“The whole game was more physical (than Game 2 in San Antonio)”, said Spurs forward Boris Diaw.
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Zach Randolph led Memphis with 20 points and 11 rebounds on 6-of-21 shooting. Barnes also had a double-double with 17 points and 11 boards.
The San Antonio Spurs entered this first-round matchup with a five-game winning streak over the Memphis Grizzlies, and many assumed it would rather easily grow to nine with a nice little break heading into the Western Conference semifinals.
After the loss Vince Carter told reporters there are no moral victories in the playoffs.
TP: I think we can always do better. “It just slipped away in the fourth quarter”. To put it out of reach, the Spurs ran Danny Green off a series of screens across the court, and he caught the ball along the wing and drained a three-point shot, making it 87-81.
Even so, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich might have summed up the Grizzlies’ effort best. “We did a good job of fighting it from time to time but we weren’t as consistent as I would have liked offensively, but I thought their game plan was great and their effort was even better, so that’s why it was such a good game”.
How has the offense changed considering the ascension of Kawhi Leonard?
“We’re going to throw everything at them, man. Forks, spoons, knives”. “He is devastated”, Joerger said. “You’ve got the strength and conditioning coaches here that know how to prolong your body throughout the season”, Leonard said. Guys who have been in the league a long time, all of our guys, are playing with a lot of heart. On this team, we have a lot of experience.
“Nah, just win the game”, he added. That’s never the case, it didn’t matter how many points we lost by. Those starters have played half the team’s minutes together – 48 – and are just -2 points per 100 possessions against the vaunted Cavaliers. Barnes not only grabbed 11 rebounds to tie a career high, but he battled LaMarcus Aldridge in the paint at times on defense, even drawing an offensive foul at one point.
The Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard, however, proved the difference in a tight second half.
Despite a raucous crowd, San Antonio hit 12 of 26 3 pointers, while Memphis only managed 4 of 18.
The Spurs have a chance to sweep this round on Sunday, though I woulnt’t be surprised if the Grizz scratched out a win, for pride’s sake.
Credit forward Kawhi Leonard for guiding the Spurs in this romp. They finished the game on a 13-6 run in the final 3:41, and Leonard, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, scored 13 points in the quarter as he shot 11 of 22 for the game and 6 of 9 from three-point range. “We’re going to forget about it. Put this one in the backwash and get ready for Tuesday”.
“I just came out and aggressive and made my first couple of shots”, he said.
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“My team needed me”, Green said.
