The Top 5 Times Tim Duncan Got Dunked On In The NBA Playoffs

Today is Tim Duncan’s birthday. As we were combing through our archives looking for some of our best Timmy posts to add to the celebration, we found this one from last year and couldn’t resist the re-post.

And while we’re at it, also see:

Duncan’s place in this ranking of the 10 Best NBA Players Since 2000 and his spot in among the best power forwards of this generation.

Last night on TNT’s “Inside The NBA” – R.I.P. until next season by the way – Shaquille O’Neal ran down his list of the best dunks of the postseason. If you hadn’t heard Kenny and Chuck running their mouths, you would’ve assumed it was a “best of Tim Duncan getting yammed on.” It seemed like every other play ended with Spalding imprinted on the forehead of San Antonio’s anchor. It was funny, until I went back and looked at some tape and realized, “Oh my god, Tim Duncan really did get dunked on almost every game in the playoffs!” Derrick Favors caught him during the first round. Blake Griffin dunked on him enough in the second round that even Shawn Bradley felt bad. And Serge Ibaka was throwing him all over the court in the Western Conference Finals.

Timmy, we love ya. But with that 10-inch vertical of yours, it might be time to start taking some charges (and lord knows how much I HATE those).

Here are the five best “posterizations” handed out on Tim Duncan during the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

*** *** ***

5. SERGE IBAKA ON TD
As great as his numbers were in the Spurs final game of the season – 25 points, 14 rebounds and 41 minutes – Duncan looked old and immobile in the second half. He took a couple of bad jumpers, and struggled to move defensively. Gregg Popovich had no choice but to play the old man big minutes, and on this critical play in the third quarter, it showed. Give Duncan some love though… earlier in the series, he caught Ibaka with a stuffed animal in his mouth and packed one on his grill (Duncan was also guarding Ibaka when the forward pulled off that <a href="

4. CARON BUTLER ON TD
At this point – just Game 2 in what would prove to be a future sweep – the Clippers still believed they had a chance. Caron Butler, in fact, went off in this third quarter on his own, mini scoring binge. Funny, because you look at the box score and Crazy Eye had nine total points. All of them seemed to come during a three-minute stretch in the third quarter… the only time the Clippers ever threatened San Antonio. During that time, Butler got off his best dunk since he was in South Beach, and of course, Duncan was in the wrong place at the wrong time. TD also caught an open-handed smush to the face.

3. BLAKE GRIFFIN ON TD
Why, you ask, was the old man jumping? Well, he seemed to know something we didn’t. Later on in this Game 3, as the Spurs were placing the baby powder on the Clippers’ asses while coming back from 24 points down, Griffin tried again. That time, Duncan got the better of the meeting, throwing the dunk attempt into the floor with more passion than we’ve ever seen from the Big Swim.

2. BLAKE GRIFFIN ON TD
Is this a re-run? You know, with all of these left-handed facials being handed out by Quake, we might’ve suspected his playoff injury issues were some made-up thing. Duncan would certainly say so. Right here, he got up off the ground for about five inches before thinking better of it.

1. KEVIN DURANT ON TD
A week ago, I couldn’t have been the only one in the world who suspected the Thunder might win one game before succumbing to San Antonio. Instead, they lined them up and threw a haymaker. Kevin Durant took his game to another level, just as he did here on the Spurs’ frontcourt.

Did we get the list right?

Follow Sean on Twitter at @SEANesweeney.

Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.

Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.

×