NBA Playoffs Day 38. West Conference Finals Game 4

Bill Simmons once wrote "neve post while you are angry" I had to containg myselft last night 'cause that game was even difficult to swallow than game 1. After Sasha Vujacic 4 point play to end the third quater -that gave LA a 7 point cushion - I knew San Antonio still had a chance. They were right there without Manu making a single field goal. They were in striking distance despite being outhustled to the offensive rebound. In the other hand I was surprised LA had that lead while getting almost nill from Odom and Fisher. Kobe had 0 free throws. Neither LA o San Antonio had made enough to "deserve" a lead.

And then the fourth quater began. The Spurs went on their now characteristic offensive droughts. LA wasn't shooting the lights out neither but they were making just the necessary plays. Manu continued to struggle. Duncan looked tired all the way. Robert Horry and Udoka were still in the court while being scoreless and not offering suficient defensive resisten. I was getting angry because despite all that the game was right there. The Spurs needed just a explosion for Ginobili or a Robert Horry three to gain momentum and finish the game. Nothing of that happened. Kobe got his break and entered the game as fresh as 29 year old could be. Odom came to life and every Laker started to make the right play. Offensive rebounds, block shots, deflections, you name it. The Lakers where finally deserving to win the game

And then the final 60 seconds began. The Lakers got a brand new shinny offensive rebound and two free throws from Odom to make it a 7 poing game. A Manu's three and a Odom's goaltending - which was somehow fuzzy - on a Parker layup made it 2 point game with 28 seconds remaining. After the Lakers run the clock Fisher was forced to his left into a tough fadding away jumper that kissed the rim, hit Horry's knee and went out of bounds. The refs called that the ball never touched the rim so LA had 2 seconds on the 24 to make a shot. Kobe
verly airballed it. Duncan got the rebound.

And then the final play began. Their had two options: Manu and Barry. You got to trust your stars but Popovich went to the hot hand. Barry got the ball somewhere between half court and the the three point line, Fisher rushed and jump over Barry. Bumped him. Barry missed it. No call. Game over. As Duncan said

"You're not going to get that call. They're not going to make that call."

Why I was angry:

• They should have been up 2-1. Not down 2-1.

• Manu is clearly hurt. But he left his agresiveness somewhere in game 3

• Popovich never gave rest to Duncan. He had a chance around 8 minutes to play. Duncan really look exhausted.

• For more than 6 and a half minutes the Spurs scored 4 points ( a runner by Barry and a jumper by Manu)

• The Spurs made 9 total field goals in the fourth quater.Three of those where Barry's ( 8 points in that quater ).
  

• The Lakers only had 6 field goals - with 4 free throws by Odom - that pissed me off even more.
  

• As the game ended and the final play took place I yelled "WHAT?". Once my head cooled off I made peace just becuase that foul was not going to be called. Not against the Lakers. Not Joey Crawford. Not to Brent Barry.
  

At the end of day I was pissed off not because the final play or even any of those things I just wrote. I am angry because the Spurs are a better team but right now at this point the Lakers just had an extra step, an extra bounce and that cost the Spurs two games, a 1-3 hole and their season as the defending champions.

Evil Agendas

We are back to the slow days. There’s little something new to report. I was checking some news, USA basketball lost both Hinrich and Battier, as a Bulls fan, this is good news, ‘cause Hinrich was terrible the first half of last season, his shooting sucked and he always looked tired. This Olympic qualifying thing could be a bitch for the Bulls, Deng and Gordon can play for England, I think Deng is going to, apparently, Noah can play for half of Europe. Those are 3 starters and one key (I hope) member of the bench. I say, the less the merrier.

Another note about the Bulls, remember last year at the All Star break when Scottie said that he wanted to return and help a contender, and the same time a story comes out saying that Scotties owes like $5 million to a bank. Now, everybody is returning, Penny has a contract, Reggie is thinking about it and now Scottie is saying "I am not looking forward" to playing again. Did Michael lend you the money, Scottie? Just rambling here, but I find funny this situation, because it makes you think, to what point veterans continue to play for the love of the game, instead of playing for the love of the money

My second favorite team, the Spurs, is about to make a great acquisition in Ime Udoka, although, I’d prefer Michael Pietrus, but he’s staying in Golden State. Udoka has a nice reputation as a “hard worker and tireless defender”. He’s 30, not so young, but he’ll do. In Pop we trust

Kupchak looks pretty happy with his team. Is he insane? Is he making a run for Billy Knight’s money?

Pat Riley’s returning for 3 more years, somebody a this interview asked him if it was a coincidence that those 3 years match with Shaq’s last year and Wade’s player option to opt out:

No, it's purely coincidental; I never tied my contracts to theirs. It really is purely coincidental, but that may be the run, the life, for this particular team. Obviously we are going to want to sign Dwyane to an extension somewhere, we hope. And also, as we have planned, like we have done in the past, is that this is going to be a huge room team for us. And we hope that over the next three years of Shaq's tenure here and Dwyane's really in the prime of his life that we are going to be a contender and then after that, we will re-evaluate the whole situation from the draft to free agency and be a room team.

Yeah right, because you want to coach a team without Shaq and Wade. Good luck drawing plays for Smush Parker

I don't know why, but every time I talk about Pat Riley, the timing-o-meter comes to my mind. Is Pat Riley's timing the reason of this "greatness" ?