The Spurs did not play a perfect game by any means.
Arse kicking for 3 quarters, yes. But for an 11 minute stretch....
After being up 23, (23 mid 3rd!!) they went from 69-46 to to 81-73 mid 4th. In 11 minutes Det outscored by 15 points unless you have Laker math.
At this point, Xs3 were you reaching for a smoke? Because Det had all the momentum. In fact i want the board who saw to look at 3 foul calls in 30 seconds that greatly helped derail the Det comeback/SAS fold.
1) Teyshaun Prince gets whistled on GNob over in front of the Pistons bench. Lameassed ABC does not replay it. If Prince held Gnobs wrist, then okay. If it was just a "fencing" battle where GNob and Prince exchanged flicks as Gnob faked drive and stepped away for jumper, then Prince got burned. In fast motion its impossible to tell, unless some of you have the DLP 90 inch screen. Not a shooting foul, ball comes back to SA. Same sequence...
2) After Gnob drives to the hoop and gets around Sheed, Sheed shows extreme poise (really) and does not overreact and lunge at/into Gnob but rather waits for GNob to hit his apex, then long arm blocks his shot. All ball, but after the blocked ball is headed out of bounds, Sheeds downward arm movement gets GNob on the shoulder/arm. But the ball was gone. What is the NBA rule on this? Block all ball, but then afterwords in the same movement get some shoulder/arm?
The NBA ref in training i talked to said he would have let Sheeds foul go.
3. Still down only 10 (Gnob made both FTs above, Det misses on O), Rip now hacks Beno Ud on the nose. No call. Beno turns around facing the corner of the court and is doubled over with the ball, one hand grabbing his hurt nose. Rip ever so gently wraps his arms around Beno and puts his hand on the ball. Jump ball all the way. Instead ref toots him for a foul. Now is this a makeup call for not seeing the nose crack? Because if he is whistilng Rip for the wraparound, thats weak.
From here, shortly thereafter the next huge Mo play is SuperGnob batting a Sheed pass for Prince away, going after the tap, tippy toeing the sideline and not going out of bounds while whipping the ball to Dunker in the process, getting the ball back from Dunker, driving the lane, dishing the the assist to Bown in the corner for the 3 pter. Mo way back in Spurs favor.
