At the same time, other first-round series are also in progress.
The Spurs, ranked second in the Western Conference, encountered stubborn resistance from the Grizzlies, ranked seventh.
On April 15, the San Antonio Spurs faced off against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first game of the series at home. After the game, the Spurs relied on the offensive wave set off in the third quarter to easily defeat the Grizzlies 111-82 and get a good start in the playoffs.
Whether in the regular season or the playoffs, the Spurs and Grizzlies have been old rivals over the years.
This season, the Spurs and the Grizzlies fought 4 times in the regular season and each won two games. However, in terms of overall strength, experience in the playoffs, and the on-the-spot response of the coaching staff, the Grizzlies are still at a disadvantage.
Frankly speaking, unlike last season, this time the Grizzlies met the Spurs again, and their lineup was no longer so shabby. The black and white towers on the inside were both healthy, and Conley was also very active on the outside. In addition, Harrison, Daniels, Ennis, Jay
After a season of experience, young people such as Mike Green are enough to support the rotation. Therefore, the Grizzlies have ideas for fighting the Spurs again this time.
Sure enough, the Grizzlies gave the Spurs a blow in the first quarter. Gasol showed a soft touch, making mid-range shots and three-pointers in succession. Conley, in addition to organizing and connecting the team, was also able to spot opportunities with breakthroughs and long-range shots.
The cold arrow destroyed the Spurs' defense.
The Spurs were once behind by double digits in a single quarter, and they were passive for most of the halftime. However, in such adversity, Spurs coach Popovich showed very calmness. In the first half, he kept letting the Grizzlies' core players go.
Gasol attacked hard and did not adopt any tactics such as double-teaming.
Bobo's intention is actually very clear. He wants to make Xiaojia continue to consume physical energy while cutting off the connection between him and his teammates. In the second half, the effect of this trick began to show. Although on the offensive end, Xiaojia's three-pointer was still
He can score, but he has also become the target of the Spurs' defense. Two times when he defended Ade alone, Marc was easily penetrated by his opponent and succeeded in beating the basket.
Unlike the Grizzlies' single-core operation, the Spurs' tactics are versatile enough. After the side change, Ade and Parker stepped forward, which greatly eased the offensive pressure on Leonard. At the end of the third quarter, when the Grizzlies began to shrink
Inside, Leonard suddenly stood up and led a wave of offensive climax. The score difference suddenly reached 20 points, and the game naturally went straight to the rhythm of the Spurs defeating their opponents.
It is true that the Grizzlies played a good game in this campaign, but facing a veteran like the Spurs, Fizdale, who is competing in the playoffs as a head coach for the first time, is obviously too one-dimensional in his tactical thinking, which is not the same as Popovich.
A bit more immature than before.
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On April 17, the San Antonio Spurs faced the Memphis Grizzlies at home.
The Spurs established a 19-point lead in the first half. The Grizzlies launched a counterattack in the third quarter and once chased the point difference to only 4 points in the fourth quarter. However, the Spurs finally withstood the pressure and regained the advantage.
The Spurs defeated the Grizzlies 96-82.
For the Grizzlies, Conley had 24 points and 8 assists, Gasol had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Randolph had 18 points and 10 rebounds.
For the Spurs, Leonard scored a playoff high with 37 points and 11 rebounds, Parker had 15 points, Aldridge had 11 points, and Gasol had 10 points.
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On April 20, the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies faced off in Game 3 of the series.
At the end of the game, the Grizzlies defeated the Spurs 105-94 at home, rewriting the series score to 1-2.
For the Spurs, Leonard had 18 points and 4 rebounds, Aldridge had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Mills had 11 points and 2 rebounds.
For the Grizzlies, Conley had 24 points and 8 assists, Zach Randolph had 21 points and 8 rebounds, and Marc Gasol had 21 points and 6 rebounds.
…
On April 22, the San Antonio Spurs competed with the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of the first round.
At the end of the game, relying on Gasol's floater in overtime, the Grizzlies narrowly defeated the Spurs 110-108, tying the series at 2-2.
Conley scored 35 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds in this game. He saved the Grizzlies many times during the game and finally contributed to the final victory.
For the Grizzlies, in addition to Conley, Gasol scored 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists, Carter had 13 points, Randolph had 12 points and 11 rebounds, Ennis had 7 points and 5 rebounds, Jamike Green had 14 points and 4 rebounds, and Harrison
7 points, Daniels 6 points.
For the Spurs, Leonard tried his best and scored 43 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 steals. Parker had 22 points, Aldridge had 13 points, David Lee had 8 points and 5 rebounds, and Danny Green had 5 points.
Sol had 8 points and 11 rebounds, Mills had 6 points and 4 assists, and Bertans had 3 points.
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On April 25, the San Antonio Spurs faced the Memphis Grizzlies at home. This game was a battle between the two sides, and winning was of great significance to both sides.
The Grizzlies were still in a stalemate with the Spurs in the first half, but in the second half the Spurs never gave the Grizzlies a chance. The Spurs set off a wave of offensive climax in the fourth quarter and took away the game. In the end, the Spurs defeated the Grizzlies 116-103.
For the Grizzlies, Conley had 26 points and 6 assists, Gasol had 17 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, and Randolph had 9 points and 6 rebounds.
For the Spurs, Leonard scored 28 points and 6 assists, Parker had 16 points and 6 assists, and Aldridge had 12 points and 9 rebounds.
…
On April 27, the Memphis Grizzlies faced the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the series at home.
At the end of the game, the Spurs narrowly defeated the Grizzlies 103-96, eliminated their opponents with a total score of 4-2, and entered the Western Conference semifinals.
In this campaign, Leonard performed like a rock. He made 8 of 19 shots and scored 29 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. His continuous scoring in the final quarter became the key to the Holy City's comeback victory.
For the Spurs, in addition to Leonard, David Lee scored 7 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist, Aldridge had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Parker had 27 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds, and Mills had 10 points.
For the Grizzlies, Randolph had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 1 block, James Ennis had 11 points and 3 rebounds, Marc Gasol had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, Conley had 26 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists, and Carter had 12 points and 4 rebounds.
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Generally speaking, this series between the Spurs and the Grizzlies was still very close. There was not much difference in strength between the two teams. The Spurs had the last laugh mainly because they had a superstar in Leonard, and their coaching level was relatively high.
The grizzly bear is also much taller.
Although they defeated the Grizzlies, the Spurs, who had a smooth regular season, were obviously not as strong as people thought - no matter how tenacious the Grizzlies were, they were only ranked seventh, and their strength was just that.