For anyone who isn't from the San Antonio area, Wednesday's game was a brutal blow for NBA fans and probably shattered David Stern's invincible reign as dictator-for-life of the NBA.The Suns, playing essentially a six-man rotation, gave heavy minutes to Kurt Thomas and James Jones. The Suns fought valiantly, but as the game progressed, you could see the Suns just totally wear down. They couldn't get any lift in the 4th quarter and died just before reaching the finish line. Is there any team in the NBA that has ever gotten screwed more brutally and consistently in the playoffs than the Suns of recent years?
This is the worst possible scenario that could have happened for Stern. If Phoenix had been blown out by 20, people would have still been pissed, but our guess is not by quite as much. Huge losses are often easier to swallow than close gut-wrenching ones. Instead, we got a game that the Spurs barely won, and it was clear to EVERYONE that saw this game, including the Spurs, that had either Diaw or Stoudemire (or both) played the Suns would have won this game handily. Even more terrible was the fact that Bruce Bowen, a guy who should have already been suspended at least once in this series (way to miss that suspension Stern) and is unquestionably the dirtiest player in the league, hit a killer 3 for the Spurs with 36 seconds remaining.
While you can't really blame the Spurs for winning the game, since that's what they're paid to do, you sure as hell can blame Stern for letting this scenario happen.
And by the way, let's also be sure to mention that Stern was scheduled to be in Phoenix for Game 5. After spending all day justifying his suspensions on PTI and Dan Patrick's radio show (where he lost his cool), he got cold feet and decided to attend the Cavs/Nets abomination instead. So we'll just go ahead and say what everyone else is thinking right now: Stern is a humungous coward. He's going to fold faster than Superman on laundry day (thank you Simpsons) at the first owners meeting after the season ends.
Even worse for Stern is that the playoffs have begun to descend into a total crapfest. The most exciting team to watch, our Warriors, are now gone. The Cavs/Nets series is a completely unwatchable nightmare and the Bulls/Pistons series lost almost all viewers after the Pistons went up 3-0. Even with the Bulls having won the last 2 games hardly anyone's watching because it's only a matter of time before the Pistons win. Stern had a chance to save the playoffs by letting Amare and Diaw (or at least one of them) keep playing. Instead he single-handedly destroyed the only good series left in the playoffs. It's every NBA fan's duty (except maybe Spurs fans) to make sure he never forgets that.
And as for the Spurs. You're not escaping our wrath either. We're not going to blame you for winning the game, but you sure as hell didn't deserve it, and that sticks in everyone's minds. So what we're going to do is give you guys a huge asterisk. That's right, just like Roger Maris. Just like people have already done for Barry Bonds. If you guys go on to win the NBA Championship, you can bet that no one outside of San Antonio is going to take it seriously, since the key game that helped you get there was given to you by Stern, a jackass bit player and an antiquated, illogical rule. No one's going to forget that you didn't earn it.
That's your burden to bear, be it fair or not. Essentially, you've already lost.
-WCK
13 comments:
The big question is why did D'Antoni play his starters into the ground with a 6 man rotation when up by more than 15 points through most of the game? Do you think things would have been different if Nash had gotten 5 minutes ofrest in there somewhere?
Rest for Nash is a mixed bag because of his back. But I think D'Antoni had the right idea that he had to keep up the pressure. If the Suns had managed to be up 25 at home with around 5 minutes left, the Spurs might have folded, and then Nash could rest without worrying that he would have to go back in.
No one gives the Spurs defense any credit for adjustments in the second half to Marion. They kept him to four points in the second half and he was the key reason why they were running the Spurs of the court in the first half.
The suspensions to Phoenix still didn't make them sympathetic to me...
I have to agree with the above poster. The Suns broke a per se rule. A rule with no room for error. You leave the bench and you're suspended. I don't understand why no one blames the Suns players for breaking a rule they knew would lead to a suspension. I don't buy the heat of the moment excuse either. This is the playoffs, you need to control your emotions and take responsibility for your actions. Sure Horry's foul was cheap, but that doesn't mean I feel sorry for the Suns for letting it get the best of them.
You argue that if the Spurs go on to win the Finals that it will be illegitimate, but a team doesn't win or lose the Finals based on one game. If the Suns are a better team, they will win in 7. If the Suns were a better team they wouldn't have entered game 5 at 2-2. Sure, the Spurs got lucky with those suspensions, but you don't win a seven game series in one game, that argument is pathetic. When this series began I liked the Suns, but they need to man up and stop whining, it's rough game, and they're grown men. Also, they've been flopping as much as Ginobili, that much was clear last night i.e., the "tripping" call on, ironically, Ginobili in the 4th, among others.
You don't win a series in one game? OK, then it shouldn't matter to cripple the Spurs in game 6 by putting Duncan and Ginobli on the bench and hand it on a silver platter to the Suns like Stern did game 5 to the Spurs. Then this series will be fair. I guarantee you if the Spurs were crippled by suspensions as badly as the Suns, the Suns would win by 30. The fact that San Antonio could only win by three is probably the largest evidence we've seen yet that Phoenix is the better team. And someone please explain to me why Bruce Bowen gets to keep playing while just outright attacking people maliciously? There must be something going on between him and Stern we don't know about.
You don't win a series in one game? OK, then it shouldn't matter to cripple the Spurs in game 6 by putting Duncan and Ginobli on the bench and hand it on a silver platter to the Suns like Stern did game 5 to the Spurs. Then this series will be fair. I guarantee you if the Spurs were crippled by suspensions as badly as the Suns, the Suns would win by 30. The fact that San Antonio could only win by three is probably the largest evidence we've seen yet that Phoenix is the better team. And someone please explain to me why Bruce Bowen gets to keep playing while just outright attacking people maliciously? There must be something going on between him and Stern we don't know about.
"The fact that San Antonio could only win by three is probably the largest evidence we've seen yet that Phoenix is the better team". While this may be true, perhaps better evidence of the Suns being superior would be a scenario in which a game 5 wasn't necassary or perhaps heading into game 5 it was 3-1, catch my drift? Additionally, the argument that if Stoudemire had played in game 5, the Suns would have automatically won simply is not sound. They had Stoudemire in games one through four and only managed to win twice. There are no guarantees that if they replayed game 5 the score would have been what is was, except with the addition of 25 points from Stoudemire. Sports doesn't work like that.
I agree however, that the loss is pivotal, but one variable cannot trump hundreds of others that go into a 7 game series (sorry to beat a dead horse).
The Suns now have to win in San Antonio, with six key players who were burned out. So in all likelihood, yes, this series was handed to the Spurs.... thanks to that douchebag Stern.
If the Suns win game 7 (by some miracle) then justice will be served... in spite of that douchebag Stern.
I (like many others) was a huge NBA fan in the 80's - MJ, Magic, Bird, really great stuff. Then there was the Jeff Van Gundy/Post Lakers Pat Riley Era (with the Bulls' unretired MJ teams dominating a portion) and I (like many others) lost interest. The strike was not especially noticable, except that it killed the last bit of interest that existed. I am a huge Phoenix fan and got back into the NBA because of Nash and the way the Suns make basketball actually enjoyable to watch. While the current series with San Antonio has been intense, it has not been fun - even before the suspension controversies. I want the Suns style to be vindicated with a championship, but honestly, I would rather be a fan of a fun team that I love to watch play than a fan of a team like the Spurs that can win chamionships with a style that is, to me, tiresome to watch. While watching the Suns match the toughness of San Antonio has been gratifying, it is not what the Suns are really good at doing and does not make for a team I look forward to watching. I'm sure the San Antonio fans will jump on this as saying it is another whining Suns fan, but to me, being a fan is loving your team for who they are and how you become passionate about the way they play. Whether a championship is won or not is not a make or break aspect of being a fan for me. After all, even if my team wins the most I get to do is bask in the reflected glory - it is not my glory anyway. Nor is it the glory of the fans of this years' eventual NBA champions - Spurs nd Suns included.
Can anyone tell me if/how Stern can be fired? Or does he just get to decide when he doesn't want to be God anymore. I haven't been able to find this info anywhere.
Wow...the level of ignorance here is astounding. Conspiracy theories? Please.
Here's an idea, Phoenix: play someone off the bench! What, were there only 6 guys suited up? Jalen Rose couldn't have taken 8 minutes or so? The bench was shortened, sure, but hardly decimated. There's no reason to have played Nash for 47 minutes. D'Antoni should shoulder the blame for that.
People who keep talking about how Amare and Boris should have controlled themselves have probably not played basketball at any point in their life.
Even in a pick-up game with folks you barely know if someone punks your teammate the instinct is to protect him.
Its a stupid rule that needed an adjustment ever since.
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