A persprective on Game 1 I haven't heard anyone mention.

Everyone mentions the free-throw % and putting bowen on the line, and stealing our momentum. That was a smokescreen, that’s not was he was after, what he was stealing was our time.<br>
<br>
We were up 18 points and there was very little time left in the half, about 3 minutes. What fouling really did to us was lower our time of possession on the offensive to less then 2 seconds per possession during the hack-a-Bowen craziness. Don Nelson made the move to get in not just Bowen's head but Pop's as well. He knew Pop would REFUSE to pull Bowen out and play Don's way. He got Pop to focus on the fouling of Bowen, not on his advantage in the game.<br>
<br>
If Pop put in Steve Smith in Bowen's place so prevent the foul, and just held the ball for 23 seconds at half court and throw up a crazy half court shot you would have cut down 6 extra possessions (12- 18 points) for Dallas AT LEAST (if we got the rebound we could have killed even more time) and taken over 2 minutes off the clock instead of 8 seconds. We helped them by continuing playing "our" game, and got phantom defensive calls. They may be almost 100% from the line, but they are not 100% on open outside jumpers. Driving would have used more time and 3 minutes would have passed like ... 3 minutes or 2-3 possessions for the mavs instead of 9.<br>
<br>
With a lead like that the clock is our 6th man on the court to help play against the added 3 player the mavs got out there. Because Pop didn't want adjust to the game, Don forced him into terrible clock management. We were so far ahead it would have taken an additional quarter to catch up, or in this case a second quarter that was almost as long as a full game. People say they wish they could go back in time. Don Nelson just found a way to stop it, and allow the last 3 minutes of the second quarter to be possessed 95% by the mavs.<br>
<p></p><i></i>

I guess I don't get it.<br>
<br>
Who would you have Pop put in? <br>
<br>
And if they did it to another player? <p><!--EZCODE CENTER START--><div style="text-align:center"><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong><br>
<!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">SPURS </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><br>
<!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">SPURS </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><br>
<!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">SPURS </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><br>
</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--></div><!--EZCODE CENTER END--></p><i></i>

I think the thing people are missing is that, by informing the refs they would be fouling Bowen, they changed the way the game was officiated. There were no stupid touch fouls before that. But as soon as it started, the refs started calling the Spurs on stupid touch fouls as well.<br>
<br>
Why? To officiate the game consistently.<br>
<br>
The Mavs were able to change the way the game was called. That shouldnt be possible. <p>-Brian</p><i></i>

But that would mean he'd have to keep Steve Smith in for the entire game.<br>
<br>
They can run the hack-a-Bowen D whenever they want, not just 3 minutes before the half (excepting the final 2 minutes).<br>
<br>
Also, Nellie might just then resort to fouling Duncan or David. They shoot better from the line (sometimes), but it would still give the Mavs more opportunities to cut into the lead (how many times do the Spurs leave the FT line with 1 miss?) and would take the Spurs out of their rythm. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub179.ezboard.com/bsanantoniospurs62937.showUserPublicProfile?gid=voraciouswolf>VoraciousWolf</A>  <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://members.vavo.com/schlock/10x10icons/se.gif" BORDER=0> at: 5/21/03 5:30:35 pm<br></i>

Yeah Brian, I noticed that as well, thanks for mentioning it. I don't understand why the refs felt they had to call a foul on the Spurs for nothing, just because the Mavs were fouling intentionally. With the way the Mavs were fouling, you'd think the Spurs would have shot at least 10 more freethrows than the Mavs. 10 for the ones Bowen took, and some more because the Spurs are one of the best teams at keeping their opponents off the line. <br>
<br>
Horrible officiating. <p></p><i></i>

I think you make a good point ryvin. <p><!--EZCODE CENTER START--><div style="text-align:center"><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.sahoops.net/"><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0QADfApkSeUk9zlYmKZD!kEYVfTRxNiHi*2GBpiYMnqYEwge9yob3RLavatTd9YDicUh7iO1GgSXtV*tH91yhJBLmvfwg9Gakqo7fAhxwGg8/NZ0.jpg"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--></a><!--EZCODE LINK END--></div><!--EZCODE CENTER END--> <br>
<br>
</p><i></i>

The Hack-a-Bruce does affect the FT attempts and foul numbers at the least<br>
<br>
They can't do it in the final two minutes of the game for reasons I can't recall.<br>
<br>
But did this really affect the ref's other calls? There's something to this or just yall's impression. <br>
<br>
Regardless, the fouls on the Spurs were against our 'real' players, not just some bench-rider. <p><!--EZCODE CENTER START--><div style="text-align:center"><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong><br>
<!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">SPURS </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><br>
<!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">SPURS </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><br>
<!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:red;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">SPURS </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:blue;font-family:comic sans ms;font-size:medium;">GO </span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><br>
</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--></div><!--EZCODE CENTER END--></p><i></i>

where you at GOX? havent replyed to you post about the bet... where the proof???<br>
<br>
<br>
you dont gotta lie to kick it <p>Two Favorite teams in the NBA<br>
The Lakers<br>
and<br>
who*-*ever plays <br>
the SPURS</p><i></i>

Bruce needs to knock them down. Plain and simple. <br>
<br>
It is a shame it has come to this. I'm sure we'll see it again and Bruce will have the opportunity to take advantage of the extra trips to the line instead of dreading them. <p></p><i></i>