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This. The ball needed to go to TD with 40 secs to go. Instead we saw TP missing a weak J and Hill missing a wide open 3Additionally, Pop not forcing the ball into Duncan late in the game was questionable.
With Manu Ginobili sidelined with a sprained elbow, the Spurs and Grizzlies battled in one of the most physical playoff games in recent memory. After a late 13-2 run turned a seven-point deficit into a four-point Spurs lead, the Grizzlies punched back and scored the game's final seven points. The big hoop was a Shane Battier three-pointer that gave Memphis a one-point lead with 23 seconds remaining. Following the 101-98 defeat, the Spurs face a must-win in Game 2 on Wednesday -- hopefully with the help of Ginobili.
Tim Duncan
He scored 12 points in the first half but had only four points in the final two quarters. In the fourth, Duncan missed his only shot from the floor and both of his free throws. Based on his strong first half and his 13 rebounds and two blocks, I think think Duncan played well enough for the Spurs to win. Though more production late could have carried the Spurs over the hump.
Tony Parker
The Spurs needed Parker to play at a superstar level with Ginobili out. That simply didn't happen. He missed 12 of his 16 field goal attempts and just didn't seem to be totally confident in what he wanted to do. Parker deserves credit for playing tough and going to the line 16 times but the Spurs needed a lot more.
George Hill
Hill brought a good amount of energy on defense and did great work on the boards. He also got to the line and knocked down his freebies. Unfortunately, the rest of his offense didn't come close to making up for the absence of Ginobili. Hill was only 2-for-7 from the floor and missed all three of his shots from deep, including an important one late in the game.
Richard Jefferson
Jefferson came out strong and got the Spurs going on the right foot. After a lull in the second quarter, Jefferson revved back up in the second half with a handful of strong drives to the basket. All that said, Jefferson's night will be remembered for the wide open three-pointer that could have sent the game into overtime.
Antonio McDyess
This wasn't the beginning of the series McDyess wanted. He hit just one of his five shots and grabbed only one rebound in 13 minutes while turning the ball over twice and committing five fouls. Randolph bullied him below the rim to the point that Pop looked elsewhere for production at the power forward position.
Gary Neal
I thought Neal forced a few shots and broke the rhythm of the offense at times. However, I can't blame him for looking for his own shot because the ball movement was stagnant most of the game and that forced San Antonio into many desperate situations. He hit half of his four three-point attempts and played acceptable defense.
Matt Bonner
I was shocked. Bonner hit a pair of three-pointers down the stretch to put the Spurs up by two points with one and a half minutes to go. When he hoisted the shots, I was simply hoping for an offensive rebound. It's a shame that the Spurs wasted Bonner's first clutch shots of his playoff career.
DeJuan Blair
With McDyess struggling, Blair got extended minutes -- including a start in the second half. I thought he did decently well. He missed a number of interior shots and fouled too much but his energy on both ends was contagious. His defense against Randolph was surprisingly good, especially in the second half.
Pop
I thought he was crazy to go with Bonner down the stretch but it turned out to be the right move. I also liked that he wasn't afraid to use Blair next to Duncan when McDyess was struggling. On the other hand, the Spurs didn't have much success on plays Pop drew up during the game. Additionally, Pop not forcing the ball into Duncan late in the game was questionable.
This. The ball needed to go to TD with 40 secs to go. Instead we saw TP missing a weak J and Hill missing a wide open 3Additionally, Pop not forcing the ball into Duncan late in the game was questionable.
The Grizzlies had a solid gameplan. You have 6 fouls, use them. It is the best way to disrupt a solid offense. Beat them up, make them earn every point. The game will also last longer, and the crowd will not affect the team as much due to all the stoppage in play. Pretty simple and the Grizz executed it very well.
The Spurs need to employ the same strategy. I mean , if you are going to allow a team to shoot over 50% from the field. Might as well make them earn them.
Pop/TP cost us the game.
Not feeding Tim in the post in the 2nd half was dumb especially the way the game was being called and how TD played in the first half. Steady diet of Tim in the third and the 4th and Gasol is fouled out of that game.
I thought Pop should have started sending the double at Gasol/Randolph a lot earlier. He didn't double until late in the 4th. This team is at its best defensively when they are scrambling and rotating of double teams. Given Memphis' lack of adequate 3pt shooters, you have to force the ball out of the post and make them beat you from outside.
Parker was in the first half. He missed a lot of easy And 1s that he normally makes but that rotation off Battier cost us the game.
Pop needs more criticism. Zach and Gasol killed our front line. 19-25 from the field and 23 combined rebounds.Pop
I thought he was crazy to go with Bonner down the stretch but it turned out to be the right move. I also liked that he wasn't afraid to use Blair next to Duncan when McDyess was struggling. On the other hand, the Spurs didn't have much success on plays Pop drew up during the game. Additionally, Pop not forcing the ball into Duncan late in the game was questionable.
Meanwhile, the only guy over 6'8" not named Tim Duncan got a DNP-CD (and please don't give me a response about Bonner being 6'10" - he plays like he's 5'10").
What adjustments can the Spurs make against the Randolph/Gasol frontline? Try to get them in foul trouble by continuing to attack the rim?
Nice to see initial reactions back
I don't think he played well enough..he certainly did in the 1st half, but he was non-existent in the 2nd half, and his D was poor(although the bad foul calls hurt him)..
Part of that is on Tim, a big part of that is on his teammates to look for him..they need to go to him more often, this team needs to continue their interior scoring..
It's troubling that he can't consistently make the mid-range jump shot anymore..it used to be automatic..Antonio McDyess
This wasn't the beginning of the series McDyess wanted. He hit just one of his five shots and grabbed only one rebound in 13 minutes while turning the ball over twice and committing five fouls. Randolph bullied him below the rim to the point that Pop looked elsewhere for production at the power forward position.
1. More SplitterWhat adjustments can the Spurs make against the Randolph/Gasol frontline? Try to get them in foul trouble by continuing to attack the rim?
Nice to see initial reactions back
2. Double teams early and often
3. TD on Randolph down the stretch. I don't think Gasol is going to play like that again so i think you could get away with Dice playing Gasol.
me for thinking the team to still roll a scrub team like Memphis without Manu. I'm ing pissed.
They are both poor defenders, so keep attacking them and getting them in foul trouble..What adjustments can the Spurs make against the Randolph/Gasol frontline? Try to get them in foul trouble by continuing to attack the rim?
Nice to see initial reactions back
Gasol won't play like this again, but close out quicker on his catches..when he posts up, send help D, he can't handle a double team..he made some fluky shots today, tbh..a couple of jump shots, a push-off that the refs didn't call, and that fadeaway off the post-up..
Obviously, Splitter should play, but that won't happen..
Tim missed both free throws during a crucial trip to the line in the 4th. I believe Hill also missed the front end of a pair as well. Those misses really killed us. And at the very end, Bonner was wide open as well as RJ... in hindsight, sure wish TD would have passed to the Red Rocket. All the talk about anti-clutchness on this board, Bonner hits b2b 3s in the clutch and RJ bricks a wide open 3 to send it to OT.
The Grizz got a bunch of fluke shots to go, got every roll, and every break. They can't play much better than they did.
Gasol had a really nice game. I can't really remember him having a long range jumpshot. Has he always had that?
Pop also needs to realize that DeJuan has no business getting any minutes in this series.
Can't fault Hill for taking the 3 at the end of the game, Tony's jumpers on the other hand were a different story, especially when he was getting to the line at one point with regularity.
It was strange that with Manu being out they didn't run more sets involving Tim, even on a screen-n-roll of some sort or having him operate off of pics from the FT line, he was owning from there early on.
i hope the lakers lose today. i live in cali.
Richard Jefferson
Jefferson came out strong and got the Spurs going on the right foot. After a lull in the second quarter, Jefferson revved back up in the second half with a handful of strong drives to the basket. All that said, Jefferson's night will be remembered for the wide open three-pointer that could have sent the game into overtime.
A microgosim of his whole season, started stong and finishes weak.
He's got pretty good/active hands on defense, battles on the boards and bails out guys down low who get stuck during moments of indecision by continuing to dive to the basket and present himself as a target....he still rushes things offensively though.
It seems to me that there is some kind of pressure playing for the Spurs. On any other team MsDyess probably is making shots with consistency.
Or he was just bad today. He was clutch against Dallas with that jumper last year.
Two comments-
Neal should have been in the game at the end instead of Hill.
Pop will hit the tapes hard and look like a ing genius next game.
Hill and RJ missed clutch shots but they did a good job on the boards. RJ had 6, Hill had 7.
Blair/Dice/Bonner had 11
I think Hill played solid. Too bad he missed that open 3
I did like the Spurs gameplan though...Attack...Attack...Attack. But they gotta mix up TD touches in 2nd half as well. Memphis will be good for us down the playoff road, due to the size that OKC and LA brings as well.
Memphis played the best game they could and we played without Manu. Just keep attacking and hope one of the bigs (Z-BO) gets in foul trouble, because if he does Memphis offense will sputter.
We did well for not having Manu... but Memphis is a team you should have no problem beating at home if you're truly a contender, even with one of your big 3 out...
Unfortunately, the Spurs didn't adjust to the team they were playing against. Going in everybody knew Memphis' size was their strength... you can't throw out there Bonner/Blair against them...
Onto game 2...
Pop is going to have to get over himself and play Splitter, or else the Gizz front line is going to kill them everytime,
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