Very uncharacteristic of the Spurs. Duncan needed to step up more. Sorry, but just because KG is out there doesn't mean you go away from your strength.
I think the Spurs subs are old, and just don't seem to have it anymore. Horry's shot shouldn't have happened like that, why didn't they call a time out and set-up a shot?
The Spurs are a top NBA team, but their margin has been narrowing. Maybe they don't have that edge anymore.
Confidence is a big thing in the NBA. Right now, Phila. has more confidence than SA. That's not good for the Spurs. Very bad when you're playing Boston.
Yep. Duncan did step up on D, did you see the two blocks on the same possession, with the Spurs in turn giving up the hoop after Boston inbounded the 2nd block with only 6 seconds on the shot clock?
As to the timeout:
Notebook: Critical mental errors cost Spurs on last play
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...ok.3f85e36.htmlMike Monroe Express-News
Spurs defensive ace Bruce Bowen said he did not know the Spurs had one remaining timeout when he stole an in-bounds pass from Boston's Kevin Garnett with 4.5 seconds remaining in Monday's game at the AT&T Center.
It was a critical mental error in the Spurs' 93-91 loss, and Bowen made no attempt to hide the truth.
"No, I didn't (know)," he said. "When I caught the ball I didn't think I had time to look over (to the bench) to see if they were signaling (for a timeout)."Instead, Bowen turned away from the bench and fired a pass to Robert Horry, who was behind the 3-point line on the right side of the court.
Horry did know the Spurs had a timeout to use, and wishes he had used it himself. "(Bruce) should have called a timeout," he said, "and I should have called a timeout, too, because I had enough time to call it, also."Instead, Horry fired up a long, high 3-point attempt that was far off target.
"As high as I shot the ball, and as bad as I shot it," Horry said, "when it hit the board there was still a second left. So I had plenty of time (to call a timeout)."Boston's Eddie House went to the foul line with 9.6 seconds remaining, his team leading, 91-89. As he prepared for his free throws, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich scribbled a play on his whiteboard designed to get a 3-point shot if House missed either of his free throws. He instructed Horry to in-bound the ball quickly if House made both shots, and that's what Horry did after House made the two free throws.
Popovich would have preferred a chance to draw up another play after Bowen's steal, too.
"It would have been good if one of them would have called a timeout, probably," he said. "But in the heat of battle, that doesn't always occur to you."
Especially if you don't know you have a timeout remaining.
Meanwhile the PopLovers say everything is fine, no need to worry.
"Pop has 4 rings, everything is fine."