Well, Great. Thanks. That's....spiffy.

ESPN Link:

"With the benefit of instant replay, it appears a foul call should have been made," league spokesman Tim Frank said Wednesday.

Somehow, "sorry" just doesn't cut it. And don't play the "Fisher's shot hit the rim" excuse either, because one bad call doesn't justify another (besides, we could argue that Kobe obviously traveled on that same possession. All the credit in the world goes to the Spurs organization and players, who, knowing full-well it was a foul, handled it with class and told the media otherwise.

And no, unlike NBC's Tom Curran, I don't think the NBA is rigged. Do I? No. Right?

Tiago Splitter Won't Join the Spurs

Tiago Splitter, the athletic power forward from Brazil, was predicted to join the Spurs this offseason. Now, everyone isn't so sure. Based on an interview from this Spanish site, Splitter is publicly stating that he may resign with TAU Ceramica (his current team in Spain) if they can offer him more money. Which, yea, they probably will. TAU can offer him essentially whatever they want, while the Spurs are limited to offering him a rookie-scale contract. Keep in mind, Splitter will also be going from "main man" on TAU to a bench role player on the Spurs.

According to Truehoop, Spurs' representatives are in Spain trying to convince him otherwise.

UPDATE: Looks like Tiago opted for the big bucks, or so says ESPN Brazil. If San Antonio sees him, it won't be until 2010. Major blow to the Spurs. The deal appears to be in the 2-year/$8-10 million range, which is obviously more than the Spurs could offer under the collective bargaining agreement rules (read: rookie contact).

UPDATE No.2: One upbeat writer suggests that Ian Mahinmi is a better player right now than Splitter, and the Spurs will be fine. He's wrong (Ian will be on the roster, but he still has a lot to learn about the game) but it's a nice glass-half-full approach.

Game 4 Recap: "Like Putting Whipped Cream on Shit"

It would be a cop out to blame this loss on Joey Crawford's blown call at the end. (And yes, it was a foul, be it middle school, rec league, or FIBA, according to ESPN's Henry Abbott.)

But the part that's even more frustrating is that, for the second time, the Spurs beat themselves. After crumbling under the weight of tired legs in game 1, the Spurs give up 20 (!) second chance points in the first half of game 3. The Lakers shot poorly, missed free throws, and had 6 more turnovers and 5 less assists than the Spurs...and the guys in white handed them the game on a black-and-silver platter.

It's difficult to handle the fact that the other team may be better than yours. It's damn near impossible to accept that your team is probably better, but losing anyways. If the Lakers beat the Spurs, fine. But the Spurs are beating themselves, and it's making for a stomach-turning series.

As far as scapegoats go, it begins with 3-pt shooting. At 7-24 from behind the stripe, the Spurs shot themselves in the foot again and again. Useless minutes from Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili, Ime Udoka, some dude pretending to be Robert Horry, and Fabricio Oberto wasted a career game from Bones Barry (23 points, 5 rebounds). He summed up his great game well: "It's like putting whipped cream on shit."

As great as Brent Barry was Tuesday night, do you really want him creating a shot with your season on the line? Don't you want the ball in the hands of Duncan or Parker, who both put together solid games? I love Barry, but he can't create his own shot any more than I can. Yes, he was fouled, but role players don't know to sell that foul and make the referee blow the whistle.

Looking ahead to game 5, the Spurs do have a legitimate shot. Despite their road record, they have confidence in big road games. If they execute and get something out of Ginobili (anything, really), they'll be in the mix again. I'm not ready to give up on the Spurs just yet...the 2008 version is not as talented as past championship teams, but they are resilient, and they'll be in game 5 til the end.

Game 3 Recap: Welcome Back

(Queue Welcome Back Kotter music.)

The Spurs should be up 2-1, and whether they were held back by absurd plane difficulties after game 7 of the semis or just fatigued, they needed to recapture the fire that got them back in the Hornets series.

Enter Ginobili.

Remember this guy? The one that goes on those "nothing will stand in my way" terminator-like benders. His 5 three pointers in the first half (tying the Spurs record) completely swung momentum, and, for at least one game, the Spurs had the best 2-guard on the court.

Reportedly "pissed off" before the game, Manu gave us a reminder that, when angry, he's one of the best in the league. For whatever reason, Manu is wired in a way that links his determination with how much he utterly despises his own performance or the guy guarding him. Did you see him barking at Rony Turiaf late in the game? That's when he's focused, and he's the last guy you want to give a hard foul to.

That being said, game 3 was the obvious win. The Spurs, by virtue of being pissed off, had to be favored. San Antonio had, after all, won 12 straight playoff home games. Therein is the new formula for the Spurs: win every home game, and steal as many as you can on the road. Long term, Ginobili won't always be that fired up, accurate, or dominating. They won't always get the nod from a relatively weak ref crew. Likewise, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, and Pau Gasol won't collectively pull a Houdini in a major road playoff game that often.

So, as great as Manu was, the more telling aspects of the game came with the other aspects of the offense. Tim Duncan made his moves quicker, not allowing the double to collapse on him. There was significantly more motion on offense, which takes the pressure off of Parker to create off of the pick'n'roll for half of the possessions. Pop also used a fired up Brent Barry, which is always a cure for bad ball movement. Finally, the Spurs, for the most part, abandoned small ball for game 3, but pushed the ball in transition with Parker and Ginobili at the helm. You could tell it was a point of emphasis: even Finley pushed the ball, trying to keep up the tempo and get easy buckets.

Ginobili was fantastic. But with lingering injuries, can he put together 3 great games out of the next 4? Maybe...but it would be nice if the Spurs could establish a rhythm that allowed him to have an offnight. It would be great if Finley could maintain his shooting stroke (3-6), Barry could provide a spark (4 assists), and Parker could remain an efficient scorer rather than a volume scorer (20 points on only 15 shots). At the end of the day, the Spurs are going to have to collectively up their play, not just rely on Manu's hero mode.

If these offensive elements can hold up, the Spurs have given themselves a legitimate shot. Besides, they did this all before...about 2 weeks ago.

Game 1 Recap: As Goes Manu...

If one thing is apparent, it's that Manu Ginobili isn't going to be healthy until the season is over. His ankle isn't healing, and heavy minutes in a 7 game series didn't help.

Tony Parker will routinely be able to get into the paint against the Lakers (although he became somewhat passive against Fisher in the second half of game 1). Duncan will be able to dominate Gasol, Turiaf, or whatever other defensively-challenged Laker is guarding him. Manu, as always, is the wild card. However, it seems more and more like he has been relegated to a jumpshooter.

Mysa is all over it:
Manu Loses What He Can't Get Back

Although game 1 was one of the most infuriating, depressing, vomit-inducing games of the season, it was still indicative of the Spurs being able to sway the game to their style. They just ran out of gas. In a 7 game series, with the score hovering around the high 80s, the Spurs are in great shape...even if they blew this one.

There are the obvious negatives: young guys like Farmar and Sasha got some confidence going, Kobe is cocky, and the Spurs wasted a great first half. That being said, there are some positives. The Lakers have no answer for Parker and Duncan, and the Spurs proved that they can dominate this team in stretches.

I'm not wasting any more time dwelling on game 1, and nor should the Spurs. Throw it away, forget about it, and come back pissed in game 2. The Spurs were the better team, and should of won. Now it's time to come back like something that belonged to them was stolen from them. Come out angry.

Game 7 Recap: They....Just....Won't....Die

The odds, suffice to say, were not in the Spurs' favor entering Monday night's winner-take-all bout with the New Orleans Hornets. And all you heard about all series was odds:

You've probably heard that the home team wins game seven 86% of the time. Never mind that the Hornets had mopped the floor (at times literally, judging by the random ice spill in the 1st quarter) with the Spurs in the first three games.

The fact that the Spurs have never gotten past the conference semifinals when defending a championship has been run into the ground.

It was also made obvious that the Spurs had never come back from an 0-2 deficit, and that it had only happened 13 times in NBA history (good for about 7% of the time).

But, after all that, everyone gave the Spurs a chance in game 7. Why? Because it's the Spurs. The general patterns of the NBA game almost don't apply to the robotic, zombie-like drive that makes up the collective identity of San Antonio. It's that sensibility that led Charles Barkley to call them "cockroaches" after the game, or helped ESPN's radio tandem of Mike and Mike discuss how they were Jason-like.

The gameplan was seemingly simple: slow down the pace and eliminate fast break points, taking out the Hornets surprisingly nervous homecrowd. It would be easy to say that the Spurs finally knocked down their shots (12-28 from three) and that was the difference, but the game was won by defense.

And that defense was nasty. It was a constant variable, changing every 4 or 5 possessions. With it all on the line, the Spurs because a defensive chameleon, phasing from one form to another. Early on, they guarded Paul 1-on-1, shading on the pick-and-rolls. As soon as New Orleans found a rhythm, the Spurs started switching the picks, leading to some awkward Tony Parker-on-Tyson Chandler matchups.

But it didn't end there. Not even close. Late in the game, when the Hornets pulled within 6, Pop used his last trick, trapping Paul towards the halfcourt line. It was subtle, but it changed the game. The Hornets had to adjust and have other guys make plays in the last 2:00, when their season was on the line. The result? Jannero Pargo taking long jumpers, while David West and CP3 helplessly watched their ball movement disappear.

Offensively, the bench was huge. The combination of Kurt Thomas, Ime Udoka, Michael Finley, and Robert Horry shot 8-14, including 6-11 from three. The 22 points off the bench were huge in a game that showed a streaky Manu (6-19 shooting), a perimeter Tony Parker (only 2 layups, by my count), and a Tim Duncan that missed his last 10 shots.

Parker...mind you the same Parker than got yanked from Pop's 4th quarter Finals lineup in 2003...again came through in the clutch, a site that is becoming more and more common to Spurs fans. You could tell he wanted that elbow jumper from the moment he touched the ball.

Someday, the Hornets will be eliminating an aging Spurs team from the playoffs. Soon enough, they will make a Finals appearance as their young core or Paul, West, and Chandler develop.

But, for now, the championship still goes through San Antonio.

Game 6 Recap: Check...

With their hopes of a championship on the line, the Spurs did what they do best…react and adjust. Game 6 offered all sorts of variable X's and O's; adding to the proverbial chess match that has gone back and forth all series. Of course, the Spurs best maneuver was to focus on some fantastic ball movement, but some other moves were pivotal in spraying the bugs.

For the first time this series, Tim Duncan started on David West. While running the risk of getting Timmy in foul trouble, it was absolutely necessary. Not only was Duncan able to get his offense going (20 points and 6 assists), he completely shut down West in man-to-man coverage. West was 4-14, mostly on contested jumpers, and folded like origami when the pressure went up a notch, emotionally wrecking his team.

(For the record: did anyone else catch the ESPN crew noting how TD was West’s childhood idol? He apparently loves Duncan’s cool demeanor…and West proves it by killing his team with a hissy fit after a few very obvious whistles. Yay, hypocrisy!)

Duncan’s stick-like-glue approach on West allowed Tyson Chandler to get a few easy lobs, but that’s a fine tradeoff for the Spurs. If West and Peja are both taken out of the game by Duncan and Bowen, than Paul’s offensive repertoire is severely limited. The day the Spurs lose to Chandler and Morris Peterson is the day I miss Beno Udrih.

The Hornets adjusted by trying to work Paul in the low post, causing Duncan to shade towards Paul and allowing West some open jumpers. Fortunately, West’s ego was already in shards, so he wasn’t aggressive by that point. Still, it’s something they could go back to, as Paul seemed to bully Tony a bit in the post.

Pop’s other significant adjustment came through the rotations. The red-hot Udoka, not Finley, was the first wing off the bench. Fab started in place of Thomas, and Horry got significant playing time. And, as much as I hate to say it, Horry kicked ass. Aside from setting a (perfectly legal) hard screen on David West and sending him to the floor writhing in pain, Horry played sound defense and rotated the ball well.

It all amounts to a game 7. I expect to see the same rotations, depending on whether or not Udoka stays hot. As long as the outside shooting holds up, the Spurs are looking good.

Now, with everything on the line, check to you, Hornets. Time to see what they're made up of with their own backs to the wall.

Game 5 Recap: Those Hornets Love Them Some Homecourt, Huh?

33 free throw attempts to 18 for the Spurs, including 13 to zip in the 3rd quarter. Yes, something can be said for being the more aggressive team...but damn, Joey. Tim Duncan had less free throw attempts than Pargo, Melvin Ely, Bonzi Wells, and Tyson Chandler. In other words, 4 role players that took a total of 13 shots in the game all shot more free throws than Tim Duncan, who took 18 shots. This after the 2006 Dallas "Dirk stepped on my foot but it's a foul on me" Timmy foul? What did we do, Joey? Run over your dog or something? Did our Mexican food give you the runs?

Nonetheless, there is light at the end of the tunnel. David West had a career game, mostly off of the fact that the Spurs rotated his defender in to cut off Paul's dribble penetration (effectively triple teaming the Chandler-Paul pick-and-roll). While this limited Paul's output in the first half, it gave West jumper after jumper, and he converted. Once the Spurs decided to stop helping off of him, Paul got it going. Game over.

Now, is there a solution to all of this? Yes, but it isn't pretty. The Spurs could rotate the wing player over (i.e. the guy stuck in the corner guarding MoPete and watching West hit those 17-footers) and make West a decision maker. Should he post up the smaller guy (probably Manu or Fin), rotate the ball to the open shooter, or just shoot over the defender? Yes, he can do all three, but at least he'll have to think about it. He's proven to be a great finisher, now make him the focal point of their offense and force him to make all the crucial decisions.

Other glimmers of optimism? Ime Udoka played well, Kurt Thomas couldn't play any worse, and Joey Crawford won't be reffing another game in this series.

The Best Defense Is A Good Offense

The Spurs have figured out that they can't stop Chris Paul. It took them two game to do it, but they learned their lesson. So, the new strategy is such: let Paul score 30+. Don't double, don't waste Bowen on him, and bait him into taking long jumpers. Obviously, the Spurs listened to their fanbase, and started Parker on Paul.

Paul will score and create. It's inevitable; he's a freak. Those giant ears given him some type of superhuman sonar that allows him to know where everyone is on the court. You can't stop that.

What the Spurs can do is stop the peripheral players. "Bear Chest" got Bowened (8 points on 2-7 shooting), Pargo disappeared (1-7 shooting), and Bonzi Wells faded (6 points). David West still got his, but the duo of Paul and West wasn't enough.

But, for all the adjustments (including shorting the rotation, starting Manu, and playing zone), the Spurs found that the best way to stop the Hornets isn't reacting to them, but attacking them. To win, the Spurs are going to have to outscore the Hornets, not keep the Hornets from scoring. Pop has to let the reigns off, and let Parker and Manu take over the game. Let New Orleans get 95-100 points...but the Spurs need to score 100+.

At the end of the day, this series can only be won by the Spurs' backcourt. If the Hornets continue to collapse on Duncan (which they will), Parker needs to continue to attack the lane (which he will). Manu, as always, is the wildcard. If Parker can play Paul to a draw (a tall order, but he's proven he can), Ginobili is the guys NO has absolutely no answer for.

Yes, Tim Duncan will become a secondary option. But the kick out game from Duncan has proven too inconsistent. The backcourt was what got the shooters involved, what got the assists up and the turnovers down. We need Manu to play with reckless abandon. The Spurs need Tony to get knocked to the floor 10 times by driving into transitioning big men. Duncan needs to do less of posting up, and more off the pick-and-roll, freeing up the lane for dribble penetration.

Whether the Parker/Manu duo can carry the Spurs to 4 wins is debatable (let's face it, they won't hit 62 every night out). But, at this point and time, the team's championship hopes are going to be in their hands. And, for once, not as much in Duncan's.

Well......That Sucked.

A lot of things worked against the Spurs in their first two games against the Hornets. Tim Duncan secretly hid a 103 degree fever, leading to his worst playoff game of all time (the Timmy fever, as it turns out, is nothing like the Jordan flu). Manu Ginobili has been relegated to midrange shooter because of a lingering ankle injury. The Spurs' respective shooters have gone cold, while the Hornets' shooters are on fire.

The Spurs can't really control all of these things...it's just a matter of happenstance. Yes, it sucks, but you play through it. Unfortunately, that's not all that's plaguing the Spurs. They are getting owned in almost every facet of the game. New Orleans has ridden toughness, cockiness, and a raucous home crowd to a deserved 2-0 lead.

We're going to be optimistic here, and instead of dwelling on what they're doing wrong, we're going to focus on what they could improve:

- Take Bruce Bowen off of Chris Paul to shut down Peja "bear chest" Stojakovic. I know this is a risk, since Paul will run Tony Parker ragged and render him less effective on offense. That being said, if Bowen is going to go under the screens on pick-and-rolls, let Parker do the same and use his footspeed to recover. If Parker goes under the screens and chases Paul around, Bowen could be better used on taking away Peja and his 23.5 points per a game this series.

- Don't stop attacking. Yes, if the Hornets are going to collapse the lane, you have to take the open shots. That means you, Finley. Even when you're sucking. That being said, the Spurs can't just give up on slashing to the basket, which they've been prone to do.

- Play Ime Udoka more, and Robert Horry less. Small ball is killing the Spurs, but so is Big Shot Bob-asaurus. At least Udoka is showing fight, and doesn't seem to be intimidated. I'll take his 1-6 3 PT shooting before I'll take Horry's stuck-in-mud defense on David West.

- Play with fire. You can't teach it, and I won't question the heart of guys like Timmy, Tony, Fab, or Manu. That being said, where's the passion? Where's the competitive response? I've never seen the Spurs "give up" the way they did in the second half of game two. Collectively, the team hung their heads and allowed Paul to continuously showboat, hype up the crowd, and influence the Spurs' confidence.

Maybe the shift home will change all that, because, ultimately, the Spurs can be beaten by a team that's on fire like the Hornets are, but they shouldn't be beating themselves.

Get Your Game Face On

Manu Slowed By Ankle, Parker Generally Beat Up

Not great news going into tonight's game 1 with the feisty bugs...

TP is being held out of practice because of the beating he took against Phoenix. By the sound of it, he should be ok.

Ginobili, on the other hand, has been obviously hampered since re-injuring his ankle in game 2. He's been playing with it for awhile now, but, to be blunt about it, the Spurs don't have a chance to win the championship unless Manu is 90-100% healthy.

Tony Parker is Pissed

I guess it's been such a gradual process of watching this guy come up that I overlook how much of a beast he really is. In game 3, he had the best game of his career on the road in a hostile environment, completely dominating Phoenix to the tune of 41 points on 17-26 shooting, 12 assists, and only 3 turnovers. Yes, everything is predicated on Duncan, and yes, Ginobili is one of the best isolation and clutch players in the NBA....but it was Parker who ground the Suns into submission.

He's showing a nasty streak that I didn't know he was capable of. Outside of hitting clutch shots, he was barking at everyone in the first half of game 5. He yelled at the refs constantly, argued with Pop about coming out of the game, and got in Raja Bell's face after a hard foul. It took me a second before I realized that this is TONY EFFING PARKER! He's Mr. Nice Guy, friends with everyone from Kobe to Chris Paul. But, somewhere in the midst of this series, Parker got downright nasty. You could see it in his face...he was pissed. He was angry at everyone.

It was (and I have no qualms with saying this) Jordan-esque. Jordan was always angry on the court, no matter what the situation. Even playing against his best friends, Jordan just seemed like you had run over his dog an hour before the game. That's the mean streak Parker had in game 5...just like his idol, Parker was going to rip into everyone within 10 feet of him. He was screaming, talking trash, and arguing every call. It was nasty...and it was what gave him the confidence to hit the shots that clinched the series and sent the Suns packing.