NBA Finals Update

Well I intended to have game-2's review done before game-3 took place, but after everything went down the way that it did, I'm glad I didn't.

Game-2:   HEAT 103 - SPURS 84   (a doimination)
Game-3:   SPURS 113 - HEAT 77   (not a domination)

So Sunday in Miami, we saw game-2 play much like game-1 did through the first half. It was tied at 22 after 1 quarter of basketball. Both the Heat and the Spurs would hold a 5-pt. lead during the 2nd quarter, but Miami would do it twice. The last one as the quarter finished, 50-45. The 3rd quarter was once again tight, as the Spurs came back with a 16-7 run, squashing the Heat's 8-pt. lead. But Danny Green's bucket

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with 3:49 on the clock, putting the Spurs up 62-61, would be their last one.. for a long while.

For the next 10+ minutes the Heat would hit everything they put up, going on an unbelievable 33-5 run, and before anyone knew it, Pop was emptying the bench, and the score was 94-67. During the run Chalmers, Miller, and Allen all contributed, and nothing the Spurs did went right. After 4 turnovers in game-1, the Spurs ended up with 16 in game-2, and a lot of them came during this stretch. With our back-ups in for the last (almost) 7 minutes of the game, however, we outplayed them (their starters for a couple minutes) 17-9 to make the loss a little less painful. Heat win 103-84. Here's the box score.

The media and sports sites all over were touting the Heat as glorious again, and all of a sudden they were unstoppable.. referring to the 10-minute run when calling the game a total domination. OK so we played a super-sloppy 10 minute stretch, but was the game a domination? Not in my opinion.

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Fast forward to game-3 on Tuesday, back in Texas. San Antonio fans had waited more than 2 weeks for another home game. Specifically it had been since May 21st, game-2 vs. the Grizzlies! More importantly the organization had waited SIX YEARS for this new opportunity. Obviously fans, and players alike were stoked. Atmosphere was incredible, and in showed as the Spurs jumped out to an early 8-pt. lead, 15-7. Spurs took a 4-pt. lead into the 2nd quarter, 24-20, as it appeared everyone was happy to be at home. Green was hot again (he hasn't really cooled off), Gary Neal was hitting, Kawhi Leonard was hitting, and we were taking care of the ball. With the game tied at 44, and 37 seconds left in the half, Tony hit an amazing three from the corner, followed by a steal on the ensuing possession, and a Gary Neal three at the buzzer. The moment was exciting, as momentum was 100% ours going into halftime 50-44.

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Including those 6 points, San Antonio would go on a 69 to 33 run for more than 24 minutes of Finals basketball. Neal and Green would combine to hit 13 of 19 threes for the game, and the Spurs as a team hit 16 of 32. Kawhi added 14 pts, and Duncan 12, while Tony was hampered with a strained hamstring. This, my friends, was a total domination. Mike Miller hit 5 of 5 from three, but LeBron was held to 15 points on 7 of 21 shooting. Spurs win game-3 113-77, Miami's worst playoff loss of all-time. Here's the box score.

Box scores via ESPN

Did That Really Just Happen?

Spurs 129 - Warriors 127 Final/2OT.

Couple hours later, and I'm still amazed, and in disbelief! Turrible as that Manu three was a few seconds prior, the last one was simply amazing. And that crowd reaction - yowza, I wish I would've been there.

Way to comeback, Spurs! Now don't get so far behind in game-2!


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Captured Alive!

Image Source: Redditor ColdRunnings / Via

...for now, at least. Let's hope he survives the injuries, and is able to be prosecuted. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll give us some notion as to WHY.

Don't Forget About Your Extra Hour

Author: Keefe Chamberlain / Via                                                   Click it for clarity!

Spurs Semi-Finals Update

I totally should've posted my review of game-2, which was Thursday night, on Friday night, since -duh- our game-3 was early Saturday afternoon. Nevertheless, I'll just do two right here right now.

So in Thursday night's game-2 in San Antonio, the Clippers played us pretty close for most of the 1st half, or at least for the last 15 minutes of the 1st half. It was a half of runs. With the score 10-9, Clips, at around the 7:00 mark, the Spurs went on a 14-0 run, during which the "big-3" scored all 14. So with a 23-10 lead, the Spurs stretched it to 27-12, at which point LA would go on their own 9-2 run to close the 1st-Q 29-21. But this little run continued for 3 more minutes into the 2nd-Q, as it was 29-25 before Splitter finally scored for the Spurs at 9:11 mark - effectively a 13-2 Clippers run.

The 2nd-Q as a whole simply wasn't good period for the Spurs, as we shot 8 of 21 (38%) with several turnovers, while the Clippers put up another semi-solid 21 points. So we took a 46-42 lead to the break.

Similar to game-1, the Spurs came out on all cylinders to begin the 3rd-Q, and everyone was involved. The first 4½ minutes was a 16-5 Spurs' run. Yeah, 16! Our defense was fine as well, but LA shots were also starting to fall (notably Paul & Butler). But it didn't seem to matter, as Spurs felt confident enough to score almost every time down the floor. Danny Green had 10 3rd-Q points as the Spurs put up 32 to 25 from the Clips. The score going into

TP finally got going in game-2 Image Source (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

the 4th-Q was 78-67.

This is when the energy and defense were both taken up a notch. Neal, Splitter, and Diaw would lead another mini-run for most of 5 minutes, at which time the scoreboard read 92-76. Griffin and Evans were getting it done inside, but they had nothing to stop Tony & Tim in the 4th-Q pick-n-roll. Isn't that kind of a common theme this season? The combo would score 8 straight for SA during a 3-min. stretch that saw the lead increased to 19! Patty Mills closed it out for Tony, after a scary late foul Tony took. No idea why he was still in with 2:05 left in what was then a 17-point game.

Spurs beat the Clippers 105-88, after trading baskets a few times, and now lead the series 2-0. And we have now won 16-straight! Griffin had 20 points, but was held to 1 rebound. Chris Paul had another lackluster game with 10 pts. & 5 assts. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 22 on 8 of 19 shooting, with 5 boards and 5 assts. in 37 tough minutes. Timmy had 18 pts., 5 reb., 3 assts., and 2 steals in 33 minutes. Here's ESPN's boxscore..

Games 3 & 4 are Saturday 2:30 & Sunday 9:30 in a DUMB back-to-back in LA..

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Game-3 between Spurs & Clippers was at 12:30 Los Angeles local time in Staples Center, beginning a stretch of absolute craziness involving the Lakers, Kings, and themselves. Who didn't think this out clearly enough?

I knew game-3 in hostile territory was our best chance to lose, and as the game began, what I was seeing wasn't really anything I didn't expect. While the very beginning went pretty normal - Tony scores his 3rd bucket to bring the Spurs to within 4 at 13-9, with 7:00 showing on the clock. Over the next SIX minutes none of our shots went down. We had a mere 3 turnovers, but when you combine 9-striaght missed shots with the Clippers' 6 of 9 shooting, the result is a 14-0 run that no one really saw coming. But then again I think we might have. Blake Griffin was getting almost anything he wanted,

Griffin had a career-game Image Source (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

and everyone was feeding off the crazy crowd. So when a couple mid-run Pop-timeouts didn't work, the end of the quarter would have to. But by this time it was 33-11.

When the 2nd-Q got underway, Manu & Neal would hit a few shots, but so would Mo Williams and Nick Young. The lead ballooned to 24 at 40-16 with 9:17 on the clock. So down 24 (DOH!) Pop brought in many new guys, and for us that makes things happen. In just 2 minutes the lead was down to 18. Two minutes later it was 15. Then holding the Clippers to 5 pts. in the final 3:47 of the 1st half, Spurs would get 5 from both Manu & Tony, and 5 more from Diaw & Duncan, and the Clippers' halftime lead was only 10 at 53-43.

So now that it appeared the Spurs were going to, in fact, make it a game, the crowd was much less of a factor to begin the 3rd-Q. Paul hit a jumper, and then after a nice Duncan layup, Griffin would follow it up with his own layup. With 9:38 showing on the clock, and the Clippers leading 57-45, something happened.

For the next 8:13, the Spurs would hold the Clips completely SCORELESS, while themselves netting 24 straight!   During this stretch the Spurs would shoot 10 of 15 (68%), but the Clippers went 0 for 12. And just like that, we now had a 12-pt. lead, 69-57.

Spurs 24-0 run was legendary Image Source (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

They were stuck on 57 for a long, long time. After 3-Q's it was 69-61.

So now that we've outscored them 32-20 in the 2nd-Q, and 26-8 in the 3rd-Q, the crowd wasn't about to let us run away with it. The first 3 minutes or so of the 4th-Q saw back-to-back buckets for both teams.. Leonard's 3rd three, Manu, Splitter, Neal, and for LA it was Griffin & Mo Williams. Pop would take a critical timeout with our lead cut to 7 and 9:14 on the clock. Following the timeout, both defenses were superior, as more than 3 minutes later, our lead was still 8 (scoring was 8-7 for these 3+ minutes).

Tony & Manu were pretty much scoring at will by this point, and neither team could manufacture a serious run. As is often the case late in games against these Spurs, time would simply run out on the Clippers, and five straight FTs would cement the Spurs' win 96-86.

As improbable as it seemed at the time, now that I'm looking back at the stats & play-by-play, it's no surprise that Vinny Del Negro just apparently didn't have any changes to make during his team's 8 minute 3rd-Q drought. He did call one timeout, and there were two substitutions (KMart for DJordan, and later Foye for Butler), but neither of these are moves to initiate an offensive spark for your team. Similar numbers as game-2 for San Antonio, as Tony, Tim & Manu led us again, but this time Kawhi Leonard also had a great game with 14 pts. & 9 reb.

Blake Griffin possibly put together the best game of his short career on this night - he had 28 & 16 on 13 of 24 shooting in 43 long minutes - most of it early on. Chris Paul had 12 pts. & 11 assts., and Mo Williams had a very nice 19. Here's ESPN's full boxscore..

Spurs can end the misery later tonight in game-4 at 9:30 CDT. That would be 17-straight!!

Spurs Semi-Finals Update

Tuesday night the second round series between the Spurs and Clippers finally got underway. I only say finally because we've been resting for 7 days now. And now I find out we have a back-to-back this weekend? Such a crock! Its like "Way to go Spurs & Thunder! For sweeping your 1st-round series, we're going to reward you with back-to-back games. But wait.. there's more! It's going to take place on the home court of the team who doesn't have home court advantage!"

So game-1 began, and it was obvious that we were a little rusty. We missed several layups, and were allowing way too many points in the paint early on. But with all the shots we were missing, the 1st-Q score of 29-29 was actually acceptable. K-Mart would hit a few jumpers, which he doesn't usually do, and Eric Bledsoe was beginning to make a mark as well. Then Manu & Neal would hit back-to-back threes. After the game had been pretty tight throughout, the Spurs finished off the half with a 16-7 run: Our halftime lead was 57-49.

Two quick Caron Butler jumpers opened the 2nd half, but right after we would respond with 7 of our own, the Clippers took a timeout (65-53). Spurs would

Timmy dominated.. Image Source (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

proceed to score almost every time down the floor - responding to Caron Butler's 13-pt. 3rd-Q, but by the 1:54 mark, our lead had ballooned to 19.. 83-64, thanks to Manu & Diaw. Manu's 9-pt. 3rd-Q led us to the 87-72 3rd-Q lead.

After Jack extended the lead to 18 again, the Clips would go on a 10-0 run to close within 8 (90-82). Then our defense tightened-down like always for a 4th quarter playoff game. An 11-3 run combined with solid defense on Chris Paul resulted in a 101-85 lead with just 2:33 left. And the Spurs would close out the 108-92 WIN with perfect execution down the stretch.

1-0. I don't think they knew what hit them. Here is ESPN's boxscore..

Manu came through with 22 in 27 minutes. Kawhi & Danny combined for 31 and 12 boards, too! Boris Diaw is so important to us: 7 pts. 12 reb. 5 assts. and a +/- rating of (gulp) +24. Tony's was +26 even though he had a bad game - that goes to show you his stats don't have to be good for us to win. Then there's Timmy, who turned the clock back yet again with 26 & 10 on 12 of 20 shooting in 35 minutes.

That's 15-straight wins - and counting. We haven't lost since April 11th! APRIL 11.

Game-2 is Thursday night - again in San Antonio.

Some LIVE Videos from the Mass Chaos Tour

Long post - This is an update to my prior post, Godsmack & Staind - Mass Chaos on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

Here is a collection of videos I chose for this post - These were recorded at the Alamodome's Illusion's Theater on May 2, 2012. My wife & I were there, and enjoyed it immensely. You'll see why.

Except for the Halestorm video, all credit goes to Jasonjayeah for these great vids, and what a super job he did!

Halestorm - A Familiar Taste Of Poison

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Staind - Spleen


Staind - For You


Staind - Not Again


Godsmack - Intro & Awake


Godsmack - The Enemy


Godsmack - The Oracle


These two were the highlight of the concert for me. The Oracle is an incredible instrumental on the newest album of the same name, and I loved the opportunity to see them perform it live! Then the little medley they played inside Keep Away made for a very unique experience. I know they've put Mistakes at the beginning of other songs before, but although I can't really place what it is they're playing, I know it's definitely theirs. And it's amazing.

Godsmack - Keep Away (with embedded medley jam)


Godsmack - Batalla del los Tambores


I will have the Staind setlist updated at the Godsmack & Staind - Mass Chaos post very shortly!!

Staind - It's Been A While (LIVE)

San Antonio's Alamodome Illusions Theater, May 2, 2012. Thanks to nbkyounggun!


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We were there, but not as close as he was. Not sure how he got this without all the bass reverb, but kudos to him!

Spurs Update

Gregg Popovich - 2011-2012 NBA CoY - Image Source

Just prior to game-2 against the Utah Jazz Wednesday night, the Spurs head coach and general manager was presented with the 2011-2012 NBA Coach of the Year award by David Robinson and Tim Duncan. A nice little humble ceremony to precede game-2, it was. However, game-2 against the Jazz is the only game of the 2011-2012 season that I missed entirely, so since I can't really provide my own review without cheating, I'll just link you to the Associated Press's recap of Spurs/Jazz game-2, which is exactly the same at both ESPN's and NBA's websites.

What was so important that I missed it? Well, the Mass Chaos Tour with Godsmack, Staind, Halestorm, and Man Made Machine. But that's for a later post. Believe me, I was very UPSET when I found out the NBA had scheduled the first three games of this series Sun-Wed-Sat.. rather than say Sun-Tues-Thu, or Sun-Tues-Fri.. knowing that the concert, for which we had bought tickets several months ago, was on this night.

At any rate, I expected to be able to hang out in the foyer of the Alamodome's Illusions Theater from tip-off (6pm) to about 8:25 when Staind was supposed to begin. Would you believe that despite nearly 11,000 residents of the San Antonio area at this concert, there wasn't ONE friggin TV with the game on?

So I called my Mom a couple times, and found the game-center on my "stupid" smart phone. I noticed the 20-0 run because I had just noticed it was 31-26 before going outside to have a smoke, and check again. Upon my 2nd call to my Mom, it said 46-26, and we talked while Danny Green hit a three. So when I hung up it was 53-28. I checked a few more times, while waiting in line wayyy tooo
Kawhi gets my game ball (17pts. on 6 of 7) - Image Source (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

long for beer, and once I saw 101-66, I stopped worrying about it. I took solace in the fact that I missed a sweet blowout - rather than a sweet nail-biter.

No Jazz player had more than 10 points, although they did have 7 players with 8+. On the other hand 7 Spurs scored in double-figures, plus one with 9 points. Looking at the stats and the play-by-play, it was obvious that we were determined to prove our defensive abilities, as the Jazz shot just 34% for the game, and only 1 of 6 from three. The Spurs' dominating 114-83 WIN was our 12th win in a row! Here is the boxscore..

Game-3 is Saturday in Salt Lake City at 9pm CDT, and game-4 is Monday, with tip-off time still TBA. I expect much more energy from the Jazz, as well as a hostile crowd. It's always tough to win in Utah.

Repost: ATR Two Weeks & FFDP Under and Over It

He's Back!

After going more than two years and 26 tournaments without a win, and after so much turmoil in his personal life and with his golf game, Tiger Woods stood over a 6-foot birdie putt Sunday to win the Chevron World Challenge and felt as though nothing had changed.

Finally, the outcome was familiar, too.

Woods poured in the putt to cap off a birdie-birdie finish at Sherwood, close with a 3-under 69 and beat former Masters champion Zach Johnson by one shot. The win ended a drought that lasted 749 days, and might have signaled a change that Woods is on his way back. (Source)



"Any different?'' Woods repeated when the question came about how it compares to his other victories -- which total 14 majors, 71 PGA Tour titles and 83 worldwide wins. "It feels great. … I know it's been a while, but also for some reason, it feels like it hasn't.

"When I was coming down the stretch there, I felt so comfortable. I felt comfortable in Oz [Australia]. I felt comfortable in Augusta. When I'm putting myself in those positions, it is comfortable.''

Woods was referring to his only other close calls this year: a tie for fourth at the Masters, where he was tied for the lead on the back nine on Sunday; and the Australian Open three weeks ago, where he held the second-round lead, coughed it up with a third-round 75, then rallied to finish third, two strokes out of a playoff. (Source)

Read the rest of both ESPN articles:
• Tiger Woods rallies to win Chevron
• Chevron win good start for Tiger Woods

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Waking Up

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Field Of Dreams 2: NFL Lockout

Thanks Cam!

2 Out Of 3 Isn't Bad

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How Good Is This Kid!

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He's 2! Two!

Just Flip A Coin

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Receipts FAIL

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An Alternate Ending

This obviously came out a few years ago, but I had never seen it. I LOVE the Terminator series, and this ending actually makes me think. I like it. Would've been really special had they (1) not come out with a T3, or (2) waited and made a T3 based on this ending. It's too bad! I haven't seen Terminator Salvation yet, but T3 sucked. I can't imagine McG and Salvation can bring back the Cameron mystique and perfection associated with this series as it stood in 1991.

Here are a bunch more alternate movie endings.

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2 Drunk Guys Setting Up A Tent Failing

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Hilarious!! I'm still laughing..

Two Terrorists Placing IEDs Taken Out

Be sure to turn up your volume, and pay attention to the dialogue.

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