it’s not like the spurs are a lock for home court advantage. that game mattered.

i’ve never seen someone so deliberately throw a game. interesting. does the league have rules about throwing games?

I can’t imagine Nate doing this…ever.

But I suppose Popovich decided that they could not win this game after the OT game, so he played it safe and benched anyone who could derail the season with an injury. You think he would limit the minutes against GS if it was such a concern, as the Denver game has much stronger playoff implications, but what sort of coach plans?

someone should file a complaint. SA gave that game away.

And not just because it hurts us in the division.

He just gives Duncan and Parker the night off following a back-to-back? What kind of message does that special treatment send to the rest of the team?

Just look at the sig

Conspiracy theory and collusion between division leaders? Probably not but it is fun to think that way.

San Antonio’s division rival, the Hornets, just lost CP3 for likely a week or so with the strained groin. You are already 4 games up on them and your three best players just played long minutes the night before. There is no reason to strain them further.

BUT – as a Blazer fan, it is frustrating as all get out. The Spurs have been on a tear and methodically picking opponents apart like rotisserie chicken, or Denver chicken Nuggets. It would have been nice going into Dallas with the chance to tie it up a top the NW Division.

This is a brilliant move. I love how these “unconventional” choices are actually the right ones. When our core is a group of 30 somethings, I hope Nate or whomever the coach is at the time is smart enough to make these kinds of concessions. Their goal is not to win extra regular seasons games.

It sucks for us, but its the right call for them.

Maybe there’s something else to it we don’t know about. Maybe Parker and Duncan were both too hung over to play.

They actually had a chance to pull the W off, they got it within 2 in the 4th and I believe at the end of the game with a minute left it was only a 4 point lead and the spurs chose not to foul.

I didn’t get it and it pissed me off a bit.

It was one of the last games of the regular season in the late 80’s/early 90’s and Pat Riley sat Magic, Worthy, and Kareem against us. They got fined for that. San Antonio should also get fined, as fans pay good money to be entertained. I hope San Antonio screws their own playoff seeding up and gets a bad first round matchup.

On one hand this was a smart move because if Ginobli was really hurt and the overtime game last night meant this would be a hard game to win. But really? They have 5 days off and there is potential for Denver to catch them or they could possibly catch the Lakers now that Bynum is down.

I guess my opinion is screw it, lets get ahead of both Denver and SA, that will teach them not to throw games.

this was a calculated and smart move for an aging team. It sucks for the fans, and they should be fined for intentionally pulling guys. I’m not going to get upset by this, that’s just a smart move. There is nothing like a huge chunk of rest to get a team healthy.

they are also on the annual rodeo road trip which last almost 2 weeks. Getting this extended break in it should have everyone better suited to attack the rest of it, rather than trying to push through the whole 2 weeks. Perhaps they winmore games on this trip because of this…

A coach has a right to rest his players if he thinks they need it.

I’m seeing a lot of, “but they have 5 days off….” True, but now they have 6 days off and if they are really in need of some kind of recovery, then every additional day brings them one step closer to 100% healthy.

I think it sucks and they should be fined; but it was a smart move and I’m guessing they will be happy to eat almost any fine if it is perceived to help them to a ring.

but parker is still a young guy

I think it’s fine and I think there’s major overreaction going on here.

If anything the fans who paid and expected to see the Spurs stars had a right to be pissed. Then again if you pay big money for NBA tickets knowing what a sham the league is in general, then you deserve whatever you get.

Well, Spurs fan here, and the Blazers fans at PTR kind of made me want to check your opinion. I didn’t understand what all the commotion in Blazer’s Edge was about till I checked the standings… Huh.

I don’t have much to add to the discussion – I simply find it interesting to see how the same decision is viewed based on the fanbase consulted. If you have the time, you might want to do the same at PTR and at 48 Minutes of Hell.

Me, I’ll just keep on lovin’ good old Pop. :)

not any different.

We don’t usually get the annual tanking debate until after the All-Star game when a highly coveted draft prospect or two await the winner of the lottery drawing. Thanks, Pop.

I think the official NBA response to the issue of fans paying to see an opponent’s stars play, if there is one, would be along the lines of, “The NBA product is highly entertaining and competitive no matter which players are on the floor.” I’m sure your kids will understand.

Denver ties Spurs at the end of the season. Denver wins tiebreak! (If they don’t, then whatever, Denver beats Spurs by one game.)

Denver runs into Spurs in second one. Each team wins every home game and Denver wins game 7 at home.

Take that Pop!

(Then Blazers beat Denver in WCF of course!)

how does a team get 4 days off? The blazers have a total of TWO 3 day breaks (not including the ASG, obviously. It must be a reward for having to go on their annual 8 game rodeo road trip.

I think the general concensus is that this was a smart move, but that we don’t like it. I’m frankly surprised that so many people are suggesting that they should be fined, because they still played a basketball game after all. I just wonder if this will end up hurting SA in the long run at all. One game between Denver and SA could be the difference between a 2, 3, or 4 seed… or who knows with Bynum out?

I don’t like the move personally from the SA perspective, but I’m seeing a lot of “trust Pop” lines. It reminds me a lot of “trust Pritch” – when the results have been there, people tend to give the benefit of the doubt to the team management. Now, if Isiah Thomas had made this move, you know how New Yorkers would have felt about it.

Also, as per the fine given to the Lakers – that was a blow-out game and this was not. This seems more of a strategic move that has more risk, than benching everyone on the last game of the season also.

At this point, I’m inclined to think that it was a smart calculated risk… and I hope that it doesn’t pay off for them, and esp. that it doesn’t make the difference in the Nuggets finishing a game ahead of us at the end of the season.

just before the playoffs started.

Well its official those craters on Poppy’s face do harvest life and have taken control of his mind. Thats the best reason I can honestly come up with. Last time I checked weren’t the Nuggets creeping up the Spurs back? So now they are what, one game back of the Spurs? One would assume that would be a must win game, back to back or not. I know the Spurs are getting old but Parker is only 26 at the very least play him, even that could have been the difference between a win and a loss.

 At this point I can’t really complain if they keep this crap up both the Blazers and Nuggets are going to pass them, and by that point we are going to be ahead of the Nuggets as well (hopefully). Then again who are we to question the great Poppadobalous, I guess hes got the rings. All I know is something smells awfully fishy here. It’s probably coming from that tank they put up last night.