El Conclusión: San Antonio Spurs 104, Memphis Grizzlies 93

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San Antonio Spurs 104 Final
Recap | Box Score		 93 Memphis Grizzlies
Tim Duncan, PF 44 MIN | 11-19 FG | 2-5 FT | 10 REB | 5 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 3 TO | 24 PTS | +16

I hope to still be having coherent thoughts when I’m 37 years old, he’s still putting up double-doubles.
Kawhi Leonard, SF 35 MIN | 2-6 FG | 0-1 FT | 11 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 4 PTS | +6

The offense wasn’t there tonight, but Leonard grabbed a team-high 11 boards, several of which came on the defensive end in the fourth quarter and overtime. Those board weren’t not important.
Tiago Splitter, C 24 MIN | 5-5 FG | 1-2 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 11 PTS | 0

Splitter battled foul trouble all night, but when he was in the game he was good. His defense was excellent and he hit a couple of huge buckets in the overtime period.
Tony Parker, PG 44 MIN | 11-22 FG | 3-3 FT | 4 REB | 5 AST | 3 STL | 0 BLK | 7 TO | 26 PTS | +15

After an abysmal start for Parker, he rebounded to put up a solid line. Parker went into attack mode in the second half and helped the Spurs close the gap on Memphis.
Danny Green, SG 33 MIN | 1-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 6 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 3 PTS | 0

Pretty anonymous game for Green. His defense was solid, but he was practically unheard from on the offensive end. Credit goes to Memphis for not giving him many looks, especially in the first half.
Matt Bonner, PF 16 MIN | 2-4 FG | 3-3 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 2 TO | 8 PTS | +4

I don’t know what Matt Bonner’s performance in the Western Conference Finals means for things like global warming, asteroids potentially heading towards Earth and other apocalyptic scenarios.
Boris Diaw, C 19 MIN | 3-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 7 PTS | -2

While Diaw’s willingness to pass the ball is a good thing for the Spurs offense, it seems like there are plenty of times where he has a decent enough look, and yet passes it away. Four passes later, the Spurs end up with a worse shot than the one Diaw had. His defense was pretty good, though, and he knocked down a 3.
Gary Neal, PG 12 MIN | 1-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 2 PTS | +6

Oh, hey there Gary.
Cory Joseph, PG 8 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 0 PTS | -3

Not a lot of minutes to be had for Cory.
Manu Ginobili, SG 30 MIN | 5-9 FG | 7-8 FT | 7 REB | 5 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 19 PTS | +13

Easily Manu’s best game of this series. You got everything you wanted from Manu in this one.
Gregg Popovich

1. “Turnovers… turnovers.”

2. Hockey-style line change
  • BobbyKe

    The first quarter was awful, but knowing it was because of turnovers, something that is not consistent over a full game made me feel better about our chances to come back. Started the 2nd Quarter on a 7-0 run cutting it to 16 & it was down to 4 @ half & I felt really good by then

    When Matt Bonner is playing good in the playoffs, you know the Spurs will be extremely dangerous. Very good front court defense shutting down the paint chances for the Grizzlies. Popovich was excellent again. Knowing this team has to have a historic collapse not to make the NBA Finals is an excellent feeling

  • sk8erboi

    I’m surprised there hasn’t been any after-whistle pushing and shoving, technicals, etc. especially considering how physical the inside game is. This series has not been nearly as intense as I expected. That series two years ago was feisty!

  • Graham

    …..turnovers

  • neverthehero

    apple or cherry

  • TheFG21

    Manu’s slowly getting on track? He went 7-8 from the Charity Line! Peaking on the right time just before the Finals?!? Could be.

    Interesting note, IF, the SPURS sweep memphis on Monday, the team will have 9 days of rest until the start of the Finals in June 6th. Long breaks affected our team before in warriors series.

  • SpurredOn

    A reminder how playing smart, great team defense always gives you a chance. It’s why Memphis made it this far, and why the Spurs have a 5-1 playoff road record despite three games in the loudest road arena, plus a win after trailing by 18 to a desperate team. They’ve controlled the majority of all the road playoff games they’ve played.

    Spurs now 9-2 vs. Grizz since last season. Still can’t figure out why anyone thought that Memphis was better or a specific bad matchup for San Antonio. It’s like they hadn’t been watching.

  • neverthehero

    9 days would be great for Khawi’s knee and that bruise would be long gone for Tony.

  • neverthehero

    5-1 road record is pretty awesome. Bodes well for the finals. Everyone touted the Warriors home field, now Memphis. It’s just like the Pacers over in the East (haven’t been beat yet in the playoffs), well maybe but I think the Heat aren’t going to shrivel up because of that factoid.

  • Spurs fan in Australia

    Great win by the Spurs tonight, especially Parker, Duncan and Ginobili. My only concern would be the minutes played by Parker and Duncan with the short rest. We saw in game 2 that, Parker especially, there was a fatigue factor in the last quarter. Hopefully Spurs pull through for the sweep.

  • Tim in Surrey

    Sorry, Andrew, but Kawhi’s rebounds “weren’t not important”? I’d say that’s sort of like the writer’s equivalent an airballed free-throw.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=796715392 Phillip Mabry

    As far as prose goes, that phrase just belly-flopped into my mind. “Weren’t not important,” sounds like Huck Finn (minus the heart warming racism of course).

    “Those board weren’t not important.” < "Those boards weren't unimportant."

    I know , i know, everyone's a critic.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=796715392 Phillip Mabry

    I just love how the entire team lets the game come to them. It’s great. You never know which team will show up. Each night a different line up could be the “hot” one. And when our “role players” (I really hate calling them that) are not making plays, the big three still step up and “grind” out a win for us.

    These guys really deserve a ring and I hope they go get it!!!!

  • Melbourne Spur

    Something that no one else has mentioned as yet, but is reasonably important I think - we have actually won close games without Joey Crawford destroying it for us!
    I have seen at least a few games that we’ve had with him that he hasn’t tossed Timmaay!

  • Melbourne Spur

    Me, I don’t dislike the good use of a double-negative.

  • junierizzle

    One more win to go. This should be a wrap. The Grizz just don’t have enough fire power.

  • TheFG21

    Rest is good for all of them. Im pointing out what happened last time we had 7+ days off.

  • STIJL

    I wouldn’t not want the Spurs to finish this thing in Memphis and wouldn’t not want them to get the rest and preparation for either Pacers or Heat.

  • DorieStreet

    The ultimate ‘negative’ phrase - from the O’Jays song “You Got Your Hooks In Me”
    I’ll be goin’ around tellin’ all my friends that I’m leavin’
    No, but I ain’t never goin’ nowhere, no, no
    The Drive For Five Is Definitely Alive - And Kicking!
    Go Spurs Go!!!!!
    PS - - STAY SAFE ON THOSE FLOODED STREETS EVERYONE IN SAN ANTONIO

  • Graham

    Well, it’s useful to convey a certain vibe. I certainly read it as such. Still it’s hard to convey via text.

  • Andrew G

    WE DID IT!!!!!!!

  • Titletown99030507d

    If only the refs would stop throwing ghost fouls at Tiago we might see more briliant games from Tiago. I don’t know why they treat him like a rookie he’s been in the league 3 years now. They need to cut that crap out especially when Randolph and Gasol get away with everything.Those two should be fouling out in the first half. Either way Splitter had a good overtime. I almost cringed at the thought of us losing because of bad officiating. GTG! GSG!

  • Jimbo

    The Griz are a tough matchup for the Spurs for the same reason they’re a tough matchup for anyone. A healthy OKC is the only team in the West that is a more dangerous matchup, IMO. The Spurs blew out the Griz in one game this year (I think that was during Memphis’s worst stretch of the year) and in Game 1. The other games have been a buzzer beater win by the Griz and 4 OT games, IIRC. The games last year and in the playoffs two years ago aren’t terribly relevant because Mayo and Gay are gone and the Spurs have added Leonard and Splitter is now a solid player. It’s not that this Grizz team is overhyped- everyone knew about their shooting problems. It’s that the Spurs are that good (especially their coach).

  • SpurredOn

    That’s my point. The Grizzlies are not a special bad matchup for the Spurs. They’re good on their own merit, and this deep into the playoffs every team has a difficult matchup for their opponent. But there’s nothing about them that the Spurs can’t counter, and the Spurs’ offensive system is an excellent counter to the Grizzlies defense (and far more complicated than the prior two teams eliminated by Memphis). The gap between the Spurs’ offense and that of the Grizz is far wider than the gap between their respective defenses. Head to head that’s a Spurs advantage. Add in home court, more experience, and a deeper bench, it was easier to make an argument for SA to win. But very few did. Most games would be close (as all were for Memphis last round) but that doesn’t mean the better team won’t win in six or fewer games.

  • STIJL

    Yeah. It’s a rest vs. rust kinda thing. If only (if they sweep or win in five) could get the needed rest without accumulating rust the Spurs would be hard to defeat.