PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Coach's Clinic >> 10-4 NBA Playoff Record!
(NBA) San Antonio vs. Memphis,
Point Spread: -3.50 | -105.00 San Antonio (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: -3.50 | -105.00 San Antonio (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Memphis Grizzlies were beaten badly in San Antonio, getting held to 82 points in each loss. Head coach David Fizdale's postgame rant about the officiating cost him some money but it may have also given the Grizzlies a spark. The Grizzlies led by a modest four points at the half but outscored the Spurs 31-17 in the third quarter and won 105-94. PG Conley had 24 points and Gasol and Randolph (now starting) each had 21. The Spurs shot 47.2 percent for the game but played uninspired basketball.
San Antonio: Here's how Manu Ginobili told it. "Pop got upset with the guys starting the quarter, sat them, and the whole momentum changed," he told reporters. "In playoff games, especially on the road, a two-minute mental "something" can become a 10-point deficit. That's what happened. We were in good shape at the half. Not playing well, not shooting great, down four on the road, and it was a good situation. It was OK for us. We had that moment there in which the whole game changed." In the end, none of San Antonio's starters ended up playing more than 30 minutes in the loss.
Memphis: The Grizzlies shot 50.6 percent from the floor and made 9 of 22 three-pointers last time out. Fizdale made just one lineup change for Game 3, inserting veteran forward Zach Randolph into the starting lineup to add a stronger interior presence. Randolph responded by scoring 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds. "It felt good out there to start and get a rhythm and get in a rhythm out there faster," Randolph told reporters. "It felt good out there." Fizdale complained about the officiating but he also knew this. "The Spurs were punking us. Let's be real about it," Fizdale told reporters. "Those first, probably out of the first eight quarters, they just bullied us for like five and a half of those and you're not going to beat the Spurs letting them dictate everything. We had to match it. Otherwise we were going to get pummeled and I was just really proud of how the way we stepped up and took the challenge."
The pick: Memphis should be confident for Game 4, as the Grizzlies did win both home games over the Spurs in the regular season by 15 and eight points. However, Thursday's win snapped a a 10-game postseason losing streak for Memphis! The Spurs surely don't want this series going back to San Antonio tied at two-all. Make San Antonio a 10* play.
San Antonio: Here's how Manu Ginobili told it. "Pop got upset with the guys starting the quarter, sat them, and the whole momentum changed," he told reporters. "In playoff games, especially on the road, a two-minute mental "something" can become a 10-point deficit. That's what happened. We were in good shape at the half. Not playing well, not shooting great, down four on the road, and it was a good situation. It was OK for us. We had that moment there in which the whole game changed." In the end, none of San Antonio's starters ended up playing more than 30 minutes in the loss.
Memphis: The Grizzlies shot 50.6 percent from the floor and made 9 of 22 three-pointers last time out. Fizdale made just one lineup change for Game 3, inserting veteran forward Zach Randolph into the starting lineup to add a stronger interior presence. Randolph responded by scoring 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds. "It felt good out there to start and get a rhythm and get in a rhythm out there faster," Randolph told reporters. "It felt good out there." Fizdale complained about the officiating but he also knew this. "The Spurs were punking us. Let's be real about it," Fizdale told reporters. "Those first, probably out of the first eight quarters, they just bullied us for like five and a half of those and you're not going to beat the Spurs letting them dictate everything. We had to match it. Otherwise we were going to get pummeled and I was just really proud of how the way we stepped up and took the challenge."
The pick: Memphis should be confident for Game 4, as the Grizzlies did win both home games over the Spurs in the regular season by 15 and eight points. However, Thursday's win snapped a a 10-game postseason losing streak for Memphis! The Spurs surely don't want this series going back to San Antonio tied at two-all. Make San Antonio a 10* play.
