Empty the Bench

Before this postseason began, the San Antonio Spurs were generally regarded with a sort of nonchalant, unenthusiastic respect. They weren’t known as a particularly exciting team to watch (outside of their hometown, of course), but there was little ground for overtly criticizing or disliking them: stellar starting lineup led by nine-time All-NBA Tim Duncan, a Hall of Fame head coach, solid situational players coming in off the bench, and well-rounded as a team on both ends of the court. The kind of squad Larry Brown would say “plays the right way.”

Somewhere along the way, however, this group has become a lightening rod for controversy. Much of it has to do with their starting small forward, Bruce Bowen, who at times plays like he’s auditioning for the checking line on the Toronto Maple Leafs. The cheap shot to Amare Stoudemire’s Achilles heel in Game 2 of this series has been well documented, and by now most of you have heard about or seen his “accidental” knee to Steve Nash’s family jewels in Game 3. Beyond Bowen, however, this team seems to have undergone a change in personality. The normally mild-mannered Duncan seems to complain or cast a long, droopy glance at a ref every other time he misses a shot in traffic. It’s had an effect on his teammates, too, as we often see Spurs shooters mysteriously fall to the court after missed shots; on defense, the Spurs seem to feel like they draw a charge on nearly every possession.

Is this team really flopping, whining, and throwing as many cheap shots as some (ahem cough ETB cough) say they are? Or are the Phoenix Suns a bunch of pansies who should just shut up, man up, and play? With so much on the line for Monday night’s Game 4 showdown in San Antonio, ETB plays disciplinarian and takes a one-game sampling of the Spurs’ on-court behavior. We’ve tried to be as accurate and objective as possible, but, hey, we’re only human (or are we??!!)

First Quarter

- Tim Duncan pivots into the lane, misses a shot with some light Stoudemire contact, no foul called. The crowd boos, but Duncan just lowers his head and gets back on D.

- Excellent position by Fabricio Oberto to draw the charge on Amare Stoudemire with about 7:30 left. Good call.

- Duncan double-teamed, Marion swats it from behind, no foul called. The crowd doesn’t like the non-call, but no objections from the Big Fundamental.

- Duncan gets the ball deep in the post, Marion comes down to help, foul. Marion raises his hand in agreement.

- Barbosa drives to the hole with 25 ticks to go, Jacques Vaughn reaches in, foul… and Vaughn agrees.

Phoenix 24, San Antonio 22. Without question, that was the tamest quarter of the series thus far. Nary a complaint, steely glance at a ref, or flop to be found for both the Spurs and Suns. Either the game is being called incredibly well (likely), or one of you tipped off SA about their ETB Report Card (very likely).

Second Quarter

- Manu Ginobili draws the charge as an out-of-control Leandro Barbosa goes to the hole in the first minute of the quarter. Barbosa complains a bit, but it was the right call.

- Franciso Elson blatantly pushes a Suns rebounder with both hands to grab an offensive board, is obviously called for it, and shoots an incredulous look at the ref for about 5 seconds.

- Did James Jones just undercut Elson on a dunk? Or was Elson hanging on the rim a little too long? No call.

- Ginobili to the hole, foul, and one. He was clearly Hacksaw Jim Duggan’d.

- Bruce Bowen, Yoga Guru. Amazing.

- Tony P is whistled for an offensive foul away from the ball as he falls to the court, hoping for the blocking call. He doesn’t agree with the call, sits there and shakes his head for a few seconds, then gets up, rolling his eyes.

- With 51 seconds to go, Bowen goes flying after getting his legs tangled up (or something) with Steve Nash on the fast break. Nash is whistled, and immediately makes the “that prick just elbowed me” motion. Bowen stays down “in obvious pain” for about 20 seconds or so.

- Is that Steve Nash and Tim Duncan of all people exchanging f-you pleasantries after another Nash turnover?

- Marion blocks a Tony P layup attempt with a few seconds left, with Tony P flailing to floor. Contact or flop? No call is made.

San Antonio 45, Phoenix 40. Entertaining half of basketball, but we’re not watching for alley-oops, crisp passing, or miracle long balls. Discipline. The name of the game is discipline. It’s manliness. It’s “are you being a bitch or aren’t ya?” On that level, the Spurs have been the mild-mannered Clark Kent, acting no worse than any other NBA playoff team would in this situation. There’s always going to be lobbying and words after the whistle and a few “who me?” looks. Thus far, the Spurs haven’t crossed the line.

Mid-Semester Grade: B+

Third Quarter

- Duncan falls for a Kurt Thomas fake on a 15-foot jumper, foul, and again, Tim agrees.

- There’s our first definite flop of the game, courtesy of Tony P with about 8:30 left in the quarter. He gets the call after driving baseline on the other end and falling to the ground from what he was complaining was a Marion push. Finley nailed the three irregardless.

- “That was not a foul, that was flopping!” screams Duncan (I think, my lip-reading isn’t the best) after being tagged with his third personal on a Nash drive to the hole. Eh… they call those, Tim.

- Ginobili goes down at half court… Oberto goes down on offense, both from purported Bell push-offs. Flops? Or Bell elbows? “Gregg Popovich might think it’s starting to get a little too chippy, a little out of hand out there,” says TNT’s Steve Kerr.

- Bowen is called for “riding Nash” as he drove to the hole, but replays show that Nash slipped just as much as he was fouled.

- Blocking call, Manu Ginobili, and he doesn’t like it. No sir, not one bit.

- Brent Barry, flop, on a Leandro Barbosa drive to the basket with about 20 seconds left. No call made either way, which was the right call.

San Antonio 80, Phoenix 72. The game has finally gotten physical. Physical like Richard Simmons in blue tights and a tight red-and-white tank top at a 1986 fitness convention. I think the Spurs’ grade for tonight will be heavily influenced by their behavior in the crucial fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter

- Barbosa hits the deck from a Brent Barry bump. The crowd is booing over the replay, but that’s clearly a shooting foul. Barry isn’t objecting much (make your free throws, Leandro, make your free throws!).

- Duncan can’t believe he’s called for traveling with just under 10 minutes to go. Replays show him shuffling his feet before banking in the short one.

- Offensive foul, Duncan, on a charge drawn by Raja Bell (?), which looked to be the right one. Tim just kind of shakes his head with an amused look on his face. It’s the kind of look that says, “I can’t believe you thought I wanted macaroni & cheese with shells. I wanted it with spirals, you idiot.”

- Duncan just got jobbed, I think–Nash’s feet were clearly planted in the restricted area. That should have been whistled as a blocking foul on Nash, not a charge on Duncan.

- Stoudemire is whistled for his 5th foul with 6:54 to go. He was late trying to draw a charge from Ginobili… way late. Dumb foul that’s really going to hurt the Suns comeback effort; on this possession, it costs them a Finley three-pointer.

- Duncan gets his 5th personal on a moving screen (R. Bell). Flop or legitimate foul?

- Duncan traveling violation. He’s not happy.

- Bowen hacks Kurt Thomas as he takes it to the rim, and the Spurs just can’t believe it. That’s three calls in a row that’ve gone against them since Stoudemire picked up #5, but c’mon. That was a foul.

- Blocking call, Tony P, and ONE! for Barbosa. Again, the Spurs can’t believe it, with Duncan on the bench throwing up his towel in exasperation. Barbosa misses the free throw, and it’s a 3-point game.

- Tony P drives to the hole, misses, falls to the ground, no foul called. (We have a 3-point game with 2:42 left).

- Ginobili takes a wild shot, falls to the ground in hopes of a foul call… 1-point game with 1 minute left! Suns! Stoudemire! Suns 98, Spurs 97, with 53 seconds left! Suns by *3* with 32.5 left. Nice.

- HOLY SHIT! Robert Horry just decked Steve Nash, checking him into press row like he was playing hockey. Kerr calls it “a forearm shiver.” Wow.

We just about saw a bench-clearing brawl… it would have been if this was baseball. Flagrant 2 called on Horry, he’s ejected. That might draw a suspension. Embarassing. Wow. What did I say? The Spurs’ grade would rest heavily on their fourth-quarter behavior, and all of a sudden, with the Suns nearly about to clinch a victory, it takes an ugly turn. Now Kerr is speculating that Stoudemire and/or Diaw might also be suspended for leaving the bench. Wow. What an ugly, ugly situation. Unfortunate, really, that this will ultimately be what everyone’s talking about first and foremost, and not the amazing, gutty comeback win by the Suns.

Robert Horry, Big Shot Rob? You’ve not only drawn a possible suspension for what promises to be a HUGE Game 5 in Phoenix, but also lowered your team’s collective grade from Empty the Bench. We probably don’t need to tell you which is worse. During the first half, the Spurs were model citizens of the playoffs. Physical and assertive without being dirty. The second half, when the intensity picked up and the Suns came back, not so much. Steve Nash just belittled Horry in his post-game interview with Craig Sager.

It’s only one game, but the Spurs’ second-half behavior in the face of adversity significantly lowers their final grade. Shame on you, Horry, shame… on… you. Final Grade: C-