In the post game of last nights Finals Game 6 Bill Simmons proclaimed it might be the worst loss in the last 33 years of the NBA. I don't think he was too far off in that statement. The game was so strange in the way that it felt like Miami came on and San Antonio let it slip away. It wasn't a complete choke job or a complete amazing comeback. It was somewhere in the middle. Sure Ray Allen made the three to tie it, but he didn't seem like a hero to me. All of LeBron's fourth quarter turnovers put the Heat in the bad spot they were in. It was just...strange.
For the first time in these playoffs I agreed with Magic Johnson. The Spurs should not have subbed out their starters at the beginning of the fourth quarter or snubbed off both Duncan and Parker. I think you have to play out the first few minutes and keep that lead close to double digits. I thought that was pretty pivotal. If the Heat stay behind by 8 or so I think they start losing faith and the Spurs would have kept their confidence higher.
The Spurs couldn't get the big run stopping basket they needed to push the game out of reach. Despite Miami's big run and the Spurs lack of scoring they had some stops followed by open threes. Green, Leonard, and Neal all missed a three that could have pushed the lead to 7 or more and created the breathing room the Spurs needed to have Miami feeling like it was out of reach.
The Spurs did not have to defend all that well and still could have won. I felt like 100 was the magic number. That would have required Miami to score 35 points fourth quarter points to simply tie and the Spurs would have to score 25. Obviously the Spurs only needed to score 21 to win, but they had a license to be more offensively focused in the fourth. What does that mean? No Boris Diaw!! Keep offensive minded players like Gary Neal in for a longer stretch and forget about trying to be so defensively driven. Sell out on the offensive glass and get easy 2nd chance points. That might be a reach, but I was thinking Miami would run out of gas and in way they did. You have to realize Miami scored 30 4th quater points, but 6 of those were the final two threes. They didn't pull a Lakers-Blazers game 7 from 2000 where the Lakers went off.
I can't say that Leonard and Ginobli choked at the line. Leonard had made his two previous foul shots. A below average free throw shooter is likely to miss one in that spot. Ginobli was also due for a miss. I understand guys have to be clutch, but that wasn't a choke job. It was more like an added point of frustration.
I feel the game was really lost when they couldn't grab an offensive rebound in the final two sequences where Miami tied it. On the first one three Spurs had the position and banged into each other causing Leonard to squeeze it out of his own hands. The second Bosh was in a better position. More heartbreak. If Duncan is in the Spurs get the rebound in either case, but the thinking was that Bosh would also be a three point threat and SA wanted to get good protection against three with speed players. I think Pop over thought this and would do it differently had he to do it over.
I think a lot of people missed the fact that the Spurs got such a poor shot off with 5 seconds left. The fall away Parker jumper was a quick play call made during the unnecessary review that occurred, but I think they could have done better to get him straight on off a pick or just attempted a three pointer, which would likely have been less contested and less expected. I felt the Spurs left a better shot on the table there.
Another point I thought that was glossed over was the fact that in OT no one scored in the final 1:30 or so. (I need to rewatch the game to find out the actual rundown, but it's too soon for that) Miami got a 1 point lead and the rest of the game was two tired teams just trying to earn the final possession. On the final possession the Spurs had a timeout and I don't care what anyone says Pop did the right thing. He pushed the ball. Miami was tired and caught flat footed by this. Ginobli got to the center of the paint with no one in front of him. He had an easy layup, but Ray Allen fouled him to prevent him getting it off. The problem was the refs didn't make the call. After all the chances the Spurs had to win outright they should have never let it come down to a call, but it was a clear foul. It's sour grapes, but it was the truth. (Yes, I realize that Ray Allen made two free throws to push the lead out, but there were no made baskets in the run in. Kind of a sad commentary on a great game. There really wasn't a hero.) In 20 years Ray Allen will be sitting on a beach somewhere and he will get asked did he foul him and he will say yes as he sips his drink and smiles.
Danny Green got fouled on the last shot, but I totally agree with the no call. You aren't getting the body contact call that late. Again it should never have come down to that. I don't know if I could have survived watching Green shoot three free throws in that spot. Literally I might have been done in by that.
You have to feel gutted for the Spurs. It felt like their night, but it wasn't meant to be. In the end it's sad and here's a few reasons why.
Tim Duncan showed up and had a clutch game. You can't blame him for not scoring in the 4th because the ball wasn't given to him in any real good positions and he sat half the quarter. It would have been a legendary game for him to win.
Tony Parker probably stole back the MVP with his 3 and running lay up to take over the game late. Unfortunately he didn't get a good shot in the final seconds and looked bad in the OT. A big credit to him considering we know he has a bad hammy, but you never heard the announcers talking about it. We have no idea what's wrong with Wade, but all we do is hear about it. Kudos to Parker. Wish it could have ended better for him.
LeBron James had an awful game for three quarters, the final three minutes except his made 3, and OT. He turned the ball over at least three times in the final two minutes. LeBron is a great player, but far from MJ when it comes to winning games. He is LeBron and I'm good with that. This would have stopped all the comparisons finally, but his failing late in fourth are forgotten because he got two chances to hit a three and Ray Allen bailed the team out. I would have liked to have ended that discussion once and for all.
Pop would have gotten his fifth title. He deserves it and so does the Spurs franchise. This is how a team should be run. Sure it takes luck, but it also take determination. The STONE CUTTER. I admire what they have done.
It would have proven that team is more important than Divas. How many times did we have to see Heat players complain after a play where they didn't get a call? It's alarming to watch. If roles had been reversed last night and LeBron was Manu he would have ran onto the third deck. It was a touch frustrating that Joey Crawford had to tell Wade to stop yelling at him. A simple technical would have achieved that, but alas none was ever called.
A few other notes;
The game was not rigged. I've watched numerous games in the NBA where I felt the game was rigged to the benefit of league revenues. Portland-Lakers WCF 2000 game 7. Countless Kings-Lakers games and game 7 of the Finals in 2010 between the Lakers. Why is a game rigged? Because dynasties, big markets, superstars, and repeat Champions put asses in seats. Yet in regards to Miami I think the NBA knows they are in win-win. If the Heat lose the fallout draws huge ratings and interest. If they win then they have a dynasty and the same effect. So, no I don't believe that game was rigged. The non-call on Ginobli was just awful officiating. Which leads me too...
Is in apparent to only me that Steve Javie was hired to buffalo the fans of the NBA into thinking the refs don't rig games or miss calls. Again I don't think this game was rigged, but why wouldn't ESPN cut to Javie for those final two calls? Simple because they don't want him saying yes those were fouls, but the officials couldn't call them because of the situation in the game or they were just totally blow calls. Either answer leads to big problems for the NBA. In the first case it makes people feel that the game is not fairly balanced from start to finish (which they are not) and in the second case the officials are prone to mistakes. Either way it makes fans feel the product the NBA is putting out is inferior because unlike the NFL they can't get a call right. Javie was hired to do the opposite. Make people feel like there aren't superstar calls and the better teams aren't being favored. Kudos to the NBA.
Miami has the world's worst fans. The Spurs sold out their home arena for an away game. The Miami fans were leaving down four with Manu going to the line. I was sitting at home biting my nails thinking he has to hit both! Seriously you have LeBron James in his prime. In his prime. The fans are one factor that gives me hope for game 7. If the Spurs get up 2 points they fans might leave.
LeBron James should play without his headband. He looked more likable and more like a guy that had matured. With the Headband he annoys me. I hope he decides it popped off for a reason last night. In a slight bit of humor (because this can't all be depressing) where did his headband end up? It seemed to vanish into thin air on replay. It also seems to have popped off on it's own. Is LeBron using HGH? I wonder?
Game 7 thoughts coming soon....if I have anything left in the tank that is.
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