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What put us in a hole was that small ball lineup in the first half.
Grizzlies pounce on Spurs
By Jeff McDonald
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — For the second time on this road trip Saturday, the Spurs found themselves supplicant before the altar of the basketball gods, praying for divine intervention.
A lucky bounce. A fortunate break. Or, at the very least, another busted water pipe at the FedEx Forum to put them out of their misery.
This time, in what became a 92-86 loss to Memphis, all the gods had to offer the Spurs was a none-too-subtle reminder about the virtue of making your own luck.
“In this game, you have to play 48 minutes,” said guard Roger Mason Jr., echoing a theme oft-repeated this season. “In the second quarter, we didn't show up for whatever reason.”
After a pitiable second quarter — during which coach Gregg Popovich said his team was “soft” and “did not compete” — left them in a 14-point hole, the Spurs staged a furious fourth-quarter rally.
Still trailing 81-68 with 8:58 to go, the Spurs came roaring back behind a diet of defensive stops and a hail of Mason 3-pointers. Heading into the final 50 seconds, they were within three, in search of another miracle.
They almost found it.
Looking for the tie, the Spurs (24-15) ran a play for the red-hot Mason, whose potential go-ahead 3-pointer unceremoniously hit the side of the backboard. Hustling like an NHL forward skating behind the goal, Ginobili swooped in for the rebound and fed Mason again from almost the same spot near the corner.
This time, Mason swished it. For a moment, it seemed like Oklahoma City redux, right down to the Ginobili-salvaged broken play in crunch time.
Not so fast.
Mason's make had come with a sneaker on the line. It was only good for two points, and the Spurs still trailed 87-86 with 41.4 seconds to go.
From there, Memphis (21-18) sealed the game with foul shots, including 5 of 6 from Zach Randolph, who had 23 points and 15 rebounds. Mason, who notched eight of his 17 points in the final 3:04, had another chance to tie but missed a corner 3-pointer with 21.2 seconds left.
“We looked somehow flat, not having what it takes to beat a team like that,” Ginobili said. “We really have to step up and play 48 minutes. Three quarters is not enough to beat anybody.”
Had the Spurs played the entire game with the intensity they brought to the final 5:26 — over which Memphis managed nary a field goal — they might be celebrating a win heading into Monday's matinee at New Orleans.
Instead, they sleepwalked through the second quarter and paid for it later.
Flashing back to a dreadful second half in a loss a night earlier in Charlotte, the Spurs managed just five field goals and 15 points in the frame, while coughing up six turnovers, good for 13 Memphis points.
“They were aggressive, they were hitting shots, they were getting offensive rebounds, we were turning the ball over,” said Tim Duncan, who had 23 points after talking Popovich into letting him play the second half of the back-to-back. “We did just about everything we could to shoot ourselves in the foot in that quarter.”
The Grizzlies cashed in all of the above for a 10-point lead at half and held on to record their eighth home win in a row, a club record.
“I told our guys, ‘This is the level of the playoffs,'” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. “The San Antonio Spurs are former champions, and they know how to turn it on and get a win.”
By the time the Spurs flipped the switch Saturday, it was too late.
“We gave up in the second quarter,” Popovich said. “We didn't compete. We were soft. It put us in a hole, and it took us a whole half to try to recover.”
The Spurs did recover, only to discover too late that they had used up their miracle for the week.
What put us in a hole was that small ball lineup in the first half.
makes me sad.
Mark the date...“We gave up in the second quarter,” Popovich said. “We didn't compete. We were soft. It put us in a hole, and it took us a whole half to try to recover.”
pop ed us by bringing in haislip and mahinmi with 6 minutes left.... while duncan sat on the bench until 3 1/2 minutes..........
ing dumbass
Pop will try anything...it showed tonight.
With the use of more frequent small lineup than ever, Spurs have no chance at the le.
It is so sad to say that.
But I think the current Spurs are blowing away the chance of dethroning the Lakers themselves..... at the moment.
We have discovered the problem for the Spurs. It is because of the proverbial "What ever Reason".
fify, Lionel“I told our guys, ‘This is the level of the playoffs,'” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. “The San Antonio Spurs are former champions, and they once knew how to turn it on and get a win.”
Is that Pop's first "we are soft" nudge of the year?? Hopefully, it helps.
The small ball dynamic is interesting. I know we are shorthanded without Bonner (and Dice last night), but part of me wonders if Pop is trying to hone the small group up for certain match-ups in the playoffs. He knows the bigs, even with Bonner, will have a hard time matching up with the Lakers and a few others so he's seeing if he can develop a perimiter group that can take advantage of a bigger lineup. Perhaps seeing if Jefferson has it in him to defend a bigger player and be a long 4? This at least gets (supposedly) the Spurs 5 best players on the court at the same time.
Unfortunately, for whatever reason, it doesn't look like Jefferson can take offensive advantage of his matchup at the 4 nor does he seem all that prepared to guard a bigger player. Well see. Still 3 more months to get ready.
IMO Bonner is like playing small ball anyway since he plays more like a small Foward/guard, so not much difference either way.
He rebounds much better than Jefferson and ironically, he might spread the floor better as well.
Never thought i would see the day especially this season where we would lose to charlotte and Memphis back to back. weird
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