I Can't F***ing Believe The Spurs Choked Tonight

[BigBollocks]

What a ****ing choke job! Up 10 virtually the entire 2nd half, the Spurs just handed the Suns the game. The referees didn't help at all obviously, but you had to figure they'd do everything they could to knot the series up to ensure it goes seven. This game just makes me sick to my ****ing stomach...

[pico]

What a ****ing choke job! Up 10 virtually the entire 2nd half, the Spurs just handed the Suns the game. The referees didn't help at all obviously, but you had to figure they'd do everything they could to knot the series up to ensure it goes seven. This game just makes me sick to my ****ing stomach...

yeah, so many fouls too...i'd think this is a hockey game.

[Dark Horse]

Take that Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry, and all!!!

F*CK YOU!!!

[Seattle Slew]

What a cheap shot by Robert Horray, forearming Nash into scorer's table. Likely will get a suspension.

Very surprised SA blew this game. Phoenix in good shape now.

[BigBollocks]

Certainly the referees helped tremendously in calling nine more fouls on the home team (not to mention keeping Tim Duncan off the floor virtually the entire 2nd half), but you knew the referees were going to be instructed to help Phoenix from the get go. Still, the Spurs were deep enough I thought that it wouldn't matter.

Never in my mother****ing wildest dreams did I think Phoenix would outscore the Spurs by 14 in the 4th quarter....

[rjt721]

We got a series now.

[BigBollocks]

The Spurs are ****ed. PHX will take game five (possibly with an Horry suspension also), San Antonio will cruise in game six, but you always want the hometeam in game seven....

[rmcaj]

tough loss for Spurs backers tonight, I had the Suns +5 and the Pads over for a 2 team reverse tonight and needed a late night miracle to hit one of these two yet alone both. Damn Reds get 1 run in the 9th to put that game over and the Suns have a furious 4th qtr comeback to cash it for me. I was really rdy to throw in the towel with this Spurs game tonight there defense was stellar for 3 1/2 qtr's.

[BigBollocks]

I'm not so sure the biggest beneficiary out of the refs giving game four to the Suns isn't the Utah Jazz.

Someone on here (I'm thinking Razz?) may have hit the nail right on the ****ing head. They said that these two would have a seven game war, the Jazz matched up really well with the Warriors, and that the winner of the Suns/Spurs would be drained and experience a letdown which would enable the Jazz to take the West. That's not out of the question anymore...

[Junkyard Dog]

the refs giving game four to the Suns

Please elaborate

[Seattle Slew]

Wouldn't it be amazing if Utah won the NBA title? After Malone left and Stockton retired I thought the Jazz would be done for 10 years. Shows what good coaching and management can do. Listening, Boston?

I'm not so sure the biggest beneficiary out of the refs giving game four to the Suns isn't the Utah Jazz.

Someone on here (I'm thinking Razz?) may have hit the nail right on the ****ing head. They said that these two would have a seven game war, the Jazz matched up really well with the Warriors, and that the winner of the Suns/Spurs would be drained and experience a letdown which would enable the Jazz to take the West. That's not out of the question anymore...

[rjt721]

The Spurs are ****ed. PHX will take game five (possibly with an Horry suspension also), San Antonio will cruise in game six, but you always want the hometeam in game seven....

I wouldn't go quite that far. I do agree that PHX will more than likely win Game 5 and SA will take Game 6, but the Spurs are fully capable of winning Game 7 on the road. Obviously if SA held on tonight, the series was basically over, but I wouldn't count the Spurs out just yet.

[rjt721]

Shows what good coaching and management can do. Listening, Boston?

With the recent contract extension given to Doc Rivers, I don't think they are.

[onlooker]

If the League goes by rule, the Suns will come out with the worse suspensions.

Amare and Diaw went onto the court, and that is a automatic suspension.

Is it right, no, but thats the rule. I think the Spurs would trade Horry for Amare and Diaw.

[BigBollocks]

Please elaborate

Nine more fouls called on the home team, in the playoffs, who over the course of the season have had almost one foul per game less called on them as well as almost a one foul per game advantage in foul margins over Phoenix (not statistically insignificant). Also, over the course of the season the home team has received almost three less fouls called on them, with the playoffs showing an even larger disparity (a very statistically significant outlier).

This margin of a +9 foul differential for Phoenix in San Antonio in the playoffs is extremely out of line for what should have been expected. If I ran a statistical analysis I would venture to say that tonight's foul differential in Phoenix's favor would have been somewhere in the .5-1% probability range...

[rjt721]

If the League goes by rule, the Suns will come out with the worse suspensions.

Amare and Diaw went onto the court, and that is a automatic suspension.

Is it right, no, but thats the rule. I think the Spurs would trade Horry for Amare and Diaw.

I hope for the sake of the game, they don't do that. Obviously Horry is gone for the next game, and rightfully so, but it would be a shame to ruin a great series by forcing Amare to sit out the next game.

[BigBollocks]

Without spending the night calculating statistical probability, just the fan in me watching the game was somewhat surprised at how it all played out tonight. I think a game seven this weekend in primetime is great for the game, ratings, etc, and 99% of people will just see the Monday night score and think nothing of it. Watching the game, however, there is not a doubt in my mind that the league office had something to do with the outcome as it appeared the referees were instructed to officiate as they did....

[Junkyard Dog]

Then if fouls called is your argument, maybe u should give Pop a call and tell him to have his boys drive a little more like the Suns do instead of jackin up 9 more threes then Phx. Without Barry and Finley tonite this wouldnt have been close. The refs handed nobody anything, PHX CAME AND TOOK IT IN THE 4TH

[austintx05]

Then if fouls called is your argument, maybe u should give Pop a call and tell him to have his boys drive a little more like the Suns do instead of jackin up 9 more threes then Phx. Without Barry and Finley tonite this wouldnt have been close. The refs handed nobody anything, PHX CAME AND TOOK IT IN THE 4TH

says the man with a PHOENIX SUNS AVATAR

[austintx05]

Wouldn't it be amazing if Utah won the NBA title? After Malone left and Stockton retired I thought the Jazz would be done for 10 years. Shows what good coaching and management can do. Listening, Boston?

Isn't it funny the concentration on the Champ will come out of the West?

Look at sports the past year and the domination, yet look where the winners come from. The "weaker" conference.

'05 Heat
'06 Cardinals

NFL was a diff story, but I still think the most complete team with experience has to go to Detroit. In fact, SA is really the only team from the West that could push a 7 game series out of them.

[Junkyard Dog]

says the man with a PHOENIX SUNS AVATAR

Says the man from TX

[isetcap]

The game was perfectly officiated especially in light of the hackjob that was Game 3. I didn't see any of you guys bitching when Amare got 5 fouls in 15 minutes for that game. The truth of the matter is that the Spurs play more physical basketball and tonight they were called for it. At some point in time NBA teams are going to have to player better basketball as opposed to being better bullies.

[austintx05]

Says the man from TX

my comment was relevant and obviously you missed the point. You have a Suns bias, I do not.

I have no money on this series, just a prediction.

[Junkyard Dog]

All good man. As a Phx fan and backer its just hard to see a hard fought win being called into question as a ref job when it clearly wasnt the case.

[Dark Horse]

Seen it many times before. This time the Spurs got a DD lead, thought they had the game won, relaxed, and couldn't turn the intensity back on again. This has to be one of the most common patterns in the NBA.

[Tchocky]

Spurs didn't choke. The Suns, especially Steve Nash, stepped up. Suns have to be favored to win the series for the 1st time since before Game 1. Go Suns! Spurs are a dirty team.

[bigboydan]

You can't breakdown like the Spurs did in this game, and expect to win that series.

[TheProphet]

There where a lot of bad calls in this game tonight more of the bad calls went against the Spurs, but it happens you have to rebound. Just like the game 2 days ago or 3 the Suns had a big phantom foul for call number 4 on Amare. It sucks when refs help out a team we will c how the Spurs respond in Game 5 and it isn't out of question for them to win everyone is calling Suns Game 5 "lock" when did the Suns outplay the Spurs in this series one game Game 2. Basically every other game the Spurs have been in complete control I expect a Suns win in Game 5, but calling them for sure to win by everyone is just crazy!!

[Dark Horse]

This margin of a +9 foul differential for Phoenix in San Antonio in the playoffs is extremely out of line for what should have been expected. If I ran a statistical analysis I would venture to say that tonight's foul differential in Phoenix's favor would have been somewhere in the .5-1% probability range...

Is that right? Did you enter the intentional fouls at the end into your statistical analysis?

[LargeMouthBass]

When did Nash befriend Vlade?

[tevari]

floppy divac? lol