Suns-Spurs is Making the NBA Into a Joke

I don't like the Spurs. They play the type of basketball that makes people throw up from seasickness, rocking you to sleep until there's five seconds left on the shot clock and someone is magically open. Their titles are the reason that the NBA was stuck in a funk and their style of play continues to hold the League back. But Game 5 was a joke. Let's go back to 1997 for a second: The Knicks had it bad with John Wallace (a great Syracuse player, but a terrible NBA player) starting in place of the suspended Patrick Ewing in the deciding Game 7 in 1997 against the Heat. The worse team kneeled before the Bulls with nearly no resistance while the Knicks went home for the summer. This might be considered a milestone in the history of the Heat, but the win was completely illegitimate. When Alonzo Mourning is being guarded by Herb Williams and John Wallace the whole game, there is quite an advantage for the team with 'Zo. And who started the fight? PJ Brown body-slammed Charlie Ward after a free throw. The same applies here: Duncan had 4, 4, and 5 personal fouls in the 3 games against the Suns before Game 5, because he had to guard Amare. It makes the game an illegitimate win for the Spurs. If both teams were on even strength, Suns in 6 would have been the result. But Horry's forearm shiver on Nash gave his team a distinct advantage, and this series should be seen as tainted for his actions.