Spurs beat the T'Wolves last night!

[lazarus]

And boy howdy what a beating!

Tim Duncan made a return, off the bench (take that, Iverson, you punk!) and played beautifully, working his way back into his rhythm until he was playing like he hadn't missed a game.

That was one of the best games we've played all year. The defense was astounding, Manu Ginobili was playing like a man possessed, Rasho was all over the place.

Just a beautiful game.

T'Wolves, what's up? Are y'all going to end up trading Wally this off-season? He doesn't seem to be fitting in with the chemistry or something.

We're a game and a half back, and play in Minnesota next week. That should be a playoff level game.

[MinnFats]

1. shut up shut up shut up! Spurs die in the frozen tundra!

too cold for any damn Spurs up here -- still.
KG will administer a dose of humility.
Count on it!
die, Spurs, die!

[catzies]

2. If you ask me, they're playing at playoff-level NOW.

Spurs played great D on Minny. I like both teams; I don't have a particular dog in this fight.

Didja see Chuck in the studio in Atlanta after the game? Was he drunk or what?

[lazarus]

3. Chuck was going crazy

I dunno what he was on. Just high on life?

Yeah, the Spurs just took it to another level. I think Duncan's break was the best possible thing for them. The rest of the team, particularly Rasho, gained huge confidence while he was gone. Notice how their scoring stayed up when Tim came back? How Rasho took his shots, rather than deferring to Tim? That's what I was hoping for.

That's why Tim is a superstar, and why we win rings. KG needs to be the man. Tim is able to be the best person on a team, something he learned from the great David Robinson.

The defense is just incredible. I lost count of how many great stops we got, how many times the Wolves got frustrated because they couldn't get into their rhythm or into their spots. The Spurs are hitting on all cylinders. We're on pace to have the #1 3 point shooter in the league again, third year in the row. Best defense. And now the offense is cranking, we're scoring 99 points a game since the All Star break. Defense is holding steady at 86 points a game since the break.

Everybody counts the Spurs out. Last year, we were something like 7 games back of the Mavs at the break. This year, we were 4 or 5 games back of the Wolves. We win over 85% of our games after the break the past few years. And folks are always forgetting that.

[catzies]

5. Minny picked a bad time to start self-destructing didn't they?

And I was just saying yesterday this would be the year they make it out of the first round for good.

You as a Spurs fan have nothing to worry about. Me as a Jazz fan, well, I got worry.

[lazarus]

7. Hey, the Jazz are doing fine

I think Sloan and Hubie Brown should share Coach of the Year honours, to be honest. After losing Malone and Stockton, to be in the playoff hunt? Remarkable.

I was hoping the Wolves were finally going to break the curse, but imagine this nightmare scenario: They slide to 4th, and end up with the scariest team that NOBODY wants to see in the first round: Memphis.

[Tummler]

4. Great game

And speaking of the Iverson thing, this is from the (worthless) San Antonio paper:

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich walked into Thursday morning's shootaround and told Malik Rose to put on a black jersey with the rest of the starters. Then he told Tim Duncan to wear gray.

"I'm not playing," Duncan said. "I can't come off the bench. I'm a starter." :D

As the rest of the Spurs howled, Duncan smiled and ended his Allen Iverson standoff by turning his practice jersey inside-out instead of taking it off.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA19.01C.1C_Spurs_gamer_0219.7091510.html

[catzies]

6. Timmy is so underestimated as being "boring." He's just subtle.

That is hilarious.

"We're talkin' 'bout practice, man. I'm a starter."