Almost game time...

[SPURSX3]

I believe we will win this series.  I say in 6.  Hopefully one of those wins can come today.  It is going to be tough but I think as long as the Spurs get the Suns to play half court basketball we should be ok.  For phoenix to win they would need to get SA to play run and gun like they do - And I don't think Pop would allow that to happen.  Rebounds will be key here and I can only hope that the SPurs have had that beaten into their heads after the first round.  The plus to this is that neaither team has had much time to rest and they should both be ready to go, however I will say that Denver's roughness may have helped our guys get ready for this series.  This will be a good series, probably THE series in the whole playoffs.  I hope to be  after this game and not 

[jn]

I'm really stoked for this series.   I think this is the NBA championship right here. 

[SPURSX3]

it's the second quarter and the guys are not forcing the half court game...and somebody PLEASE stop that roaming camera shot!   man it's annoying.

[westkoast]

I missed what happened to Nash....WOW is all I can say

Edit: Props Spurs fans...Nice way to steal home court advantage  from the team that needs it more.  Defense, enough said.

[SPURSX3]

Much respect for Nash!  He showed a huge amount of class asking tony if he was ok...even though he had the busted nose...WOW tony has a shiner on his forehead!   man and this was only game 1!!!  Poor Nash, he really wanted to get back in at the end there.  I gotta say we are lucky he wasn't able to.  Great game today!!


 

[rickortreat]

Tough loss for the Suns, they were right there.  Thought they got a little bit less from the refs than they were entitled to, and the Spurs got a bit more. In a game this tight you could say that was the difference, but the Suns still had every chance and blew it, and the Spurs took the game.

Gives San Antonio a big edge, stealing half-court. But the Suns played very well the whole game, and at certain points thought they were about to pull away.  Both teams are very disciplined on offense- much more difficult for the Spurs to stop the Suns than the Nuggets.  Iverson should pay attention to how Nash does it.

Margin between the teams is very narrow, but Duncan gives the Spurs an edge. Stoudamire missed too many shots. The Spurs shot 50% for the game, that's amazing considering the Suns defense.  The real difference was the rebounds.  Spurs dominated the boards, and also got to the line a few more times. Suns are going to have to work harder on boxing out and getting the ball if they want to win this series.

[Laker Fan]

The Spurs shot 50% for the game, that's amazing considering the Suns defense. 

You said Suns and defense in the same sentence? Do you realize how incompatable those 2 words are?
I didn't see the game (wish I had), someone please correct me if I am wrong but the last time this Suns team played defense will be the first time, did they do so today?

[WayOutWest]

In a game this tight you could say that was the difference, but the Suns still had every chance and blew it, and the Spurs took the game.

I guess contradicting yourself in the same sentence is the norm now.

[Reality]

The refs certainly did not favor the Spurs, and Barbosa definitely fouled Parker on the inbounds play  at 107-106 that DiAntoni is whining about.  They tangled and then Parker definitely attempt to and was breaking away from Barb.  Barb simply put his elbow into Parkers side and kept running till Parker tipped over.  While Parker may have helped the fall, total contact with Barbosa initiating and contuing thruout.

Nash being out in the last minute was a huge blow to Phx.  Barbosa did his best, but of course Nash handling would have been the best chance for Phx in the last few possessions.  Nonetheless, Parker got slammed on that exchange also and was not 100% after the crash by any means.

Suns hardly played perfect but Spurs played very imperfect and still won.
missing FTs (66%).
Offensive rebounds ruled, but they failed to convert many of them.  One possession i think they had literally 6 O boards before Duncan hit a tough turnaround banker.

Parker was fantastic, Duncans "hold the ball and delay" was annoying and he got picked a couple times but he got it going for the most part.  He always puts up the most "quiet" 30 and 15s.  His hook for 104-102 was nails.

A near "must win" for Phx in Gm 2?

[Skandery]

jn:

 

I think this is the NBA championship right here. 

Agree 100%

rickortreat

Thought they got a little bit less from the refs than they were entitled to, and the Spurs got a bit more.

Agree 100%


Before the series started, I said the Spurs would win in 5 games, and if the Suns play really well 6 games.  On the miracle off-chance that Phoenix does win, they'd be the favorite the win the whole thing.  The problem the Suns have is that San An has already showed them (2005 playoffs) they can take their 130 point punch and counter with 136 of their own.  If its a slow, dirty, nasty, grimy, physical, ugly, defensive game than Phoenix obviously has no chance in the world.  Now Bob Delaney's crew, yesterday, let a lot of things go and the game was physical (and it should be, after all this is the playoffs) and its no surprise that San Antonio was the victor.       

[rickortreat]

In a game this tight you could say that was the difference, but the Suns still had every chance and blew it, and the Spurs took the game.

I guess contradicting yourself in the same sentence is the norm now.

Only for morons who can't understand sentence structure!  The implication or meaning of the sentence is that the refs had nothing to do with the outcome.

Does that make it clear enough for you? 

Maybe next time your little brain will try to think it through before coming to idiotic assumptions.

[WayOutWest]

In a game this tight you could say that was the difference, but the Suns still had every chance and blew it, and the Spurs took the game.

I guess contradicting yourself in the same sentence is the norm now.

Only for morons who can't understand sentence structure!  The implication or meaning of the sentence is that the refs had nothing to do with the outcome.

Does that make it clear enough for you? 

Maybe next time your little brain will try to think it through before coming to idiotic assumptions.

In a game this tight you could say that was the difference

Hmmmmm....let me read it again.....

In a game this tight you could say that was the difference

Hmmmm........

but the Suns still had every chance and blew it, and the Spurs took the game.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmkay......

I guess I'll have to put an ADDITIONAL idiot filter on your posts.  I'll put an "implication" filter on it as well, since you're not posting what you mean I'll have to figure out what you mean by your post.

[Reality]

WOW,

What made you switch from Dallas being the fav to the more sensible San Antone?
I'm not calling you a bandwaggoner, lower defense mechanisms.  As far as I'm concerned if someone wants to change their prediction 2 seconds before the playoffs start it's legit.

Just that midseason you had Dallas all the way and it appeared you would stick with that pick of Dallas like last year when you and every other Mavs picker greased out.

[Reality]

Doesn't seem like the Suns run any kind of offense other than give it to Nash.  Wonder if that can win a title, my guess is, and my money says, NO.  Check the POSTS, I called SA all the way.

  They run plays for Stoudamire, Marion and even Bell.  However they rely on shots falling.  Also Nash in the post game interview again reffered to players not giving their all.  "We have to be a little hungrier," Nash said, hitting on a theme he's mentioned often this season. "I think some of us just didn't have the fire it takes to beat a championship team."
"How many times can you talk about it? We just have to have a bigger heart and continue to push through these invisible barriers that seem to pop up. I don't know what they are, but sometimes we just don't play as hard as we should."
Not sure who he is talking about but the espn guess is Diaw and Jumane Jones, combined 44 minutes 1 rebound.

Anyone notice Poutamires bogus end of game play?  GNob had choked a potential game (near) clinching freethrow to leave the Spurs up 3 at 109-106 with 22 tics.  Phx works ball to Stoudamire who goes up between GNob and Dunkar.  Duncar might have tapped Stoud on the leg with his own leg, but it was very minor.  Good no call.  Stoudamire misses, ball bounces off.  Duncan leaps high (okay positions well) and gets O board with 13 ticks.  Stoudamire lands 6 inches from Duncan.  Yet..Stoudamire retreats towards the foul line, palms open whining to the ref as Duncan holds the ball.  Yeah, scary shooting as Hack a Shaq foul shooting Duncan.  Hey Phx you are only down 3.  Stoudamires pouting allows Duncan to not only hold the ball a second or two or three but give him time to get the ball to GNob who in turn passed to Finley.  Yep, Nails Finley.  Granted Finley missed the 1st but he hit the 2nd shot for the all important 4 point lead and game over.  Otherwise Phx is looking at potentially two Duncan ft bricks and 9 seconds to get off a trey attempt. 

At least try Stoudamire, thats the point!

rt and Skandery are you on crack?  Give specific examples of refs favoring Spurs to the tune of it being either the difference in the game or entire gamewise the Spurs getting the better of it.
Stoudamire and his leaning moving screens resulting in GNob and Bowen being called a defensive fouls were joke calls that totally affected Spurs momentum.  At one point with Bowen dogging Nash the Spurs were up like 8 and showed no signs of giving in.  Tweet.  Totally bogus moving screen by Stoudamire results in Bowen being run up and having to be benched.  I have tape.

[WayOutWest]

WOW,

What made you switch from Dallas being the fav to the more sensible San Antone?
I'm not calling you a bandwaggoner, lower defense mechanisms.  As far as I'm concerned if someone wants to change their prediction 2 seconds before the playoffs start it's legit.

Just that midseason you had Dallas all the way and it appeared you would stick with that pick of Dallas like last year when you and every other Mavs picker greased out.

It was a combination of a couple of things that just gave me that "feeling" before the playoffs started.  I figured that the Spurs would figure out how to slow down an explosive offense after beating the Suns in round 2, that would allow them to prepare defensively for the Mavs in round 3.  Couple that with TD being 100%, Parker playing solid b-ball and Manu comming off the bench and I figured they would over come the Mavs.  The Mavs always had SA on their minds and it was huge for them to overcome the SA curse last year but I just felt the Mavs would have a let down in the playoffs, didn't figure they would be out in round 1, I figured the Spurs would "shock" the Mavs in the WCF and go onto a title.  With Fins and Horry contributing I think it would have been over in 6 had they faced the Mavs.  There is just something shaky about the Mavs, factor in the idiocy of George and Stackhouse, the idiocy of going away from Dirk and Harris in crunch time and I figured (felt) that the Spurs championship experience and SUPERIOR coaching of Popacement would put them over the top.  I wasn't sure how to factor in the Manu/Fabs dopeyness though, that was the X factor, so far so good for the Spurs.