Spurs-Grizzlies Preview

[duncan228]

http://www.nba.com/games/20071219/SASMEM/preview.html?nav=scoreboardhome

Spurs-Grizzlies Preview
By NICOLINO DI BENEDETTO, STATS Writer

The reigning NBA champion San Antonio Spurs are struggling without star point guard Tony Parker.

They try to put an end to their slump Wednesday night when they visit the last-place Memphis Grizzlies.

The Spurs (18-6) hold a one-half game lead on Phoenix for the best record in the Western Conference, but have dropped three of their last four including a 100-95 defeat to the Suns on Monday. They are 1-2 over the last three contests without Parker, who is nursing a sprained left ankle. His status is uncertain for this contest.

Parker, the 2007 NBA Finals MVP, is averaging team highs of 20.1 points and 6.8 assists. He had 21 points and eight assists in the last meeting between these clubs, a 101-88 Spurs win at home on Nov. 23.

San Antonio has won both games against the Grizzlies (7-17) this season, giving it a 9-1 mark over the last 10 games of the series. The only loss in that span was a 101-91 defeat on April 16, when Spurs starters Parker, center Tim Duncan and shooting guard Manu Ginobili were all rested.

Duncan played well in the Nov. 23 matchup, scoring a then-season high 28 points and adding nine rebounds. The big man topped that Monday with 36 points and a season-high 17 boards.

It was a vast improvement after his first game back from a sprained ankle on Saturday, when he scored eight points with five rebounds in a 102-91 win over Denver.

"He needed a game like this," Ginobili said after Monday's win. "He did everything he could to make us win this game. ... It was frustrating for us not to help him get the win."

Ginobili, who had 18 points against the Suns, has struggled in the last four games. He has made only 31.1 percent of his shots (19-for-61) to average 14 points - down considerably from his averages of 21.2 points and 47.8 percent shooting in the season's first 20 contests.

This is the only road game in a span of seven contests from Dec. 15 to the end of the year for the Spurs, who are 5-5 on the road and have dropped their last two games away from San Antonio. They're trying to avoid their first three-game road losing streak April 13-20, 2005.

Memphis, meanwhile, is last in the Southwest Division and has only one win in its last eight contests. The Grizzlies fell 125-117 to Golden State on Monday to run their home losing streak to four games.

Like the Spurs with Parker, Memphis is dealing with key injuries. Pau Gasol, averaging 17.3 points per game and a team-high 7.7 rebounds, has missed three games with a jammed right big toe, while Darko Milicic left Monday's loss after nine minutes with a nagging left ankle injury.

Helping to pick up the slack for the frontcourt duo is swingman Rudy Gay, who has scored 32 points in each of the last two games.

Gay has 31 total points in this season's two games against San Antonio.

[Dex]

Should be a win as long as the Spurs show up. Memphis is nothing but Phoenix Lite, plus we (usually) seem to have a good showing after a tough loss.

Sucks that Tony is still out. I remember thinking at the beginning at the season that Parker getting injured is like a double-whammy with our weakness at the backup PG position.

I don't mind Vaughn in spot minutes, but seeing his name in the starting lineup makes me cringe.

[ancestron]

so the Grizz dont have Pau tonight?

[duncan228]

This says Gasol is almost certainly not playing.
Preview from Grizzlies.com:

http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/features/preview-071219-spurs.html

Grizzlies vs. Spurs Preview

The Grizzlies will be looking for their first win of the season over San Antonio tonight at FedExForum. Here are a few storylines to watch in tonight’s game.

Ginobili affected by injuries to Parker and Duncan
The San Antonio Spurs have played seven games this month, but not one has been with all three of their star players – Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker – in the lineup at the same time. Duncan missed several games earlier this month with a sprained ankle, and Parker has missed the last three and is expected to miss tonight’s game with a sprained ankle of his own.

The injuries have caught up to San Antonio in the last week, as they come into tonight’s game having lost three of their last four. While Ginobili has stayed healthy, the injuries to Duncan and Parker have taken a toll on him on him as well. In the four games since he put up consecutive 37-point nights, he’s averaged just 14.0 points per game on 31.1% shooting overall and 19.0% shooting from three-point range and committed 4.5 turnovers per game, while admitting to the San Antonio Express-News that he feels “tired” by the extra burden to carry the offense. Ginobili torched the Grizzlies in the first meeting when he scored 30 points by both hitting threes and getting past the defense and into the lane where he was fouled and sent to the line. The Grizzlies need to harass Ginobili tonight and keep him from breaking out of his slump.

Darko vs. Duncan
When the Grizzlies hosted the Spurs in the season opener on Halloween night, Tim Duncan was held to 7-15 shooting and 17 points. Three weeks later in the second meeting, he was nearly perfect with 14-17 shooting and 28 points. Guess which game he was guarded by Darko Milicic? Darko did a terrific job on Duncan in the opener, especially considering that only eight of Duncan’s 17 points that night came after the first quarter. But Milicic missed the second meeting between the two teams due to his thumb injury, and the result that night speaks for itself as the Grizzlies had no answer for Duncan.

As mentioned before, Duncan is recovering from a sprained ankle, and he’s only two games into his comeback from the injury. After scoring eight points on 4-10 shooting in just 20 minutes on Saturday, he had 36 points and 17 rebounds in the Spurs’ loss to Phoenix on Monday, so it’s fair to say he’s getting his conditioning back. With Parker out and Ginobili struggling, the Spurs will be counting on another big night from Duncan, meaning Milicic has to stay out of foul trouble and play him to a draw as he did in the opener.

Rebounding battle
The Grizzlies’ reliance on three-point shooting this season has been well-documented, and was apparent as the team was missing 15 of their 16 attempts over the first three quarters of Monday’s loss to Golden State. But as much as their poor three-point shooting doomed them offensively that night, equally important was the Warriors’ 52-35 rebounding advantage, which included 13 offensive boards that led to 11 second chance points. In the fourth quarter of that game, with both teams shooting over 56% and rebounds at a premium, the Warriors grabbed 13 boards in the frame to just six for the Grizzlies.

Against the Spurs tonight, the Grizzlies can’t afford another 17-rebound deficit. As much as Duncan’s play affected the difference in scoring differential in the first two meetings, rebounding also played a big part. In the first meeting, when the Grizzlies lost by three, the rebounding was even at 42 apiece. In the second meeting, which the Grizzlies lost by 13, they were outrebounded by nine. With Pau Gasol almost certainly not playing tonight and Rudy Gay thus likely sliding into the four spot, he’ll need to be active on the boards.

[ancestron]

Wow. I am of the opinion that Duncan is going to have a field day if Gasol is out.

[Budkin]

Won't even be close if Gasol is out.

[duncan228]

Wow. I am of the opinion that Duncan is going to have a field day if Gasol is out.

My favorite kind of Spurs game is when Duncan goes off! :spin

[CubanMustGo]

Except more often than not when TD goes 40+ SA seems to lose.

[MoSpur]

I'm curious to see how Darko does.

[batboy]

13.7m to suck all year and sit a week with a stubbed toe. Chicago would be out of thier f'n mind to take that contract. Just thought that warranted saying again.