Game 39 @ Chicago: Bulls 99, Spurs 87
Greetings from San Diego! I made the godforsaken drive back to this Republican Aryan wasteland so I can begin my 291st and hopefully last semester of edumication tomorrow. I'm kind of in a grumpy mood about it. Can Matthew arrange some kind of contest where the winner gets to do my Spanish homework for me on a daily basis? I promise I'll stop making fun of Tony for a whole year. Or I'll start making fun of Manu, that overrated Argentine wussy whiteboy who can't jump over a phone book. See? Whatever you're into, I'll be your Spursblog ho, I swear.
I don't really have a whole lot to say about the Bulls game. I picked Chicago to come out of the East for a reason, and it sure as shit wasn't Ben Wallace's redonkulous contract. These boys have athletes, athletes, athletes, and if Scott Skiles can ever teach half of them to play ball, nobody in the East can touch them.
I figured prevailing at Chicago would be too much to ask for since A) Our sorry bunch can't win more than five in a row and there's no way they're gonna let the Lakers punk them at home, so this meant they'd have to lose to the Bulls first and B) The early starting time would be too much of a burden for this collection of geezers, so really I'm not too upset about it.
I won't even use the occasion of his worst game of the season to rip Le Trou Noir. Everybody has a game where they're just not into it for whatever reason. Hell, Manu had one of these stinkers a couple of weeks ago at Cleveland. It's to Tony's credit that he's raised his game to such heights that when he comes up with an absolute wretched game such as this that it takes everyone by such surprise.
Pop noticed it, the media was all over it, even our worst player (Findog) made mention of it. I don't think Ginobili got anywhere this much scrutiny when he sucked it up and y'all can read into that however you want.
Speaking of Manu, I think he might be seeing Tyrus Thomas in his nightmares for a while. The human pogostick from LSU had a hat trick of swats on Gino and a couple more on Timmeh that were called goaltends. It was kind of odd to watch Manu turn into an unrepentant chucker, but what else could he do? He tried passing it, but nobody could make a shot. We were collectively awful out there.
Except for Beno. Beno is money.
I just want to put this one behind us immediately and thump the Lakers. We're so far away from playing like legitamate title contenders right now that it's all about surviving for this team until everyone gets healthy. In past seasons the Spurs wouldn't "find themselves" until the rodeo road trip in February, and it probably won't be any different this time. The problem is that in the past the other Western clubs wouldn't have these phenomanal, uncatchable records and the Spurs could catch and pass the rival du jour for the number one seed.
Not this year. Not by a long shot. We'll be lucky to be in the top four. It'd be foolish to give up on a title in mid January, but let's just say that if we were to make it out of the West this year, it would rank in my mind as the most impressive thing this club has ever accomplished. There are the Suns, the Mavs, the Jazz, the Lakers, the Rockets (an awful matchup for us if they're healthy) and even the Nuggs are potential landmines. We're gonna have to deal with three of those six, if we make it that far. Yikes.
And if we somehow make it through all that, then we get to "relax" in the Finals against the Stern-fueled Cavs who've beaten us twice or these Bulls who just thumped us in Chicago. Can't wait til May.
On a lighter note, I keep seeing this commercial, and it bugs the shit out of me.
Is this what you're looking for in a man, ladies? Some pretty boy who's so self-involved that he'll completely ignore you when you fall off a moving treadmill because he's too busy with his workout or with checking himself out in a mirror?
Just from my personal experience, every time I ignore Briana she calls or texts me, but if I pay too much attention to her, I get the cold shoulder. Women are freakin' insane....
Also, the other night I was driving home at 2 am, and I passed this Jiffy Lube and the whole building was dark and closed, but for some reason, the "Lube" part of the sign was still lit, in bright red neon. Was this a secret code to all would-be lube needers out there? Is it a secret underground all-male nightclub that one can get into with a secret knock on the door? Dammit, if only I was home one more week I could get to the bottom of this. Pun intended.
Um... Your 3 Stars
3. Beno Udrih - Little shit keeps teasing us just when we're about to give up on him, doesn't he? Starting point guard controversy? Hmmm?
2. Manu Ginobili - Couldn't hit a jumper to save his life, but at least he looked like he cared out there. Mr. Official Scorer screwed him on a late assist on a Bowen three and gave it to Barry for some odd reason. That reminds me, Tony wasn't alone with the dunce cap, Barry also sucked on Monday.
1. Tim Duncan - Another great game (except for the ever-present turnovers and missed free throws) wasted for the Golden God. He's been looking miserable on the floor lately. I blame Tinyball.
Record: 27-12 Streak: L-1
Up Next: Vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakeshow are sans Odom and Mamba's a bit gimpy himself. They've already gotten us once this year and the bitter taste of that game combined with our crappy MLK day performance should be more than enough to inspire us to a good showing tonight.