Well, It's Game 1 tonight.  And I find myself in a pickle.  I can't help but feel that aligning myself with one of these two teams would be tantamount to compromise and failure.  I feel like it's the same as rooting for one disease over another to ravage and destroy a life that you love.

So there's only one thing to do, only one force to pull for tonight.

There's just no other option

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There's really nothing to say. I had plenty of words after the second and third straight losses, but after the 6th? I've got nothing but a combination of rage and confusion and apathy. I see a team completely disorganized, lacking passion and desire, overflowing with fundamental errors; insecure and lost. And I see something I've never seen before- a coach who has seemingly lost his team. With 20 seconds left in OT of the Houston game, San Antonio was down by 3. Pop marched the sidelines screaming for the team to foul as Houston brought the ball down. Frantically trying to get the attention of his players, imploring them to foul as 12.5 seconds ticked away. He finally, with an exasperated throw of the clipboard to the bench, stopped screaming and focused on emoting with his Pop-face while the team went on to do something that hasn't been done in 14 years. It's certainly been a year of 1sts, folks. Ultra-highs and ultra-lows. Pride and shame. This must be what it's like to be a mavs fan.

And so it's within that recognition that I offer the following mojoboost and encourage you to do the same on your own.

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My wife and I got into a discussion last week about NCAA men's basketball coaches.  The tournament was starting and she asked what I thought about coaches in college, whether there was validity to the "good coach/bad coach" discussion.  I don't know what prompted her to bring it up, but I could sense where she was going.  I told her my thoughts, that determining coaching skill in college is utterly and completely different than coaching in the NBA.  My belief is that it's fairly easy to determine quickly and accurately whether a coach is a good coach in the NCAA. 

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Since I'm now on "staff" (snicker, snicker), I get to talk regularly with some of the other contributors. Several times the idea has come up for me to post a list of current rantings. The types of points that don't necessarily justify a complete Fanpost or Fanshot, but that require small commentary none-the-less.  They see it as a way to keep SiMA from filibustering on the phone. I see it as a way to keep my stress level down, as well as hitting my monthly post quota from JRW; not to mention a way to aimlessly vent.  So it's a win-win.  Comment as you see fit, persuade if you're able, and contribute.  If there's something I'm missing or a point you want to hear addressed, let me know.

(for those of you who love confusing abbreviations, "SiMART."  Kind of like KMart, but without any neck tattoos.)

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(photo 'chop courtesy of Josh Guyer)

"All this talk about him kind of transitioning [into a role-player] is a lot of bull..." - Rick Carlisle, coach of the Dallas Mavericks

I've been putting off writing this story for months now. I feel like a cartoon coyote looking up as a piano falls from above, or like an outlaw's victim tied to the train tracks as the afternoon express approaches.  There's just no pleasant way to present this outside of facing the harsh reality head-on.  I started thinking about this a while back as my dad and I were together watching a Pop interview.  The two of us sat and listened as good ol' GOML responded to a question about his future with, "It's just basketball. Though I'm passionate, I don't need this. I don't plan to coach too much longer." 

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It's hard following my team this year without being faced with more queries about just WHY the San Antonio Spurs are playing so differently than in seasons past.  And it seems like everyone from the major sports networks to your grandmother has an explanation for it, or an analysis of it.  Even though my official position at this point is "Meh," I do enjoy watching the fast-paced, up-tempo flow.  I suppose I'm apathetic because I'm probably one of the few that genuinely believes that run-and-gun won't be around for the post season.  

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Have you heard that there's a big game in the NBA tonight?  No?  Is it cold in your cave? I have heard everywhere from the major sports networks, to the major news networks, to the local news networks, to the Pawnee smoke signals on the horizon that apparently tonight's game is a big deal. And you know what? As a fan of the Association's best team right now, I could not possibly care less. I'll likely watch, sure, but only the first several minutes so that I can say I took it in when the fight that even Artest would be jealous of happens. I'll briefly watch, so long as there's not a good rerun of King of Queens on, or it doesn't conflict with turtle-feeding time, or I'm not finishing a load of whites. But with every second I watch, I'll become more and more bitter. More and more full of rage that to simply check last night's boxscore of the league's best team and brightest story, I had to click through 5 separate screens just to locate anything.

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Tim Duncan is the Greatest of All-Time.  We all know that.  We’ve all been blessed beyond words to get to watch the man play in the prime of his career, and we’re all slowly starting to realize that the door is shutting.  Our appreciation for his talents and his career grows daily within each of us, as we recount the decade plus of memories that virtually no other franchise gets.  We’ve been very lucky to have a player of his skill, character and passion playing in the Silver and Black, and as the lights gradually dim on his contract and career, we’re finally getting it.

But do you already feel that way about DeJuan Blair?  Because you really should.

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So, we had this idea. Regardless of what your feelings are on the season thus far, it’s something we need to do as loyal SPURS fans and it’s overdue.

It's time we thanked Peter Holt and his group for their commitment to winning and to producing an exceptional product. They really came through for us as fans this year, and we at least owe them that acknowledgment. Many other owners would either overspend blindly in an attempt to stack a team (ahem, Mr. SEC, ahem), or simply not do anything at all. We are so blessed to have an ownership group committed to winning and doing it wisely, and after the work they did this offseason we need to acknowledge it.

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I was so close to just posting political pictures and giving self-assumed witty political commentary speckled throughout this recap. But then I realized…… I’m not an asshole. If you’re looking for anything non-SPURS, you’re going to Daily Kos or National Review or Sean Hannity or Move On. Who am I to assume that my opinions are worth a shit outside of things SPURS related? Hell, even SPURS-related my opinions aren’t that special. It would take either a complete idiot or a complete asshole to assume that either his opinions are so conformed and mainstream that he’s safe to venture into non-SPURS drivel; or it would take someone who doesn’t give a shit about offending you. Unfortunately, I’m not an idiot. Or a complete asshole. And I don’t want to offend you. Usually. So you have to deal with just SPURS stuff today. Anyway, all that ranting aside and speaking of assholes, let’s talk about phoenix.

I had a dream last night.

I dreamed that just for a day, we made perfect defensive rotations. We funneled drivers to the baseline, and Timmy and Bonner rotated back to eliminate easy shots. We challenged each shooter; not be going for the ridiculously overrated blocking stat, but instead had a hand in every face and made each attempt extremely difficult. We hustled on loose balls, and didn’t make an extreme amount of mental errors. In my dream, Tony drove the lane to draw the D in, then kicked out consistently to the open shooters, who then efficiently made their shots. In addition, Timmy focused on owning the paint and didn’t shy away from double teams by settling for 15-foot jumpers. Bonner had another huge game, as each time Timmy was doubled he kicked it across the lane to an open Red Rocket. We controlled the pace, and we fought hard to achieve a victory over an incredibly talented rival.

But that was only a dream. And completely the opposite in every way from what actually happened on Christmas Day in Phoenix. For 47 minutes and 45 seconds, I felt sick to my stomach. Completely nauseous. Like you’d feel if you drank ipecac.

First off, let’s get this out of the way. It’s a miracle that we pulled that out. No doubt about it, we didn’t play that great. Phx seemed to be playing pretty well and gelling nicely, even the top-notch announcing team headlined by Hubie "Skeletor" Brown seemed to notice. Flat out miracle. Several times out of ten, that shot doesn’t fall for Roger and we’re singing the Christmas blues right now. That one play represented 94% of the good that Tony Parker performed in that game, and were it not for basketball mojo we’d have a very short recap today. When you win like that after playing well, it’s the cherry on the sundae. When you win like that after playing FAR below your abilities, it’s the cheese on the shit-sandwich.

That doesn’t even make sense. We dodged a bullet, that’s all I’m saying. Thank God we have Tim Duncan.

They're in the waaaaaayyyyy back, dark corner of your local Foot Locker.

Ooooooohhhhh Timmy. Watching Timmy never gets old. Do you realize that even as good as Amare is, even if he somehow quickly learned to play defense and maintained it for the rest of his career…… at the end you still couldn’t put him in the top 5 PF conversation headlined by Timothy Duncan. Tim is the only player in the association who can effectively play the Big Snaq straight up one-on-one, and that's saying something. Think about it....the ONLY one. Every other team is incapable of using anything but the double- or triple-team to slow him down when he's on. And today Timmy rendered Snaq useless for most of the 2nd half. Duncan is so freakin brilliant that he disables your ability to see how freakin brilliant he is. KG is a great contrast here; cause KG usually screams at you to get your attention for how freakin brilliant he is, as if somehow he’s insecure that you might not actually appreciate his talents or may have completely overlooked them. To me though, being freakin brilliant at basketball is kinda like being black. If you are, you don’t need to remind people.

Everyone do your best Snaq impersonation....NOW!

And TD is freakin brilliant at basketball. He’s just good at it. Wizard held Amare scoreless on three straight possessions in the paint in the 4th, without drawing a foul. And he had 5 fouls at the time. Considering Amare’s their moneymaker, that’s pretty freakin brilliant. He held us together all day, even though he got very angry several times over his repeated paint-muggings being ignored. But when you’re in phoenix, on Christmas Day, in a nationally televised game….. you should probably anticipate that kind of thing. You guys know what I mean.

We started off the game sluggish and lazy, and it didn’t get much better until about 4 minutes left in the fourth. Do not lull yourself into believing that we were savvy and gritty, and that we fought back into the game as any good team does. The fact that we were only 2-6 points down for the majority of the game has a very real and simple explanation. The 2008-9 kleenex suns are not a good basketball team. They’re just not. We ended the 1st quarter having shot 29% to their 55%, and were only down 9. At the end of the 2nd, we were only down 6 and had shot only 33%. For those of you who don’t follow basketball much, those aren’t good percentages. We have much further to go to compete with the big boys in the NBA, but games like this give me hope. We can easily identify what went wrong, and what went right.

First off, what went wrong.

Zoost becuz I’s dizn’t haz de best game ehz it pertainz to ze mental does’zent mean I am not good playa, weee?

Tony had horrendous position D the entire game. He didn’t switch on screens that went baseline, he didn’t funnel drivers to the post men, he didn’t pass effectively and he hurried shots. This can be best witnessed by the last 1 minute of the game. Tony drove the lane rushing a teardrop with a full shotclock and open perimeter shooters, then immediately went on to ignore a switch on the other end allowing Grant Hill to score what was likely the deciding bucket. You guys wonder why I stress transition D- when you don’t communicate effectively on the baseline to rotate and cover Finley’s man as he drives uncontested to the basket………. you’re not playing smart basketball.

Like Frenchie, Matt Barnes' lockdown D is not exactly known the world over.

Also, our quick shooting was painful to watch. It appears as though Friday’s practice will include drills on utilizing the 24-second shot clock, because that was done sparingly during the phoenix game. In addition, the suns absolutely killed us on backdoor cuts. All night we allowed the baseline or the low block to be open because we fronted on the pick and roll. Although we didn’t allow any major P&R lapses as we’re accustomed to when we play Nash and Amare, 2 points scored is still 2 points scored regardless of how.

As for the good? I’ve already mentioned Tim Duncan, and that pretty much covers it. So let’s focus on the other players. Manu was mortal tonight, if for no other reason but to give us earthlings hope of personal greatness. The ankle was clearly bothering him and he hobbled on it several times that I saw. Bonner gradually figured out how to clog the lane with his hands held up and only finished with a team worst -11. Mason, although saving the game for us at the buzzer took no other shots and played only that possession in the 2nd half. Tony took 23 shots to get to his game-high 27, but did thoroughly abuse Nash as it pertained to "lateral movement." Findog went 2-3 on threes and was very spry tonight. Bruce…. not so much. Ime never left the bench with a DNP-CD and is starting to concern me. He was very cozy with the JV and that’s never a good sign, just ask Blake Ahern.

Overall, we played just well enough to squeak out a win on Christmas Day playing an overrated underachieving team. Watching the Big Snaq play now is just comical- When the only ones that really respect you are in the ESPN marketing department, then your time is done. When you need "days rest" between games to be an effective NBA player, you’re done.

Whoops, my bad.

And the most important part of the game, the part you've all heard and likely already seen on the highlights- The Mason Threeball. Tony allows the Hill backdoor layup by not switching, putting phx up 2 with less than five seconds to play. SPURS drive the court and after drawing the triple-team, Tony kicks out to an open Mace who drains the 3 at the buzzer. Fans sat motionless, stunned again that San Antonio had bested them on their home court. I've said it before, but there really is nothing greater than seeing little kids clad in orange crying on Christmas Day after your team just ripped the joy from their little whiny bodies. I'm surprised you didn't hear me, because you could have heard a mouse sneeze in the arena after the buzzer. A few of the most delusional waited cautiously for the replay, but it was clearly good upon the release. We won, SPURS fans, and it's exciting knowing that we're only getting better. Congratulations Roger Mason, you've won my heart eternally. Now please try and avoid shooting yourself in the leg or getting caught in an airport with a bag of crystal meth.

I'm with you now. I'm with you. -SiMA, 12/25/08

To summarily recap this game, we could have played much, much better while they likely couldn’t have. And we won. In a dramatic, emotional way. In phoenix on Christmas. It was wonderful and beautiful and joyous. The suns obviously have individual talent, but the sum of the parts don’t make a working machine. D’Antoni’s run-and-gun culture still exists, though they deny it here. Nash still simply plays too quickly and too rushed for half his team, and there are too many alpha-dogs on the team to keep a cohesive structure. They are still unable to play in the half court and look lost when attempting to. The suns are like the Denver in that they are entertainers first, professional basketball players second. But regardless of where this team is at the end of the year, it’s such a joy to beat them. Manu may be a flopper at some times, but he’s starting next to Steve Nash and Amare on the All-Flop Team.

I still defy you to convince me that that's not at least 45% flop.

Your three stars-

3.) Michael Finley- went 2-3 on threes and as I said, looked spry. Anytime I can write "spry" and "Michael Finley" in the same sentence he gets a star.

2.) Roger Mason- though he didn’t do much for the game (3-7 for 7 points), he hit the shot that will define his early regular season career with the San Antonio SPURS.

1.) Tim Duncan- It’ll likely be a cold day in hell before anyone takes this spot in one of my recaps. He’s just too freakin brilliant. 25/17/3 on 25 shots, and a pantload of intangibles.

PS- Some of you may think that I'm being cruel and mean again. "Damn, that was harsh." To that thought I say, "Come to phoenix and watch a game. Listen to the entitlement combined with bitterness and lack of accountability." As a person who is blessed to see games all over the country, it's truly unique here. They absolutely hate us with unbridled rage. They consider us they're primary rival (as most every other team in the league- you ever notice that?!), except they've never really bested us enough to qualify. It is being IN phoenix then that you will understand my relentlessness. I can be relentless AND be a good sport, can't I? I hope that I've done that, and not gone against our culture as a team in my analysis of things.

If not, phoenix has plenty of extras for you.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2008/12/23/20081223spurs1224.html

This is a great article from the Arizona Republic this morning about the SPURS.  It's actually a pretty good piece about how our year has been, and pretty objective considering it's written by the biggest homerdouche in the Valley.

This game ought to be good.  We typically don't deliver stunning performances on major holidays and don't seem to care much about emotional games during the RS.  But we do always bring a little more fire when playing the Kleenix suns, so it will be entertaining.  I'm taking the recap since it is going to work out that I'll be at the game.  Any suggestions you may have for me for saturating the area with SPURS mojo would be appreciated.  The Bruce jersey is already ironed and ready to unveil.

Our own frequent commenter Kid Dynamite had a great piece on David Robinson's 2009 HOF induction and relevance on the SPURS culture over at 48 Minutes of Hell this week. 

You guys should check it out-  http://48minutesofhell.blogspot.com/2008/12/david-robinson-2009-hall-of-fame.html

Good stuff there.  It'll be a great day seeing DRob inducted.

filler filler filler filler filler filler filler filler filler filler filler filler filler filler filler filler

You have to understand, it is awful watching a SPURS game in Denver.  I’ve never simply said that because I live here; there’s more to it than that.  I’m fortunate to get to attend many games and games in Denver even surpass games in Phx for pure suckitude.  The fans in CO are arrogant, entitled pricks with nothing but a 1994 NBA first round playoff upset to show for their basketball pedigree.  And they hate the SPURS.  It’s like most other fan bases, but more intense.  Because Manu scorned them several years ago, because we always seem to bring our A game while here, because we frequently end their playoff dreams.  Countless reasons why the boos you imagined so constant on the telecast were in fact, exactly as you suspected.  Not to mention, as a true basketball fan and lover of the sport, watching the abortion that Denver puts on the court is sheer criminal. 

Getting TO the game was fun, all the while thinking, "Which SPURS team is going to show tonight?  Will it be the 2008-09 version, or a version I’m more accustomed to seeing that doesn’t suck ass and embarrass me?  I hope I don’t get jumped tonight."  So in lieu of a traditional recap and the fact that I'm so devoted to you morons that I actually brought a notebook to the game to take notes; I'm abandoning the traditional recap in favor of a running diary.  SiMA's thoughts and observations, and some stats thrown in.

PREGAME- 
• My seats are nice, right behind the SPURS bench.  If you go to a game it’s where you have to be to hear the goings on and see the body language.  I like to psychoanalyze like that.
• Why is Pop spending so much time talking to Bonner?  Why is Don Newman talking so much to Bonner.  Oh no.  Oh God no.
• Craptastic.  The thugget fan behind me is loud and wants to make sure everyone in Colorado knows he’s a true fan.  He’s already blowing about a 1.89.
• Yep, Bonner is starting.  This ought to be comedic gold.  And if thats not enough for me to ridicule in my recap, Finley’s starting on Melo.  By my calculation, Melo could possibly have 137 points tonight. 
• I suddenly realize something.  Everyone on earth has come to the conclusion that because Billups is not a primary scorer and is more a PG than Iverson, that is the plausible explanation for the thuggets’ improvement.  It occurs to me that no one has any explanation for why the thuggets still sucked ass with Andre Miller running the point. 
• It sure is good that I brought my camera.  It’s not working for some reason, and now I look like I’m carrying a freakin’ purse.  Thank God ATS isn’t here to see this.

1st QUARTER-

12:00- Thought Nene wins the tip, Manu grabs it and quickly spots up for a 16-footer.  All net.  I hope this continues.

11:20-  Bonner with the quick and unreluctant 3.  I don’t like Rocket being one of the very first to score, but I do like this strange new confidence-like thing he’s showing.

10:01-  Finley jumper.  San Antonio is shooting 4-4, Denver is shooting 4-4.  You get dizzy watching shit like this for too long.

9:47-  Matt Bonner is literally running circles on the floor.  And I don’t mean ‘Pop’s play looks like circles on the hardwood.’  I mean he’s literally just running around aimlessly, like you do in a pickup game at the Y.  Pop has caught on to Matt’s "offensive rotations" and is screaming.

9:28-  If Pop truly is smart, he’ll go directly at Nene all 1st half.  Timmy owns their bigs and they both have too much pride and insecurity to allow him in the paint without accruing 4-5 fouls apiece before half.

8:03-  The pretzels at the Pepsi Center are terrible.  Dry, stale and without enough salt.  There’s not enough mustard in the arena to hide that hideousness, so I throw it carelessly on the ground.  Rebel in a Bruce Bowen jersey, you can’t stop me.

7:45-  13-13.  Tony is VERY, very rusty.  You can see it in everything he does.  He’s clearly out of shape, and he’s at least 1 step too slow.  I have faith it will come back, but he’s not close to the same Tony we’ll need in April and May.

6:37-  Cheryl Miller just walked by- I literally thought it was Rick Fox at first.  She’s enormous, and I’m pretty sure I saw a bulge.

5:40-  Timmy’s getting really angry with Kmart’s touch fouls.  Kmart of course wants to immediately throw down.  God I hate these guys.

This is seriously who he got the lips tattoo for.  Insert joke here.  And you wondered why I didn't correct you guys when you mistakenly thought he did it in honor of Miss Piggy.

5:02-  Some Denver dancers walk by.  As much as I hate the sports fans of Denver and am convinced that the city has very few redeeming qualities, the dancers certainly provide momentary redemption.  Easily better than the Silver Dancers.  Though this entry likely will never see the light of day on PtR.

4:00-  Bruce is definitely not the same, and Melo knows it.  Look for Melo to demand the ball even more than his ‘every minute usual.’

3:29-  I suddenly smell hooch and look over at the scorer’s table.  Coincidentally, Chris ‘Birdman’ Anderson is checking in. 

3:17-  "Hey Tony……Denver is playing rough.  Yes, we know it’s hard playing a rough team.  Get used to it.  See that little guy on the bench?  No, not the guy doing crosswords, that’s the JV.  I’m talking about the guy paying attention and learning.  He’s your backup.  He relishes the fact that Denver is playing rough.  Get used to it."

2:59-  Well, the pick & roll D is atrocious, but the overall defensive rotations are improved.  I wish I had a PtR shirt so I could wave at you guys.  Wearing Bruce’s jersey IS sad, I was right.

2:00-  Second shot attempts are winning this game for us.  We’re simply outworking and out-hustling them.

1:34-  Superfan behind me boos my sweet Manu for no apparent reason.  I for a split second consider whether it would be a felony or a misdemeanor to turn around and crack him in the jaw.  Maybe ATS is right, fanny packs ARE cool.  If I had one right now at least I could have snuck in a taser or brass knuckles or something.  Hopefully this guy will soon be too drunk to realize that you do not boo the Manu in my presense.

:04-  Chris Anderson with a wide-open 3.  This guy is a prime example of why I hate the thuggets.  Chris Anderson would not even be allowed to rebound for our practice team.  He would not even have the talent to play 3rd string with the JV in San Antonio, but yet, Coach Hairlip has decided he’s a good fit for a team already with chemistry issues.  Hmm.

Th 

The quota for tattoos on the nuggets was set at 73, thus the only acceptable explanation for the acquisition.

30-26 SPURS, end of 1st.

-I’m now sold on Mace.  He’s walking back to the bench and sees me.  I’m staring at him as a child does when meeting a stranger, just soaking him in and trying to analyze him.  He winks and gives me a head-nod.  This cat is cool.  I mean seriously, he’s very confident and he brings great chemistry to the team when viewed up close and interacting with the vets.  Everyone likes him and he was clearly born to be a SPUR.  Not saying I agree with everything he does, but I’m much more comfortable with him in black and silver now.

2nd QUARTER

11:23-  There are so many Argentine’s here at that game.  I always wonder, if you’re Argentine, why the hell would you move to Denver, CO?  Could half these people simply be frauds, jumping on the Manu/Fab bandwagon?  I hate Denver even more just contemplating the injustice as I dust off my baby blue flag hanging from the railing in front of me.

You're back in, LD.  This one's for you.

10:25-  Holding on, 34-31 SPURS.

9:50-  I think to myself, "Why aren’t we driving the paint more" as Manu flies in for the foul.  Boos rain down.

9:40-  Finley enters the game.  The stench of death around the bench suddenly dissipates.

8:07-  We’re rebounding really well, but too many stupid turnovers.

7:50-  I get pissed off and take off Bruce’s jersey.  Out of the corner of my eye, I catch him leaning back and watching me.  I bow my head in shame as a single tear rolls down his cheek.  His very, very old cheek.

7:10-  Mace gets greedy and jacks another 3, Pop stares vacantly.

6:12- Hill for three and we’re up 14.  I look over to see the JV doing a Sudoku.  He knows whats coming.

5:21-  Kmart’s quote about stopping Timmy still makes me smile.  Maybe he confused TD with Bonner, cause Tim’s absolutely abusing him tonight.  Again.  Another graduate of the Shaq O’Neal School of Quote Reliability. 

4:04-  If you were judging solely by Pop’s reactions and body language and choice of words, I’d say Bruce’s time is nearly over.  I love Bruce Bowen, much more than any of you clowns, and it pains me to say that.  But I’ve never been more sure that Bruce is not the same and slowly on his way out.  He plays a shell of the defense that once made him famous, and he simply can’t move the way he once did.  Without a higher shooting percentage, there’s no reason to keep him around and it appears the coaching staff is figuring this out.

3:15-  T on Melo.  Well, there’s still one thing Bruce can do.  The thuggets are so easy, I love playing Denver.

I couldn't find any in-game pics of Carmelo because I didn't look; but I still have this one. 

2:13-  Melo with 3 fouls, and I’m pretty sure they’re all offensive.

2:01-  Mace needs to slow down and stop shooting.  It’s a long game, champ.  We can put them away in the 2nd half.  You don’t need to beat them in the 1st and in fact can’t.  Settle down. 

1:52-  I’ve never seen a player more proud of making a routine basketball play than Kenyon Martin.  Leading the league in post-dunk screaming and post-block posturing every year.  Every game.  Fortunately I was able to get a pic of Kmart before my camera died….

1:03-  Holy shit we’re up 18.

:32- Holy shit we’re up 20.

:12- The thuggets fan behind me orders yet another Coors for his inbred cesspool of a wife and himself.  Drink up assclown, we came to play.

HALFTIME

• I’m starting to get that same feeling in my stomach that you get when you come home early and there’s another car next to your wifes in the driveway.  Worry, doubt, confusion, paranoia for the 2nd half.  Your 2008-09 San Antonio SPURS, Ladies and -Gentlemen!! 
• Denver shot 55% in the 1st, 24% in the 2nd. 
• The annual speech by Pop clearly worked, defense is much improved tonight.
• On the last play of the half, Bonner tried to hit Tony on the outlet pass but sailed it over his little head.  Tony stood there with his arms out and said, "Come on Matt!"  My blood began to boil at seeing Tony sell Bonner out to an entire arena of opposing fans.  The hillbillies behind me started laughing.  Then, Tony started laughing.  He walked over and put his arm around Matt and Bonner started laughing too.  Suddenly, no one around me was mocking them anymore.  Joe Dirt behind me calmly said, "I wish we had that kind of chemistry."  I love being a San Antonio SPURS fan.  The whole exchange was kindof like how ATS treats me on PtR.  Except for the reconciliation, it’s a perfect parallel. 
• Bonner’s hair up close is frighteningly red.  Like Viking red. 
• 17 assists for San Antonio in the 1st half.
• JR Smith could easily be the next 6th Man of the Year, but he's a fucking lunatic.

3rd QUARTER-

12:00-  Probably not going to take as good of notes in the 2nd half because I’m hungry and want nachos and a beer, and you bastards won’t read it anyway.

11:40-  I yell "Hell No" on Kmart’s 1st free throw (don’t know if you heard him do that on one of Bruce’s shots earlier, but it was retarded.  If all else fails in your NBA career, and it has, don’t hesitate to employ the ‘Hey Batter Batter’ method of defense)  He misses, and I smile as I get ever closer to getting my ass kicked by 389 blind loyalists.

9:06-  Parker with the finger roll and it’s 67-44.

6:31-  Bruce is really getting physical with Melo, there could be another T coming here soon.  A team like Denver is really Bruce’s favorite though, they’re so easy to psychologically destroy.  Bruce delivers an incredible block on Melo and the destruction is almost complete.

2:34-  Uh oh.  The D has left the building.  Terrible rotations, poor shot selection, poor shooting, too much 1 on 1.  I can literally feel Pop’s anger from here.

:56-  I’m not sure that if we hadn’t put together a perfect first half we wouldn’t be getting blown out right now.  We’re playing completely opposite from how we played in the 1st, and we’re not penetrating the lane at all.  Denver’s D is not responsible by any means, we simply get soft in the 2nd halves of games and it’s occurring now.

4th QUARTER-

7:21-  I realizes something for the first time watching the players this year up close in the great moments and the bad moments of a game.  We don’t have our roles set just yet.  Yes we’ve struggled with injuries as well, but the real problem is our identity.  This is the explanation when Hill and Mason perform amazingly only until Tony and Manu’s return.  This is the explanation when Bonner runs aimlessly in circles on the court.  This is the problem when Tony shoots 30 times a game.  Mason is settling into a ‘shoot-first’ role because that’s what we’ve needed.  But we no longer need that with Manu and Tony back; they're those guys.  You can see it in that often he shoots 3s with 20 on the shot clock and no SPURS back to pass to.  You can see it when George looks confused and uninspired now that Tony’s back.  It’s all about knowing your roles.  Bowen understands he’s not going to be counted on to drop 30 points in a given night.  Fab understands that he’s not an offensive option, but that he’s to do other intangible things.  Once George grasps that he’s the backup PG, depended on for only stability and leadership, he’ll shake out of this funk.  Once Mason understands that he’s to be an effective spot-up shooter and capable defender and not the leading man each night, we’ll see more consistency. 

Timmy knows his role already.  And that role is.....to.....destroy.

3:16-  We’ve shot 26 threes this game.  I HATE relying on the 3, but it was fun to watch.

3:00-  5th foul on Melo, courtest of Mr. Potato Head.

2:45-  5th foul on Nene as Manu gets the and-1

:00-  Game.  SPURS 108, thuggets 91.  But it wasn’t that close.

Your three stars:

3. Matt Bonner-  6-8 for 14 and 2-2 from 3.  Much needed performance from him.

2. Manu Ginobili-  7-11 for 21 points and 4-7 from 3.  And he’s beautiful.

1. Tim Duncan- 21 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks, 1 steal, 2 TOs and a game-high +22.  Oh yeah, and he was 7-8 from the FT line.  Kmart had 12 points 5 boards, 2 blocks for -15 on 4-7 shooting.

• I’m not ready to give Tony a star.  When you shoot under 50% as a PG who specializes in layups, you don’t get the nod regardless of how many points you finished with.The thuggets are never going to be an upper-tier team in the George Karl era.  No matter how deep offensively they get, they’re still emotionally and psychologically infants.  It’s far too easy for a smart veteran team to take them out of their game and allow them to beat themselves.  And it’s beautiful if you’re there, and your team is doing the mindscrewing. 

 Coach Hairlip in one of his most interactive and involved coaching moments.

• In the timeouts, Pop talked constantly about not trading baskets for baskets, play chess and not checkers, and getting stops.  We got too tangled in this game for the 3rd quarter, and as a result were outscored 26-22.  Seeing this wisdom and understanding the ‘pounding the rock’ mantra is good for the new guys. 
• Our rotations and plays were brilliant in the 2nd quarter.  This is when we pulled away. 
• Funny thing about a player who showboats and screams a lot.  Take a look at Kmart’s stats above.  Maybe he is such an asshat because he’s realized that he seems like a better player when doing so.  I know I never would have believed he only finished with 5 boards and 2 blocks.  Huh. 
• Much to my surprise, Mason played terrible.  He’s still obviously figuring out the system but he’ll be alright.  Pop doesn’t tolerate such unwise pull-up 3s unless your name is Manu, and I see that habit changing very soon.  Considering he went 2-10 from 3, I wouldn’t worry too much about Mace’s habit of jacking as he likely heard plenty about it postgame.  Mace is a great fit overall and his stroke will return. 

Well, we're now 10-8 and holding firmly to the 8th seed in the West.

Next up-  @ home vs. the Warriors on Saturday night.  7:30PM CST

Somebody finally figured out how to post pics!  I've tried for some time, facing constant ridicule from ATS for my lack of technical skills.  But with a cold, slow day at work and special pic-posting instructions from the CMoney, I am now that much more internet-savy.  It's exciting, it really is.

To mark this monumental occurrence, I've chosen a special pick to lose my cherry.  There's really a lot of pressure when you're trying to decide which picture is worth the inaugural slot. 

But in honor of the long-term overwhelming success of our old friends, the phx suns, here's a pic of their championship/winning banners hanging in the US Airways Center in phx.  It just makes me laugh, because a picture is truly worth 1000 words in this case.

Other great SPURS pics to follow.  And pics, via Bones' request, of the SPURS wall of fame to come as well.  My excitement level is at monumental proportions.

via i497.photobucket.com

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8502882?MSNHPHMA

So that's happening.  Awesome.  So much for the pipe dream that rehab and rest were all that is needed.  No speculation about how long he'll be down, but ankle operations are not, in my experience, quick and painless procedures.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you, sweet prince.

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This word limit is really freakin ridiculous.  That's my two cents.  And 18 more words, suck that SB Nation.

So I realized the other day, we've talked about a database for vintage PtR quotes for some time and haven't acted on it.  There have been some gems over the years, and there needs to be somewhere to store all of this brilliance.  And I'm not talking about how funny it was that time you told the other guy that he had a little weiner; I'm talking about classic statements that carry through a lifetime uttered by PtRers or those affiliated.  The quotes that you find yourself stealing and wowing people with the day after games.  Many times, the quotes taken and posted on avitars.  The insults, the analogies, the comparisons, the descriptions that made us who we are and formed us as the best NBA blog going.  It's time to share our wisdom, while at the same time providing a quick and easy access for laughs and cheers.

Post away those that you remember.  And if it gets to be as good a resource as dreamed, don't forget to 'rec' the post so that it's easier to hang onto.  CMoney and I will be doing exhaustive research over the next week or so (slogging through old posts and game threads) to identify some, but add on all that you know of that impacted you. 

And it must be a gem.  Post a squeaker and it'll follow you for ages.  We're not talking about "Robert Horry" level quotes that are disputable as HOF quotes.  We're talking the "Timmys" here, people.

Lots of national commentators are already swinging over to the SPURS, and virtually declaring the series over.  "Nooch is demoralized," "Nooch is lost and confused," "San Antonio has figured Nooch out."

I still believe we're taking the series and have more control and favorability now than any stats or numbers would suggest, but this article definately is eye-opening.  It's certainly not over.  Nooch is a talented team, and capable of easily blowing us out in New Orleans.  Tonight's game will be very, very difficult and we'll be fortunate to escape with a W.  It's likely that tonight's winner wins the series.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=SpursHornets_080513

There's been so much said about the phx series, and rightly so.  It will go down as one of my favorite SPURS playoff series' of all time and I think it represented more than just a first round victory (as someone else already elaborated on).  It was rewarding on so many levels, and vindicative as well.  I will continue to relive this series for quite some time, watching videos and rereading posts and write-ups.  And I definately can't wait for Stampler's recap of Game 5 and of the entire series.  Pure beauty, beating those guys that are so cannonized by the media in only 5 games.

But.... the celebration is over.

For now, I think it's time to move ahead.  One of my favorite qualities of the Tim Duncan era has always been the professionalism and poise in moving towards the final goal.  I love that even announcers always notice that the SPURS don't celebrate or even overly show emotion after getting through an opponent in a round of the playoffs.  I love seeing most other teams dogpile each other and break into tears and high-fives after winning a series, while the SPURS show little regard to winning "battles."  We've always seemed to recognize that the goal is to win the war.  The goal is a championship, and until that is achieved, we're consistantly moving forward and looking to tomorrow.  Let phx and it's blog pontificate on the merits of the SPURS/suns series; we're already down the road.  It's not like we're all going crazy or celebrating TOO much already, I just think it's time we looked ahead and ended our relief at getting through the suns.  Our next opponent will present many new challenges and tests, and we're more than ready for the match-up.  This week has been awesome as a SPURS fan, and next week will be awesome too.  Congrats fellow SPURS worshippers, but now it's time to prepare....

http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/playoffs_2008.html

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA.050108.bkn_Spurs_off_day.EN.3c40c50.html

Bring on the New Orleans Hornets!!!  I'm going out right now and saying SPURS in 5.  Ballsy, but I have very high confidence right now that we're stopping CP3 and we're using our experience and superior coaching to blow through this young upstart.  If we execute properly and play our game, there's no reason to think that we'll go 7 as some "experts" have already decided.  Our playoff defense and focus is something this team has yet to experience; and as I've said before, I don't see anyone beating Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Pop 4 out of 7 games right now.

GO SPURS GO

This is exactly why I love the SPURS and love PtR-

No one is panicking, not even the clingers from SpursTalk.  No one is jumping from the bridge at the new hope and belief we gave phx today.  No one is seemingly even remotely concerned.  And rightly so.

Holy mouse fart.  Yep, being there was bad.  And I literally had the biggest phx sun douchebag fan and his girlfriend sitting behind us.  It took everything I had for my head not to explode.  There is no doubt in my mind now that they have the worst, most poorly educated, most minimally possessing of basketball knowledge,  most arrogant and hypocritical fans in the league.  EVERY play, EVERY call against the suns..... it's didn't matter, they were bitching.  I mean literally the whole arena, but especially Captain Douchbag in 105/25/7.  Snaq literally could have performed a flying elbow to Timmy's collarbone from a chair, gotten a whistle, and these people would have booed the poor officiating.  It was astounding. 

I hate even mentioning the officials.  I hate it being a topic of discussion.  I hate the mere thought that the officials or league may have had some influence in a game.  Though I know it happens, I choose to win AND lose on the court, not any other way.  Teams lose games, and there's no way around that.  But that said, what you saw and suspected was 10x worse in person.  You have no idea.  I actually turned to my dad 4:00 into the game and said, "This is already over, we don't have a chance in this one."  The league doesn't want sweeps, especially over 'golden boy' teams.   We'll just leave it at that. 

We lost the game on our own, by being completely inept at, well, basketball.  This was finally our bitch game, and we all knew it was coming.  We ALWAYS have this game, the one in which we should win but no one shows up, we don't get calls like the home team and the homers play lights out.  I pined optimistic in my post guaranteeing victory, but we all deep down knew we likely hadn't dodged the bitch game.  How foolish me was to feel so confident.  The simple fact was- snaq and stevie are a proud bunch, and never going to allow getting swept in their gym.  Didn't matter how well we played, it wasn't going to happen.  Just so happens that we obliged them perfectly by completely choking today.

I don't even want to talk about the game or think about it anymore.  I don't want to ponder how we didn't attempt to draw enough contact, or Tony overcommitted on drives too frequently, or Manu didn't fight through double teams, or we neglected their P&R, or our off-ball movement was poor.  I took great pics for PtR- empty rafters at the arena for us to giggle at, an extra close-up of Manu's bald spot, me hugging Peter Holt and handing him a dollar, the suns new slogan of "Do you believe in miracles?," Roho sitting on the bench during shoot around just watching the rest of the team warm up, etc.  But (and it helps not knowing how to post them, thanks again Matthew) I'm not even putting them up.  This game is over and in the books, and not something I want to relive.  We sucked complete ass, and they outplayed us in every category except looking tired.  They deserved the win, and we'll all let them enjoy their sweet, cute and special moment (my exact words to Captain Douchbag when leaving the section).  Tuesday, and I don't feel I'm risking much to say this, will be a bloodbath, gentlemen.

It was a terrible feeling leaving the arena after this game, but after about 10 minutes I lost the rage and disappointment.  Think back to.....well, every year in the playoffs.  This bitch game happens, the other team plays it's cards (exposes it's own adjustments/changes), Pop and team takes vigorous notes and feigns doubt and death, and comes back to serve the opposing team it's ass.  Phx is back to feeling a seed of hope this afternoon, and starting to believe a little.  Their confidence is high, and D'oh is feeding this as we speak.  Meanwhile, Pop is playing the psychological game and playing it well. 

I looked again at my dad after halftime and said, "The guys are coming out if this doesn't change inside of 3 minutes."  Sure enough, they never returned.  Actually a brilliant plan, in my opinion.  We weren't shooting well while they were, and we clearly didn't have a prayer in this game from the first quarter onward.  Pop recognized that there was still a victory we could gain today, and he got that.  Somebody said it in the thread, but you ever notice how there's some games in which the officiating is just as poor or worse than others and Pop doesn't move, but in these others he argues relentlessly and possibly even gets tossed?  These quiet games are coincidentally the playoff "bitch games."  Pop understands that the entire series is one big game, and no one's better at playing it.  Don't worry about 1 W, when you'll have your W soon enough.  Learn the enemy well, and exploit his weaknesses to no end in your eventual victory.  I've said it before, but it truly is the difference between chess and checkers.  No one but SPURS fans actually see this; certainly no one in the arena today did.  D'oh and his entire kingdom play: your move, my move, your move, my move, your move, my move.  Many battles are won this way, but never the war.  Today for example, D'oh feels victory and even attempts to make a last minute stand of pride by getting tossed, and plays all his cards to the end.  Their team feels a little hope return, and their fans are lulled into believing that the problems (confusion on offense, no defensive presence, no killer instinct, no bench play) once huge, have all now miraculously been corrected.  It's a myth.  We gave them nothing, saved our energy, and now will completely understand their system even better on Tuesday.  AND we're angry and suddenly aggressive.  I cannot see an already pissed off Timmy and Manu allowing another to escape.  Add Pop and Tony to that, and I wouldn't be surprised to see us completely annihilate phx on Tuesday.  They will again have that amazingly confused look on their faces after the series, as though they'd again been ambushed or cheated from something; when they'd simply been played the entire time.  I'm sticking with that, and I'm confident.  We still own this series and there's no reason to be concerned.  It's funny how all SPURS fans actually already know that.  I'm thankful to be a SPURS fan.  Today sucked, and we'll move onward.  It was something we all truthfully expected, and that eases the frustration.

PS-  Another great thing about being a SPURS fan in a hostile playoff environment, after the game we were all walking out and a bunch of SPURS fans ended up walking near each other.  Blacks, whites, browns, fats, hot chicks, drunks, a hodgepodge or cross section, if you will, of our culture.  There really wasn't even a 'leader' amoung all the strangers, but for some reason we all started shouting at each other and ended up 15-20 people standing in the corridors of the USAir Arena after getting our asses kicked, laughing and taking group pictures.  I've never seen and will never again see these folks.  We're all different, but we're all SPURS fans and thus family.  And you know what?  Not one person was doing anything but smiling and laughing.  And it wasn't the alcohol.  All SPURS fans understand what it takes to be champions, and we know that days like today are necessary for days like Tuesday.  GO SPURS GO...

Have a great end to the weekend... 

PSS-  We gotta get this new format to where it works on PDAs.  I don't know enough to describe what needs to be done or how it's not working; I just know that even though it was sometimes difficult, under the last format I could post from my phone.  Sitting courtside chatting with Schoenig and hearing cool tidbits, I tried to post on the thread but it was crazy impossible.  Can this even be done?!  It would definately be cool to have for any of us AT the games.

Well PTR, here I am in phx, the land of the sun and many pools and today..... broken dreams.  Full of such enormous joy that I could hug each of you.  (Wait...that was weird.  Scratch that.  I'll buy you a beer instead of the awkward man-hug.  Let's just say I'm really happy to be in phx with what our team is doing.)  Came in for Game 4 and honestly never saw Game 3 coming.  I never imagined it would go and end the way it did.  We typically (read: always) lay eggs/throw up bitch games/forget to get off the plane in Game 3s of the playoffs.  It's not as typical as Game 1 losses, but still seemingly so typical that we SPURS fans have come to accept it.  I wasn't the only one proclaiming a loss in Game 3, and I definately wasn't the only one surprised that we not only won, but blew them out of the gym.  There were at least 12K phx fans utterly stunned at last night.  So much so that the 'pride of the valley' was being booed from the 3rd quarter until......until.....well, it actually hasn't yet stopped here.

Nothing, absolutely NOTHING, compares with sitting in a sports bar in phx overhearing talk of "dirty" and "crooked" and "fixed" and "cowardly," and then seeing our boys play their best game of the season.  Call me a cynic for expecting now that Game 4 must be destined for our choker game; but none-the-less.  Seeing faces once filled with rage and passion as they accused us of whining and playing dirty now downcast and speechless.....was.....breathtaking.  There's really nothing like it, and if you ever have a chance to intermingle with the enemy and potentially see the embarassment in them after a game like this, DO IT.  It's actually been more satisfying for me beating these guys than it would be beating dallas or LA, and being in the midst of these fans makes it so much sweeter.  1.)  These guys are infiniately better than the mavwrecks, who are still on the playoff bubble in my mind anyway.  2.)  The fans of the suns are a much more special breed.  I hate dallas, don't get me wrong, but at least their whining is only for a time.  They play us well and usually take responsibility for their own shortcomings when it leads to a loss to the SPURS.  From the constant one-ups of 'we're the better team' dating to years back, to the embarassing coaching display that D'oh always seems to top year after year, to the ever present sense of entitlement that each of their fans has; these guys are just REALLY rewarding to beat.  Fortunately this year, we're not just beating them.  We're completely owning and destroying them.

I've never been more excited about attending a playoff game before, and I can't wait to share the experiences afterwards.  For now though, here's some funny tidbits about what's happening in arizona right now-

-Getting into town and to the bar, there's a definate palpable energy in town.  phx is going to win tonight.  They're going to win Sunday.  They're going to take back this series and make history.  There's no doubt, since last year's championship was stolen from them (you guys remember that?), it's destiny for this year to pan out.  There's no doubt amoung the orange, everyone's excited and full of hope.  I'm reminded of what it must have looked like to a bystander standing on the deck of the Titanic, watching people dance and listening to laughter and music.

-If I had a nickel for every person I heard say, "The SPURS are so dirty.  They don't deserve to win anything," I'd have a shitload of nickels.  And it's only the first quarter.  Suddenly, upon collectively realizing that our point guard can ALSO be pretty good, the amount of drinks sold increases substantially.  I'm settling back into my chair now, and refusing to remove my SPURS hat and monogrammed SPURS shirt.  People aren't talking as much jive anymore.

-I had removed my hat and covered up the shirt somewhat, and was talking to a bartender, who wasn't aware that I was a SA fan.  "We never should have gotten shaq, turns out everyone doubting the deal was right all along.  How could we not see that he would literally kill us in the playoffs?  I can't believe what's happening."  Seriously.  I've never in my life struggled so much stiffling laughter.  Really??  You think that trading away your best defender and best full-court offensive threat for an over-the-hill foul machine that can't play more than 15 minutes a night was a bad idea?!  Still??

-Some great media quotes from arizona-

1. "Of course, it's not impossible to come all the way back, even though the Suns had never lost three consecutive games during the regular season, and even though no team in NBA playoff history has recovered from an 0-3 deficit.  But you'd have a hard time finding believers in this team now, including the guys who wear the uniform."  This one makes me happy.  Really happy.  It's very obvious here that the heart of this team is dead and will not be revived.  If we shoot over 25% in Game 4, there should be no reason it won't be a sweep.  The entire area along with this team has been demoralized to the point of writing off this season.
2. (about Coach D'oh and his choice of words) "This time, it was his pregame assessment that his team's defense was not the problem.  Instead, he claimed it was his offense that needed liberating, that his team needed to get out and run the floor and play loose.  Alas, that team died a long time ago."  D'ohs on the hotseat now, gents.  This meltdown is being completely blamed on him, and I don't entirely disagree with that.  But I do think it's astounding that perhaps shaq's most unappreciated ability is his knack for deflecting/avoiding blame.  We'll see what he has to say after the series though.
3. (continuing jollyroger's great post about reporters attempting to generate copy by interviewing SPURS, and when Pop was asked about phx feeling the heat before Game 2's tipoff) "Your characterization is relatively inflammatory and I don't think anybody is desperate."  Again, check.....and.....mate.  No time for media games, zona, we're on the road to a championship and can't exit right now.

Tomorrow's game will be fun to watch as a SPURS fan.  I've been to many playoff games and never been in an environment of such despair and hopelessness.  It starts at the top, includes the team, and resonates even through the city.  There is literally NO fight left in this team and we have them down.  It's time to put the foot down on their necks and leave no window of hope or belief.  I have no doubt that they will be psyched up for Game 4 and come out strong, as a matter of pride if anything; but if we can keep our composure, continue to play 48 minutes of strong defense, and get even a modest production from our bench..... we'll be resting for the next few days waiting for New Orleans.  I know I seem possibly overly optimistic, but the spirit here is heavy and overwhelmed..... and we have Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and a quick little French guy.  We're not losing Game 4.

I'll be up behind the SPURS bench near the media area, wearing either a home Bowen jersey or an Argentina Manu jersey, so look for me.  I'll also be smiling rather annoyingly.  I'll post pictures after the game (little kids crying, men and women cursing and frowning, stevie's window shutting a little more, etc.) if someone teaches me how.

P.S.  Reading back through this, it actually appears quite mean and vindictive.  Late last night after reading the thread, I started to feel a little bad for this cute little team, and their fruitless efforts.  Let me say that I actually felt just a little bad about my pride and my insensitivity.... until today.  I picked up my tickets from a season ticket holder, and had to hide the fact that I was a SPURS fan.  I didn't deny SA or profess love to phx, but certainly didn't volunteer details.  Thought it might be fun to break into the circle of trust that these nitwits have.  That, and I was scared he might back out upon realizing that I am a fan of the NBA Champions.  Without even prompting, it's amazing how these fans will immediately launch into an excuse-ridden rant about the reasons for their failures- dirty SPURS, bad officials, league conspiracies, global warming.  All of this while selling out the tickets to the game in which they are MOST needed because of their disappointment.  Nodding and smiling sheepishly, my small feelings of sorrow and pity for this team left.  If you are feeling the same for some reason- kinda bad for how awful we're making them look and kinda bad that one of their "good guy" players is missing out...... don't.  I've decided this trip that I hate phx fans more than any other (and that's truly saying something with dallas and denver and detroit vying for the title), and that the sorrow and heartache they're feeling now is sweet justice for a lifetime of constant whining, moaning, dodging responsibility, and playing bandwagon media-friendly basketball.  There's a special place in hell reserved for arrogent pricks like snaq and D'oh, and they're entering it now.  Nothing should give us greater joy than sweeping the dreams of millions of suns fans out the quickly closing window of stevie's career.  If you still struggle, think of the dozens of people already today that I've talked to, that immediately reminded me how we stole the Championship from them last year and reminded me that they were the true champions.

It doesn't get much sweeter to be a SPURS fan in the playoffs.  Sorry if I rambled or didn't make sense in spots and that it was Stampler-long.  I'm not proofing because it's so damn lengthy.  See ya'll tomorrow....

GO SPURS GO

Dear phx-

Thanks for your stay in San Antonio, it was fun and we only hope that you enjoyed your stay since you may not be coming back until next year.

As a basketball fan, I've taken the liberty of analyzing Tuesday night's game in the hopes of helping you to craft new excuses unheard of yet (tremendously difficult since you've pretty much exhausted every theory) that will explain your utter collapse.  Also I'm doing this because I want to pre-empt any verbal irresponsibility or psychological ploy involving the media.  I know what it's like (not really, but let's pretend for rhetorical sake) to consistantly get owned by another team, and I want to help you to rationalize this loss and move forward.  Here are some possible excuses I came up with for you to use to take away from the obvious superiority of the other team, and to use to attempt to regain some confidence:

1. "The officials gave the game to San Antonio."  Uh, not so much.  It actually appeared to be a very balanced officiating crew behind F'n Bavetta, and the calls were evenly spaced phx 29 - SPURS 25.  Plus, everyone's already heard that one.
2. "The floppers on the SPURS determined the outcome of the game, and influenced the refs."  Yeah, again, not so much.  Watching this game it was impossible not to notice the way little stevie flew across the floor with so little as a slight breeze in the AT&T Center.  It's gonna be hard to sell that when Kurt Thomas was the only foul out and the suns' perimeter guards were the only ones flailing to the hardwood.
3. "San Antonio played so dirty, and it was hard to uphold a lead AND our character."  That was actually viable until Tony took one of shaq's 250lb. hamhocks to the ribs.  No, I'm kidding.  It was never viable.  No blood was drawn and your trainer didn't have to unpack any ointment.  There were no questionable plays, and no blatant physical bullying by the SPURS. 
4. "We struggled with injuries."  Since Grant Hill is not exactly considered a 'lock-down defender,' this excuse doesn't really work either.  Barbosa fills Hill's spot better than Hill, and as a result eliminates this excuse from your Rolodex as well.
5. "We were just so worn out from Game 1, that it was hard to play 48 minutes."  See those other guys, on that other bench?  They have a collective age of 7429 years.  Some of their guys actually walked with Christ.  Others were there when bread was first sliced.  They had the same time off you did.
6. "We struggled with foul trouble all game and couldn't stay on the floor."  This game, much to the dismay of some of us (mainly just me), Pop didn't take it straight at you as much.  The paint scoring was mainly dominated by layups, and we leaned on the jumper for the other points.  As proof of this, Tim Duncan had an 'average' night.  Instead of drawing fouls, we simply ran around you and by you and under you.  Your bigs finished with 7 fouls only on the game.  The main reason for shaq's frequent trips to the bench were for oxygen and a chicken wing, not because of foul trouble.  Your problem was that your golden boy STAT couldn't find the rim in the 3rd.
7. "They only did what they were supposed to do.  A series doesn't begin until a road team wins a game."  Fair enough, but do you also know that 94% of the teams leading 2-0 in a 7 game series go on to win the series?  Do you also know that you now have to beat the defending NBA champions 4 out of 5 games, with 2 of those games back in San Antonio?  They definately did what they were supposed to do, but you were also supposed to be better and ready to beat this old San Antonio team.

This is a really tough process, dodging accountability for losing!  I don't know how you guys consistantly and unflinching do it after every failure!  Let me know if I'm missing something, cause I can't think of anything else.  I'm sure you'll step up and find something as you can always be counted on to do; I just hope that something is new and fresh, because we're all getting really bored with your same old excuses. 

Again, thanks for visiting, and we'll see you this weekend.

-The San Antonio SPURS and fans