Whew!

I'll say this for coach Greg Popovich, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. They showed a lot of class in postgame interviews not to shout "we wuz robbed" after that last play, Where Derek Fisher clearly touched shooter Bret Barry. Actually, if the proper foul had been called, before the shot, it would have been a two-shot foul, with Barry just having a chance to send it to overtime. I would have liked the Lakers' chances in overtime, though overtimes can be effectively decided by the first couple of shots made, and the Spurs might have had momentum.

The Lakers played better, leading out of the gate, and deserved to win. But I could live without clock-management mistakes that gave the Spurs the chance to get back in it, chances they took advantage of in the last minute much better than they had in the rest of the fourth quarter. I must say it was a convincing nailbiter and fun to watch.