Why Don't Teams Give 100% Every Playoff Games?

[magicfan4life05]

I'm watching game 3 of spurs/lakers on tnt, and they are saying how happy pop is seeing his team play this way again and he knew they would come out and hit their shots and stuff and if they were up 2-0 there would be a little bit of 'angst', so why would there be angst, because maybe they think the lakers would come out more aggressive?

So then I'm thinking to myself if the spurs were indeed up 2-0, tonight I'm pretty sure we would see a better lakers performance (just like we saw a better spurs performance tonight) and probably a win tonight because they were facing the impossible task of being down 3-0.

This is not specifically about the lakers, just teams in the playoffs in general, how come in game 3 the home team if down 0-2 most always win that game (unless of course it's a sweep), and even in general, the team down 0-2 usually wins game 3, and usually in blowout fashion.

The only reasons I can come up with, all things being equal, is they dont give 100% every game and they dont 'greedy' and try to win it all, and they just succumb and try later next time.


Do you agree with this?

Am I crazy?

Will Horry ever hit a shot in this series?

God Speed!

[Heat3]

who says they don't? 100% today may not be the same as 100% tomorrow. they aren't machines, on any given day the amount of energy they can put in varies.

[doctaJ_92]

The home team is the aggressors, and the home team tends to have more energy when they get home, especially the role players. Its all about the energy.

[lebaneseball]

Actually, I fully agree with you. I don't understand how the Lakers can't play like they did in games 1 and 2 especially since this game means they would be up 3-0 which would mean an ultimate demise for the Spurs.

If I was a professional athlete, I would be playing even harder in a game like game 3 if I were the Lakers.

Plus, isn't it bull$hit that the Spurs always end up playing amazing at home; I mean if you have the mentally toughness like the former champs do, shouldn't they be playing close to as good on the road as at home.

Ginobilli avg 13.1 ppg away, and 20+ ppg at home (you call this mental toughness on the road)

I just hope the Lakers take game 4 or else this will be another series for the home team.

[UDRIH14]

dude if the spurs were 2-0 heading home, it will end in 4

[lebaneseball]

dude if the spurs were 2-0 heading home, it will end in 4

Maybe 5.

[The Notic]

If the Spurs gave it all in the 2nd half of Game 2 they would have most likely still lost that game and be too tired to come out with as much energy as they did today.

[War3player]

Some players and even whole teams have the delusion that they can turn it on at any time.

[legacyinthemakin89c]

I mean just think about it.

Your up 2-0 in the series. You basically got this in the bag right? You've dominated these guys.

Thats kind of the mindset they get, like were right where we wanted to be, now the rest of series is going to be a cakewalk.

Its really easy to get overconfident and lackadaisically

[Triple M]

It concerns me that teams don't give their all every second of every game. It has gradually become worse, I would say it started around the lockout season. Also I'm disappointed teams don't take the regular season seriously anymore. I hate that the fact that teams feel they can coast to the playoffs and then turn it on or turn it on only at the end of the season.

[HarlemHeat37]

I don't think it's about giving it your all..

the Spurs and Lakers for example, are 2 great teams..neither team was realistically going to sweep one another to begin with..sometimes you play your hardest, but your shots aren't falling and the other teams shots are going in..

home/away is always an advantage with your crowd and everything that comes with being at your own home..the refs usually favor the home team(not always significant, but it's there)..

role players are clearly better at home, so that will factor in either way, whether you give a 100% or not..

[Reks]

Sometimes teams do give it 100% but they lose (sometimes badly like in game 2)

Then that motivation makes them give 110%.

[triplet1984]

Why don't people get 100% on every test in college?

[Malinhion]

Because George Karl is their coach.

[Troubadour]

Because bar tenders spike your drinks, right Atlanta Hawks?

[XxIronChainzxX]

Sometimes, it can be the opposite situation and you want to go for the kill, but put such an inordinate amount of pressure on yourself that you really lose the focus you had for the first two wins. It's not always arrogance - it cuts both ways.

[A.J.]

Because teams give 110 percent every playoff game.

[raps4life~]

Its just human instinct. When you are on the brink of elimination or close to it, you will automatically play harder.

[Blame Rasho]

Why, because it is hard....

[a-rod]

who says they don't? 100% today may not be the same as 100% tomorrow. they aren't machines, on any given day the amount of energy they can put in varies.

Exactly, Despite what people may like to believe, athletes are not machines. They