San Antonio Spurs v Memphis Grizzlies: NBA Playoff's Preview
The sizzling San Antonio Spurs is all set to take on the Memphis Grizzlies in the first game of the best-of-seven Conference quarterfinal series on April 16, 2011.
The red hot Spurs qualified for the playoffs seeded first in the Western Conference with a 61-21 record. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, closed the regular season at 46-36.
San Antonio lost an excellent opportunity to clinch the league’s best record as they capitulated to the Phoenix Suns in their last game of this season. The Chicago Bulls, on the other hand, went ahead of the Spurs by one game.
San Antonio and Memphis split this year's series, winning two games each. However, the Spurs have a home court advantage this time that would definitely benefit them on the court. Additionally, they secured a great home record during the regular season at
36-5. Therefore, Memphis should aim to be prudent, especially with a looming unimpressive record at 16-25.
The Spurs forward, Tim Duncan, is quite enthusiastic about the game. Duncan said on Friday, "They played us well the last couple of games," "They feel they match up well against us. They chose to play us, they got us, and we'll see what happens."
Manu Ginobili of San Antonio is under day-to-day observation, while the management does not confirm his presence in the game. He sprained his right elbow in the last game of the season against the Suns after colliding with teammate, Tim Duncan. Ginobili
left the game early in the first quarter and did not return. Later on, his elbow was declared hyper-extended and the physician suggested a complete rest. The X-Ray taken on Ginobili’s arm was negative but since he has already started practicing, one can assume
clear signs of improvement in his arm. Much to the joy of the Spurs’ fans, Ginobili tweeted on Thursday night that he is all set to play against the Grizzlies.
Ginobili’s absence is undoubtedly a great loss for San Antonio as he is the second-leading scorer with an average of 17.4 points, 4.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game during the current season.
The leading scorer for the Spurs, Tony Parker, is also flying high nowadays, as he is averaging 17.5 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per contest.
Parker is concerned about Ginobili’s participation in the next game as his presence contributes a lot in the success of the team. He said, "For me, it's almost impossible he's not going to play.”
Richard Jefferson (averaged nearly a double-double vs. Memphis this year), and Tim Duncan (leading the Spurs with 8.9 rebounds per game) are the other two prominent players that can provide the Grizzlies some tough time on the court.
The Memphis point guard, Mike Conley, is coming off his best season with an average of 13.7 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Zach Randolph is another big name who is leading the Grizzlies into the playoffs, averaging 20.1 points and 12.2 rebounds. His athletic abilities can turn any unfavourable conditions into a productive one. The 29-year-old averages more points and nearly
15 rebounds per game against the Spurs.
Some of the other noticeable players in the Memphis’ roster include, Tony Allen (averaging 17 points per game vs. the Spurs this season), Sam Young (averaging 10 points and 4 rebounds per game), and Marc Gasol (averages around 8 points, 7 rebounds per game
against San Antonio.
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