Memphis Grizzlies 44 vs. San Antonio Spurs 43 – 1st Half NBA Recap
When the Memphis Grizzlies and the San Antonio Spurs last met in the game-6 of the first round of the playoffs, the Grizzlies finished one of the biggest upsets of last NBA post season, by taking down the number one team in the
Western Conference.
The Spurs passed through a difficult phase after the meltdown and there have been many voices originating, even from within, that last season might have been their last chance to experience NBA glory under the reign of the wily
old Tim Duncan. The Grizzlies on the other hand, went on to Western Conference semifinals to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, a series which they lost out in seven games.
On Monday night, the two titans of the Western Conference met for the first time and till the halftime, there was nothing to differentiate between them.
The Spurs had the better start with DeJuan Blair slipping in a reverse layup and Duncan following it with a mid range jumper. Soon, Marc Gasol put his foot on the gas. The Spanish big scored six in a 9-2 spurt that got the Grizzlies
off and running. Matt Bonner put an end to the burst with a three on a Tony Parker assist, tying the game at 9. However, the three gave clue to a Grizzly 12-3 run that put the Memphis lead into double figures, 22-12, with 52.8 seconds to go in the first quarter.
The Spurs fought back quickly and reeled off a 12-2 run, bridging the late part of the first frame and the first 3:14 of the second to tie the game at 24. Mike Conley made a layup to put the Grizzlies infront again, but Manu Ginobili
and Richard Jefferson knocked down consecutive try to give Spurs a 4 point lead at 30-26.
Nearly a minute later, Ginobili and Blair combined for five points as the Spurs raced away to a 37-29 lead. That was where, the three Memphis bigs combined to mount a comeback. Zach Randolph slipped in two free throws to start
an 11 point unanswered run which put them at 40-37. Ginobili again struck from downtown to tie the game and after Parker drilled a jumper, sandwiched between two from Gasol and Conley, he missed his second free throw as Memphis took a one point lead 44-43
into the break.
The Spurs were poor from the floor in the first 24 minutes and worse from the free line. They made only 38.6 percent, including 6 of 17 from beyond the arc and 3 of 8 from the stripe. The Grizzlies in contrast shot 53.1 percent
from the field and made 1 of the two three’s tried. They however gave 15 turnovers as compared. Marc Gasol led all scorers till the break with 11 while Jefferson had 10 for the Spurs.
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