Spurs bracing for nemesis Grizzlies
SAN ANTONIO -- The Spurs have been able to handle just about every team in the NBA this season except the Memphis Grizzlies, but San Antonio will get the chance to rectify that situation on Thursday when two squads meet at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio has just 16 losses, but two have come at the hands of Memphis, a team that always gives the Spurs fits. Both the setbacks have been in Memphis -- an 89-74 loss on March 6 when the Grizzlies held San Antonio to its lowest offensive output of the season and a 104-96 defeat on Saturday.
There will be another game between the teams on April 4 in San Antonio that could help determine if the Spurs (currently second in the Western Conference) will play Memphis (which is seventh) in the first round of the playoffs.
"Sometimes we have to be pushed to play our best," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "It's always a good matchup with Memphis. They make you play your best to beat them. The key is to match Memphis' aggressiveness and toughness and their athleticism. We know we will have to bring it for 48 minutes and that's what makes it hard."
San Antonio (54-16) heads back home after using an 8-0 run in the closing minutes to escape with a 100-93 win at the Minneapolis Timberwolves on Tuesday.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points to help the Spurs overcome a nine-point halftime deficit. San Antonio swept their season series with Minnesota, winning all four games.
"I know we haven't lost here in a long time," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said afterward. "Minnesota hasn't beaten us, and they wanted it and showed it in the first half. We got our composure back and played with the aggressiveness you have to play with to win in the NBA."
Kawhi Leonard added 22 points and Pau Gasol scored 11 points off the bench for the Spurs, who won their second game in a row.
Memphis (40-31) saw its four-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with a 95-82 loss to the Pelicans in New Orleans. Point guard Mike Conley had a team-high 16 points but only three assists while Marc Gasol, Vince Carter and Wayne Selden were 0 of 13 from 3-point range.
"Everybody is doing their own scheme, defensively," Marc Gasol said. "A lot of hesitance -- to go or not to, to help or not to help. That's really bad. "Everything we built over the last four games, we threw away. I can't find the reason why but the consistency we built was really fragile."
Per the norm for most teams during the grind of the final days of the NBA's regular season, the Grizzlies rested guard/forward Tony Allen against New Orleans because of light knee soreness.
The move to rest players has drawn the wrath of fans who want to see a team's stars participate in every game, especially with playoff seedings on the line.
"I grew up on the back end of the old school, so if you're healthy you played," Memphis coach David Fizdale said. "I also understand what some of these teams are looking at. They're paying these guys a lot of money. Teams are going to err on the side of protecting that investment."