Grizzlies gear up for a shot at Spurs
Since 2011, there has been no NBA playoffs pairing more frequent than San Antonio facing Memphis.
And with the exception of 2011, the Spurs have simply dominated the Grizzlies.
It’s been so bad that Memphis forward Zach Randolph focuses only on the pain of being swept in the 2013 Western Conference finals and in the first round last year. His incredible performance in 2011 — when the Grizzlies pulled off a stunning upset as a No. 8 seed against the West’s best — fades away.
“That’s what sticks in my mind more, getting swept and them beating us the last couple years,” Randolph said. “So let’s hope (we) go back to 2011.”
The Spurs roll into this first-round series, which starts tonight with Game 1 in San Antonio, as the No. 2 seed in the West after going 61-21 in the regular season — a record that was second only to Golden State in the NBA. The Grizzlies slumped to the seventh seed by going 9-15 after the All-Star break, and they limp into the postseason having gone 1-5 this month.
Last year the Grizzlies were swept with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol sidelined by season-ending injuries. Both are healthy and have turned in the best seasons of their careers, helping Memphis split the season series with its Southwest Division rival 2-2.
These teams last met March 4, with Conley forced out of a 95-89 overtime loss in San Antonio after being head-butted by Kawhi Leonard late in the fourth quarter. Conley needed 13 stitches below his right eyebrow for that cut.
“Yeah, I’ve been seeing those guys too often lately,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said Friday. “But good. I think they are fresh on our minds. We know them, they know us. It’s a tough team as we all know, but we are optimistic. We know that if we play our best game we have a good chance, so looking forward to it.”
The Spurs lead Memphis 14-4 all-time in the postseason, including a sweep in the Grizzlies’ first postseason berth back in 2004. Coach Gregg Popovich said none of that matters.
“Every night is a new game,” Popovich said. “You’ve just got to deal with that.”
Popovich has guided the Spurs to the longest streak of postseason appearances in major professional sports, with this the 20th berth for San Antonio. This is the Grizzlies’ seventh straight trip to the playoffs, but David Fizdale is the third different coach in that span and this is his postseason debut as a head coach.
“For me personally, I know everybody’s looking at this going: ‘Here’s the greatest coach in the league, and here’s the youngest guy, and he doesn’t have a chance,’” Fizdale said. “So, for me, it frees my mind. I’m taking free swings at Pop right now. He’s supposed to beat me. But I have a lot of confidence in me. I have a lot of confidence in this team.”