They recorded more offensive rebounds than the Spurs and were the more aggressive team for much of the game. “Whoever was available came out and played and executed to the best of their ability”.
Advertisement
On the heels of slow starts and lackluster offensive efforts in their first two playoff games, the Celtics knew they would need to play like a desperate bunch in their Game 3 matchup with the Hawks.
The Spurs finished off their ninth postseason sweep in franchise history Sunday by routing the Memphis Grizzlies 116-95.
San Antonio will now have a week off before playing in the Western Conference Semifinals, which are expected to begin next weekend.
“They fought very hard”, Spurs guard Tony Parker said of the Grizzlies.
After losing by 32 and 26 points in its first two games in San Antonio, Memphis came home and played the most competitive game in the series in Game 3.
In a season depleted by injuries, the Grizzlies found themselves as a seven seed in the playoffs.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was quoted by Sporting News saying that Curry wanted to return to action. “The thing I kept relaying to my team is we’ve got to go down swinging and I think we did that”.
Soon after half of the vaunted Splash Brothers dejectedly limped to the locker room, the other one kept the 3-pointers raining down. They finished the regular season with a 42-40 record and made the playoffs for a sixth straight time. You could see that over the course of the year, as guys would go down, it was up to us to be vocal and just set the tone. Forward Jarell Martin, their first-round draft pick, played just 27 games and two in the playoffs because of a left foot that he had surgery on last offseason.
Joerger wanted at least one victory in this series as a reward for all that this roster went through, it didn’t happen.
The Spurs now boast a commanding 3-0 lead in their Western Conference first-round series and can seal the playoff with victory in Game four which stays in Memphis and takes place on Sunday.
The series heads back to Atlanta for Game 5 on Tuesday. Lance Stephenson’s 26 points led the Griz in Game 4, which concluded with almost two quarters of garbage time.
With Sunday’s win over the Grizzlies, the Spurs continue to build their legacy as one of the most dominant National Basketball Association teams over the last decade.
“For our team, it doesn’t matter who is the leading scorer or anything”.
James had 22 points, but it was Irving who made the biggest shots. But they dominated the third quarter 37-21 and were up 84-66 going into the fourth and led by as many as 25 points in the final frame. 7 p.m., ESPN.
Advertisement
IN at Toronto, 5 p.m.
