The Spurs are playing their best game of the series against the Warriors today, and while it’s been a fun game overall, perhaps the most entertaining moment came at the start of the second half.
That’s when the shot clock failed to start, which went unnoticed for the first possession of the third quarter:
That’s not that unusual, all things considered. It happens from time to time. But after joking that the Spurs should have simply passed the ball as long as possible, Van Gundy got a bit more philosophical with Mark Jackson:
Van Gundy: “Don’t you ever wonder, though, how does something work a whole half and then all of a sudden not work? Does stuff like that ever bother you?”
Jackson: “Bother me?”
Van Gundy: “Yeah, like you wonder how could this possibly happen?”
Jackson: “No. I don’t expect perfection, though.”
(pause)
Breen: While we have a moment…
It’s actually fairly revealing exchange! Van Gundy clearly spends time focusing on moments like this, when things that we take for granted constantly surprise us by breaking down or acting out of the ordinary. It’s a relatable concern for a lot of people, that unexpected dose of chaos, and for some it can even lead them to question their entire reality. (We see this in science fiction, from the glitches in The Matrix to the host dreams in Westworld.)
Jackson, though, responds with an enlightened perspective; by not expecting perfection, he’s more prepared for the unexpected, and it doesn’t manage to surprise him.
The Spurs are winning late in the fourth, at least in this reality.
