If the Spurs had lost Game 1, most of us would have just chalked it up to rust. Although disappointing, it wouldn't affect the mindset of this Spurs team. However, in a conversation with J.R. Wilco, I mentioned that Game 1 was probably Psychologically Devastating™ for the Thunder. Jolly disagreed - he thinks they are too mentally tough. Read my counterargument below the jump.

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IndiManu Jones prepares to take his prize
Universal Studios: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

It's a story of a man in search of a priceless treasure that belongs in a museum at the AT&T Center. It's a conflict against countless powers that rise up against him, stand in his way, and force him to face his greatest fears, and rely on his trusted allies to secure the prize: the trophy of LarRé Ob-Rhine. The summit of all myths and legends, and the goal of his entire life's work.

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Our very own Matthew Tynan and J.R. Wilco will both be appearing tonight on the radio to talk about our beloved Spurs!

Matthew will be on The Johnny Ballgame Show at 6:30pm CST (a.k.a. STTOTTM - Spurs Time The Only Time That Matters) 4:30pm Oregon time.

If you happen to live in eastern Oregon, tune into KLMB (1450 AM or 1490 AM) for the broadcast. For everybody else on the planet, there's the Johnny Ballgame Show's website, and in the right-hand corner of your screen click on the "watch" button.

And at 7:05pm CST (STTOTTM), our fearless leader will be chatting with the folks at WSIA in Staten Island, NY. That's 88.9 FM for those folks in NY - the rest of us can listen here.

Long ago, on a farm in the land of SanAnflorin, lived a young post player named of Tiagocup. Tiagocup had a low block game admired by many of the GMs in the land, but had yet to realize her power over the adjacent farms. Tiagocup was content to just play hoops and order around the ball boy, Manuley. Manuley would take Tiagocup's commands in stride, always replying with "As you wish." Soon, Tiagocup realized that Manuley was in love with her post game and found herself reciprocating with a love of his reckless abandon. To ensure that their basketball game could withstand attacks from the country of Californder, Manuley left the comfort of the farm in search of gaining more knowledge from basketball players abroad.

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Game of Rings - the battle for the O'Brien Throne. The Seven Eight Kingdoms of the Westeros Conference vie against one another before taking on the foes of the Essos Conference. War is Playoffs are coming.

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Since the last one killed everyone's compoopers.

Dear Richard,

I haven't been as surprised by a Spurs' trade since the one in 2009 that brought you to San Antonio. Although your stay with the Spurs didn't work out quite as well as you (and I) wanted, I wish you well in your new home with Golden State.

Corner Pocket!
via blog.mysanantonio.com

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Yesterday was a crazy, busy trade deadline. However, the NBA is not the only basketball being played, as today is Day 2 of the annual couch potato fest and CapHill personal holiday known as March Madness (and no, I don't count/consider the play-in games as Round 1).

So, if you'd like to talk about your bracket, discuss the weather (70 and sunny), or bemoan the inability of your team to hold onto a 20 point lead even though they won the game, this is the place for you.

My fellow Pounders,

We at PtR embrace our eccentricities, bask in our insouciance, relish our halftime (jelly)fish and wallow in our disdain for the excessive use of Bonner. However, to the outside world we probably seem like a bunch of certifiable nutjobs. Lately, we have experienced several kerfuffles within game threads regarding the use of the SUBJECT LINE. I, like many other Pounders, appreciate the aesthetic beauty of a game thread with no subject lines - like a brillian orange sunset over the Rockies, it a sight to behold, yet one rarely seen in the land of SBNation. To the other blogs, WE are the weird ones. In the spirit of true acceptance and for the love of basketball, I suggest we not bludgeon newbies about the head and the face, but instead gently ask them to refrain from offending our delicate sensibilities with the use of the subject line. Except, of course, when posting images and GIFs - those of us with crappy internet connections need to be able to collapse those bad boys, and yes, this holds for all the old farts too.

Most sincerely,

CapHill (One of those old farts)

"Next time, YOU buy the crackers and you can sprinkle them on top of your head if you want!"

"Pounding the Rock" - this phrase is ubiquitous in the Spurs organization, as entrenched in the culture as the team colors. Rarely does a day go by where "we just have to keep pounding the rock" isn't heard coming from the lips of a player or referenced by a journalist. The Stonecutter Credo has become the mantra for an organization that takes the long-term view in a field that thrives on instant gratification. So why should you care? Because the story behind the creed yields a special insight into one of the most successful professional sports franchises of the last quarter century (and the reason behind the name of this blog).

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The 2011 Draft is here.  Today, every fan becomes a fount of optimism that when David Stern announces, "With the Nth pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, the (insert team name here) pick (insert overhyped/underrated players here)," our team has gotten the next Magic, Bird, Jordan, or (heaven forbid) Darko.  Some teams are rebuilding and some teams (the Spurs?) are looking to reload for one last shot at the Larry O'Brien trophy, but all are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle.  For some reason, not every team gets future all-stars with the 28th and 57th picks.  Heck, some teams can't even get a productive player out of the #1 pick.

So join us tonight to discuss the Draft in all of its glory.

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Today is the first day I've been able to watch games since Game 4 of the series not to be talked about.  ;)  I find myself rooting for the Thunderclusters, as they are the only team left who I have an interest in.  Plus, there's time to kill before the Pacquiao-Mosley fight. 

So, my fellow losers, join me in discussing the game, or at least, hang around so I don't have to talk to myself.

Another day - another set of playoff games.  For those that will be watching more than just the Spurs-Grizzlies, this is the place for you.

Bulls-Pacers: 1:30 pm Spurs time, TNT

Mavericks-Trail Blazers: 4:00 pm Spurs time, TNT

Thunder-Nuggets: 9:00 pm Spurs time, ESPN

Game 2 can be summed up with four words: The Return of Manu Ginobili.  Hopefully, Game 3 can be summed up with these words:  The Return of the Playoff Spurs.

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I know that Ed usually puts these together, but since I haven't seen one from him yet...

Besides, Game 2 for the Spurs isn't until tomorrow night, so you crazy people need someplace to gather and worry about Manu before then.

Poll

Who do you want to win tonight?

0%

Boston

0 votes

0%

New York

0 votes

0%

Orlando

0 votes

13%

Atlanta

2 votes

13%

Dallas

2 votes

73%

Portland

11 votes

15 votes | Poll has closed

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Welcome to Loud City, the Thunder SBNation blog, is putting together a series of Q&A sessions with all the Western Conference Playoff teams.  SpursFanSteve started conversation, and now Dogburt returns the favor by giving us some insight into a possible future oppenent (assuming the Spurs decide to start hitting shots).

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Our beloved Spurs still aren't getting much love from the MSM, despite the stellar record.  But much like a great musical artist, the team amps it up when the performances count.  Basketball and show business have a lot in common, and with that in mind, we offer you the following Spurs-meet-the-music-industry Playoff Preview Extravaganza. Yes, that's right. The playoffs are upon us which means that it's time for another Epic Preview, in the tradition of silverandblack_davis' previous previews which defined the genre.

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The Spurs beat the Suns in the last game.  Here's hoping that was the start of a new winning streak.

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The best sporting event in the world (with maybe the exception of the World Cup) starts today.  Today is also St. Patrick's Day.  This means there will be a plethora of gambling and drinking occuring during work hours.  So for those of you who would like to commune with your fellow PtRers to discuss either event, this is the place for you.

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Rules & Guidelines

We at Pounding The Rock often tout the class and integrity of the Spurs organization. So that PtR mimics this team that we all love, these are the rules to blog by.

Our Ten Commandments

These rules and their consequences are non-negotiable. Break them and you get a warning (unless you're really that far over the line, in which case you'll be instantly banned). Break them again, and you will be given a timeout. Get that 3^rd technical foul, and you are permanently sent to the bench with no hope of seeing the court again. These rules apply to everyone, Spurs fan or otherwise.

1. No racist, bigoted, sexist, violent or otherwise ignorant comments
This should go without saying. We're including all types of ignorant insults under this umbrella, as they have no place near intelligent conversation. If you can't find any other way to make your point then to call someone a "fag", a racial slur, or a derogatory term associate with women, find another place to display your unfortunate ignorance to the world. The use of any images or videos that reflect this ignorance will not be allowed either.

2. No personal attacks
We want lively debate, back and forth arguments, point and counter-point. However, your counter-point should never amount to "you're stupid" or anything like it. Read what Ad Hominem abuse is and then note that it is not allowed here. If you can't refute someone's point without attacking their credibility, stop typing.

3. No flaming (unless you're a chicken)
When it comes to passionate arguments, especially regarding sports, know when to agree to disagree. If you've stopped using logic, reason, and evidence to win an argument, you should probably just stop arguing and move on. If you would like to continue a conversation that has hijacked a thread, that's what e-mail is for.

4. No excessive swearing
Most everyone likes/needs to swear now and then, especially in Game Threads. Nobody's going to jump down your throat for a WTF or a "F2k that" due to a bad call. However, if you can't make a comment without a swear word, try purchasing a dictionary. The use of originality and creativity with your vocabulary is greatly appreciated.

5. No trolling here or abroad
We most definitely want intelligent and respectful fans from other teams to come join us for spirited debate, witty banter, and light-hearted "sh*t talking". If you try to bait, incite, or stir up trouble, you will be sent to ride the pine. Same goes for when you visit another blog. Don't be a hypocrite, so follow their rules and make PtR proud.

6. Respect the wishes of the admins and moderators
If one of the admins or moderators asks you to do something, just do it. We prefer self-policing, so if multiple people ask you to stop a behavior, it means it's important and you need to stop. Constant questioning of the rules will not be tolerated and will result in a banhammer. Creating multiple screen names to get around a warning or banning will NOT be accepted either.

7. Act as if this site isn't anonymous
One of the main problems with the internet is that people can be an idiot without consequence. If you were to walk into a Dallas sports bar and start yelling "I hate the Mavs!", you'll probably get your ass kicked. On the internet, all we can do is ban you from the site. So, while you don't need to use your real name (your privacy is important to us), at least act on the site as you would in real life, unless you're actually a jerk, in which case just try to be cool.

8. Don't be THAT guy (or gal)
Whether it's saying "first", posting the same comment in multiple threads, misspelling the team's name, using ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME, or always being off-topic, don't be THAT person who annoys the rest of the community. If you're asked multiple times to chill, chances are it's not them; it's you.

9. Bring a sense of humor
The leading form of humor on PTR is sarcasm - a sarcasmometer will be required. So before you get in a huff about someone's comment, please consider that she/he might just be trying to be funny or expressed himself badly. Before you ask bring out the guns, just ask him what he really meant, without being condescending.

10. Be Excellent to each other
Treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Just because a person is rooting for another team doesn't mean she/he is trolling. So don't be a butthead, and show respect to everyone. If you see a problem, flag the comment and let the mods know.

If we all adhere to these simple rules, we should have an enjoyable gathering place for Spurs fans, and basketball fans in general. If you don't like the rules, you'll probably be happier elsewhere.

Okay, the trades keep rolling in on this very, very crazy day.  Completed trades (via NBA.com) are after the jump.  If another one comes through, please post in the comments, and just this once, use the Subject Line so it's easy to find.

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Even though the NBA season is past the halfway mark, the All-Star break is a great time to take a look back at the season that has been and a look forward to the season that may be.  So join us after the jump for a conversation about our beloved Spurs. Remember, some of these topics were brought up by you £ers.

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Dear £ers,

As a special All-Star Weekend event, your friendly neighborhood PtR staffers (and guests) are putting on an NBA Roundtable where we'll be taking on questions about the Spurs and the League. We have a number of topics already, but would like those of you who have anything specific you'd like us to consider to let us know in the comments section. We won't be able to answer all of them, but we'll at least READ them all -- so that's something, isn't it?

Kindergarten taught most of us two distinct rules: play well with others and don't run with scissors.  Schools don't trust kids with real scissors - they give them "safety" scissors.  So unless some teacher has a major mental lapse and gives that crazy kid the shears from Dead Again, Rule #2 really doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

So far this season, the Spurs have taken Rule #1 to heart.  Although most everyone has been talking about the increased offensive pace this year, what has caught my eye has been the extra passing that results in wide open shots, especially those lovely corner pockets.  So have the Spurs been sharing the ball more this year or is this just an illusion?

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