Why didn't they foul?!?!

[Treesquid PhD]

I'm going to and say that, if Grant Hill had been in the game guarding Michael Finley, instead of Leandro Barbosa as a 3rd Guard, Finley's declining game may have prevailed.

Finley's shot didn't happen to the Suns. Our tiny lineup allowed it to happen.

Obviously Grant was hurt/limited, even Mike D'Antoni isn't stupid enough to put Barbosa in over Hill all things being equal.

 

[BC867]

Obviously Grant was hurt/limited, even Mike D'Antoni isn't stupid enough to put Barbosa in over Hill all things being equal.

Yes, I read that. Then how about Gordon over all those minutes for Barbosa?

He scores alot of points, but he sure looked lost running around Michael Finley when he shot, and made, his "3".

 

[mojorizen7]

That's the problem. They should have fouled on the catch. Personally, I would have gone ahead and let Shaq foul and take our chances with a 1 point lead with only a couple seconds left and the ball in OT. I'd rather them foul Nash, he hits his free throws, then the Spurs have only a second to get a desperation 3 off to tie. If they would make that, then well, the basketball gods were never going to let us win in the first place.

Exactly. Why worry about Shaq fouling out when you're taking away their chance to tie it. After the SPURS attempt 2 FT's we take a T.O. and sit Shaq anyway with the SPURS in desperation mode having to foul us to stop the clock still down a point (best case scenario for them).
I've already touched on this & i couldn't believe D'Antoni allowed them to even attempt a shot.
Big mistake. Horrible coaching. Oh well right? Whats done is done....as long as Mike doesn't make that mistake again in this series....please.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I'm going to and say that, if Grant Hill had been in the game guarding Michael Finley, instead of Leandro Barbosa as a 3rd Guard, Finley's declining game may have prevailed.

Finley's shot didn't happen to the Suns. Our tiny lineup allowed it to happen.

I am going to keep repeating the play until people understand the concept of team defense.

On a downscreen on the baseline, if the screen is set properly (which it was), it is not possible for the man defender to keep up with player. They have to go above or below the screener. In that second time, the person is open. Grant Hill wouldn't make a lick of difference here.

That is why it is the defensive responsibility of the person guarding the screener to switch. Oberto's man was Amare. If you are looking for "blame" for Finley's 3, it was our big man not our small one.

Ultimately Finley hit a great shot in a split second. It happens.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

And yes I would have fouled everytime and taken our chances with a free throw contest (Westphal lived by this strategy). Of course Nash missed a huge free throw in the second overtime so that isn't full proof either.

In fact in the 4th quarter:

Stoudemire Free Throw 1 of 2 missed
Stoudemire Free Throw 2 of 2 missed
O'Neal Free Throw 1 of 2 missed
O'Neal Free Throw 2 of 2 missed

It is easy to say that Finley/Duncan's 3 pointers cost us the game but the reality is that it never even should have came to that. We had all the opportunity to win the game and just choked it away.

 

[The Man In Black]

Defensively, that goal-tending on a Finley 3 by Shaq helped the Spurs overcome.

 

[Mulli]

I am going to keep repeating the play until people understand the concept of team defense.

On a downscreen on the baseline, if the screen is set properly (which it was), it is not possible for the man defender to keep up with player. They have to go above or below the screener. In that second time, the person is open. Grant Hill wouldn't make a lick of difference here.

That is why it is the defensive responsibility of the person guarding the screener to switch. Oberto's man was Amare. If you are looking for "blame" for Finley's 3, it was our big man not our small one.

Ultimately Finley hit a great shot in a split second. It happens.

Yep.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I agree we should've fouled, but Shaq had 5 fouls already so he didn't want to foul and Nash was too far behind the play to foul. I still think Duncan would miss that shot 97 out of 100 times.

EXACTLY what you want in that case. If I am the Suns. I literally place 4 suns on the 3 point line with Shaq in the middle. As soon as ANYONE gets beyond the 3 point line, you foul them. If Shaq fouls them, guess what? It is a free throw contest and you don't want Shaq in there anyway.

You don't make the same mistake twice. The Finley shot I can see, it was a catch and shoot from him, a foul gives them 3 free throws anyway. Ginobili started at the 3 point line, drove to near the free throw line before passing it out. You have to foul Ginobili there, or let him go to the basket uncontested.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Just to finish basketball 101 for those who must have missed playing team ball:

As for the players?

"The way that game was going, if we would've fouled them, they would've made two free throws, we would've missed one (free throw), and they would've come down and hit a three and won the game," Suns star Steve Nash said. "We were not going to win that game. We made too many mistakes, and they made too many clutch or lucky shots. If we switch (defensively) on the first one, he doesn't even get a look and the game is over, and Tim Duncan hasn't made a 3 in about 18 months. What are you going to do?"

There is a player telling you that it wasn't Barbosa's fault that Finley got open on a screen. It was Amare's.

The end of Bickley's article:

but if you're looking for the Game 1 scapegoat, try the guy who failed to switch assignments on Finley's 3

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/DanBickley/21950

 

[Louis]

Good points Chris.

JVG was apt to call out the Suns' bigs during the broadcast as well.

That's why Manu and TP were able to run a layup drill for pretty much the whole game. Shaq and Amare are both very lazy on defense and rarely move their feet.

To top it off they then got into foul trouble which didn't help at all.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Good points Chris.

JVG was apt to call out the Suns' bigs during the broadcast as well.

That's why Manu and TP were able to run a layup drill for pretty much the whole game. Shaq and Amare are both very lazy on defense and rarely move their feet.

To top it off they then got into foul trouble which didn't help at all.

To be fair, I think it was the other way around. I think their foul trouble affected their defense.

 

[Sundance]

As Don Nelson can attest, fouling the other team when you're up 3 doesn't always work out, either. There was this hilarious game in 2004 when the Mavericks were up 3 against the Miami Heat, with a few seconds remaining, and ended up losing the game in the most heartbreaking fashion.

In that game, Don Nelson did what Suns fans are crying about now: they fouled Miami. A Miami player hits the first free throw, cutting the Mavericks lead down to two. He misses the second. The ball caroms off the rim and hits then Mavericks' player Antoine Walker in the back, bounces off his back, and then goes out of bounds. Miami has possession of the ball, now only down 2. Well, Miami subsequently goes on to drill a 3 pointer with less than a second left in the game and wins by 1.

You should have seen Antoine Walker's anguished face after that game. It was priceless.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

As Don Nelson can attest, fouling the other team when you're up 3 doesn't always work out, either. There was this hilarious game in 2004 when the Mavericks were up 3 against the Miami Heat, with a few seconds remaining, and ended up losing the game in the most heartbreaking fashion.

In that game, Don Nelson did what Suns fans are crying about now: they fouled Miami. A Miami player hits the first free throw, cutting the Mavericks lead down to two. He misses the second. The ball caroms off the rim and hits then Mavericks' player Antoine Walker in the back, bounces off his back, and then goes out of bounds. Miami has possession of the ball, now only down 2. Well, Miami subsequently goes on to drill a 3 pointer with less than a second left in the game and wins by 1.

You should have seen Antoine Walker's anguished face after that game. It was priceless.

The problem with that, is that the Suns had a foul to give. They could have fouled them and they wouldn't have gone to the line yet. It was a chance to take even more time, and to put even more pressure on the Spurs, and we didn't take it.

 

[DeAnna]

Coach gave his reasons:

“The people who are yelling have either never coached or they are a coach (TV analyst) without a job right now,” D’Antoni said. “It seems like every NBA team doesn’t foul (in that situation). And the reason for it is, as you look at the film, it’s just not that simple.”

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/114359

The Spurs also had a foul to give in the 2nd OT and never used it. Worked out OK for them.

 

[mojorizen7]

D'Antoni rhetoric. Just man up and say that you considered it and decided not to intentionally foul and that it was the wrong decision and that we'll live & learn and move forward....shees...... the ego on this guy sometimes.

 

[green machine]

D'Antoni rhetoric. Just man up and say that you considered it and decided not to intentionally foul and that it was the wrong decision and that we'll live & learn and move forward....shees...... the ego on this guy sometimes.

Uhh, he did say that they thought about it but decided it wasn't the right idea. The other stuff is just typical D'Antoni, explaining his position even more. Plus, you have to remember not all of what he says makes it into the newspapers. They like to use the juicy quotes.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Kerr has said that it was the right call.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Kerr has said that it was the right call.

Kerr also said Sean Marks was going to surprise us this year!

I still can't (actually, yes I can, but I'm gonna say it anyway) that Tim Duncan hit a three to tie it up.

Paxson for 3... of course. Mario Elie for 3... okay. Bruce Bowen for 3... God's idea of a sick joke. Tim Duncan for 3?! That was the devil's work. I'm terrified of what's coming next. You know it's just gonna crueler and more ridiculous.

 

[mojorizen7]

Kerr has said that it was the right call.

Really? Well whats he gonna say? Mike screwed up?.........no.
I don't know how many of you tune in to national radio but D'Antoni's decision to allow the SPURS to attempt a shot instead of fouling is a subject of little debate among the majority of this nations "experts" and armchair fans like me and you.
Again,the only time we will hear D'Antoni speak and admit his mistakes is during his last press conference of the year after elimination.
I've moved on from his bad decision(the SUNS are going to win this series)but it's his arrogant rhetoric after obvious blunders that get under my skin.
GO SUNS!

 

[sLapzsHaQ]

I just can't stand the way D'Antoni coached those OT periods. They were really dumb plays.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Really? Well whats he gonna say? Mike screwed up?.........no.
I don't know how many of you tune in to national radio but D'Antoni's decision to allow the SPURS to attempt a shot instead of fouling is a subject of little debate among the majority of this nations "experts" and armchair fans like me and you.
Again,the only time we will hear D'Antoni speak and admit his mistakes is during his last press conference of the year after elimination.
I've moved on from his bad decision(the SUNS are going to win this series)but it's his arrogant rhetoric after obvious blunders that get under my skin.
GO SUNS!

He actually went into detail of why it was the right call. I don't doubt he believed it.

 

[95pro]

less than a minute to go last night. suns within 5pts, and they let the spurs use most of that minute. good job on letting them eat the clock.