Contrats Spurs on game 1

[WayOutWest]

We could go on all day about the first 45 minutes of the game but truthfully the last 3 minutes decided the game and the Spurs where nearly flawless.

Hope the two new recruites can put up a better effort in game 2!

[Guest_Randy]

Congrats to all Spurs fans -- TP had a GREAT game as did TD.  The Spurs really executed down the stretch and the Lakers didn't.  It is SOO hard to see Horry in a Spurs uniform.  Did anyone else find it interesting that Rose didn't even play?  Hey, if you don't want the guy, the Lakers will be happy to take him off your hands!  

PS - Would someone put out an APB for Malone's offense and GP's offense AND defense?  It's about time that GP starts get angry at himself!

[westkoast]

Props!  Excellent 4th quarter defense.  What can I say except great win.  That is playoff defense and if the Lakers want to be in this series they are going to have to play defense for the full 48 like the Spurs did tonight.

You would think Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Deveon George, and Fisher could throw a lob pass.  How did the Spurs get away with fronting Shaq?  Oh ya because he couldnt hit free throws and he forgot to put glue on his hands for passes that he normally catches.

[sf101]

Nice to see the Osmands beat the Osbornes.  

[jn]

Terrific start for the Spurs, minus the wretched free throw shooting of course.

Right now Rasho vs Kandi looks like a blowout win for the Spurs.  What was Kobe's problem when he went after Rasho? That was just weak on Kobe's part. Taking a swat at a quiet Euro Softie when doesn't even make contact with you? Rasho must have looked like a DA.

The Spurs got good weak side help on the lobs. On at least three occasions the weakside help swatted the ball away before Shaq could get control.

Still I can't believe Malone will play that poorly two games in a row.  The Spurs can't afford to miss free throws like that again.

 

[jnfan101]

Exactly. HORRIBLE free throw shooting on both ends. If the Spurs made their free throws, this game wouldn't have even been close. SHAQ and TEEMY sucked big time.

[WayOutWest]

Terrific start for the Spurs, minus the wretched free throw shooting of course.

Right now Rasho vs Kandi looks like a blowout win for the Spurs.  What was Kobe's problem when he went after Rasho? That was just weak on Kobe's part. Taking a swat at a quiet Euro Softie when doesn't even make contact with you? Rasho must have looked like a DA.

The Spurs got good weak side help on the lobs. On at least three occasions the weakside help swatted the ball away before Shaq could get control.

Still I can't believe Malone will play that poorly two games in a row.  The Spurs can't afford to miss free throws like that again.

Kobe's problem with Rasho is that Rasho CLEARLY took a back handed swing at Kobe and Kobe told Rasho to "calm down".

Any questions?

[westkoast]

Terrific start for the Spurs, minus the wretched free throw shooting of course.

Right now Rasho vs Kandi looks like a blowout win for the Spurs.  What was Kobe's problem when he went after Rasho? That was just weak on Kobe's part. Taking a swat at a quiet Euro Softie when doesn't even make contact with you? Rasho must have looked like a DA.

The Spurs got good weak side help on the lobs. On at least three occasions the weakside help swatted the ball away before Shaq could get control.

Still I can't believe Malone will play that poorly two games in a row.  The Spurs can't afford to miss free throws like that again.

Kobe's problem with Rasho is that Rasho CLEARLY took a back handed swing at Kobe and Kobe told Rasho to "calm down".

Any questions?

Ya...the contact wasnt on the way to the rim JN, it was the backhanded flailing of the arms.

[jn]

Hmmmmm... "Clearly".  

Right.  Rasho has that Bird/Magic level of court awareness that he knew Kobe was behind him while he tangled with Shaq and Kobe tried to calm him down by hitting Rasho in the shoulder.  Makes  perfect sense.  

[jn]

Well I can understand that too an extent but clearly "there's that word again" Kobe took a swipe at Rasho.  You don't calm someone down that way and if you venture in were someone is trying to battle Shaq what do you think is going to happen?  

[JoMal]

Can the two new Laker guys, who never won a ring up to now probably for excellent reasons, overpower the winning attitudes of the two who have won rings? Payton and Malone clearly are not the players they once were, but at least for one game you realyzed why their former teams failed so often in crunch time. The Spurs are better defensively then the Rockets. More importantly, they are better defensively then the Lakers.

Payton has no chance defensively against Parker, and you have to figure that Phil Jackson is not going to go with that matchup the rest of the series. Ergo, Gary's ego is going to be on display once again after he gets benched in the fourth quarter of games. After shooting 1 for 8, THAT interview will be kept short, I would think.

Malone certainly proved he can still pop in that patented jumper of his if left uncovered, as the Rockets often did to double Shaq. Somehow, the Spurs handled Shaq just fine in Game 1, meaning Karl had a defender on him for most of the time. The few shots he got off most often hit nothing but rim and clanged away. Needless to say, if Malone can't take the scoring pressure off of Shaq, the Spurs win this series easily.

I have to admit, it was fun to watch a game that I have absolutely no worries about who wins or loses. It was enjoyable just observing how the Spurs broke down the Lakers on offense, then denied what they wanted to do on defense. You can always tell when the Lakers are being taken out of their offensive game plan by how often Kobe tries to go one-on-one. I know, most of this commentary favors the Spurs over the Lakers, but being a King's fan, I still would prefer to face them again in the playoffs rather than the Spurs just for old times sake. Not that the Kings may even MAKE the next round. The Kings/Wolves series favors Minnesota, so to get there, in my mind, would be an upset.  

Good win, Spurs fans. SA controlled this game late and it was clear that they started to dictate which way the game was going to be played as it went on. By the fourth quarter, the extra gear was there and they essentially left the older team swiping at air.

[sf101]

Nice to see SA running and gunning to close it out. LA looked tired.

[JoMal]

What was Kobe's problem when he went after Rasho? That was just weak on Kobe's part. Taking a swat at a quiet Euro Softie when doesn't even make contact with you? Rasho must have looked like a DA.

 

Gosh, a playoff verbal face off!!! What should the League do to stop this madness?!!!!

On that play, Kobe got hammered by at least three Spurs as he thought he could dematerialize through them and still get to the basket. The refs, as they often do, let the play go for their own nefarious reasons. In frustration, Kobe grabbed at the nearest Spur, who was Nesterovic, who flung an elbow at Kobe to put some distance between them.

From such things confrontations in hotly contested basketball games occur. Kobe's turning back to jaw with Rasho at that point earned him a "T", and regardless of the one-sided opinion of the commentator (Rivers?), they both did not deserve technical fouls, as it was Kobe who reacted and initiated the argument.

His real argument was on the non-call and it was with the officials, but Nesterovic was handier and Kobe usually does not argue with officials about non-calls, to his credit.

[WayOutWest]

What was Kobe's problem when he went after Rasho? That was just weak on Kobe's part. Taking a swat at a quiet Euro Softie when doesn't even make contact with you? Rasho must have looked like a DA.

 

Gosh, a playoff verbal face off!!! What should the League do to stop this madness?!!!!

On that play, Kobe got hammered by at least three Spurs as he thought he could dematerialize through them and still get to the basket. The refs, as they often do, let the play go for their own nefarious reasons. In frustration, Kobe grabbed at the nearest Spur, who was Nesterovic, who flung an elbow at Kobe to put some distance between them.

From such things confrontations in hotly contested basketball games occur. Kobe's turning back to jaw with Rasho at that point earned him a "T", and regardless of the one-sided opinion of the commentator (Rivers?), they both did not deserve technical fouls, as it was Kobe who reacted and initiated the argument.

His real argument was on the non-call and it was with the officials, but Nesterovic was handier and Kobe usually does not argue with officials about non-calls, to his credit.

BS JoMal, you didn't actually see the play or are just to biased for your opinion to have any real worth on this point.

Kobe forced the contact with Rasho by jumping into him and got the call.  Rasho then took a swipe at Kobe.  That should have been a T no question.  They both jawed at each other and both should have gotten a T, it's happend on other occasions.

Had it been Christie you would have applauded him not taking that attempted cheap shot and standing up for himself.

BS JoMal.  

[Reality]

Thank you Randolph and WOW.

years past kobme flailing into someone was auto-call against the opponent.

WOW i concur there were many ebb and flows the 1st 45.  However just before the end of the third was one big MO changer IMO.  Flamers up 65-58 only 45 seconds to go and with the ball!  Kobme miss, 30 seconds Parker jukes Payton 65-60.  Sladvenkinko miss, Parker over DSwisher with two seconds left. Bam 65-62.

4th
Lakers build it again to 69-64 then TD schools Shraq outside and inside for 69-68.


Enter MO changer sequence 2.
Turkey swipes Rush.
Shaq cant get enough of a jump to dunk the lob.
Next Rasho steals another weak post feed attempt.
Gnob sweet assist to Rasho 71-69
A super forced GP off balance fadeaway jumper clanks.
Other end GNob threads a needle pass to Rasha again.
73-69 and MO clearly back in SAs court.