Defense wins championships. That’s one of the main reasons why Gregg Popovich has five rings and his unit has put on a clinic against the Memphis Grizzlies for the second straight postseason. Last season it was no surprise to see Memphis struggle on offense with both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley Jr. out for the season with injuries, but both are healthy this season and have just been swallowed up by the San Antonio Spurs. It’s do or die time for the Grizzlies with the next two games in Memphis.
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San Antonio held Memphis to just 82 points in the first two games of this series, covering both games with ease. However, the Spurs have had trouble in Memphis this season.
The Grizzlies held the Spurs to an average of 85 PPG in two games in West Tennessee this year and Memphis got the victory in both of these games unsurprisingly. Whether or not the Grizzlies can get the win in the postseason though remains to be seen following six straight playoff losses to the Spurs.
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Memphis coach David Fizdale ripped the officiating after Game 2 on Monday night, laying the team’s loss at the feet of the referees. San Antonio went to the foul line 32 times on the night, with Kawhi Leonard taking 19 free throws, while Memphis could get to the line only 15 times. That disparity was only 8 free throws in Game 1 and Fizdale believed that it played a large part in determining the outcome of the second game of the series.
While home teams getting calls in the postseason is nothing new, Fizdale may have a point here. He pointed out that Zach Randolph is considered one of the most physical players in the game and has yet to go to the line in 62 minutes of action this postseason.
However, if his team made its shots, Fizdale wouldn’t have these concerns. The Grizzlies attempted 21 more shots in Game 2, but were only able to convert on 37.8 percent of them. They have to shoot better in Memphis if they are going to knock off the Spurs.
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Tony Allen’s injury is really hurting Memphis. Allen was going to matchup against Leonard and without him on the floor, Leonard has gone off. Kawhi has gone 20 of 28 from the floor in two games against Memphis and dropped 32 and 37 points respectively.
Allen is the best defensive player that Memphis has and there’s no one that it really has to match up with Leonard other than him. He is out indefinitely with a calf injury and although there are hopes that he could return in this series, the indications seem to be that he won’t be available in a short series.
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If the Grizzlies can find a way to stop Kawhi, they can grab a game or two in Memphis. Manu Ginobili and Patty Mills have really struggled and LaMarcus Aldridge has been solid, but not spectacular. Stopping Kawhi means putting the onus more on guys like these as well as Tony Parker and Pau Gasol, who can only play limited minutes at this stage in their careers. Without Allen, that’s easier said than done though.
San Antonio will be a short favorite against Memphis and will be the side to bet here. The Grizzlies have no answer for Kawhi and Popovich is schooling the rookie coach on the bench. Memphis may get a few more calls after Fizdale’s rant, but it won’t be enough.
NBA Odds: Spurs 102, Grizzlies 95
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