El Conclusión: San Antonio Spurs 99, Memphis Grizzlies 95

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Memphis Grizzlies 95 Final

Recap | Box Score

 99 San Antonio Spurs
Tim Duncan, PF 41 MIN | 11-17 FG | 5-5 FT | 15 REB | 4 AST | 27 PTS | 0For a half Tim Duncan showed Marc Gasol the difference between being a really good player and being a legend. There were spins, dunks, bank shots-literally Duncan’s complete career arsenal on display in the first half. The second half wasn’t the the same blistering pace, but he showed when it mattered most.
DeJuan Blair, C 17 MIN | 0-0 FG | 1-2 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 1 PTS | -1Competed and deflected a few entry passes, but the Grizzlies remain a tough match-up for DeJuan Blair.
Tony Parker, PG 43 MIN | 11-20 FG | 8-10 FT | 4 REB | 6 AST | 30 PTS | +2Was aggressive throughout the game, bringing back his patented one-man fast breaks. Flashed a hybrid drive/post game on Conley, giving him one of Steve Smith’s old trademarked half-spin fakes. This was Parker at his best.
Gary Neal, PG 40 MIN | 4-16 FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 13 PTS | -6A brief stretch in the fourth quarter was Neal’s saving grace. The Spurs don’t win without it. But the shot selection was, at times, atrocious. Still, the mindset of a shooter (and thus, Gary Neal): “If I’ve made a few, I’m on fire, so give me the ball. If I’ve missed a few, I’m due, so give me the ball.”
Danny Green, SG 19 MIN | 0-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS | -7Rest didn’t do much for the youngest Spurs player sent home Thursday night, he tweaked his hamstring and was largely ineffective in the minutes he played.
Matt Bonner, PF 20 MIN | 1-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS | +15Go back and look at some of the big rebounds at the end of the game, then notice Matt Bonner doing the dirty work to try and keep the Grizzlies off the glass.
Tiago Splitter, PF 20 MIN | 2-5 FG | 1-2 FT | 6 REB | 0 AST | 5 PTS | +2The shooting issues stifled the pick and roll game for much of Splitter’s playing time, diminishing his effectiveness.
Boris Diaw, C 14 MIN | 1-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS | -9Should not ever guard Rudy Gay.
Patrick Mills, PG 9 MIN | 3-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 7 PTS | +10In limited minutes helped ignite the Spurs comeback. His steal and layup was, perhaps, my favorite moment of the game. There’s always energy with Patty Mills.
Nando de Colo, PG 6 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 0 PTS | +7In a new rule of thumb for me I’m going to give Nando a negative grade for any game he plays five minutes without a shot attempt.
Manu Ginobili, SG 35 MIN | 4-15 FG | 1-3 FT | 5 REB | 6 AST | 10 PTS | +7It was not a superstar performance from Manu Ginobili, those were left for teammates Duncan and Parker. But it was a great example of a superstar doing all the little things a role player does at an extremely high level. And hitting a big shot to top it off.

Five Things We Saw

  1. Tim Duncan not only reinvented his game, he’s brought parts thought long dead back from the past. The face-up, spin up-and-under was right up there with any of Duncan’s best moves, and was punctuated by the slightest hint of emotion no less.
  2. The rested Spurs beat the road weary Grizzlies in overtime. Just throwing it out there as the most obvious, likely narrative that could possibly be used.
  3. The Spurs competed with the Grizzlies on the boards, only being outrebounded 48-52. It was a combination of Duncan dominating the glass in his time on the court, bigs like Matt Bonner focusing on boxing out, trusting their teammates to win the match-ups they couldn’t, and those teammates rewarding said faith.
  4. With the exception of a second half stretch in which Marc Gasol destroyed the Spurs in pick and pops, the Spurs wing players did a decent job of rotating/showing on passes out to the elbows and high post long enough for the Spurs bigs to recover, and then cutting off the most dangerous passing lanes.
  5. How good is Marc Gasol anyways? Historically I mean? Is he a Vlade Divac-level player? Better? Worse? I look forward to reading your thoughts.
  • Bruno

    Great game by Tony and Timmy.

    I liked of the all white spurs lineup (no racist) with Nando, Mills, Manu, Bonner and Splitter, they played surprisingly good defense and they cut the lead to 4 in the 4th.

    With Green injured, i hope Kawhi comes back soon.

    I gotta say the refs didn’t call at least 8-10 grizziles fouls in the 3rd and 4th, but they payed back in the overtime…

  • http://www.facebook.com/chapnis Luke Naylor

    Matt Bonner deserves more than a C+, he played much better than this stat line suggests and played great defence down the stretch. He gets a B+ from me.

  • http://www.facebook.com/chapnis Luke Naylor

    Mills isn’t quite white but still a handy lineup.

  • Blofeld

    Jesse, there’s a typo in Blair’s comments. It should read “ANY opposing team is a tough match-up for DeJuan Blair.”

  • neverthehero

    I wish Neal would have gave up the rock at the end of the Miami game.. but I digress… Exciting come back win for the Spurs, hopefully a start of another 5-6 game winning streak.

  • samhl

    i hope we get kawai back , hopefully anderson will get some minutes till green is back , it is a chance to prove himself , he is still young.

    i would like to see the spurs play big with diaw at sf sometimes, of course it would not work vs certain SFs , he needs to work on his rebounding, but it is still interesting.
    I think Marc Gasol is good, most European players play the game right, good fundimentals and def. but not athletic like howard or stademire who play using their speed and athleticism

  • ThatBigGuy

    Agreed. He actually gave back what Z-Bo dished out physically. Considering the way his minutes have been jerked around all season, he still played with a certain desire against a pair of the nastiest bigs in the league. B+ for me as well.

  • ThatBigGuy

    Manu gets a C-. If he didn’t have 3 TO’s down the stretch, there’s no need for a big shot. He just looks very…..off. It’s like Timmy stole some of Manu’s mojo during the off season.

    Divac career stats: 11.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.4 bpg
    Gasol career stats: 13.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 bpg

    Gasol’s assists average will climb as he ages, much like Divac’s. I think it’s an apt comparison, especially if Gasol keeps up his passing ways, because that’s what really set Vlade apart.

  • Colin

    Haha………

  • Spurholic in Mumbai

    Coach’s “decision” not to showcase the “talents of the big three +1 at South Beach”, had created a controversy, though not of the same proportions as the “original” decision to take “my talents to South Beach”, but it did get Spurs the spotlight! Ironically, the rationale for doing so, was laid out bare, thankfully, till the first three quarters, with Spurs shooting hopelessly and defending listlessly, just the reasons given by the Coach for his “decision”. The comeback, ironically, was stirred up by the same bunch whom Coach played against the defending Champs, after the rested four had dug a hole for the Spurs at the end of the third! The “hardly rested” bunch dug the Spurs out. Of the rested, TP motored along at a pace which may have justified the “decision”, TD had an incredible Ist half and an equally incredible second, he couldn’t miss in the first and could n’t defend Marc from missing a shot in the second! Manu, missing two free throws and the ensuing three on the rebound gave enough fits to the weak hearted to reach for the rosary(though he did make it up with a three to tie at 87- all). He, of all the Spurs had the most intriguing game, patches of brilliance swathed by acres of mediocrity. Bonner was the “star” of the fourth quarter, limiting Zach, the fourth quarter tormentor of the Spurs and providing the basis for the unlikely comeback, Spurs limited Grizzilies to only 14 fourth quarter points! ( just an aftr thought Zach, alone averaged over 12 fourth quarter points, in the playoffs when Grizzlies beat us) A lucky escape, may be as “character” building for this team, as any win required. Now we await our SFs to return.

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  • rj

    gasols touch, passing, and brawn are unmatched. if he were to drop 20 lbs, his offensive game could grow and rebounding improve.

  • junierizzle

    I think Gasol is reall good right now. To be great he has to really score down low. The third quarter blitz came from outside shots. Obviously he can do both but when the Grizz needed a bucket they never went to him inside and he stopped shooting. To be great you have to score went it counts. Granted they went to ZBO but you know what I mean.

    Anyway, TD has been amazing. I love the energy the bench guys have. And yes Bonner deserves a B+ He made it tough on Zbo.

  • agutierrez

    well said.