Category: In the News

Does anyone in Spurs Nation care about the Finals?

Well, it’s down to the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.

The Mavericks have drawn the wrath of Spurs fans because of actions on the court and comments (usually by owner Mark Cuban) off the court.

Miami Heat player LeBron James. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

The Heat have drawn the wrath of so many NBA fans because of the way the team was put together over the offseason, especially LeBron James’ televised “Decision.”

While some readers have expressed a preference for no champion rather than one of these, like it or not, one of the two teams will be the NBA champion for the 2010-11 season.

So, will you watch? Do you care? Will you watch and root against one team rather than really for the other?

Share your plans with us in our poll. Voting closes Tuesday afternoon.

Mavs’ rally among greatest NBA playoff comebacks

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

On Monday, the Mavericks posted one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history, erasing a 15-point deficit in the final five minutes to force the Thunder into overtime. Dallas went on to a 112-105 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at Oklahoma City.

Here is a look at some other great NBA playoff comebacks:

Getty Images/Nathaniel Butler

1986 Eastern Conference first round Game 1: Washington trails by 17 at Philadelphia with just three minutes left before going on an 18-0 run, capped by Dudley Bradley’s game-winning 3-pointer. Final: Bullets 95, 76ers 94.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

2008 NBA Finals Game 4: The Lakers lead 35-14 after the first quarter – the largest first-quarter lead in NBA Finals history — at Los Angeles. They hold a 24-point lead early in the third, but the Celtics close the quarter with a 21-3 run and take the lead with 4:07 left in the game. Final: Celtics 97, Lakers 91

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

2002 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3: Celtics trail by 21 at the start of the fourth quarter at Boston, then score 41 points while holding the Nets to 16. Final: Celtics  94, Nets 90

1994 Western Conference semifinals Game 2: Houston leads by 20 at home with 10 minutes left, but scores only 8 points in the fourth quarter as the Suns close the quarter with a 24-4 run. Final: Suns 124, Rockets 117 (OT)

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

2000 Western Conference Finals Game 7: The Lakers are down by 15 points at home in the fourth quarter before going on a 25-4 run, highlighted by a Kobe to Shaq alley-oop to go up by 6 in the final minute. Final: Lakers 89, Trail Blazers 84

1992 NBA Finals Game 6: The Bulls trail by 15 points in the third quarter at Chicago, then score 33 and allow only 14 to down the Trail Blazers and claim their second straight championship. Final: Bulls 97, Trail Blazers 93

AP Photo/LM Otero

2011 Western Conference first round Game 4: The Mavs lead by 18 points entering the final quarter at Portland, then Brandon Roy scores 18 of the Trail Blazers’ 35 points to finish the comeback. Portland trailed by as much as 23 in the game. Final: Trail Blazers 84, Mavericks 82

Reuters/Lucy Nicholson

2006 NBA Finals Game 3: The Heat trail by 13 points in the fourth quarter at home when Dwyane Wade scores 12 points in the final 6-plus minutes. Miami scores 30 and holds the Mavericks to 19 in the quarter. Final: Heat 98, Mavericks 96

Compiled from NBA.com, ESPN.go.com, and various online wire service stories

Wrestler’s barbs body-slam the Spurs’ early playoff exit

First Jerry Lawler, then some loud-mouthed manager can’t wait to pile-drive the Silver and Black.

It seems that the Spurs and their quick exit in the playoffs are becoming an easy joke — even for those in professional wrestling.

During a taping of the WWE matches Monday night at the ATT Center, the Spurs’ loss in the Memphis series was afor some of the heels as they taunted local fans.

Take this exchange from Alex Riley, who told booing fans that they’ve underestimated the wrestler The Miz from the start of his wrestling career (hat tip ).

“Well, you people also said the Spurs (NBA team) were also going to make it out of the first round and we all know what happened with that,” Riley said.

If he was trying to incite the passion of the local crowd, it worked. Fans responded with a “You suck” chant that reverberated across the facility like Kobe Bryant, Jason Terry or Joey Crawford were there.

Maybe those soothsayers who claim the world will be ending on Saturday might be right.

After all, who would have thought that the most exciting event taking place at the ATT Center in mid-May would involve oily, pumped-up wrestlers rather than NBA playoff action.

What is the world coming to?