All Huevos, All the Time

If you’ve read this blog from its inception, you’ll know I’m a bit of a stats nerd (read: I put Harry Potter geeks to shame). That being said, stats have little to do with why the Spurs are up 2-0 on the Phoenix Suns. Instead, it has everything to do with toughness, or, if you prefer, huevos.

Toughness is the reason Manu Ginobili can come back from a 1-7 half to dominate an overtime. Toughness is what makes Tony Parker get up time and time again after getting knocked over by guys twice his girth (or, in Shaq terms, 732 cheeseburgers). It’s why guys like Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas can capably defend O’Neal. And toughness, both mental and physical, is why the Spurs only have to win 2 out of 5 games to advance.

Look at what have effectively been the lineups for this series:
Parker
Ginobili
Bowen/Finley
Duncan
Thomberto
Coach: Popovich

Nash
Barbosa
Bell
Idiot
Cheeseburgers
Coach: One Trick D’Antoni

Give me one position where the Suns are tougher than the Spurs. Maybe center? Maybe? Considering Shaquille has one of the most fragile egos in NBA history, I’m inclined to disagree.

That being said, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Phoenix blew San Antonio out of the building in game 3. They have a great homecourt and will be playing with a bunker mentality. That being said, therein lies the problem with the Suns. They have to win by a landslide. If the game is close in the fourth quarter (meaning within 10 points), they’re automatically screwed, because they already have that seed of doubt floating around in the back of their minds; that little thought that says, "Wait, we've done this before, and they beat us then, too."

As good a team as Phoenix is, they feel they have to get lucky to win. Nobody on the Spurs feels Duncan’s overtime 3 was lucky. Luck has nothing to do with it. The Spurs just know that they are better than you. The Suns may hope for as much, but, visibly, they just can’t honestly believe it anymore...and for good reason.