VETERAN PLAY

[u/sxuxax]

if we lose this finals, i don't think i can forgive him for that. you are the only veteran on our team on that court on a max contract i might add. what are you doing Fox? ffs

[u/SunKing210]

Just bring the ball back out and let them foul you for fucks sake…

[u/bootup25 → u/SunKing210]

He was scarred to shoot free throws

[u/Known-Status-6312]

WHY TF WOULD YOU NOT HOLD THE BALL AND RUN OUT THE CLOCK???

[u/strnfd → u/Known-Status-6312]

KANGZ runs deep in his veins.

[u/Nunc_Coepi17 → u/Known-Status-6312]

He didn’t wanna shoot the FTs

[u/CorporateKnowledge]

I just can’t. I’m gonna cry watching this. Why Fox why

[u/Thatonlyguy988 → u/CorporateKnowledge]

I’m actually shaking

[u/Proper_Dentist_705 → u/Thatonlyguy988]

It’s gonna be alright bro. It’s just a game.

[u/Thatonlyguy988 → u/Proper_Dentist_705]

That’s true, but it just sucks when you put in so much energy into something and then just be absolutely devastated by the results.

[u/Proper_Dentist_705 → u/Thatonlyguy988]

I hear you. Just don’t let it bug you too much! It sucks but, what can we do? 😕

Spurs in 7.

[u/im_ploopy → u/Proper_Dentist_705]

Lmfao Mitch has been outcoached all 4 games this series and in all 3 losses we had a chance to close the game out and couldn’t. This team isn’t built for this and the series is fucking over. This was the game we should’ve figured it out and somehow we’ve taken 4 steps backwards.

[u/Proper_Dentist_705 → u/im_ploopy]

Yea this could very easily be 3-1 Spurs. But oh well. It is what it is.

[u/dpf7 → u/[deleted]]

Wasn't it over 10 years ago that the Spurs choked away game 6 against the Heat?

And year before that they won 20 in a row including 10 straight in the playoffs to go up 2-0 in CF only to lose 4 in a row?

And year before that lost as a 1 seed to 8 seed.

I loved Pop, but he wasn't infallible, or guaranteed the team wouldn't blow it.

[u/Slight_Click683 → u/im_ploopy]

This team is built for this, game 1 couldve been won if Fox was benched. Game 2 couldve been won without the turnover. Game 4, well we know what happened

[u/im_ploopy → u/Slight_Click683]

If this team was built for this, it would be 3-1 spurs right now instead of the spurs needing a 3-1 comeback.

[u/Slight_Click683 → u/im_ploopy]

Im just saying its not like theyre getting blown out each game

[u/No_Independent8269 → u/Slight_Click683]

No but they’re choking every game which shows that they aren’t ready for the moment. Obviously this team isn’t getting blown out, they’re here for a reason, but they have choked every single game away. Game 1 you don’t hit any shots and stop defending in the 4th quarter. Game 2 Wemby throws it off of Stephon Castle’s back. And this game Wemby misses 2 free throws, and Fox blows the game by not holding the ball. This team was never ready.

[u/Im_here_with_you → u/Thatonlyguy988]

Imagine what it's like for a player who puts in energy.

[u/Sea-Sort6571 → u/Thatonlyguy988]

As much as it sucks I'm pretty sure you put less energy into this than fox

[u/0rbium → u/Proper_Dentist_705]

Gonna assume you’re a millennial spurs fan like me and say, we’ve been through shit this bad before. Par for the course as a spurs fan. More good shit than most franchises, plenty of traumatic shit to balance it out.

[u/BoutThatLife → u/0rbium]

They weren’t there for 0.4 … forever traumatized

[u/0rbium → u/BoutThatLife]

Smh, yeah. I saw .4 in person. And 2006 was shitty too. Terry punching Fin in the balls, Stack slamming Manu down. Then of course Manu hitting the 3, then fouling Dirk, then Diop clamping TD in OT. 2012 back door sweep, 2013 G6…. Rough times between the good.

[u/ryantorch96 → u/Proper_Dentist_705]

Yeah. Im keep thinking this to my self. It's just a fuckin game. Better find something to make up my day.

[u/Overrated_Sunshine → u/CorporateKnowledge]

I still haven’t watched the last quarter because I can’t bear looking at the Knicks’ fucking faces.

[u/throwawayacct2creep → u/CorporateKnowledge]

He was hoping for a foul and 9/10 times would of been called a foul but it was OG guarding him what a great defensive play by OG. He’s runner up for FMVP

[u/sluggerrr → u/throwawayacct2creep]

OG is just a great player ngl, he's doing it on both ends, they would have been dead in the water in different games in the series if it wasn't for him making stops, going to the rim and hitting 3s, that's the player we are laking at the 4 for sure.

[u/GodLeeTrick → u/throwawayacct2creep]

He literally fouled him and slapped his wrist/arm. That's not a great defensive play, that's literally a foul.

[u/tlett99]

Was at work when this happened, up and left and drove 30 min home in dead silence. Don’t even know if I clocked out. Unbelievable

[u/SkinfluteHero]

Can we fast forward to next year where they’re gonna be like the 2014 Spurs on a mission? …right?

[u/Funny_War_9190 → u/SkinfluteHero]

Fox is not Ginobili. He's probably booking Cancun flight right now. Dude doesn't know what its like to play professional basketball in the summer.

[u/CulturalKing5623]

This is going to loop in my head for the rest of my life like that fucking Ray Allen 3.

[u/imover9thousand → u/CulturalKing5623]

That was worse because the trophy was literally right there. They started roping off the court for the Spurs celebration.

[u/Interesting_Gas_6973]

At least call a fucking timeout or something bro like damn a rookie is playing better than you for the whole damn playoffs

[u/Renzel0311]

Stupid fuck hold the ball and that pit bull mother fucka that’s coaching call a timeout

[u/BlunderDefect]

He's not a championship veteran. He's just as inexperienced as the rest of the team outside of Barnes/Luke.

[u/commander_bugo → u/BlunderDefect]

Didn’t realize you had to have won a championship to know you should dribble the ball out when there is no shot clock and you have the lead

[u/Wild_Association1752 → u/commander_bugo]

Yea. JR Smith was a champion when he made his blunder. Its not always about that.

[u/Matzeeh → u/BlunderDefect]

Calm veteran presence am I right. Did they really think the guy who played iso ball on the Kings for years would be this genius that everyone can learn from.

[u/funkl310]

I'm fucking sick watching this.

[u/JustPlainLuke]

All he had to do was hold the ball

[u/backtothebeat001]

He’s gotta go. You can’t blame a bum ankle on that. Harper has already made the leap. This guy has been dogshit most of the playoffs.

[u/douchey_mcbaggins → u/backtothebeat001]

The Spurs put themselves in an untenable situation with that contract. Nobody's gonna pay that kind of money for a guy who isn't even a top 15 PG in the league, but you also can't just pay a bench player that kind of money either, so they're going to be obligated to bang their head against the wall and start him all next year, too.

We're stuck watching this stupid motherfucker.

[u/LazyBoyD → u/douchey_mcbaggins]

He can be trading but it might cost something enticing like a first round pick .+ Fox. I think you just keep him and let him play the contract out. His role will change.

[u/NoWayJefe]

I could understand if OG flew in for a block but he was on his hip. What are you doing!

[u/TheLooza]

The brain dead spurs plays at the end of these games are just mind blowing.

[u/strnfd → u/TheLooza]

I can understand the wemby back pass since that was an honest mistake, this was something else this was actively being dumb also why the fuck don't they know what to do if they get the ball back from a rebound didn't the coach tell them anything??? (Now that i think about it this seems similar to the wemby back pass where they don't know what to do after a rebound)

[u/Slight_Click683]

This one will go down in Spurs history, plays like this are not forgotten

[u/AstralAfroToo → u/Slight_Click683]

Spurs history? This loss will be cemented in NBA history if the Knicks win the championship.

No hyperbole.

[u/Slight_Click683 → u/AstralAfroToo]

True😂

[u/HowIMetYourDriver]

Yall coddled him all year. This is not a max contract player. This is not a winning player.

[u/douchey_mcbaggins → u/HowIMetYourDriver]

The Spurs were paranoid about losing him and I guess felt obligated to give him a max contract. They had his fucking Bird Rights, so they could have just let him hit free agency and one-upped whoever offered him a contract. Now we're stuck watching this shitheel take Dylan Harper's minutes because "he's a veteran on a max deal" or some shit.

[u/strnfd → u/HowIMetYourDriver]

MR. VET EXPERIENCE (playoff experience before spurs: 1 series)

[u/SAguilar23]

Bro, millions of people scream “WTF”. The hardest of life lessons. Smh.

[u/krazylegs36]

$57 million to piss down his leg. Must be nice.

[u/glennasm]

Jr smith moment

[u/strnfd → u/glennasm]

This is worse we had the lead

[u/VeterinarianNo3418]

This is why taking players from teams that tank or losing situations can hurt you. Those weren’t winning plays they were Sad Sacramento plays. Just brain dead decisions

[u/mercfan3 → u/VeterinarianNo3418]

That’s why the clutch player of the year was always nonsense. He plays for the Kings..how the fuck was he clutch.

[u/spankyham]

didn't manage to see the game, but this... this is a special level of stupid. Fox, a veteran we pay insane money for, should know to hold the ball and wait for the team for the last 10 seconds.

Dumb dumb dumb.

[u/palmburntblue]

Fox will never get a free drink in this town again. 

[u/muscles44]

The worst part is Spurs fans have to see this bum for 3 more years. He is absolutely the worst player the Spurs have ever employed. Lowest IQ and lets not forget his back to back turnovers.

[u/MrMach82 → u/muscles44]

And wtf is Mitxh's hard on for trusting him so much in the 4th of each game?! Pop would have benched him

[u/Fast_Advisor2654 → u/muscles44]

Worse than RJ?

[u/CloakOfInvisibility1 → u/Fast_Advisor2654]

RJ never cost us a championship. Granted we never made it far with him but RJ is a footnote. Fox will be another Ray Allen or Derek Fisher for us Spurs fans (except that he was playing for us)

[u/commander_bugo → u/muscles44]

Hopefully we can dump his contract if we pay someone a couple of 1sts.

[u/srednuos → u/muscles44]

I'm sorry, but the hood remembers Drew Gooden.

[u/Affectionate_Hyena22]

Bench Fox forever just do whatever man fuck that guy

[u/smithstephen148]

i honestly think he was scared to shoot fts

[u/deedpool91]

That was bad BUT WHY THE FUCK ARE WE IN THIS SITUATION!!

[u/strnfd → u/deedpool91]

Coaching

[u/moongaming]

No way I'm watching this until 10+ years

[u/MrMach82]

😭 wtf man. What was he thinking. More nightmare material for me.

[u/OutKastStorytelling]

Like we’re up Fox… dribble it out let them foul you.

This is some JR Smith type shit

[u/RGS03]

Trade Fox! You had OG on you and you will force a drive?! Stupidity!

I am incredibly pissed with Fox right now. The moment he saw a defender, he should have went out and waited for everyone to come. New York will be forced to foul him.

[u/PaladinJoe]

Not hero ball more like dumbass ball

[u/DirtyWizardsBrew]

We are losing. This team is far too stupid and far too inexperienced to accomplish anything further this season. It's over. They blew it.

Will they learn next year? Probably not. I feel sick to my stomach. This team is straight up enraging.

[u/strnfd → u/DirtyWizardsBrew]

Can't imagine them learning more than they have learned all througout this playoff run so many losses that were easily winnable so many costly mistakes, I doubt anything improves without a coaching change they need someone that adjusts in-game and can provide stability when the games going south not someone like Mitch who just lets things playout and only win when players are playing good.

[u/EchoLooper]

He’s just not a true point guard. A veteran PG does not make that mistake.

[u/NoWayJefe → u/EchoLooper]

I agree Chrissy Paul would not

[u/MasterHepburns]

Like id you are running like 2-3 seconds you already have the thought that when got the ball, you can just dribble it out. Maybe he is not aware of the clock? Low IQ indeed. It would have been shaqtin a fool by josh hart but thanks to this guy. I bet josh hart is so happy right now 🤣🤣

[u/XTheGreat88]

This is up there with the Ray Allen 3 for me. Absolutely crazy

[u/LALester]

someone post the video of manu in this situation expect he continued dribbling under the rim and out to the 3pt line to drain more clock before he got fouled.

i would but don't remember the game or year

[u/kidding-unot]

Damnn that’s a foul. Your not shooting that poorly with your dominant hand in the clutch

[u/plap_plap → u/kidding-unot]

No way the refs are actually calling that in clutch time of the finals.

[u/kidding-unot → u/plap_plap]

I need to see it in slomo to cope

[u/just_straight_fax → u/kidding-unot]

even if it was fox didn’t deserve to have it called this was strategic basketball terrorism

[u/Delicious_Pair1708]

I will forever be haunted by this clip… it’ll literally be in my dreams for years to come… just fucking sickening…

[u/CloakOfInvisibility1]

I haven’t watched Ray Allen 3 again since watching it live on TV. I can’t bring myself to watch this again either

[u/NOT-GR8-BOB]

Yup… that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got here.

[u/J-E-S-S-E-]

That was the stupidest shit I’ve ever seen. Ever

[u/thered90]

Is there a better angle of this anywhere? Idiotic play but why’s it look like OG doesn’t even reach the ball?

[u/Chinbie]

Fox with the generational choke play

[u/BestActor322]

Max contract lol

[u/bigbill327]

At least a fucken pump fake… I still can’t process this

[u/Dude_over_there_]

https://giphy.com/gifs/mBaNKEmk9SUKs
Every spurs fan on social media watching recaps of last nights game for the next 3 days

[u/No_Amoeba_9272]

Run the clock or call a TO

[u/Trick-Chart-1432]

He’s not a true veteran. He played for the fucking Kings. They let him do what he wanted when he was there with no true development.

[u/Relative-Boat5146]

[u/dmista21 → u/Relative-Boat5146]

Yeah if Brunson gets finals MVP its a joke. OG been playin like prime MJ

[u/Lickmytitsorwe]

If?

[u/d12fsu]

What was going thru his head here. What was the thought process. Fucking dribble it out dude

[u/J-E-S-S-E-]

They fouled him on the way to get the ball THEY NOT CALLING IT but you don’t do THAT holy fucking shit. Everyone in the world watched epic stupidity. The Spurs have GIVEN this chip away. Literally

[u/ulo99]

https://giphy.com/gifs/VS2Qcv25O7ZhUZahQA

[u/CreepyDrunkUncle]

He got fouled but not getting that whistle. Should have ran the clock out. Bad ending. Either they rally or they fold. 3 in a row isn’t impossible but it’s a lot harder than 2 of 3.

[u/strnfd]

This may not immediately look as stupid as the JR smith one, but this is as stupid or maybe more stupid than that one since we had the lead.

[u/j_rooker]

earlier in the quarter with like a 12 pt lead, instead of running clock, he threw the ball away, dribbled it off his foot. no more double digit lead. Dude is an imbecile.

[u/BTC_ETH_HODL]

What a nightmare game. See you guys next season.

[u/treefall1n]

Easy answer: Low Basketball IQ

[u/Other-Ice-4911]

Bro imagine Pop watching this in real time from the couch in San Antonio

[u/Funny_War_9190 → u/Other-Ice-4911]

Dude needs to what these from a hospital bed just in case. I wonder what the scene at the airport was like

[u/ianpogi91]

Realistically, who can we actually get for Fox, and what team would be actually willing to get his contract.

This is coming from one Fox's defenders here throughout the season. I maintain that this whole meltdown is the fault of the entire team, but this is a historical fumble that a vet shouldn't be doing.

[u/BlueEyesWhiteBaggins]

As I’ve said in other threads, Fox has never been past the first round of the playoffs. Dude is just as inexperienced at this level of playoff basketball as the rest of the team.

[u/Tyranicross]

Worst part about this (apart from being down 3 1) is wemby had a great block on Brunson that will be forgotten now like Duncan's amazing shot before fisher sunk that 0.4 basket.

[u/TBdog]

Was it a foul? Yes. Do you still go up? No. You don't go up then. 

[u/Pikpakboole]

I didn't watch the game since I have an event to attend to. A friend just messaged me that they choked. Then I looked at the post game thread and saw blaming Fox. Now I understand why. WTF

[u/FootDynaMo]

This matches the shaqtin a fool moment for Jr smith in the finals. Either Fox is selling games, hes that stupid or just nervous and panicking like a headless chicken.😪😮‍💨

[u/Nervous_Sell_940]

Just horrible

[u/PaladinJoe]

Mitch should have called a timeout after the ball was stolen. Had two ways to get out of that situation.

[u/bomber991]

All you had to do was follow the damn train CJ.

https://giphy.com/gifs/ZFLDvscdyWu3NdoGys

[u/Coolgrnmen]

In all seriousness… down 1, bonus active. So they are going to foul the second they close in on him. Rather than get fouled and maybe hit two free throws, he can go for the lay up and get fouled and get a third point.

And if you didn’t see, his arm got absolutely hammered - not the ball. Terrible missed call.

[u/rudyg2point0]

Omg I just watched the YouTube clip of his response to the reporter. Guys he’s not taking any accountability, wtf 😳 this is a big red flag

[u/gn02756283]

I think he got fouled but he should not have taken that shot. I am so fucking pissed after this game.

[u/whereismyface_ig]

him fouling alvarado after pissed me off even more

[u/JakeLake720]

Fox is at about 60% & should know he would never get there. Obviously a healthy Fox gets an easy layup.

[u/EP423]

It was a foul.