that the Spurs are a better team. I’m sorry. There’s nothing anyone can say. I know at this end of the season moment is where you’re supposed to be gracious. Where you’re supposed to wax poetic about how great of a season it was. That’s not going to happen here. Check back tomorrow for ticktock’s post if you want that.
All game, we and the people around us were screaming about the calls. But we thought, a real champion overcomes bad calls. We thought, the Hornets couldn’t make a shot. They were outrebounded. They were outdone from the 3 point and free throw lines. But that said, the Hornets kept fighting and refused to surrender. That being the case, the Hornets were still within 4 points with 3 minutes left in the game. The Spurs made every fucking shot they could and they were still only up by 4. Then a touch foul. Take two free throws. People in the stands go nuts. And suddenly, when you’re that close, you realize that with all the calls that went against you and you’re still there, that suddenly, not just “all” those bad calls made a difference, but any one or two might have changed the game. Suddenly, you’re thinking of the 2nd quarter when you had a 1 point lead, and then a timeout, a missed shot, and a touch foul turned it around.
The refs can’t throw a blowout, but they can change a close game. Take for example this switch. CP goes to the basket and lays it in. Traveling call. Seriously? (Anyone see the 3-4 steps Lebron took at the end of his Game 7 and still got the and 1? Yeah. ) Then the Spurs march down and score. So it’s not just a 2 point switch, it’s 4. Add to that the 187 steps Ginobli takes at the other end of the floor, moving from one side of the paint to the other somehow, which brought the entire back bowl out of their seats–a violation that was NOT called–and the subsequent basket and 1 and it’s a free 3 points. Crazy. You have Mo Pete slapped on a three miss, D-West and Tyson and CP driving and no and 1s, while Parker, Duncan, and Ginobli get them time and time again. Now I have to listen to the idiots on NBAtv say Robert Horry has the experience, and the young Hornets don’t, after the cheap fucking shot he took the other night. After all the pulls and pushes and grabs that Bowen got away with, he’s savvy. Fuck, a few calls go different and they’re all saying the Spurs are too old and we’re the next dynasty.
Fuck the Spurs. I’m sorry. I know already how most of the Hornets blogosphere will react to this, let alone the rest of the country. But I don’t care. It’s my blog. I was there. And this is my opinion. My take. Two games in a row were decided by refs, when the Hornets were up 3-2. You say the Hornets lost it, but when they couldn’t get a call on their OWN HOME FLOOR, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. It’s easy for the Spurs to be gracious. They’re moving on. But after watching the Celtics get fucked by the refs, and bailed out by Paul Pierce, and the Hornets get fucked tonight, it’s obvious that the calls ordained for the first 20-some games of the conference semifinals were on the reverse in these game 7s. The NBA has a long history of conspiracy theories and there’s a reason for it. People are saying Lebron is king, so they want him to win. People are saying the Spurs “aren’t a dynasty” because they’ve never won consecutive championships. Fuck, well, then, just give them one more.
I don’t care. You can’t tell me otherwise. The Hornets were the better team. Were they beat? Yes. Were they beat by a better team? No.
All 14 of the players (and those of you who were on the team and are now elsewhere), the coaches, trainers, and assistants, I salute you. You guys are the best team this city has ever seen. Mr. Shinn, the Hornets organization, you’ve been amazing. As far as the Spurs go, you’ve won 4 championships. Congratulations. But this series, you stole it. No one can convince me otherwise. I hate you.
Entries (RSS)
May 19th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
We may have got fucked by the refs but we still needed better shooting and rebounding to get by the Spurs.
I thought we needed a “Pierce” from Game 7 of the Celtics/Cavs series to start getting hot and knocking down everything and we didn’t do that unfortunately.
I thought the CP lay-in should’ve counted. We were messed up with that call…and they do call touch fouls a lot late in games so i wasn’t surprised the Spurs got fouls for that………………
i have nothing else to say…. but i still love the Hornets so much and hope that national tv will give them more coverage…
May 19th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
mW, I agree with some of your points, but you can’t deny we didn’t make some shots we were supposed to make… (although I could bitch at the refs to you all day on that subject), even when it came down to some pithy calls during our game seven.
Anyway, regarding Mo Pete fouled resulting in a no call: HE DIDN’T FLOP. If you notice, there were a lot of fouls during replays of 3-point shots for both teams, but the reason no calls were made for most of them was because the shooter didn’t flop. Ask Reggie Miller. He always flopped, and got TONS of calls, courtesy of flopping. I’m not saying to beat a flopping team you need to flop, but to get some legitimate and stupid calls, flopping is recommended.
Again, I feel for your quote: “It’s easy for the Spurs to be gracious. They’re moving on.,” and don’t get me wrong, I’m still pissed off and hate the Spurs, but this is just my opinion. You have every right to express, and chances are after the media starts bitching-up tomorrow (as to be expected), I’m going to follow your lead on ranting.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Wow. I’m devastated. I can’t believe those assholes won. Go Lakers.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:07 am
Yeah, that second quarter is what really gets to me. We had the game in the palm of our hands, the crowd going wild, lock down D, and then Ginobili comes down and hits, what, 3 straight 3’s?
Anyway, I don’t think I can bear watching the rest of these playoffs. *Maybe* Detroit-Boston. Maybe. But even then, the commentators will definitely bring up “so how about those Spurs?” more than once, and I dunno if I can bear that. Finally, I still hope S.A. crushes L.A. As much as I hate losing to the Spurs like this, I despise Kobe Bryant even more.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Seriously? I see the Lakers crushing them in 5. Shit, honestly, and I can be honest now because, hello, gin and tonic, I didn’t see the Hornets beating the Lakers. And I certainly am not convinced the Spurs are more than marginally better than the Hornets.
I’m kind of all up on Boston now. And I hate Boston teams, so I don’t know where that comes from. But I have a thing for guys that have played all their careers and not won because they played for crappy teams…
May 20th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Whoa. Lakers fan here. Settle down on the Spurs love. No way they beat us. Sorry about the series, by the way, guys. You were definitely the better team. I’m sooOOOOOo happy to get the old man Spurs.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:13 am
What the Lakers fan said. Again.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Oh, atthehive. You break my heart. You are an amazing basketball analyst. But I can’t bear this Spurs team winning another game, let alone another series.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:18 am
By the way, I literally blew a vocal chord on that Ginobili travel. No shit, he went from half way to the 3 point line to the other side of the paint. No call. My voice is shot. I think I may have spit on the people in front of us.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Horrible basketball reigns again. I think it was bad karma from them RUNNING OUT OF BEER AT THE BEER GARDEN BEFORE I GOT ONE CUP! Last time I got sold out on FREE BEER was the blowout lost to Houston.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:27 am
I agree with mW. This game was fucked. But why would Stern want the Spurs to win? They are the most boring team in the NBA!
May 20th, 2008 at 12:31 am
Nice to see that Chris Paul pushing off in San Antonio is a foul, but when Tony Parker does it, he gets a free pass
May 20th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Because the chance that Chris Paul would show up Kobe would threaten the legitimacy of the MVP race. And that has to be unquestioned so as to preserve Kobe’s place in NBA history. Thus you create the “new team” LA versus the “old guard” SA as opposed to two new teams, despite the fact that last year’s NBA finals had the worst ratings ever with a Spurs sweep.
Besides, the Hornets might actually beat the Lakers, and Stern wants Lakers versus Celtics. But feel free to listen to the crap on the post-game conferences that pretend the Spurs legitimately won this series.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:42 am
I’M not sure if Hornets could take the Lakers if the bench decides to be a no-show… we gotta hand it to the Spurs bench players for stepping it up.. Mike Finley played like 3 minutes? and got two huge 3s….
I predict Lakers in 6 but i’m so not watching. I hate the final four teams. NBA season is over for me.
We need to improve…and remain hungry. We can do it.
Next year’s ours to take all the way.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Ditto. I wasn’t sure the Hornets could take the Lakers. But sure as hell the Spurs won’t. And it won’t be as entertaining a series. NBA lost out tonight, IMO.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:54 am
Yeah. Never would’ve openly admitted it, but the Lakers look pretty darn good, and I dunno that I would bet on Hornets over them. Whatever, moot point I guess.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:55 am
Also, anyone else like Detroit? They’re the only team left I would actually consider rooting for. Boston, their huge bandwagon annoys me. Lakers, ditto. Spurs… yeah. Yeah, Detroit it is.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:58 am
I’m kind of on the Boston bandwagon. mW is… well, we’re not sure what he is. Besides angry. In case you couldn’t tell.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Haha. Looks like we’ll be cheering against each then. Although, I’ve always been a Paul Pierce fan. Can’t argue with the Truth!
May 20th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Hmmm…I was a Lakers fan prior to moving to New Orleans, and I will never forgive the Pistons for stealing that championship from the Lakers in 2004. Were Karl Malone not injured…anyway, it created very similar feelings to those I have now. So, no, from my point of view, I cannot root for the Pistons.
However, I have always loved Kevin Garnett. So despite ticktock and I’s hatred for the TD Banknorth Garden, I think I’m rooting for the C’s in the East. Although, that also gives me the willies. Because then I’m rooting for Celtics and Lakers.
Just what Stern wanted. Damn him.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:02 am
I’m on the Hornets off season improvement wagon.
That’s it.
And want to redecorate the room….
A CP3 poster would be nice….CP3 t-shirt coming…. yep, busy for me….
Go Hornets!
May 20th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Yeah, I think Kal has it best…
May 20th, 2008 at 1:20 am
Can I join the ‘upgrade the bench’ wagon?
May 20th, 2008 at 1:21 am
I hope HornetsHype doesn’t go limp for 5 months.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:28 am
@ Hornet Saint: Although it seems odd to recall it now, HornetsHype did once have a life… that wasn’t NBA.
Huh.
@ At the Hive: I think I kind of have a playoff crush on Paul Pierce. Plus I secretly dream that someday people will refer to me as The Truth.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:37 am
ticktock6–Glad you want to join in the “upgrade the bench” wagon.
i think upgrading the bench is vital for championship hopes.
Let’s start discussing who we should add……and drop.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:15 am
atthehive, I’m with you. I don’t like any of the teams left in the playoffs AT ALL (’hate’ may be a more sufficient word), but the Peeee-stons get my vote, probably just because ‘SHEED is on that team, and Ben Wallace is no longer affiliated.
Also, I felt the KG and Kwame trade had some ‘under-the-table’ shit that went down. No fucking way those two could’ve nor should’ve gone through. Plus, I naturally hate the Lakers (and similarly Spurs). As much as I’d hate for Flip Saunders to win a chip… Hell. I hope this season goes down into a flaming heap of mess and nobody wins. Well, except for Dictator-at-Large David Stern, because he always wins.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:18 am
conspiracy theory alert: spurs had to win game 7. that way, when the lakers beat them in the conf finals, kobe is now a dynasty destroyer. lakers take over for spurs as new dynasty. laker hype reaches even higher levels than previously imagined. and you still have plenty of years for lakers vs hornets, jazz, blazers, to set up new “young gun” rivalries. once again, i tip my hat to david stern. truly the puppet master.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:24 am
mW is not here, stevens, but I will speak for him and say he loves your comment. As you can see from this post, he is also an NBA conspiracy theorist.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:39 am
I agree that the refs stole games 3 and 6, and were horribly inconsistent again last night. However, if we make 90% of our dunks and layups and Chris makes 75% of his free throws we win. NOBODY clicked for the Hornets on offense. Tyson missed oops. Bonzi was imitating Birdman in the dunk contest. Chris missed 5 shots from inside 5 feet, 5 FTs, and a wide-open 3. David missed a ton of shots he normally makes, Peja was sub-par, and Mo Pete was average. Pargo played 1/8th of an awesome game, but the first 3 quarters he was part of the problem.
We missed David West on the defensive boards. I don’t think he wanted to jump for some Horry reason.
On the plus side, our defense was excellent despite 3-pointers being pulled from every bodily orifice by the Spurs. Our effort was there, we just couldn’t hit the mark on offense. I still loves me some Hornets, and can’t wait for the draft and next season.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:43 am
My feelings on this game pretty much exactly echo yours. It’s just such a bad game in which to drop a rare… bad game.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Or have it stolen.
May 20th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I say the KG trade was valid, he had a huge contract and wasn’t playing as hard as they wanted him to play because their team sucked. But the kwame brown trade are you F’n serious, yeah there was something to that. Wonder if we can trade armstrong for dwight howard the same way…..hmmmm.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Conspiracy theorists should have a field day with Chicago, a large market team, getting the #1 draft pick with a 1.7% chance of doing so………..
May 20th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Pathetic. From the 1st day I’ve heard of the “lottery” I’ve been opposed to it. It’s the soul reason the Grizzlies still suck. How many years have they been shafted? Now it strikes again. The Bulls are a team with PLAYOFF talent, who just underachieved. NO WAY they deserve the #1.