Grizzlies-Spurs Preview

[duncan228]

http://www.nba.com/games/20071230/ME...scoreboardhome

Grizzlies-Spurs Preview
By Kate Hedlin, STATS Writer

The San Antonio Spurs are coming off one of their worst performances of the season. Now they'll look for a bit of revenge against a team that handed them one of their most surprising losses of the year.

The Spurs try to avoid losing twice to a team with one of the NBA's worst records when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

The Grizzlies (8-21) have the second-worst record in the Western Conference, but they pulled off a 88-85 win in their last meeting with the Spurs (20-8) on Dec. 19. Memphis led by 23 points in that game, and although the Spurs rallied, Rudy Gay hit a 3-pointer as time expired for the win.

The Spurs are trying to bounce back from another tough loss after falling 83-73 to the Toronto Raptors on Friday. San Antonio was held to a season low in points, shot a season-worst 31.9 percent, and committed 19 turnovers that led to 22 Toronto points.

The Spurs have lost three out of their last five games, and coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in the fourth quarter for arguing that a foul wasn't called.

"We got shots that we usually knock out, and they didn't go out tonight," said Tim Duncan, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

San Antonio was without Manu Ginobili, who is averaging 19.2 points, but missed his second straight game after spraining his index finger in the opening minutes last Saturday against the Clippers. Key reserve Brent Barry also missed the game because of a torn muscle in his left calf, and will be out for up to two weeks.

Michael Finley led the Spurs with 20 points. Tony Parker, who scored 28 points two nights earlier in a win against Chicago, was held to 15 on 4-of-12 shooting.

Sunday is the finale of a four-game homestand for the Spurs. Their Western Conference-leading home record fell to 15-2 with Friday's loss.

The Grizzlies have been unable to build off that win over the Spurs two weeks ago, losing four straight since then, including a 103-83 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Pau Gasol scored 23 points and added eight rebounds while Darko Milicic had 12 points and eight rebounds. The Grizzlies shot just 36 percent from the field and their 14 turnovers resulted in 18 Houston points.

"The shooting was hard to open up," Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni said. "We were turning down open shots. It wasn't good for the shooting muscles. When you have a shot, you have to take it. We have no confidence."

Three of their last four losses have been by 18 or more points.

"The sooner we can turn this around the better because, otherwise, the load just keeps getting heavier and heavier," Gasol said.

The only team Memphis has defeated more than once this season is Seattle. With a win Sunday, the Grizzlies would earn a split of the four-game season series against the Spurs.

The Spurs have won six straight at home against the Grizzlies, including a 101-88 win on Nov. 23 in which Duncan scored a game-high 28 points.

[duncan228]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=8011

Depleted Spurs look to start streak against slumping Grizzlies

Memphis (8-21) at San Antonio (20-8) 8:30 pm EST

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- If there was ever a good time for the Memphis Grizzlies to face the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, Sunday might be it.

The Spurs are 15-2 at home, but are an uncharacteristic 5-5 in their last 10 games overall. Included in that stretch are home defeats to the Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors.

The Spurs were without the services of top reserve Manu Ginoboli (sprained finger) and Brent Barry (torn calf muscle) in Friday's 83-73 setback to Toronto.

Memphis has lost four straight and 12 of its last 15 games. The Grizzlies are coming off Friday's 103-83 drubbing at the hands of the Houston Rockets.

"The sooner we can turn this around the better because, otherwise, the load just keeps getting heavier and heavier," said swingman Pau Gasol, who is averaging 17.4 points and 8.0 rebounds.

The Spurs have won six straight home games against the Grizzlies and are 19-5 all-time at home against Memphis.

[duncan228]

From Grizzlies.com

http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/feature....html?rss=true

Grizzlies at Spurs Preview

The last time these two teams met, the game provided Grizzlies fans with the signature moment of the season to date: Rudy Gay’s game-winning three-pointer over Tim Duncan as time expired. It was the team’s first win of the season over the Spurs, and they’ll be looking to even the season series Sunday night. Here are a few storylines to watch in tonight’s game.

Duplicate the D

There are two ways to look at the Grizzlies’ victory over San Antonio last week, a game in which Memphis led by as many as 23 points before San Antonio came back to tie it late: either the Grizzlies did a great job of giving themselves a cushion against the defending champs, who were bound to make a run, or the Grizzlies had the Spurs on the ropes and let them back in the game when they went seven minutes in the fourth quarter without scoring a point. Either way, there are positives that can be gleaned from the game, besides Gay’s incredible buzzer-beater. Despite the Spurs’ comeback, the Grizzlies held them to 85 points on the night, their third-lowest scoring output of the season, including just 35 in the first half. The Spurs shot 41.4% from the field, 21.4% from three-point range, and went to the free throw line just nine times. Keeping your opponents to numbers like that will put you in a position to win, and the Grizzlies will look for a similar performance on the defensive end in this game.

The Parker Effect

It didn’t hurt the Grizzlies’ cause last week that Spurs point guard Tony Parker sat out the game due to an ankle injury. With his lightning-quick speed Parker causes the Grizzlies no end of grief as he gets into the lane virtually at will, where he can finish with easy layups. He averaged 19.0 points in the first two meetings this season, and 18.0 points on 57.7% shooting in two matchups last year. Of course, it’s not just about finishing at the hoop, as Parker’s penetrations force defenses to collapse on him, at which point he can dump it off to Tim Duncan for a dunk, or find Manu Ginobili on the perimeter for an open look. Finding a way to keep Parker in front of them will be one of the primary goals for the Grizzlies’ point guards in this game. However, they may catch another injury break as Manu Ginobili could miss this contest with a finger injury. The Grizzlies were able to knock off the Spurs last week when they had only two of their three All-Stars in the lineup, so they’ll be looking to do the same in this contest.

Mike’s Moving Up

In each of the three games against the Spurs this season, Mike Miller’snumbers have gotten progressively better. He took just eight shots in the season opener, and made half of them en route to 11 points (although he did add 10 rebounds). He then scored 14 points on 5-10 shooting in the second game between the two teams, before exploding in last week’s matchup. He had a game-high 31 points on 12-18 shooting, including 5-11 from three-point range. He was the sole Grizzly in double figures in the first half when he had 16 points on 6-9 shooting, and kept the Grizzlies afloat in the third quarter with 11 points on 4-5 shooting, including 3-4 from behind the arc. Miller sometimes flies under the radar, but when he’s involved in the offense and making outside shots, it stretches defenses and gives Pau Gasol and Rudy Gay more room to operate. And with Gasol still hobbled by a toe injury, Miller is being counted on to give the Grizzlies a scoring presence.

[urunobili]

Hey thanks for the compilation! keep it up!!! it really saves several browsing moves having it all here.

[Bruno]

Yep, Thanks Duncan228 for posting all these articles.

[bigfundamental21]

I say thanks too, Duncan228.

Now let's get out there and kick some Grizz tail! We need a big rebound game after that pathetic effort on Friday. And we need to pay these guys back for stealing a win after a remarkable comeback the last time we played them. I expect a big game from Tony and Tim.

[Tony Parker 09]

We must win this game.Because last week lost Memphis with buzzer-shoot and last match ((Toronto)) lost.And last ten games,we lost five games.
This subject,for our very bad.

Now,we must win the Memphis game,and start winner.

[boutons_]

We can't lose to a deep-in-the-lottery, same-division team twice in one month, or can we?

[LaMarcus Bryant]

Is Mike Miller being inducted into the long line of Spurs Killers?

[angel_luv]

Let's go Spurs!

[boutons_]

MM isn't a Spur killer. The Spurs sometimes play suicidal bball.

[duncan228]

Spurs.com

http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/071230.html

Spurs vs. Grizzlies Preview

Probable Starters:

T. Parker
Guard
20.1 PPG M. Finley
Guard
10.0 PPG B. Bowen
Forward
6.2 PPG T. Duncan
Forward
18.1 PPG
F. Oberto
Center
6.0 PPG

Injury/Inactive Report

Manu Ginobili (sprained left index finger) is out.
Barry (torn plantaris muscle, left calf) is out.

The San Antonio Spurs will look for a bit of revenge against a team that handed them one of their most surprising losses of the year.

The Grizzlies (8-21) pulled off an 88-85 win in their last meeting with the Spurs (20-8) on Dec. 19. Memphis led by 23 points in that game, and although the Spurs rallied, Rudy Gay hit a 3-pointer as time expired for the win.

The Spurs are trying to bounce back from another tough loss after falling 83-73 to the Toronto Raptors on Friday. San Antonio was held to a season low in points, shot a season-worst 31.9 percent, and committed 19 turnovers that led to 22 Toronto points.

San Antonio was without Manu Ginobili, who is averaging 19.2 points, but missed his second straight game after spraining his index finger in the opening minutes last Saturday against the Clippers. Key reserve Brent Barry also missed the game because of a torn muscle in his left calf, and will be out for up to two weeks.

Michael Finley led the Spurs with 20 points. Tony Parker, who scored 28 points two nights earlier in a win against Chicago, was held to 15 on 4-of-12 shooting.

Sunday is the finale of a four-game homestand for the Spurs. Their Western Conference-leading home record fell to 15-2 with Friday's loss.

The Grizzlies have been unable to build off that win over the Spurs two weeks ago, losing four straight since then, including a 103-83 loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Pau Gasol scored 23 points and added eight rebounds while Darko Milicic had 12 points and eight rebounds. The Grizzlies shot just 36 percent from the field and their 14 turnovers resulted in 18 Houston points.

Three of their last four losses have been by 18 or more points.

The only team Memphis has defeated more than once this season is Seattle. With a win Sunday, the Grizzlies would earn a split of the four-game season series against the Spurs.

The Spurs have won six straight at home against the Grizzlies, including a 101-88 win on Nov. 23 in which Duncan scored a game-high 28 points.

Did You Know...

The Grizzlies made their first ever playoff appearance against San Antonio in 2004 … the Spurs took the series 4-0 … Chuck Person set a Spurs franchise-record with nine three-pointer’s made in a game on 12/30/97 in Vancouver … on 11/8/95 the Spurs held the Grizzlies to 62 points, which is still a Memphis franchise low … the Spurs set a Grizzles opponent high with 44 points in the first quarter on 4/13/02.