American Sports Thread

Club Rossa · June 19, 2013, 08:15:00 AM

Great comeback from Miami.Spurs had a 10 point lead going into the final quarter but the key was James stepping it up while Tim Duncan who had a great 1st half couldn't maintain his performance.Would strongly fancy the Heat now.

Declan · June 19, 2013, 11:20:11 AM

Some 3 pointer from Allen. Heat will be faves alright

Minder · June 19, 2013, 01:13:11 PM

Quote from: Declan on June 19, 2013, 11:20:11 AM
Some 3 pointer from Allen. Heat will be faves alright

They are almost 1/3

GalwayBayBoy · June 19, 2013, 04:34:49 PM

Spurs must be sick. They had the game in the palm of their hands and were seconds away from winning. One missed shot or even had they won one last rebound it would have been enough. Popovich is the best coach in basketball but he took Tim Duncan (their best player and best rebounder) out of the game with the Spurs 5 points up and only 28 seconds left to play. The Heat actually missed their first shot both times but with Duncan on the bench they won both offensive rebounds and James and Allen drained the resulting desperation 3 point shots to tie the game. Leonard also missed 1 of 2 free-throws near the end. Even that one extra point would have been enough. Popovich justified benching Duncan saying that they had their usual personnel on the floor for defending the 3 point shot but it was not winning either of those last two rebounds that cost them. Duncan would surely have won at least one of them.

Hard to see the Spurs coming back from that kick in the balls. Knowing you had it won and let it slip away. Although if any team can put in behind them quickly it's the Spurs.

The Iceman · June 19, 2013, 06:59:27 PM

amazing game 6 - edge of the seat stuff. Screaming at the TV ha. Amazing 3 from Allen as said above. Shocked at some of LBJ's misses and giveaways....
Can't wait for Game 7 to see if this back and forth battle is more of the same or a walk over as has been some of the games.
Hoping the Heat take it for me old mate Jim in the Bahamas.

gallsman · June 19, 2013, 11:04:59 PM

Unfortunately means I'm going to have to get up to watch Game 7! Horrible no call on Ginobili. Phenomenal 3 from Allen to send it to overtime.

Timmy D had 30 with 4.30 left to go in the third. Blew up and didn't score again. LeBron was huge in the 4th. The 3 he made right after a horrible airball from a much easier opportunity was unreal.

Game 7 is up for grabs. Heat haven't won two in a row since the Chicago series and the Spurs' old heads must be absolutely exhausted.

Minder · June 19, 2013, 11:34:02 PM

The road team hasn't won a Game Seven in NBA Finals since 1978.

Oraisteach · June 20, 2013, 06:54:12 PM

Thanks a lot, minder. Just darkened my day.

gallsman · June 20, 2013, 07:06:11 PM

Quote from: Minder on June 19, 2013, 11:34:02 PM
The road team hasn't won a Game Seven in NBA Finals since 1978.

Simmons wrote a bit about this a few days ago. Since switching to the 2-3-2 format in '84, no home that has trailed 3-2 has ever lost Game 7 after winning Game 6. Really, really hoping it happens tonight! As incredible and deserving of glory as LBJ is, I cannot and will never warm to him. He flops as bad as anybody in the NBA, he pleads and demands for fouls to be called that even he doesn't believe occurred and he can't help but mock and stare down those he routinely posterizes. None of that is unique to LBJ of course but when contrasted against Duncan, as a neutral there's only one team to be shouting for!

Declan · June 21, 2013, 09:47:19 AM

Anyone see it live? - Have it recorded to watch over the weekend. Looks like they just about deserved it

thejuice · June 21, 2013, 10:04:46 AM

Whats going on in NE. Aaron Hernandez implicated in a murder, Gronkowski out after surgery.

Tebow at TE?

GalwayBayBoy · June 21, 2013, 01:16:03 PM

Gutted for the Spurs. The way they blew game 6 will live with them for a long time. Even though some of the older players already have multiple titles. Even in game 7 last night they were right in it until the very end when it would have been easy for them to fold.

Minder · June 21, 2013, 01:30:27 PM

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on June 21, 2013, 01:16:03 PM
Gutted for the Spurs. The way they blew game 6 will live with them for a long time. Even though some of the older players already have multiple titles. Even in game 7 last night they were right in it until the very end when it would have been easy for them to fold.

Aye me too, wanted Duncan to win another title. One of the greatest players of all time and you hardly hear a peep from him. You knew after Game 6 they were done for. James is an unbelievable player but its hard to warm to him.

GalwayBayBoy · June 21, 2013, 01:49:22 PM

QuoteMIAMI – It was unfamiliar territory for a very mournful-looking Tim Duncan. Hard for the San Antonio Spurs forward to verbalize. It'll likely be even harder to cope with later on, especially if he never gets back to the NBA Finals.

Duncan and the Spurs had to win just one of two games to claim the 2013 NBA championship. One victory for a fifth title. Instead, the Spurs' franchise cornerstone tasted defeat for the first time in the NBA Finals after a deciding 95-88 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 on Thursday night.

"Missing a layup to tie the game," Duncan recalled. "Making a bad decision down the stretch. Just unable to stop Dwyane [Wade] and LeBron [James]. Game 7 is always going to haunt me."

No one will question Duncan's effort and play as he finished Game 7 with a team-high 24 points, 12 rebounds and four steals while sitting for only five minutes. But he could care less about what the box score said. What pained him were his last two short post-shot attempts that didn't fall when they were desperately needed to keep San Antonio alive.

The Spurs were down 90-88 when Miami's Mario Chalmers gave them a huge break by missing two free throws. The ball ended up in the 6-foot-11, 255-pound Duncan's hands in the post with the Heat's slender 6-8, 220-pound Shane Battier guarding him. Odds for one of the greatest post players in NBA history looked good. Real good.

But Duncan missed a 4-foot hook shot and a put-back lay-in. Afterward, the typically stoic big man slid out of character by slapping the floor with both hands in frustration and then hanging his head in disappointment. The Heat scored the last five points to repeat as NBA champions.

"That's [frustration] out of me just missing a bunny," Duncan said. "Got by Shane and had a layup to tie the game."

Said Battier: "That's a shot Tim Duncan usually makes eight out of ten times. For whatever reason that shot didn't drop right then. I'm very thankful. It wasn't because of my defense. Just missed it."

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said the nightmarish Game 6 overtime loss haunted him until the finale arrived. Ginobili said that the loss will bring him pain the rest of his life – a feeling Duncan surely now shares with his teammate.

"To be in a Game 6 up one and two chances to win an NBA championship and not do it, that's tough to swallow," Duncan said.

About the only good news for the Spurs was Duncan saying he will honor his contract. The 37-year-old is slated to make $10.3 million in each of the next two seasons and said he wasn't retiring. That certainly means coach Gregg Popovich will be back, too. Duncan, however, had no clue if Ginobili will ever play for the Spurs again.

Ginobili will be a free agent this summer and mentioned after struggling in the first four Finals games that he is contemplating retirement. The Argentinean turns 36 on July 28. His departure would be the beginning of the end to the Spurs' storied star trio that includes Duncan, himself and Parker.

When asked if he would address if he would retire or not, Ginobili said: "No, it's not the moment. I'm very disappointed, very upset. I really can't say anything."

Even if Ginobili heads home to Argentina for good, Duncan and Spurs have the talent to get back to the Finals next year. The emergence of starting small forward Kawhi Leonard as a budding star, the stellar shooting of 3-point specialist Danny Green and an evolving true center in Tiago Splitter give San Antonio a young and solid nucleus around Duncan and Parker. Reserve forward Boris Diaw likes playing for San Antonio and will likely exercise a $4.6 million option to return next season if the interest is reciprocated, a source said.

Duncan has everything by Finals standards, with four NBA titles and three Finals MVP awards. But after losing in the title series for the first time, he is also now dealing with a unique pain. That pain can only be soothed with another championship run.

The Iceman · June 21, 2013, 04:33:41 PM

Happy enough to see the heat win. Not necessarily for LBJ but for D-Wade and Ray Allen, yes.
Great team performance overall. Wade was solid, Battier was a surprise and LBJ stepped up as expected. Defensively they were much more aggressive and deserved the game and the series.
Was hard on Duncan (gent of the highest), he missed some shocking ones when it counted most in the 4th. The Mrs (Knicks fan) was watching with me and commented that the Spurs were too ugly to win then she seen Chris Bosh and said he should join the spurs...
Thoroughly enjoyed the season. Although the Celtics weren't even knocking at the door and there is talk of Big KG and Doc Rivers being sold - the rebuild is underway and I'm looking forward to the draft!
Some NFL around the corner....

Was wondering for you lads that have the XBOX and PS3 - have you tried ordering the Sunday Ticket for all the NFL games? I have heard the Sunday Ticket is free with XBOX Madden 25..... not a bad buy.