I guess I just don't see what you other spurs fans are seeing. We are really having a hard time keeping up. Anything is possible, and it we could still win, but I seriously doubt it. ANY, and I mean ANY, other spurs championship teams would have walked out of Pheonix with at least one victory. The fact that we couldn't pull it off this time is very telling.

This was one of the most unintelligent games I've ever seen them play.

Spurs stunk for two games. Now you're asking them to win four outta five. Not impossible but it's long odds.

I'm with beerad. I don't think the Spurs will be able to pull this series out. They just don't have what it takes to play with Phoenix. That's hard for me to say, but I think it is true.

Those past Spurs teams could count on 3, 4, 5 3's a game from the bench, much like the Suns can count on now. We are getting NOTHING from Bonner & Mason is worthless to us.

That is the difference in this series. With Tony coming off the bench, we have ZERO threat from downtown off the bench.

Stats-wise, both of these games should have been Phoenix blowouts, especially tonight. When you are negative double digits from 3, the FT line & offensive rebounds, you've usually lost by 20 something.

what???

the spurs played pretty damn good. they shot 51% and held a high scoring suns offense to 42% shooting.

duncan CANNOT play any better than he did tonight. 29 and 10 shooting 12-20. parker played well, jefferson played well, manu had 11 effing assists. the spurs shot better, had more blocks, steals, and assists than the suns.

the spurs did NOT play terrible kthx. stop making excuses.

not likely, but I wouldnt throw in the towel yet. This isnt the first time the spurs have looked old. Phoenix in '07 and hornets in '08 ring a bell?

This thing will be even going back to phoenix.

Simplebay did you watch the game? The Spurs played very poorly. They made dumb turnovers, dumb fouls, and didn't rebound worth a crap. They shot well from a percent standpoint, but Phoenix took a lot more shots with a lot more opportunities because the Spurs didn't block out. Poor shot selection by the Spurs was also a big factor. Their 3 point defense was atrocious, along with their 3 point shooting.

I haven't seen a Spurs team play 2 games as poorly as they've played in this series.

The problem with Simple****'s theory is Duncan & Parker ALWAYS play well against PHX. ALWAYS.

The Spurs were as bad as I've ever seen them on the glass. That right there is enough to say they played like shat.

I've said it many times lately, but Bonner has to have photos of Pop ****ing a donkey or something. I don't get it.

He's okay for 2-3 minutes stretches, but after that teams go on runs. It's happened in every game so far these playoffs. Our 10 point lead evaporated thanks to the 7 offensive rebounds we gave up while he was in during the 2nd quarter.

+1 on boner black mailing pop.

Spurs need to roll with this lineup :

Duncan
McDyss
Jeff
Bogans - very minimal
Parker

Then bring manu, hill and blair off the bench

That is it, boner only plays sparingly to get us through a quarter if we get into foul trouble.

kag, I might agree with you on Bogans, his defense has been pretty good.

I believe you are my cousin, but that's not important.

But do you think Bogans should actually start over Manu? Didn't Manu have a bench role not too long ago? Was is successful?

manu has always been effective starting or off the bench.

The spurs bench needs that spark, tony has been very effective, but he doesnt spark the defense or the 3 point shooting. manu has always been able to do that. placing hill back on the bench might show him that the only reason he is getting more playing time this year is because of his defense, not his offense. he needs to re-dedicate himself.

yes, you are my cousin....lol, just realized that now.

DC, sorry to burst your bubble and all but I think Dallas might have been the worst Western playoff team this year. Sit down and look at them in a series versus any of the other teams and you either have them losing or in a best case scenario for Dallas it's a toss up.

Although PHX was one of the few teams they prolly had a chance of beating 4 times in 7 games.

I notice how you never responded once your "SA played terrible" argument was shot to pieces after game one

While that tired argument is slightly more valid after game two (SA did give up way too many offensive rebounds) it is still incredibly weak.

First of all, sooner or later you are going to realize that this is just how Phoenix plays and they are not going to start shooting appreciably worse. It may not be until after you've lost the series, but it will happen.

Second, SA played BETTER tonight than they did in two of their four wins over Dallas...and lost. Phoenix is playing better then Dallas was.

Finally, SA shot 51% from the field (10% higher than Phoenix) and didnt turn the ball over an unusual amount. Outside of the offensive rebounds, SA played a pretty good basketball game.

Phoenix is just straight up beating you

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The Spurs never let spares like that beat them

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00.4 says hello

D-Fish has 4 title rings... he's no spare

hth

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Phoenix is just straight up beating you

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Absolutely hysterical to hear you say this, especially since you wouldn't last series. It was the refs, Spurs getting away with calls, Spurs going on unheard of runs, etc. Even Obama is jealous of your backtracking. Face it...you just loathe the Spurs. Nobody believes that your ass is cheering for Phoenix, just like nobody believes that you aren't Hostile Aggie.

Father time is catching up. The Spurs are just a step slower out there.

Its starting to look like the Mavs made the Spurs look better than they really are.

Stubborn Pop has reappeared. Can anyone tell me why McDyse doesn't play 35 minutes? Phx is killing them on the glass and we leave our best hustle rebounder on the bench. I know Pop likes to matchup with the smaller Phx team but we've seen this before. The way to beat those guys is to punish them inside.

I'll be really surpised if the Spurs don't take these two in SA. Phx is a good shooting team but the Spurs aren't as bad as they showed. They'll shoot better at home.

The Spurs shot well. You look silly saying they didnt. The key is Manu, and it has been for a few years now. He has not played well since the nose, and the Spurs will not win this series if he does not start shooting better.

The Spurs have to play smarter and keep the Suns off the Offensive boards as well. Why are we running Grant Hill off the 3 point line? Why are we guarding him with Duncan? We need to exploit our matchups and stop trying to adjust our lineup to meet theirs. Why don't Tim and Blair ever play together?

Blair and Bonner can guard Frye. Blair and McDyess can guard Amare. Tim is kinda the odd man out on the defensive end because he just isnt quick enough to play Amare or Frye. Anyone can guard Collins.

Bottom line is Manu. But even still, it will be tough to win games if the Suns shoot 50% from 3 and get 37 FT attempts.

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He has not played well since the nose

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Uhhhh, he had 27 points in game 1 on 45% shooting.

this is stupid. the spurs played well. they might be able to cut down on a few plays here or there that could allow them to steal a game...but overall, statistically, they can't play much better than game 2.

they lost game 2 because no one felt it was necessary to run a guy at channing frye.

Don't you get it simple, that's the spurs not playing well. You say we did, then you mention something as fundamental as closing out. We didn't do it. Pop teams ALWAYS do that well in the playoffs. We didn't, therefore we didn't play well.

You really amaze me with your lack of basketball knowledge. You look at a few stats here and there and think you can conclude if the team played well based on them.

Did the spurs shoot a high percentage from the field? Absolutely, but they by no means played well.

-Duncan cannot keep shooting ~50% from the FT line
-Must find a way to knock down some 3-pointers to open everything else up (Bonner is worthless if he can't make 3's)
-Cannot give up that many offensive rebounds
-Must have someone else step up to neutralize the play of Channing Frye and Jared Dudley

beer....just because you lose, doesn't always equate to the Spurs playing "terrible". Phoenix outplayed the spurs...yes. the spurs in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM PLAYED TERRIBLE

hth

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but overall, statistically, they can't play much better than game 2.

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You mean like the stat where the Spurs gave up 18 offensive boards? Or allowed the Suns to shoot 47% from 3-pt range?

I think it's a huge stretch to say the Spurs played poorly (although they have done some uncharacteristic things at least compared to their title years -- poor rebounding, can't knock down 3's). It is laughable though to claim that the Spurs 'can't play much better' by pointing out a few statistics.

yin and yang. the spurs didn't play terrible.

and, i already pointed out that channing fry (3pt shooting) was the difference maker and the reason the suns won. and i credit the suns for palying BETTER, not credit the spurs for playing worse.

jefferson played better than normal, duncan played better than normal, parker played normal/slightly better than, and ginobili played some ways way better than normal and some ways way worse...so normal.


the spurs played pretty good in MOST aspects of the game. the suns outplayed them in a couple of key aspects, but overall, the spurs played pretty damn well. and lost. because the other team was better.