Game 10:  HOU 84 @ SA 90

Box score
Game flow

Seriously, he has to be reading PtR, right?  Stampler rightfully throws him under the bus after the Dallas game, noting the team's poor performance when he's on the floor and his complete lack of offensive rebounding and blocked shots.  Later that night he throws up 17 points (on 8 FGA), 4 rebounds (including one of the offensive variety) and 5 assists?  Plus, there's my infamous post from last year where I blame him for everything short of global warming and after which he played markedly better (until getting hurt during the second round of the playoffs).  I'm telling you, he's going to block a shot against the Hawks on Tuesday and then scream "Fuck you stampler!!!!!" at the camera.

The Spurs obviously did a much better job on the boards this time around, holding the Rockets to only 7 offensive rebounds (and none from Bonzi!).  Why?  What key changes did the Spurs make?  I dunno.  Maybe they just tried harder.  Maybe Bonzi was out late the night before.

Luis Scola played out his gourd, scoring 20 points on 11 FGA and drawing at least 3 charges.  It's a shame the Spurs gave him away, especially when you consider he's getting paid less than Oberto and is five years younger than his Argentine counterpart.  Plus Scola's the better player... but Fabricio is considerably hotter.  For sure.

I enjoyed watching the three Argentines on the court together and had some realizations as to why.  They play a fluid style of basketball; always moving, seeking better positions in relation to their man and the ball.  Yes, they have the tendency to flop like fish out of water, but they flop intelligently.  Their theatrics either occur well away from the basket or as a last ditch effort, such as when a 7'-6", 310 pound Chinese man gets the ball three feet from the basket.

For the second game in a row Tony Parker did not look himself.  He's probably got a twisted contusion on his plantar tendonitis.  But hey, he still canned a couple big jumpers and some free throws down the stretch.

Besides being injury prone, the Rockets biggest flaw is their horrible point guard tandem of Rafer Alston and Mike James.  They both display horrible shot selection, neither of them particularly enjoy passing the ball, they're both at least 31, neither of them can play anything more than respectable defense and they're making a combined $10 million this year.  In short, they suck large donkey balls and I'd rather have Jacque Vaughn.

Time for some PtR contest updating:

Key won the Milwaukee game with a 104 - 87 prediction (113 - 88 final score).
T2150 won the Laker game with a 109 - 86 prediction (107 - 92 final score).
AusTechSpur won the Dallas game with an 81 - 104 prediction (92 - 105 final score).
aaronstampler won the Houston game with an 88 - 83 prediction (90 - 84 final score).

The current standings:

aaronstampler - 2
AusTechSpur - 1
bones - 1
guille - 1
Key - 1
krukow - 1
Matthew Powell - 1
papa smurf - 1
T2150 - 1

I've decided to make a slight change to the scoring.  A perfect prediction will resort in 3 points, not 5.