A Review on the Memphis Grizzlies successful first round trip: NBA Play-offs – Part 1
As the National Basketball Association play-offs headed out in the last month, a common perception extensively supported the top teams in both the Conferences to brush off the lowest ranked squads. The viewpoint turned out accordingly in the East, as the
Western Conference matchup depicted a startling turnaround.
The Memphis Grizzlies stood confident against all the odds and overpowered the spirited San Antonio Spurs, becoming the fourth eighth seeded team in the history of the league to oust the Number one seed in the first round best-of-seven games series. Nobody
was expecting this outcome as the Grizzlies proved that what matters is how well you play in a knock-out situation rather how well-equipped a team is.
Memphis displayed a tremendous spirit of team-work which was dominantly led by the versatile forward Zach Randolph. The star power infused by the All-star Randolph opened the gateway for the Grizzlies to thrash the Spurs for a first round exit. The team
was constructive, energetic and incredibly instrumental on both ends of the court that provided few chances for San Antonio to manipulate the proceedings. A summary of the Grizzlies smashing first round trip is as follows.
Game 1: Memphis Grizzlies 101 – San Antonio Spurs 98
Memphis Grizzlies arrived at the AT&T Centre on Sunday night to take on the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the play-offs. The showdown was considered to be lop-sided for the West-leader Spurs who finished the season with the best home record. However, the
Grizzlies supplied an absolute shock early on in the series and outshined the home team for an electrifying 101-98 victory.
Randolph had a magnificent double-double as he landed 25 points and gathered 14 rebounds to power the Grizzlies down the stretch and clinched a brilliant victory. Marc Gasol provided a significant support and racked up 24 points to retort the Spurs’ assail.
The Grizzlies took charge convincingly in the first half of the game to grab the lead, as San Antonio bounced back strongly after half-time and obtained a four point lead with 1:06 remaining in the final buzzer. The visiting Memphis surged with a series
of 3-pointers, layup shots and free throws in the defining moments of the game to lead the series 1-0.
Game 2: San Antonio Spurs 93 – Memphis Grizzlies 87
Game 2 between the Western Conference foes took place at the AT&T Centre once again that guided the series into a thrilling situation. The Spurs recuperated from the last defeat and outplayed the Grizzlies in the final 12 minutes to tie the contest 1-1.
Five players from San Antonio landed double figures comprehensively to overshadow the visiting team. The superstar Randolph had a struggling night and finished the game with 11 points as the Spurs managed to contain the spirited forward to wrap up a splendid
win.
Memphis’ coach Lionel Hollins said after the game, "They went after [Randolph] and attacked him defensively every time he put the ball on the floor."
The Grizzlies’ bench failed to put up an upright performance and as a result the team failed to uphold down the stretch. The visiting team was a single point behind when the Spurs charged in aggressively and thrashed the grizzlies out of the game.
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