# Playoffs - Game 1: Denver @ San Antonio



## KokoTheMonkey

* April 24th, 2005 - 7:00 PM (Central Time)*









VS.













*Projected Starting Lineups: *













































































*Reserves:*











































































































We've waited for this all season long, and it's finally here - The playoffs. Denver has scored 100+ points in 20 out of their last 26 games, but averaged only 89.5 points against the Spurs in the 4 regular season matchups. Denver moves the ball around as well as anyone, and they run the floor as well as anyone also. For San Antonio, they feature the half-court game that relies on Duncan for offense. San Antonio can move the balll around pretty good as well, but it's more often that Duncan gets touches and the rest of the guys have to move around without the ball. Both teams have deep benches and rely on them pretty heavily, but the Spurs will be without Devin Brown in this series and Rasho Nesterovic might miss a few games as well, leaving the Spurs a little short-handed. This first game is huge for SA because they cannot afford to lose any home games, especially the first one. The Spurs level of play has fluctuated over the last 2 months, while Denver has been playing high level basketball steadily, so it will be interesting to see which Spurs team shows up.






*Koko's Key's to Victory:*



- Jumpers. We knock down jumpers, and Denver will have a tough time defending us. If Denver collapses in on Duncan like expected, our shooters have to be ready to knock down the open looks. If not, our offense will die.


- Transition defense. We have to get back after missed shots and TO's, because Denver can seriously push the ball. I expect the half-court defense to be fantastic, so we have to stop Denver from running up 20 points on the break.


- Take care of the ball. This one is closely related to the "key" above, but it definitely deserves it's own attention. Turning the ball over just means more fastbreak opportunities for Denver, and it means for running for Duncan. We have to limit the TO's in the 10-12 range. 



Prediction: San Antonio 99, Denver 94



I like our chances mostly because of the 3 days in between games, giving the Spurs' coaching staff plenty of time to prepare, and giving Duncan more time to rest that ankle. Denver is a high-energy team that will be pumped up to play this game, but it's hard to go against the Spurs' 38-3 record at home this year.


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## TheRoc5

if you look at the match ups you see we match up very well against them.
bowen i think will help contain melo and duncan will get the best of kmart, should be very intresting i think we will beat them b/c we are the better team and we have a delay wich prob will favor us b/c of duncans ankle and some other injuries that have occurd. pray that duncan or any of the spurs dont get injured and play basketball. simple as that. 

THe Rocs SoIld pLan 

- control tempo need to do this, they are a fast breaking team and a young run and gun, we will sufficate them if we play half court basketball

-take care of the Roc, we must not turn the ball over, if we do it will lead to ast breaks wich they are great at, wich brings up transition deffense

-play smart

Key player(s) duncan/parker- duncan cause of injury and parker b/c he can take advantage of miller

key match up- bowen vs melo- we contain melo around 15 pts wich would help take them out of there gm

score
Spurs 110
nuggets 99

leading scorer- duncan 30
leading assits- parker 8

!Go Spurs Go!


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## Guth

If the guys are as fired up about this game as I am right now, then we will win by 400...I am so ready for this...

I feel good about this one...I think our boys will come out with that "whole nother level" that means that it is the playoffs...I think we can keep them out of their transition game and cause them to start taking bad shots, especially Melo...If we can get him to go for one of his patented 3-16 games against the Spurs, we will do fine...


Prediction:

Spurs 100
Nuggets 93


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## TheRoc5

Guth said:


> If the guys are as fired up about this game as I am right now, then we will win by 400...I am so ready for this...
> 
> I feel good about this one...I think our boys will come out with that "whole nother level" that means that it is the playoffs...I think we can keep them out of their transition game and cause them to start taking bad shots, especially Melo...If we can get him to go for one of his patented 3-16 games against the Spurs, we will do fine...
> 
> 
> Prediction:
> 
> Spurs 100
> Nuggets 93


yep your having the same feelings about this yrs playoffs as me im so excited and pumped up for this, reminds me of 2003 with out the lakers :biggrin:


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## FreeMason Jr.

Guth said:


> *If the guys are as fired up about this game as I am right now, then we will win by 400...I am so ready for this...*
> 
> I feel good about this one...I think our boys will come out with that "whole nother level" that means that it is the playoffs...I think we can keep them out of their transition game and cause them to start taking bad shots, especially Melo...If we can get him to go for one of his patented 3-16 games against the Spurs, we will do fine...
> 
> 
> Prediction:
> 
> Spurs 100
> Nuggets 93


Only 400? Let's hope they're as fired up as me then .

Spurs: 98
Denver: 93

Leading Scorer: Parker with 21


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## Cloud786

Personally, I think Parker and Miller will be a wash and the key matchup for us will be Manu vs whoever Denver throws out. Manu HAS to take advantage of their lack of a good 2 guard and try to take over the game with Parker and Miller canceling each other out and Duncan and all of Denver's big men canceling each other out. I really feel that Manu will have an awesome game 1 and duncan will do alright. GO SPURS! 

Cloud's Keys to the Gold:

Penetration by Manu and Tony - We have to attack and kick when the defense collapses in the paint. Brent and Bruce and Glenn all have to knock down the open jumpers.

Get Duncan Involved - Start the game by giving Duncan the rock in the post and let him go to work and see how his ankle is. If they double him, immediatly pass it back out and either repost for a quick move or swing the ball.

Transition Defense - Obvious

Defensive Rebounding - Nazr and Tim and Horry all have to box out on the defensive end because I feel that Denver is not a very good outside shooting team. Carmelo might start chucking up shots at times and we need to capitalize and grab the boards.

My Prediction:
Spurs 97
Nuggets 91


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## FreeMason Jr.

Cloud786 said:


> Personally, I think Parker and Miller will be a wash and the key matchup for us will be Manu vs whoever Denver throws out. Manu HAS to take advantage of their lack of a good 2 guard and try to take over the game with Parker and Miller canceling each other out and Duncan and all of Denver's big men canceling each other out. I really feel that Manu will have an awesome game 1 and duncan will do alright. GO SPURS!
> *
> Cloud's Keys to the Gold:*
> 
> Penetration by Manu and Tony - We have to attack and kick when the defense collapses in the paint. Brent and Bruce and Glenn all have to knock down the open jumpers.
> 
> Get Duncan Involved - Start the game by giving Duncan the rock in the post and let him go to work and see how his ankle is. If they double him, immediatly pass it back out and either repost for a quick move or swing the ball.
> 
> Transition Defense - Obvious
> 
> Defensive Rebounding - Nazr and Tim and Horry all have to box out on the defensive end because I feel that Denver is not a very good outside shooting team. Carmelo might start chucking up shots at times and we need to capitalize and grab the boards.
> 
> My Prediction:
> Spurs 97
> Nuggets 91


So we have another expert? And this one thinks he's clever  j/k.


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## Cloud786

Are my keys really that bad? I was thinking stuff up on the fly randomly and typing so if its bad, sorry.


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## FreeMason Jr.

Cloud786 said:


> Are my keys really that bad? I was thinking stuff up on the fly randomly and typing so if its bad, sorry.


I didn't say they were bad. I said you think you're clever cause you're said "keys to the gold" instead of "keys to victory" like everyone else's said.


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## Cloud786

yea i was gonna put that, but then thought that since everyone else uses victory, id use something different


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## FreeMason Jr.

Cloud786 said:


> yea i was gonna put that, but then thought that since everyone else uses victory, id use something different


But the trophy isn't made of gold, is it?


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## Camaro_870

*keys to victory*..........ok i'm no expert but spurs just need to play some D.... plus manu and tim need to step up, and we all know they can


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## Cloud786

k i got a new word for the next time i come up with some keys. gonna keep it a secret for now


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## FreeMason Jr.

Cloud786 said:


> k i got a new word for the next time i come up with some keys. gonna keep it a secret for now


I doubt it'll be as catchy as "Koko's Keys to Victory" or as clever as "EaZy Keys to Victory"


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## texan

I'll post my analysis later, as I don't have time right now, but I think Denver sneaks in and wins this game. I don't like the vibes coming out of the Spurs camp right now, and we are most vulnerable in the 1st game. We are injured, and didn't end the season with any rhythm at all. I think Denver will take advantage of our vulnerability and come out of game 1 with a win.


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## KokoTheMonkey

texan said:


> I'll post my analysis later, as I don't have time right now, but I think Denver sneaks in and wins this game. I don't like the vibes coming out of the Spurs camp right now, and we are most vulnerable in the 1st game. We are injured, and didn't end the season with any rhythm at all. I think Denver will take advantage of our vulnerability and come out of game 1 with a win.






I have a "vibe" like this as well, and it will be there until our team plays high level basketball.


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## Sir Patchwork

I think the key to the series is Manu Ginobili. 

Parker and Miller will probably play each other even, maybe slight advantage to Parker. Both guys can score on each other at will, Parker off of the drive and Miller in the post. I say slight advantage to Parker because it's harder for a guard to consistently score in the post, especially with help defense. 

Bowen and Anthony will be a draw, it'll be a battle. Bowen can make Anthony a lot less effective on offense, and Anthony can make Bowen a lot more effective on offense (with bad defense), so that's what I expect. 

From the bigs, the Spurs have the advantage just because of Duncan, but not a huge advantage since the Nuggets have some good big guys also. The position the Nuggets have no answer for is the shooting guard, and Manu should be looking to put his stamp on the game(s). If the Nuggets can't stop him, it will throw their whole defense off, I expect atleast one performance like the one against the Suns earlier in the season, if it's necessary (if the Spurs don't win comfortably). 

That's the individual matchups. Outside of that, maintain the patented intensity the Spurs are known for, put the clamps down on defense. Look to fast break mainly off of turnovers only, so it doesn't become an uptempo game, but they still get easy buckets. Make their players do things they're not comfortable with doing. Force Melo to become primarily a jumpshooter. Make Andre Miller guard Tony Parker upclose. One of the simplest, but most effective rules of basketball, keep them out of the paint on defense and get into the paint on offense. Always keep the pressure on, and don't let a guy like Earl Boykins steal the momentum of the game.


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## TheRoc5

texan said:


> I'll post my analysis later, as I don't have time right now, but I think Denver sneaks in and wins this game. I don't like the vibes coming out of the Spurs camp right now, and we are most vulnerable in the 1st game. We are injured, and didn't end the season with any rhythm at all. I think Denver will take advantage of our vulnerability and come out of game 1 with a win.


what do you mean bad vibe out of the camp, what have they been saying


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## texan

TheRoc5 said:


> what do you mean bad vibe out of the camp, what have they been saying



Well Duncan is only 75-80%, Rasho may not play, and Popovich has not sounded very confident in his latest press conferences. I just don't like what I've been hearing lately. Add that to the fact that we haven't been playing our best ball lately, and I get a bad vibe.


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## TheRoc5

texan said:


> Well Duncan is only 75-80%, Rasho may not play, and Popovich has not sounded very confident in his latest press conferences. I just don't like what I've been hearing lately. Add that to the fact that we haven't been playing our best ball lately, and I get a bad vibe.


i c , the only thing i have to say is that its playoff time so mybe pop is just stressed and focused, hopefully


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## KokoTheMonkey

Sir Patchwork said:


> I think the key to the series is Manu Ginobili.
> 
> Parker and Miller will probably play each other even, maybe slight advantage to Parker. Both guys can score on each other at will, Parker off of the drive and Miller in the post. I say slight advantage to Parker because it's harder for a guard to consistently score in the post, especially with help defense.
> 
> Bowen and Anthony will be a draw, it'll be a battle. Bowen can make Anthony a lot less effective on offense, and Anthony can make Bowen a lot more effective on offense (with bad defense), so that's what I expect.
> 
> From the bigs, the Spurs have the advantage just because of Duncan, but not a huge advantage since the Nuggets have some good big guys also. The position the Nuggets have no answer for is the shooting guard, and Manu should be looking to put his stamp on the game(s). If the Nuggets can't stop him, it will throw their whole defense off, I expect atleast one performance like the one against the Suns earlier in the season, if it's necessary (if the Spurs don't win comfortably).
> 
> That's the individual matchups. Outside of that, maintain the patented intensity the Spurs are known for, put the clamps down on defense. Look to fast break mainly off of turnovers only, so it doesn't become an uptempo game, but they still get easy buckets. Make their players do things they're not comfortable with doing. Force Melo to become primarily a jumpshooter. Make Andre Miller guard Tony Parker upclose. One of the simplest, but most effective rules of basketball, keep them out of the paint on defense and get into the paint on offense. Always keep the pressure on, and don't let a guy like Earl Boykins steal the momentum of the game.






Great post my man. I feel the same way coming into this about Manu being the key player. Denver's starter is Dermarr Johnson, and Manu is at least 3-4 notches better than Dermarr Johnson. Manu is the guy for this team that if he gets going, it's basically over for the other team. 

While I think Parker has an advantage over Miller rather easily, Boykins makes up the difference because he's a much better backup than Beno.


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## Luiz_Rodrigo

Hey guys, how do u all doing?

Unfortunatelly I´m without time to post here, but when I can I´m still visiting the Spurs forum here.

Personally I don´t believe that the Nuggets can beat we in the San Antonio, so I am expecting a win saturday.

My predction:

Spurs 93
Nuggets 84


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## Sir Patchwork

KokoTheMonkey said:


> While I think Parker has an advantage over Miller rather easily, Boykins makes up the difference because he's a much better backup than Beno.


Yeah, Boykins is the guy you have to keep an eye on. He can realistically change the face of the whole series if you're not paying attention.


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## TheRoc5

Sir Patchwork said:


> Yeah, Boykins is the guy you have to keep an eye on. He can realistically change the face of the whole series if you're not paying attention.


parker matches boykins very well to, he is as quick as him plus hes stronger and taller


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## XxMia_9xX

i can't wait 'till sunday! woo hoo! geez i'm excited... but it's taking too long!!!

mia's "KEY" to victory...
1. WIN!!! 

 hahah everything has been said already.... i got nothing!


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## texan

I'm relaxed, however; at the same time, I'm excited. I can't wait to see the Spurs play again, because I only caught like 2 or 3 of their last 10.


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## FreeMason Jr.

XxMia_9xX said:


> i can't wait 'till sunday! woo hoo! geez i'm excited... but it's taking too long!!!
> 
> mia's "KEY" to victory...
> 1. WIN!!!
> 
> hahah everything has been said already.... i got nothing!


Wow. That was pathetic


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## Sir Patchwork

TheRoc5 said:


> parker matches boykins very well to, he is as quick as him plus hes stronger and taller


Yeah Parker is taller, but Boykins is a strong dude though, he can bench 350+ which is why he doesn't get pushed around at all despite his height. Parker and Boykins should be a fun side matchup too, that's a whole lot of quickness going on.


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## XxMia_9xX

thanks ezealen! lol


anyway, i'm sad.... i can't watch this game!!!  i have work form 5:00-9:00! (pacific time)... i've waited for so long, then i find out that i can't even watch it. i have to wait 'till wednesday for the next game! it sucks! so whoever will be on for the game thread be very detail ok? haha so i get the gist of it. thanks....


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## SpursFan16

If Manu dominates, we will win.

Simple as that, TD needs to step up to.

my prediction
Spurs 99
Nuggets 95


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## TheRoc5

8hr 34 min till tip off... i cant wait!!!!!!!!
GO Spurs Go


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## Kunlun

When did Nazr Mohammed(sp?) start for you? Or is Nesterovic injured?


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## TheRoc5

rasho is injured but should be back for gm 2, nazr has been playing good to
ps. 6hr 34 min!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Vladman27

I'm a nets fan, but one of my good friends is from San Antonio, so I've taken to liking the Spurs too. (Actually the first and only nets game I saw was when I visited him in SA -- they blew out the nets). 
Good luck tonight!


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## TheRoc5

thanks feel free to post when ever you would like your welcome to the board...
5hr 33 min GO SPURS GO


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## FreeMason Jr.

5 hours....I need something to pass the time! I guess I listen to Reanimation...like five times


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## TheRoc5

ezealen said:


> 5 hours....I need something to pass the time! I guess I listen to Reanimation...like five times


4 more hrs!!!!!!!!!! im wasting my time by watching vc and the nets trying to beat the heat


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## FreeMason Jr.

TheRoc5 said:


> 4 more hrs!!!!!!!!!! im wasting my time by watching vc and the nets trying to beat the heat


lol you seriously are wasting your time.


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## TheRoc5

2 hr 30 min cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! nets gm is almost over so i guess ill go for the bulls, GO SPURS GO


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## TheRoc5

gm time baby... and no one is here


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## TheRoc5

spurs 2-0


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## TheRoc5

are boys need to get back on d, tim and narz are looking great, manu doesnt look that bad either. transition d is big


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## sheefo13

Doesnt melo have 2 fouls now???

Nazr is hurt  the announcers jinxed him...


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## Guth

Sounds like Nazr will be OK...I think he just went to the locker room for some stitches...I almost jumped out the window when he went down...

And as a side note, I actually get to watch this game so I will have a better idea of what is going on...


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## TheRoc5

19-14 were up
mediocore gm so far
we playing in there tempo, we need to bring it to half court more
duncan looks fine so far, look for him to be back in soon, who ever is going to play center will be a key for us when they double duncan


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## Luiz_Rodrigo

19 x 19 

We need to stop Miller, he is killing us.


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## TheRoc5

are there no over back calls anymore


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## Guth

Crap we can't guard Andre Miller...he already has 13...

We need to batten it down on defense, they are getting a lot of easy shots and a lot of offensive rebounds...I think we need to buckle down a little...


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## Guth

Flagrant on Buckner...it was a good call...this is big because we could make a nice little push at the end of the quarter...this could be nice, Manu making both free throws...


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## Luiz_Rodrigo

25 x 21 Spurs

Miller is playing very good... 13 points till now


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## TheRoc5

27spurs
23 nuggets

i think duncans had enough rest
we need to consentrate on d our offense is doing great but we need to make sure they cant score


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## nickrock23

Guth said:


> Flagrant on Buckner...it was a good call...this is big because we could make a nice little push at the end of the quarter...this could be nice, Manu making both free throws...


ginobili is the greatest actor ever. better than deniro. this guy is truly hysterical


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## Guth

We had a nice 6-0 run ended by Earl Boykins with .6 seconds left...we could really use some more defensive intensity in the 2nd...

Overall, I am OK with the first quarter...we showed some signs that we are in control of the game, if we could just play better defense and contain Andre Miller a little more (??? Who thought we would be saying that?)


End 1st

Spurs 27
Nuggets 23


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## Guth

nickrock23 said:


> ginobili is the greatest actor ever. better than deniro. this guy is truly hysterical



I will agree with you there, he is a pretty good actor...but Buckner had his arm wrapped around the back of Ginobili's head...I don't think it was an unreasonable call...


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## Guth

That is the 2nd really bad pass from Brent Barry...he is a veteran and has been in the playoffs before, but it looks like he is really pressing and must be pretty nervous...


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## Guth

I don't like the pace of this game...I know we can run, but they are much better suited to that, and I would rather see us slow this down and take good shots...


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## sheefo13

Yeah barry shouldnt even be playing in the playoffs, he is just holding the spurs back.


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## TheRoc5

wow this gm is starting to get scary with every one falling and people getting hurt. we starting to take the gm away


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## TheRoc5

tim duncan with 8 pt, hopefully he can have 12 or so at the half, hes doing pretty good


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## Guth

TheRoc5 said:


> wow this gm is starting to get scary with every one falling and people getting hurt. we starting to take the gm away


I agree with you man...this is pretty crazy right now...I think that is exactly the way the Nuggets want it though...hopefully, this is just extra playoff energy from both teams and come, at least the second half, the game will settle down into a normal rythym...


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## Guth

Tony Parker needs to get his crap together, man...I don't think he has scored yet and he is getting killed by Miller...he needs to show up...


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## TheRoc5

duncan looks scared hes going to get injured, i just wana knock the snot out of this dennver team. bunch of punks ill be proud to eleminate them from the playoffs


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## Guth

Tim just isn't right...he still doesn't quite have the base to his shot...

We just lost the lead, 34-33...It seems like they are getting really easy shots on the offensive end...we are still not playing great defense...I don't feel great about this, but I think we can figure this out...


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## TheRoc5

Guth said:


> Tim just isn't right...he still doesn't quite have the base to his shot...
> 
> We just lost the lead, 34-33...It seems like they are getting really easy shots on the offensive end...we are still not playing great defense...I don't feel great about this, but I think we can figure this out...


agreed


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## Luiz_Rodrigo

Parker needs to wake up...

0 points, 2 turnovers and he´s letting Miller do wut he wants in the attack


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## Guth

Good to see Tony show up...finally scores on a nice jumpshot, then he plays great defense on Miller and goes coast to coast for the layup...

Then we give up a lob to Melo...


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## Guth

Good gracious, Andre Miller is unconscious right now...we just have to take care of our business and wait till he shoots himself out of it...


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## Guth

great move by Tony at one end for the layup, and then great defense against Melo at the other end...it seems like the last couple of defensive possesions have been better played...hopefully we can calm this game down and take over a little at the defensive end...


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## TheRoc5

were starting to play in our tempo, thats a good sign, looks like were not running a marathon now. duncan is starting to look like he is supposed to so things starting to go our way. we need to be leading 7+ at the half.
43
39


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## TheRoc5

also tony parker is starting to shine wich is a good thing, hes 6 pts in second qt


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## Guth

Allright, allright...finger roll by Manu, great defense and then a FB layup by Tony Parker...on top of that, Miller gets a tech...now would be a great time for a little run...


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## Luiz_Rodrigo

50 x 41!!


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## TheRoc5

whats with that manu out of bounds he didnt even have the balll?


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## Guth

If you are talking about the one at Denver's end, I think they said that Buckner dribbled it off Ginobili before barreling him over...


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## Guth

GIIIIIIINNNNNNOOOOOBBBBLLLLIIII!!!!!!!!!



Holy crap that was unbelievable!


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## TheRoc5

ginobilliiiiiiiiiii!


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## Guth

You have got to be kidding me...we let Miller score and then turn the ball over and let Camby get a dunk...good gosh, that was the worst thing that could have happened...and a Ginobili charge...


AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!


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## Turkish Delight

Both teams are tied at 52.
The Nuggets ended the half on an 11-2 run. 
Very exciting game.


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## TheRoc5

Fuge wut, why cant we freakin do that, we deserve to lose our lead, man gosh im so pissed.


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## FreeMason Jr.

It's been a pretty exciting game so far. I'm not use to such a fast paced spurs game. But the spurs really blew it there at the end of the half. They were up 6 with 12 seconds left but then Beno threw the ball away and Horry gives them and and1, and the Manu get the charge and they get a three pointer to tie it. A horrible end to what was a great first half.


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## FreeMason Jr.

TheRoc5 said:


> Fuk wut, why cant we freakin do that, we deserve to lose our lead, man gosh im so pissed.


Watch the language now


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## TheRoc5

i hope the spurs get yelled at so bad, this is a huge gm if we lose mise well go home, we have to win must win. we are the better team we need to play like it. 

parker 7/10
duncan 9/10
narz 9/10
manu 7/10
beno 3/10
horry 7/10

these mistakes will make us be eliminated


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## Guth

I am so mad right now that I can't even talk...we had such a good second quarter and then we blew it in the last minute of the first half...In case you missed it, Andre Miller capped off a minute of crap with a 45 foot shot at the buzzer...

Looking at the rest of the half, Tim looks pretty good...not great, but he is doing what we need him to do, playing defense and making some shots...

Tony and Manu were very good in the seconq quarter, but we still need to lock down on Andre Miller...


Half

Spurs 52
Nuggets 52


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## FreeMason Jr.

Turkish Delight said:


> Both teams are tied at 52.
> The Nuggets ended the half on an 11-2 run.
> Very exciting game.


Yes, a very exciting game. Definitely the best playoff game of the year so far if both teams can manage to keep it up.


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## TheRoc5

ezealen said:


> Watch the language now


fuge


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## LineOFire

This game is going way too fast right now. The Spurs need to take control of the tempo and slow it down. If I were Popovich I would be so mad at the team right now. I would chew out Beno for even attempting to do the behind the back dribble and Ginobili for not playing any defense on that last second three point shot. What a horrible swing! :curse:


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## FreeMason Jr.

TheRoc5 said:


> fuge


that's better :wink:


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## FreeMason Jr.

LineOFire said:


> *This game is going way too fast right now. The Spurs need to take control of the tempo and slow it down. *If I were Popovich I would be so mad at the team right now. I would chew out Beno for even attempting to do the behind the back dribble and Ginobili for not playing any defense on that last second three point shot. What a horrible swing! :curse:


 Heck no! I'm loven this!


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## RoddneyThaRippa

Wow, looks like both teams came to play. This is definitely going to be a good series, some good basketball. The Nuggets could be up right now but we've made a bunch of stupid mistakes and Parker is slowly starting to kill us in the paint. If we can't keep him from penetrating at will this series will be a sweep. 

The Nuggets need to win this game while Duncan is a little off. It's our chance to jump out ahead. I know the Spurs will come out firing though in the second half, so I'm not too confident. 

Anyway, good luck guys. Whoever wins, it looks like we've got a series on our hands.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

LineOFire said:


> This game is going way too fast right now. The Spurs need to take control of the tempo and slow it down. If I were Popovich I would be so mad at the team right now. I would chew out Beno for even attempting to do the behind the back dribble and Ginobili for not playing any defense on that last second three point shot. What a horrible swing! :curse:


I'll tell you what, the Spurs have done an excellent job so far slowing the Nuggets down. We try to run at three times this tempo and haven't gotten much in the transition, so trust me, you guys are doing a good job.


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## FreeMason Jr.

RoddneyThaRippa said:


> Wow, looks like both teams came to play. This is definitely going to be a good series, some good basketball. *The Nuggets could be up right now but we've made a bunch of stupid mistakes* and Parker is slowly starting to kill us in the paint. If we can't keep him from penetrating at will this series will be a sweep.
> 
> The Nuggets need to win this game while Duncan is a little off. It's our chance to jump out ahead. I know the Spurs will come out firing though in the second half, so I'm not too confident.
> 
> Anyway, good luck guys. Whoever wins, it looks like we've got a series on our hands.


And the spurs haven't? (i.e. last 12 seconds) The mistakes weren't just flooks, they were caused by great defense. But if you want take away the spurs defense, than you're rite. The Nuggets would be ahead, cause that's really all the spurs have.


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## TheRoc5

if we lose this it will be hard for more then 1 reason but one of them being it will last till wendsay... man i cant see the gm dang tnt


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## texan

We are playing good, in spurts. We should be in control of this game but we have had mental lapses where we just acted like we didn't want to play, like the last 1:30 of the 2nd Quarter. Also this game is going way too fast for my liking. We need to keep it more half-court and slower, and see if we can get the refs to not let it be so physical.


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## texan

Parker is being too hesitant with the outside shot. He has passed up 3 or 4 wide open 3 point looks. I love for him to drive, but if he is as wide open as he is, then shoot it!

BTW Timmy is looking good on his FT's.


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## texan

We need to cut down on the turnovers. We already have 12 turnovers resulting in 15 points for the Nuggs. That is unacceptable. We are making way too many mistakes, and should have a double digit lead right now. I'm really disappointed in our play.


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## texan

Mohammed is having a really nice game. I like how he throws it down with authority every time he gets the chance.

The refs need to get KMart off TD, because he is mauling him even when TD doesn't have the ball.


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## TheRoc5

these refs are on something, cant deciede wich refs are worse these or the houston ones


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## FreeMason Jr.

Wow Nazr is having a great game! In 20 minutes he has 10 points (Third best for a Spurs), 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He's also 5-6 from the field.


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## Guth

I agree, Nazr has really suprised me this game...he has played very well, especially on defense and the boards...


I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but I still don't like the way that we are playing on defense...we are getting back decently, but not well and we are giving up a lot of offensive boards it seems...

I don't feel great...I would really love to feel more comfortable right now, it seems like we could be up by 10...


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## TheRoc5

icant stand this! :curse:


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## Guth

And I don't mean to gloat (ok...yes I do) but if you look back at the possible x-factor thread, my choice was protecting the ball and we are getting killed by our turnovers right now...


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## FreeMason Jr.

Another thing I'd like to point out is how good are free throw shooting is. The spurs are 100% from the line so far! THE SPURS! Duncan's 4 for 4, Gino's 7 for 7, and Horry is 2 for 2. All together we're 13 for13.


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## Guth

Finally, they got K-Mart for all of the grabbing and hand checking he is doing...

Tim with the slam dunk! Great to see the big fella go strong


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## Guth

Wow...Nazr with a great post move...he is doing it all tonight...


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## TheRoc5

yAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!! parker is taking over the gm yessssssss!!!!!!!
keep it up


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## texan

Guth said:


> I agree, Nazr has really suprised me this game...he has played very well, especially on defense and the boards...
> 
> 
> I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but I still don't like the way that we are playing on defense...we are getting back decently, but not well and we are giving up a lot of offensive boards it seems...
> 
> I don't feel great...I would really love to feel more comfortable right now, it seems like we could be up by 10...



You don't. We are playing really lackadaisical defensively and they have gotten that lob throw at least 2 or 3 times. We are letting them run even off in bounds. Its depressing.

On a good note, Big Shot Bob w/ the 3!


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## Guth

Big Shot Bob with the 3!!!!!!!!!! As his name suggests, that was huge...we just made a little run and now we are up 5...

3:09 3rd

Spurs 73
Nuggets 68


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## Guth

And then we give up a dunk...these defensive lapses are happening at very inopportune times...


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## TheRoc5

our d needs to improve, up by 3 with the ball we realy need to push it to 6 + before the 4th begains


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## Guth

OK, I realize that the last post made me sound really stupid...there are no "opportune" times for a defensive lapse, I was just trying to say that they are happening just as we make a little run...


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## texan

I love the penetration by Parker, and it was a good pass as well. We need to pick up the defensive intensity, because they are getting in the lane w/ ease and scoring pretty easily as well. We need to slow the tempo(my xfactor :biggrin: ), although we have done a better job in the 2nd half.


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## texan

Some good helpside D finally!!

And on the other end, Mohammed with the dunk.


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## Guth

Nazr is a BEAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

14 points and 12 rebounds (6 off)


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## Guth

Another bad end to the quarter...we didn't let them score, but at the offensive end we rushed to get a 2 for 1, but only ended up getting a rushed shot...luckily, we are still ahead, so hopefully we can come out strong at the beginning of the 4th and blow them out of the water...


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## TheRoc5

well guys this is it... last qt... up by 2.... if we lose this well lets not even go there but lets just say must win.

GO SPURS GO

we need to pick up our d alot and let duncan rest for 2 more minutes then put him in for the rest of the gm were going to need every single thing.


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## Guth

Here's a question:

Are we being too biased by saying that we could very easily be up 10 now, or are we actually on the cusp of breaking this one open?


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## texan

End of 3rd Quarter
Spurs-75
Nuggets-73

Positives: We are playing well on offense. We are getting penetration at will, getting lots of offensive rebounds, and getting open shots(we should be hitting). Nazr is playiing really well and is filling in for Duncan's partial absence nicely.

Negatives: Ummm... I thought we were supposed to be the best defensive team in the league, but I guess not. We are porous on the defensive end right now. They are penetrating at will, we aren't defending the pick and roll well, and we are letting them push the tempo too much. We haven't had much helpside defense and our team defense is lacking right now, although Nazr is playing well defensively. Barry is not doing vey well.


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## texan

Guth said:


> Here's a question:
> 
> Are we being too biased by saying that we could very easily be up 10 now, or are we actually on the cusp of breaking this one open?



I don't think so. We have been playing very bad and mistake-full basketball, but it isnt acredited to better than normal D by the Nuggz. We are causing unforced errors.


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## Guth

Big Dog finally comes in the game and hits his first shot...big bucket...after Person hit the three, now we are on a 6-0 run...come on baby, lets keep this going...


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## TheRoc5

ya we could be playing alot better it shows cause were only playing in spurts, big dog 4 2


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## Guth

Doug Collins just read my mind...that foul from Big Dog was a good foul, he has plenty and Nene missed 1 of 2


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## Guth

CRAP...come on guys...we are letting them hang around for far too long...we have missed 6 shots, we need to be putting them away and we just gave up 2 offensive reebounds...


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## LineOFire

This shooting is ugly. What a horrible time to have a scoring drought.


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## TheRoc5

this is just not going good. we have to win, our deffense is looking better and i look for parker to take it over if not manu needs to get involved


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## SpursFan16

Come on guys,lets make some shots. Why do we have to shoot **** now?


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## texan

We are not doing good on the boards and we are just missing too many shots. We need more penetration w/o the Nuggets being allowed to maul us when we do get in the lane. We also need to defend against the pick and roll a lot better.


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## Guth

Don't look now, but we have been 4 minutes without a score, which I guess is information that we all got, huh?...anyway...these last 6 minutes are hugely important for us to buckle down on D and start making shots...


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## SpursFan16

Would be nice for a shot to fall anytime soon.


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## Guth

Man, Tim is still not right...those are 2 shots that he normally makes,but great work from Nazr...we have got to get going now...


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## texan

You'd think we could get a foul call sometime. I mean we are at home. This is ridiculous. I'm the last person to usually blame the refs, but they are completely ignoring the blatant contact inside.


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## Guth

We can't hit the broadside of a barn right now...luckily, our defense is giving us a chance, but we are gonna have to make a freaking shot here soon...


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## LineOFire

Tim Duncan has been a huge liability on the offensive end today. I can't count on my fingers how many relatively simple shots he has missed.


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## Guth

How Did Tony Parker Miss Those Shots?????


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## TheRoc5

i cant figure out why we cant drive instead of taking ajumper... this sux


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## socco




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## sheefo13

ouch..... Duncan cant buy a shot right now. Horry hits a 3 but thats game.


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## FreeMason Jr.

This game is over. The Spurs really choked in the end. Thier field goals were just horrible i nthe fourth quarte, and after going 13 for 13 from the field goal line in the first three quarters, they go 3 for 6 in the fourth. That's a 50% decrease. just horrible.


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## TheRoc5

this sux i feel horrible, i cant understand... and this feeling will last till atleast wendsay....im leavn


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## LineOFire

I'm still in shock. When you miss 20 some odd field goals in a row you will never win games. I could have sworn we went back in a time machine to the days of the non-shooting Spurs.


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## FreeMason Jr.

LineOFire said:


> I'm still in shock. When you miss 20 some odd field goals in a row you will never win games. I could have sworn we went back in a time machine to the days of the non-shooting Spurs.


You mean our last game against Memphis?


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## TheRoc5

ezealen said:


> You mean our last game against Memphis?


yep... well look at the bright side i said this yr reminded me of 03 and we loss our 1st gm but then went on to win the championship


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## richiejakobe

so i guess well at least last five games ehh? Go Nuggs!!!!!!!!!!


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## eaglewu

spurs will lost 4 to Nuggets


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## FreeMason Jr.

eaglewu said:


> spurs will lost 4 to Nuggets


Come again?


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## Triple_Single

Give.

Denver.

Credit.


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## TheRoc5

i give credit to denver

they did more then we did
they deserved to win
we deserved to lose


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## LineOFire

I give Denver tons of credit for the great play today. They came in and played with heart, especially on the offensive glass. All the offensive rebounds that Camby, Martin, and their whole team pulled down was the difference maker today. I don't give them as much credit on the defensive end though. Granted, they did play good defense, but a team doesn't miss nearly 20 shots in a row just because of good defense. Heck, I haven't even seen the Spurs do that to anyone this year. If it wasn't for Nazr Mohammed we would have been destroyed in this game because the bench did nothing tonight.


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## FreeMason Jr.

Triple_Single said:


> Give.
> 
> Denver.
> 
> Credit.


Learn correct grammar.

Notice how I didn't make one word paragraphis or use excess periods? :biggrin:


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## richiejakobe

hey theroc5, you need to change the series record to 0-1


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## Guth

I am so mad right now that I can't even think of anything creative to say how mad I am...there is a very good chance that this post won't make any sense because I am so blind with anger, but here goes...

Just a terrible game on our behaf, but an even worse fourth quarter...I mean, not a basket in the last 10 minutes of the game (with the exception of the Horry 3, which meant nothing), are you kidding me? We turned the ball over way too much and what made matters worse, we had chances to take the game over, but we kept screwing that up. Tim was the closest that I have ever seen him to bad, so obviously he is still hurting pretty badly. Manu and Tony played allright, but they turned the ball over a lot (who didn't?) Brent Barry was absolutely non-existent, and I have been very eager to stick up for him in the past, but I think he took 2 shots tonight and missed them both...he just seemed out of it...

The thing is though, I am not even so pissed off that we lost homecourt advantage, because I think we can win in Denver, I am just pissed off that we lost this freaking game. We had so many chances and could not get it done. Give Denver some credit. They played a gutsy game, playing good defense and making shots when they needed to, but make no mistake about it: this was an ugly game all the way around and we gave it away.


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## TheRoc5

richiejakobe said:


> hey theroc5, you need to change the series record to 0-1


 :curse: dont remind me


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## richiejakobe

thanx theroc5, and to all the spurs plans who want to use Duncuns injury as an excuse, it doesnt matter. Wheter or not if hes at 100% hes still goign to have to play. Homefield advantage feels preaty good right about now. :banana:


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## TheRoc5

richiejakobe said:


> thanx theroc5, and to all the spurs plans who want to use Duncuns injury as an excuse, it doesnt matter. Wheter or not if hes at 100% hes still goign to have to play. Homefield advantage feels preaty good right about now. :banana:


little advice... we are all pissed and mad so if you come in here acting like you own the place well... just a warrning


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## FreeMason Jr.

richiejakobe said:


> thanx theroc5, and to all the spurs plans who want to use Duncuns injury as an excuse, it doesnt matter. Wheter or not if hes at 100% hes still goign to have to play. Homefield advantage feels preaty good right about now. :banana:


Whose using that as an excuse? We're all blaming the spurs in general. They played horrible basketball, especially in the fourth. 

Another little piece of advice, don't go into another teams thread just to try to stir up trouble.


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## Sir Patchwork

Man, wait until KoKo gets a hold of this thread with his thoughts on the game. Look out.


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## NugzFan

great game guys...what a game!


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## Triple_Single

One of the things Denver doesn't get enough credit for is being able to win in a variety of ways. Tonight they couldn't run or get in a flow offensively (they didn't have nearly as many assists as they normally get), but they found a way. They've won a few games like this during their late season run, especially on the road. By this I mean a grind it out, tough, gritty defensive win. I'd include their win in SA earlier (without TD and Manu) and their wins in Memphis.

But yeah, even if Denver only gives them contested shots again, no way does SA miss 18 in a row on Wednesday. The Spurs will be ready and they'll play much better... the Nuggets will have to play better if they want to have a chance. 

This is going to be a great series...


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## Yao Mania

Sir Patchwork said:


> Man, wait until KoKo gets a hold of this thread with his thoughts on the game. Look out.


I think Koko is too devastated to come online right now


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## Kunlun

That's a real tough loss for your team. Nazr probably had his best game as a Spur, but your team came empty in the fourth quarter.


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## richiejakobe

we start trouble now, you guys start trouble if your team can win one.


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## KokoTheMonkey

Sir Patchwork said:


> Man, wait until KoKo gets a hold of this thread with his thoughts on the game. Look out.




:laugh:




I went to the game, so my emotions were a lot more controlled then when I'm watching it at the house. However, I'm still pretty damn pissed off. I thought I'd wait a few hours before posting so I can post in my "normal" mode, instead of my "Muderous rage" mode. 



Anyway, I'm still trying to figure out where I stand between these two opinions: Denver just played well and won the game, or we just didn't play well and we lost. Honestly, it's a combination of both. We've sat around and thought things were going to magically change in the playoffs, but when it was time to walk-the-walk, the same damn weaknesses were there. Haven't I been preaching about how we need to hit jumpers? Did we hit jumpers tonight? You don't have to answer that, I know it and you know it. Another weakness, half court offense. Our offense just looks like complete bull **** at times. What the hell? I don't know the official count, but I doubt we had more than 4 fastbreak points. We can't hit jumpers, we don't push the ball on the break, so how do we score? Free throws and layups/easy buckets. When your offense relies on those two things to score, it's bad. As far as Denver is concerned, I thought they played pretty darn well, but the part I'm worried about is that it wasn't their best either. We lost, and we didn't play our best, but they won and didn't play their best. Hmm....The Spurs better play 2 notches above what they did tonight. We looked like a borderline 2nd round team out there instead of looking like a championship contender. It's only one game so I'm not completely panicking, but if we lose game 2 it's over, whether it's official or not. I don't see enough guts out of our guys yet.




As for the individual play, major props to Nazr Mohammed, who is really the only player I have anything positive to say about. Check that, Manu played pretty well, but not good enough. I hate criticizing Duncan, but he missed two point blank shots and wasn't dominant by any means. I don't know how much his ankle is bothering him, but you know what, he played bad and deserves to be called out for it. 7/22 from the field? 4 FTA's? Come on Duncan, toughen up, stop letting Martin shove you around, and make the plays when it counts. Parker was crap. Andre Miller just had "one of those nights", but there was still bad defense being played by Parker. Robert Horry? Grab a muther ****ing rebound. Brent Barry? Do something. Anything positive. Beno Udrih? Remember not to make any momentum changing plays in favor of Denver. The end of the first half for the Spurs was seriously one of the most disgusting stretches I've ever seen. That set the tone for the 2nd half with Denver shining with confidence and with us dragging our heads.





I'm concerned. We are too damn inconsistent as a team. We haven't been able to manage consistent stretches of good play, and it kills us the minute we let up and Beno dribbles the ball away and we give them a 3-point play. I'm pretty disappointed right now, and doubt is creeping up more and more with each lackluster performance.


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## KokoTheMonkey

NugzFan said:


> great game guys...what a game!






I must say, it was a damn competitive game, although it always feels better on your end than on our end.


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## XxMia_9xX

uhh i guess it's good that i couldn't watch this game.... i read every post. dang i'm very disappointed. this sux! ohh well spurs better bring it next game!!!


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## SpursFan16

That was a awful feeling.

What the hell happened to our shooting?

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


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## TracywtFacy

Comiserations to the Spurs fans. Duncan's ankle must really be bothering him for him to go 0-7 in the last quarter. Nugz are just hot coming into the playoffs... I think the veteran Spurs will be able to cool them off somewhat as the series progresses. BTW when's Rasho due back?

I was just thinking about this game, if Coach Pop blew his top during the last quarter. I remember in that regular season game where TMac scored 14 in 40 seconds to beat the Spurs, Pop was red with fury at basically all his players for the last few minutes. At Ginobili for making a dangerous pass; at Devin Brown for a bad play; Parker for a wrong decision he made... when those guys came to the bench Pop was actually chasing them to their seats, yelling... players looked scared for their lives... at one point he went off at Devin, and 4 Spurs surrounded him to try and calm him, while the refs were calling the players to stop the delay and get on with the game... and when TMac drained that last 3 for the win, you could see Pop signalling to his players with his palm up and saying something... It looked like he was saying "just stay where you are. Don't you dare come near me" type of thing.

Is he really a psycho kind of coach? Does this affect them in close end-game situations, where fear of Pop's vengeance is foremost on their minds, especially the young players?


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## FreeMason Jr.

Kunlun said:


> That's a real tough loss for your team. Nazr probably had his best game as a Spur, but your team came empty in the fourth quarter.


I agree. Nazr had an awesome game. How many dunks did he have? Like 5 or 6? I hope he's starting to feel comfortable on the team, and this wasn't just a one time thing

One other positive thing we can look at is that even after we played such a lousy game we still kept it close.


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## Guth

ezealen said:


> One other positive thing we can look at is that even after we played such a lousy game we still kept it close.



That is one of the most maddening things, that we played a terrible game and still had several chances to win the game. That is the mark of a championship team, if you can win games that you don't have any business winning.

Here is a thought that I had, since the anger of last night subsided. I wonder if the Spurs came into the game feeling the same way that I did, thinking "Oh, we're the Spurs in the playoffs, and because of that, we are going to automatically have another notch and blow these trendy Nuggets out of the water". I know that I felt that way to some extent, and that could be a pretty reasonable explanation for some of the things that happened in the game. I know Koko touched on this subject, and I think that was one of the most important factors.


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## KokoTheMonkey

ezealen said:


> One other positive thing we can look at is that even after we played such a lousy game we still kept it close.





I can always find negativity out of something, which seems to be my calling card now, and the negativity out of this ezealen is that Denver didn't play their best. Even with both teams playing at their best we are the better team, but there's just too many mental/physical lapses right now for us to be playing at a really high level. The Spurs can certainly play better, but so can Denver.


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## FreeMason Jr.

KokoTheMonkey said:


> I can always find negativity out of something, which seems to be my calling card now, and the negativity out of this ezealen is that Denver didn't play their best. Even with both teams playing at their best we are the better team, but there's just too many mental/physical lapses right now for us to be playing at a really high level. The Spurs can certainly play better, but so can Denver.


I know...I realized that too...I'm just trying to find some sort of positive side to this.


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## TheRoc5

KokoTheMonkey said:


> I can always find negativity out of something, which seems to be my calling card now, and the negativity out of this ezealen is that Denver didn't play their best. Even with both teams playing at their best we are the better team, but there's just too many mental/physical lapses right now for us to be playing at a really high level. The Spurs can certainly play better, but so can Denver.


yes but denver playd bad b/c of us, not saying we didnt play bad b/c of them just we missed alot of good shots and bad mental mistakes, both of us made mistakes but i see us as still being the better team.


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## texan

I don't want to disrespect Denver and their fans, because they won that game fair and square, but god dang we had sooo many chances to win that game. We just choked. We had so many open shots, and its not like their defense was clamping down on us. IDK what was bothering us, but there is no way we should not score a basket in 8 or 9 minutes, especially when we have multiple point blank wide open shots. The shot that really irked me was when Tony had a clear path to the basket on the right side(I forget how much time was left), and instead of attacking the basket hard, he settled for an 8-10 foot floater, that didnt go in. We played ****ty. If we want to even think about winning a game this series, we better shape up and play like we deserve to be in the playoffs. Our defense was porous, and our 4th Quarter offense was pathetic. I'm disgusted with this team right now.


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## TheRoc5

could 1 of the reasons we lost is b/c of rasho not being there?


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## KokoTheMonkey

TheRoc5 said:


> could 1 of the reasons we lost is b/c of rasho not being there?





Well, kind of, just because of his presence in the paint on the defensive end. A fully healthy Rasho would have helped, not a gimpy one.


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## FreeMason Jr.

TheRoc5 said:


> could 1 of the reasons we lost is b/c of rasho not being there?


No. Nazr did more than just replace him.


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## Guth

Yeah, I am pretty sure that Rasho would not have been knocking down shots and he isn't the one that handles the ball, so he wouldn't have anything to do with the turnovers. It would have been nice to have him, but with the great job that Mohammed did, he would not have helped the main problems that we had.


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## KokoTheMonkey

KokoTheMonkey said:


> Well, kind of, just because of his presence in the paint on the defensive end. A fully healthy Rasho would have helped, not a gimpy one.





Let me re-phrase this:



Rasho's absence didn't cause us to lose, but a healthy Rasho would have helped the cause.


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## texan

Rasho would have helped, but he is not the reason we lost. We just played horribly. Mohammed filled in nicely, but he is not near the defensive presence that Rasho is. He doesn't rotate weakside as well, and doesn't step up and fill the lane. He has great block numbers sometimes, but he isn't the defensive presence Rasho is, and that would have helped us last night.


----------

