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These 4 teams blew an opportunity to take control of the series and close it out because of silly mistakes. I always wondered would we have seen a different dynasty if none of the things below ever happened.
1987 Pistons...Isiah bad inbound pass stolen by Bird and stopped the Pistons from going home with a 3-2 lead
1999 Pacers-Larry Johnson fouled on his 3 pt shot by Antonio Davis which led to a 4 point play in Game 3 preventing the Pacers from regaining home court advantage and going up 2-1
2000-Blazers blowing a 15 pt lead in Game 7 at the start of the 4th quarter.
2002 Kings-Divac smacking the ball to robert horry after a kobe bryant miss in Game 4 blowing a chance to go up 3-1 in the series
2006 Spurs. Dirk took their 3-peat. That was maybe the best defensive team in history, and they had an offense too. But the Mavs were built to match up with them, they couldn't run, but they could score in a slow game that the Spurs liked.
Popovich. Duncan, Ginobili and Bruce Bowen in their prime. Tony Parker not in his prime but he getting good. Great depth - Mike Finley, Robert Horry, Rasho, Brent Barry, Udrih, etc.
Also Bird's Celtics in some of those years when they couldn't get past the 76ers and the Pistons. Magic had it easy in the West, he never had any clubs of 76ers and Pistons caliber until the finals.
2006 Spurs. Dirk took their 3-peat. That was maybe the best defensive team in history, and they had an offense too. But the Mavs were built to match up with them, they couldn't run, but they could score in a slow game that the Spurs liked.
Popovich. Duncan, Ginobili and Bruce Bowen in their prime. Tony Parker not in his prime but he getting good. Great depth - Mike Finley, Robert Horry, Rasho, Brent Barry, Udrih, etc.
Actually the 2004 spurs. They had the Lakers beat in game 5 at home and lost the game on a buzzer beater by Derek fisher. The spurs was going to win that series and was supposed to be in the finals three years in a row which was 2003, 2004, and 2005.
2006 spurs was just flat out beat by the Mavs and didn't lose because of a fluke shot or silly mistake.
Also Bird's Celtics in some of those years when they couldn't get past the 76ers and the Pistons. Magic had it easy in the West, he never had any clubs of 76ers and Pistons caliber until the finals.
The only team that comes to mind is the 82 Celtics and I don't remember that team having the 76ers beat in game 7. I think it was the performance of Andrew Tony which is why he was called the Boston strangler.
The 83 sixers was a dominant force and swept the playoffs so that Celtics team wasn't in any position to go to the Finals.
Actually the 2004 spurs. They had the Lakers beat in game 5 at home and lost the game on a buzzer beater by Derek fisher. The spurs was going to win that series and was supposed to be in the finals three years in a row which was 2003, 2004, and 2005.
2006 spurs was just flat out beat by the Mavs and didn't lose because of a fluke shot or silly mistake.
Quote:
Originally Posted by moneymkt
The only team that comes to mind is the 82 Celtics and I don't remember that team having the 76ers beat in game 7. I think it was the performance of Andrew Tony which is why he was called the Boston strangler.
The 83 sixers was a dominant force and swept the playoffs so that Celtics team wasn't in any position to go to the Finals.
I don't think you have to lose on a game 7 buzzer beater to qualify for this thread.
Of course, it's your thread. But if you wanted to ask which teams lost as a fluke or on game 7 buzzer beaters in the conference finals, then I didn't understand your question.
I think the 2006 Spurs were a better team than 2004 Spurs, Mavs were matched up very well. A number of great Celtics teams didn't make the finals.
OK, the 2006 Spurs lost in a game 7 overtime by 8 points instead of on a buzzer beater, but so what?
If we are talking simply about "best teams", then it makes little sense that we would dismiss 2006 Spurs and some of the Celtics teams, but name the 1999 Pacers, who played in a weakened conference post-Jordan and lost to the 8th seed. Not to mention they lost in 6 games. And the league in general was garbage that year, half of the players were out of shape because of the lockout.
I'm a lifelong Pacers fan and I really wish that we ever had teams on the level of 1980s Celtics or 2006 Spurs, but we simply never did.
You can be one the best teams and still lose to a better team fair and square. What if 1996 Bulls somehow sat in a time machine and entered western conference finals in year 2000, beating the Lakers convincingly in 6 games? Even 5 games? The Lakers wouldn't be one of the best teams not to make the finals? But the Pacers would be because they had some close games vs. Latrell Sprewell?
I don't think you have to lose on a game 7 buzzer beater to qualify for this thread.
Of course, it's your thread. But if you wanted to ask which teams lost as a fluke or on game 7 buzzer beaters in the conference finals, then I didn't understand your question.
I think the 2006 Spurs were a better team than 2004 Spurs, Mavs were matched up very well. A number of great Celtics teams didn't make the finals.
OK, the 2006 Spurs lost in a game 7 overtime by 8 points instead of on a buzzer beater, but so what?
If we are talking simply about great teams, then it makes little sense that we would dismiss 2006 Spurs and some of the Celtics teams, but name the 1999 Pacers, who played in a weakened post-Jordan conference and lost to the 8th seed. Not to mention they lost in 6 games. And the league in general was garbage that year, half of the players were out of shape because of the lockout.
I'm a lifelong Pacers fan and I really wish that we ever had teams on the level of 1980s Celtics or 2006 Spurs, but we simply never did.
You can be a great team and still lose to a greater team fair and square. What if 1996 Bulls somehow sat in a time machine and entered western conference finals in year 2000, beating the Lakers in 6 games? Even 5 games? The Lakers wouldn't be one of the greatest teams not to make the finals?
I think you are right I should remove the Pacers from the list since that was a short season. In regards to the 2006 spurs, I think I forgot about that team because of that fluke shot by Derek Fisher that caused the 2004 spurs to lose the series. If Fisher misses that shot those spurs would have had a 3-2 lead and game 7 at their house. The 2006 spurs never trailed the Mavs 3-1 in the series and really was fortunate to win Game 5 at home but they did and kept the series alive to force Game 7. So when I think of both of those teams I think the 2004 Spurs are the better team since they only trailed in the series because of a buzzer beater. They won their first two at home and probably was going to win Game 7 at home if it wasn't for derek fisher.
1971-72 Milwaukee Bucks, with Kareem and Oscar Robertson. It was the best conference fight of all time between them and the Lakers. They won the West but the Lakers won the playoffs and championship. Kareem joined the Lakers a few years after (but he doesn't get the hate like Durant does now).
1971-72 Milwaukee Bucks, with Kareem and Oscar Robertson. It was the best conference fight of all time between them and the Lakers. They won the West but the Lakers won the playoffs and championship. Kareem joined the Lakers a few years after (but he doesn't get the hate like Durant does now).
Probably because it was no cable tv or social media. Also the NBA wasn't a big deal in 1971 like it is now in 2017. Remember the NBA Finals used to be shown on tape delay in the early 1980's before Magic and Bird entered the league.
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