Charles Barkley doubled down on his criticism of the San Antonio Spurs after they blew a 29-point lead to the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, but clarified who he was talking about.
Barkley, during the postgame of “Inside the NBA” after the Knicks’ 107-106 victory, which gave New York a 3-1 series lead, called the Spurs the “dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization.”
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“That was some of the most mismanaged, stupid basketball,” Barkley said. “When you blow a 29-point lead, the other team has to help you. The San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game by doing some of the stupid(est) stuff I’ve seen on a basketball court.”
More: Knicks vs. Spurs live updates, predictions, odds, how to watch Game 5
During the pregame show before Game 5, Barkley made it a point to say who he was directing his ire toward after he said a couple of NBA coaches had called him.
“When I said ‘it was really dumb basketball’ the other night, I was talking about the players,” Barkley said. “I want to make it clear that I wasn’t talking about Coach (Mitch Johnson).”
Johnson and his players were criticized for how they handled things in the second half, particularly their poor shot selection and lack of in-game awareness at the end.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charles Barkley says Spurs players were target of ‘dumbest team’ quip
