Hoying has two homers, five RBIs
said rebounds, points inside and who pressured the best affected each game in the series.
“I kept stressing that to our guys,” Fizdale said. “To their credit, (the Spurs) won it more games than we did. But it definitely wasn’t from a lack of competition on our part. I can sleep at night knowing my guys battled and competed their tails off.”
Parker s aid t he S purs treated Thursday night’s game like a Game 7 to make sure they avoided heading home to play a deciding seventh game that would have been Saturday. That would’ve meant only one day to rest and prepare for the third-seeded Rockets with the semifinal series starting Monday night in San Antonio.
“We wanted those days off before playing Houston because it’s going to be a fastpaced game against them,” Parker said. “They have a great offense, and the key is going to be defense. So we’re going to have to have our legs. I think this win is huge, obviously, because we won the series, but even to prepare against Houston.”
For much of the series, Leonard carried the Spurs as he matched or topped his playoff career high in scoring in three of the five games. He also hit his first 42 free throws, the most to start a postseason series in NBA history.
But some of the other Spurs started stepping up as San Antonio turned a 2-2 tie into a series victory. Patty Mills came through in San Antonio’s Game 5 victory Tuesday night with 20 points off the bench, and he added 10 Thursday night. Manu Ginobili ended an 0-for-15 shooting slump with 10 points off the bench in Game 5.
Parker had his best game of the series Thursday night, hitting his first six shots and finishing with 27 points. He also had two rebounds and four assists. The veteran guard, who will turn 35 on May 17, was seen icing both feet and his left knee after the game but walked just fine talking to reporters.
He said he talked with Popovich about how the Grizzlies were going under on pick-and-rolls and not giving shots for Aldridge.
“I had to be aggressive,” Parker said. “That’s a choice that Memphis made. We talked about it last week. They just are going to leave me in the corner for 3s and just go under the pick-androlls, so I had to be aggres- sive.”
The Spurs swept the Griz- zlies a year ago when Memphis had a patchwork roster with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol injured. But then San Antonio lost to Oklahoma City in six games. The Spurs agreed that this series was much better preparation for what lies ahead.
“It’s an experience that helps you push through the tough times on the floor, and that’s how you gain confidence,” Leonard said.
He said the break will be good after a very physical series.
“We can just regroup, get our energy back and get our bodies prepared for the next round,” Leonard said. “It’s going to be tougher.”
Jared Hoying hit two home runs and drove in five runs as the visiting Round Rock Express defeated the Memphis Redbirds 9-7 in a Pacific Coast League series opener Thursday night.
Preston Claiborne struck out Todd Cunningham with a runner on second to end the game for his third save of the season.
Hoying h it a two-run homer in the fourth inning off Josh Zeid and then hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Rowan Wick. He went 2 for 5 with three runs and five RBIs.
Brett Nicholas homered and singled. He was 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI.
Jaye Chapman (2-0) got the victory in relief, and Wick (1-1) took the loss.
Allen Webster started for Round Rock (11-10) and allowed five runs on five hits through five innings.
Patrick Wisdom homered and singled twice, scoring two runs and driving in two for the Redbirds (10-11).
Memphis’ Harrison Bader homered and singled, with two runs and two RBIs.
Paul DeJong homered for the Redbirds, but it wasn’t enough.
D eJ o ng and Wisdom each homered in the second inning to put the Redbirds up 2-0.
Memphis’ Luke Voit doubled to score Chad Huffman in the third inning.
The Express started the comeback in the top of the fourth when Hoying hit his first homer.
Hoying and Nicholas each homered in the ninth to seal the win.