duncan228
01-02-2009, 11:40 PM
Updated.
Spurs' swipes lead to a sweep (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_swipes_lead_to_a_sweep.html)
Jeff McDonald
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Spurs' lead was still in double digits midway through the fourth quarter Friday night, many of their starters already had their feet up on the bench in anticipation of tonight's game against Philadelphia. What would become a 91-80 victory over Memphis at the FedEx Forum seemed already in the bag.
Recalling how his team had labored to put these same Grizzlies away in double overtime just six nights earlier, however, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was taking no chances.
When Memphis cut what had been a 19-point deficit to 84-70 with 4:31 to play, he quickly summoned All-Stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker back into the game, asking them to fight a fire before it even started.
“They made a run and cut it by six or seven or eight points,” Popovich said. “It was time to make sure we didn't take anything for granted.”
Later, Duncan would call this a “pre-emptive strike.”
The Grizzlies, last place in the Southwest Division at 10-23, can take solace in this: The Spurs (21-11) don't consider a 14-point lead against them with 41/2 minutes remaining to be safe.
Given the final result — the Spurs' fourth victory over Memphis in as many tries this season — that's only a small consolation for the Grizzlies.
Duncan had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Parker scored 19 and the Spurs clamped down their defensive vice grip to earn a season sweep of Memphis.
“We played these guys four times, and they're a young, talented team,” Popovich said. “We're happy to get four wins the four times we faced them. It's kind of difficult to do.”
The Spurs won their first game of 2009 in the same spot where they lost their final game of 2008 — on the defensive end.
Two nights after a 100-98 home loss to Milwaukee in which their defense unraveled early, the Spurs unleashed the hounds on the Grizzlies. Harassed by the Spurs' omnipresent, ball-hawking defensive effort, Memphis shot just 39.7 percent from the field and coughed up 16 turnovers.
The Spurs nabbed a season-high 12 steals to account for most of Memphis' miscues. Manu Ginobili had five of those, while George Hill had four in 15 minutes.
The Spurs saved their most vicious defensive work for O.J. Mayo, the Memphis rookie guard who had averaged 29 points in the teams' first three meetings. He had 29 in the Spurs' 106-103 survival of the Grizzlies at the AT&T Center last Saturday.
Mayo would have no such field day Friday. Blitzed and double-teamed at every turn, Mayo finished with 12 points on 6-of-14 shooting.
“They trapped him on the pick-and-rolls and on the handoffs,” Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni said. “They were all over him. They had been giving him some special treatment already.”
The crucial quarter was the third, when the Spurs held the Grizzlies to 16 points, outscoring them by seven to carry an 11-point lead into the fourth.
“Last game against Milwaukee, we didn't play good defense,” Parker said. “Tonight, we played better. Now it's about doing it every game.”
Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies' second-leading scorer, had just nine points, shot 4 of 13 from the field and committed six turnovers. Hakim Warrick led Memphis with a relatively harmless 16 points off the bench.
Still, Popovich wasn't content to sit on what probably already was a winning hand late in the game.
The Grizzlies scored a couple baskets in a row, and suddenly Popovich was experiencing bad Tracy McGrady flashbacks from three years ago.
In came Duncan and Parker, if nothing else to show the Spurs meant business.
“We've seen a 10-point lead go in 40 seconds before, against Houston and Tracy McGrady,” Popovich said. “It's always in the back of your head not to take any team for granted.”
Spurs' swipes lead to a sweep (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_swipes_lead_to_a_sweep.html)
Jeff McDonald
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Spurs' lead was still in double digits midway through the fourth quarter Friday night, many of their starters already had their feet up on the bench in anticipation of tonight's game against Philadelphia. What would become a 91-80 victory over Memphis at the FedEx Forum seemed already in the bag.
Recalling how his team had labored to put these same Grizzlies away in double overtime just six nights earlier, however, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was taking no chances.
When Memphis cut what had been a 19-point deficit to 84-70 with 4:31 to play, he quickly summoned All-Stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker back into the game, asking them to fight a fire before it even started.
“They made a run and cut it by six or seven or eight points,” Popovich said. “It was time to make sure we didn't take anything for granted.”
Later, Duncan would call this a “pre-emptive strike.”
The Grizzlies, last place in the Southwest Division at 10-23, can take solace in this: The Spurs (21-11) don't consider a 14-point lead against them with 41/2 minutes remaining to be safe.
Given the final result — the Spurs' fourth victory over Memphis in as many tries this season — that's only a small consolation for the Grizzlies.
Duncan had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Parker scored 19 and the Spurs clamped down their defensive vice grip to earn a season sweep of Memphis.
“We played these guys four times, and they're a young, talented team,” Popovich said. “We're happy to get four wins the four times we faced them. It's kind of difficult to do.”
The Spurs won their first game of 2009 in the same spot where they lost their final game of 2008 — on the defensive end.
Two nights after a 100-98 home loss to Milwaukee in which their defense unraveled early, the Spurs unleashed the hounds on the Grizzlies. Harassed by the Spurs' omnipresent, ball-hawking defensive effort, Memphis shot just 39.7 percent from the field and coughed up 16 turnovers.
The Spurs nabbed a season-high 12 steals to account for most of Memphis' miscues. Manu Ginobili had five of those, while George Hill had four in 15 minutes.
The Spurs saved their most vicious defensive work for O.J. Mayo, the Memphis rookie guard who had averaged 29 points in the teams' first three meetings. He had 29 in the Spurs' 106-103 survival of the Grizzlies at the AT&T Center last Saturday.
Mayo would have no such field day Friday. Blitzed and double-teamed at every turn, Mayo finished with 12 points on 6-of-14 shooting.
“They trapped him on the pick-and-rolls and on the handoffs,” Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni said. “They were all over him. They had been giving him some special treatment already.”
The crucial quarter was the third, when the Spurs held the Grizzlies to 16 points, outscoring them by seven to carry an 11-point lead into the fourth.
“Last game against Milwaukee, we didn't play good defense,” Parker said. “Tonight, we played better. Now it's about doing it every game.”
Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies' second-leading scorer, had just nine points, shot 4 of 13 from the field and committed six turnovers. Hakim Warrick led Memphis with a relatively harmless 16 points off the bench.
Still, Popovich wasn't content to sit on what probably already was a winning hand late in the game.
The Grizzlies scored a couple baskets in a row, and suddenly Popovich was experiencing bad Tracy McGrady flashbacks from three years ago.
In came Duncan and Parker, if nothing else to show the Spurs meant business.
“We've seen a 10-point lead go in 40 seconds before, against Houston and Tracy McGrady,” Popovich said. “It's always in the back of your head not to take any team for granted.”