First off, prayers of support to those who are grieving and recovering from Monday's tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.
I know games mean little next to loss of life. But, for some, a distraction may be a small part of getting through the next few moments.
After Game 1's beat-down Memphis will come out Tuesday night determined to show the basketball world they are no fluke. They will be more focused. Trouble is, San Antonio will be focused also.
I love how the Spurs execute. They do as good a job as anyone in taking advantage of what the opponent offers. You pack the lane with defenders, the Spurs beat you with outside shooting and pull-up shots on the secondary break. You extend the defense to cover jump shooters, they move without the ball to get layups. It seems so basic, but they make it work very well. Their offense has some motion principles and enough crisp passing that defenders can't take their eyes off the ball. It appears they get as many or more wide open shots than anybody else.
For Memphis defensively, their execution and discipline must improve. As professionals, their adjustments should be evident. On offense, the Grizzlies should be back in the inside-out mode that has worked for them all season.
Tough part is, Memphis will play much better and still lose. Game 1 had the Spurs perimeter guys scoring. Game 2 will see Duncan get shots inside and score a lot over Gasol and anyone else sent to defend. Good teams do that, use their flexibility to get production from several sources.
My guess for Tuesday night is similar to the Game 1 guess I posted. San Antonio 97, Memphis 92. Everyone watching will see that Memphis is worthy enough to be here. San Antonio is just a better team right now. The Grizzlies going down 2 games to none makes the Game 3 match-up in Memphis all the more crucial.
After the Game: San Antonio 93, Memphis 89 in overtime. The Memphis adjustments worked, to a degree. Now, if they could only hit a shot...
For the Grizz, it was 33 field goals, 19/10 assist/turnover and 9 steals. Bayless and Conley had 18 each (Bayless went 7/18 FG/A - whoa). Bayless took as many shots as Randolph. Z-Bo played slightly better, 15 and 18 rebs. Gasol added 12 and 14 rebs. Troubling is Prince & Allen combining for 3-16 from the floor. Ten points between those two ain't gonna cut it.
For the Spurs, it was 36 field goals, 29/13 assist/turnover and 5 steals. All five starters scored in double figures. Duncan led the team witih 17 and added 9 rebs. Parker shot 6/20 FG/A, but did score 15 and added 18 rebs.
San Antonio's assist/turnover for the two games is 57/24, versus Memphis' 39/22. The teams have each been consistent in the two games in this area, but to me 57 assists is telling. Granted, NBA assist rulings can be liberal from one game to the next, but it evokes passing the ball to the open man for a good look. San Antonio is taking advantage of Memphis' defensive rotations, making the Grizzlies pay for nearly every mistake. Basically, the Spurs are playing team ball (think '70s era Knicks - open man takes the shot). I love that style of play.
Another thing that makes me wonder is Prince's extended slump. In his last 7 games (the Oklahoma City series and the two against the Spurs), Prince is shooting 16/54 FG/A - 29.6%. He's a career 45.8% shooter, and he's one of the smarter players on the team. This slump is puzzling. The team needs him on the floor, but his reluctance to shoot bogs down the offense. Teams are leaving him open, and his decision-making with the ball has slowed considerably. He's gotta break out. Maybe Game 3 at home will help.
I truly believe Memphis wins Game 3 at home on Saturday. Go, Grizz.
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