Did Popovich throw the game?

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Just to tease the Suns? While Im sure he didnt want it to start out like it did, he surely put no effort into getting back into the game. It was clear he pretty much gave up in the second quarter.

 

[SunsFanVegas]

I sorta thought the same thing while I was watching. Especially late in the game when I saw Duncan and Parker on the bench laughing it up and smiling. Didn't seem like a team that was losing. Almost looked like they knew this game was a 'gimme' for the Suns. Maybe I'm being too cynical....but I don't think so.

 

[Phade]

ya throwing a game is genius move on a coaches part.

 

[btimsah]

You gotta believe they wanted the sweep. Also, on the sideline he kept telling the team - "The game starts now". I just think we out Sunsd them.

 

[TJ]

Pop probably didnt throw the game, but his players probably didnt come out with any sense of urgency in the 1st. You can tell they were making some boneheaded turnovers and not being as agressive on loose balls as they have been all series. Then the 2nd half came and I think they knew that it was over and pulled the troops.

I hope D'Antoni realizes this and prepares for a blitz attack in Game 5.

 

[BigJit]

I've seen a handful of games for the Spurs like this one today. There was no doubt Pop wanted his team to come back in the 2nd Qtr, hell, they got it back down to 12 points behind at one point. When the 3rd Qtr began, I think Pop wanted to see if his boys would come out there and get a few buckets in, but they shot like garbage. As far as him throwing the game, no way. But I definitely think about 4-5 mins into the 3rd Qtr, he decided to not give a crap about getting back into the game. His Spurs simply didn't have it today. They couldn't make a FG to save their life today. Where on Friday evening, they couldn't miss! I expected this blow out on Friday, not today. I thought after the goose egg the Suns laid on Friday, they would just come out with their heads hanging low & no emotion and let the Spurs sweep them out. Unfortunately for the Suns, I don't see this happening again in San Antonio.

 

[Bufalay]

Phil Jackson is the only coach that appears to throw games.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Pop's been around long enough to know that when you have a team on the ropes you have to go for the throat. No way he threw this game.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Look at it this way - both teams have had one bad game that couldn't be overcome due to the opponent hitting on all cylinders. Game 3 for the Suns, and Game 4 for the Spurs.

 

[dodie53]

Pop didn't throw the game

 

[cly2tw]

let's say, he didn't try too much to turn it around. he was content to see how suns adjusted by trying different thing on his part.

 

[Darth Llama]

"Throw the game," would imply that he came in with intention to lose, and I don't think that happened at all. I think Pop just got to a point in the game where he realized everything was going the Suns way, and the hole was too big to climb out of. There comes a point where you realize you're up 3 games and headed home in two days, and you just rest some guys and go for the win at home.

I believe the Spurs came into the game with every intention of trying to kill off the Suns, the Suns were just too much for them.

 

[TheHopToad]

I'm pretty sure Pop didn't throw the game, but it's likely he withheld implementing adjustments to counteract the success of Bell and Diaw because the lead was too large and he probably didn't want to give away strategy that he'll use in game 5.

 

[WuRaider]

To tease the Suns? He may be a crater faced cornholio but he is not that sinister.

 

[Yuma]

I don't think he threw the game. I don't think the Spurs were all there this game, either. I think subconsciously, the players seemed like they want to win it in SA. The SA players just didn't bring it this game, imho. We FINALLY did.

 

[sLapzsHaQ]

Well, maybe they throw it away for business sense. I mean, that's another home game. Right? Sales.

 

[mathbzh]

I think they just lost the game in the first quarter and we didn't give them an opportunity to come back.

 

[Haren]

Why would he have any intentions of throwing the game? If you're up 3-0 in a series, the last thing you want to do is give the opposing team just a little bit of confidence and make them believe that they can come back and make history.

 

[Irish]

The Suns blew big leads in games 1 and 2, which is why D'Antoni never let up. It is amazing how quickly games can get away from you and the Spurs can score very quickly. It is hard for me to imagine Pop giving up early after those comebacks.

My read on it is that Pop did reach a point when he realized that he was going to have to come up with a new plan that would require looking at the game videos. Using Diaw at the 3 had to have been a shock on both ends of the floor and the Spurs were unprepared.

 

[jandaman]

He didnt throw the game, but when the lead was too much and Spurs just couldnt hit shots and cut the lead to single digits, he knew it was a long shot to win, he rested his players...

It was very frustrating to see Suns starters still playing, but no one on the bench could score... the Spurs 3rd unit was scoring at will.... just shows you how much discipline and how much impact the Spurs system and Popovic coaching really does on the players.

 

[GorrilaLips]

Why would he have any intentions of throwing the game? If you're up 3-0 in a series, the last thing you want to do is give the opposing team just a little bit of confidence and make them believe that they can come back and make history.

Exactly. Of anyone else, Pops of all coaches or people for that matter is plastered by Sun's paranoia and their last second score pulls. He is well aware that if the Sun's are taken lightly, they of all teams can pull such a strange and off the wall arduous task, hands down. Even when his team was throttling the Suns, didn't deter Pops from calling time outs to chew out his players for letting a 3 slip from a Sun's player...

 

[justAndy]

It was very frustrating to see Suns starters still playing...

In the case of Amare - he barely played in the 1st 1/2 - he ended up w/ what - 24 min for the whole game?

 

[ForeignFan]

I've seen a handful of games for the Spurs like this one today. There was no doubt Pop wanted his team to come back in the 2nd Qtr, hell, they got it back down to 12 points behind at one point. When the 3rd Qtr began, I think Pop wanted to see if his boys would come out there and get a few buckets in, but they shot like garbage. As far as him throwing the game, no way. But I definitely think about 4-5 mins into the 3rd Qtr, he decided to not give a crap about getting back into the game. His Spurs simply didn't have it today. They couldn't make a FG to save their life today. Where on Friday evening, they couldn't miss! I expected this blow out on Friday, not today. I thought after the goose egg the Suns laid on Friday, they would just come out with their heads hanging low & no emotion and let the Spurs sweep them out. Unfortunately for the Suns, I don't see this happening again in San Antonio.

I fully agree. At the end of Q1, Pop said to his team that the goal of Q2 was to cut the points gap to 10. They definitely did not make it... He gave it another try in the beginning of Q3, and then just figured out nothing would work. Since Ginobili and Parker are a little bruised up, why not rest them ? And it may prove a good idea later on to have Barry, Horry and even D. Stoudemire with some playing time

 

[nowagimp]

Yeah brilliant idea, throw the game, let the team on the ropes have new life and extend the series while the hornets close out the mavs. Just what the old spurs need, a protracted series. If you think pops wanted that, youre delusional. He was hoping the bench would close the gap and then he would reinsert the starters. Since the bench didnt close the gap, why bother? Amare shaq and bell were resting while TD parker and manu were. Pop wasnt gonna ask those guys to close a 20 point gap against the suns rested starters. A winning coach like popovich doesnt throw games, but when the battle is very uphill and he has an old team that relies on 3 guys to produce >90% of the offense, the battle might be better fought on another day.

 

[Irish]

I think the concept of "throwing the game" is pretty lame, but I do suspect that he did not think he could make a big comeback ON THE ROAD. It is far easier for a team to comeback at home as even the Suns make a kind of push in game 3 (too little and too late).