornets would continue to dare the Spurs to shoot 3-pointers.

POP: “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask them.”

SEMI-CLUELESS MEDIA PERSON: “That’s kind of what they did in the first game.”

POP: “They did a lot of things well.”

NEW ORLEANS RADIO GUY: “Will you try to change up your defenses on David West at all tonight?”

POP: “Right. We’re going to probably do four or five things you’ve never seen before in basketball.”

NEW ORLEANS RADIO GUY: “I sense sarcasm.”

POP: “That’s correct. We’re going to spend the afternoon inventing the light bulb. Those CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps), a lot of people are having problems with them, so we’re going to think of something different.”

SEMI-CLUELESS MEDIA PERSON: “Do you have any words for Hugo, the mascot, by any chance?”

POP: “Who?” (media laughter)

(Someone chimes in, “the guy who jumped through the fire.”)

POP: “Why would you ask me that?”

The media is laughing now, but I sense Popovich doesn’t think this is all that  funny.

TRYING-TO-BE HELPFUL LOCAL MEDIA PERSON: “Talking about the ring of fire.”

POP: “Hopefully that’s over with. We all know it wasn’t a great move. We all make mistakes.”

SAME GUY WHO ASKED ABOUT DEFENDING DAVID WEST: “Do you think you might try to use (Bruce) Bowen on David a little bit tonight?”

Ohmigod. This is going to set him off…

POP: “That’s a good idea! Look at this guy right here! He’s got all kinds of ideas! Let’s do that! What’s he gonna do, get 30? Maybe we’ll put Bruce on him. Bruce weighs, what 90 pounds? He’ll just knock the (bleep) out of him. That’ enough. You guys are terrible…”

End of interview.

 

First off, sorry to my fellow PtR folks that I haven't been contributing to these boards too much in the last few days.  They're called finals and they suck (especially in the business school at Texas A&M).  I've been reading and enjoying everyone's comments, though, (well, except GS, of course.  But enough about me, on to the real purpose of this post.

Really, it's about the new orleans hornets basketball team as a whole.  As a Spurs fan, there are three categories of teams for me:  teams I loathe, teams I respect, and teams about which I don't give a rip.  Teams like the lakers, jazz, mavericks, and suns fall into the loathing category, of course.  Up until now, teams I respected included the rockets, pistons, and hornets.  I was impressed by the resiliency of the city of new orleans after Katrina (which hit close to home for me as I used to live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast).  I was impressed by how tightly the big easy clung to it's sports teams.  They wrenched their hornets back from OKC, and they even claimed their saints back from the Alamodome (don't get me wrong, I'm dying for an NFL team as much as any other SA sports fan, just not under those circumstances!).  Then, a hornets team that had been the NBA's definition of mediocrity for years suddenly gained new confidence from a young point guard playing with poise beyond his years.  I never watched any hornets games this season, but when I found out that chris paul was a grad of the great TIM DUNCAN's school, I immediately assumed that he was a keeper.  I mean, how bad could he be if he even partially imitated Wake Forest's greatest roundball alum?

Needless to say, I had high hopes for this series.  I was looking forward to a humble display of terrific basketball on both sides.  Even if the Spurs lost, I wouldn't mind if it was to a team that showed they were deserving in both word and deed of dethroning the defending champs.

In short, the hornets have disappointed me on all fronts.  When byron scott, with his smug smile, is far and away the classiest guy on the team, you have a problem.  From paul's egregious DEAD BALL flops (a first for floppers foreign and domestic, by the way), to the normally mild-mannered peja sto-whatever-his-name-is' off-ball antics with Bowen (don't think I wasn't watching you, you conniving jerk), I have been completely disenchanted with the hornets as a team.  I honestly believed paul would demonstrate at least a modicum of the class that his elder statesmen model their games after, but apparently I've been hoping for too much.  I've never seen a point guard with such a deceptively foul attitude.  He's been actively mongering all-out war on the floor, yet he's still sainted (pardon the pun) by the media, and the Spurs (predictably) are continually vilified.  I swear, I've never seen such a uniting of the media against a defending champion.  It's a crying shame, and the league should be ashamed of allowing the demonizing of the Spurs to get to this point.  The miami freaking heat got more praise in 2007 as they were getting swept in the first round than the Spurs, who dismantled a ridiculously talented suns team that was custom-built to beat them.

If the hornets beat my Spurs, I will be the first to congratulate them on a job well done.  Their chance to earn my respect, however, has been irrevocably lost, and if the Spurs can't do it, I hope another team (I don't care who) kicks the ever living crap out of them.  Not because I hate new orleans, but because the hornets have no class.

Great win in Game 3, Spurs.  Let's tie it up in Game 4!

GO SPURS GO!!!  BTHO (Beat The Hell Outta) new orleans!

"Chris is going to score regardless. He's got the ball in his hands every single time. Every single play it's Chris Paul," said Parker, who had 11 assists. "He's going to score. So we decided to put Bruce on Peja and at least hold somebody down because Peja was killing us."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280508024

Read it and weep GS, read it an apologize GS, read it and bow to superior knowledge GS.

Anybody that has been reading the game threads knows I think the officiating has heavily favored the Hornets.  I think it has for two reasons:  1)  The Hornets were at home.  2)  They have been far more aggressive.

As the series moves back to SA, here's what I think the Spurs need to do to turn the series and the calls in their favor.

Poll

Spurs are down 2-0, how does this series end?

• Spurs in 6
• Spurs in 7
• Hornets in 7
• Hornets in 6
• Hornets in 5
• Hornets in 4

  230 votes | Results

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