After battling the Clippers and Thunder vigorously, the Memphis Grizzlies proved that they are ready to contend for anNBA title.
The only problem standing in their way, is the most complete team left in the western conference; the San Antonio Spurs.Though the Spurs struggled against the hot shooters in Golden State, they made the correct adjustments and overcame a much younger more athletic team. In part due to Danny green and Kawhi Leonard, the young stars were phenomenal in defending both Curry and Thompson. It is because of these rising players that the spurs will have the advantage.
The season series was split 2-2, but neither team was complete for any of the four games. This series will showcase both teams at full strength. The Grizzlies and DPOY Marc Gasol, versus Tony Parker Tim Duncan and a lethal team of young stars.
At 6’7 Leonard has the size and wing span to disrupt shooters and he as physical as most when it comes to rebounding. He is resilient and shows a knack for locking down players. He will be needed to contain Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince, if Leonardcan continue to develop…
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Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs: Western Conference Finals Preview
After 82 games of playoff posturing and a pair of grueling rounds of best-of-seven series, the mighty Western Conference has been whittled down to just two teams.
In one corner stands the proud, proven San Antonio Spurs. An opening-round sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers and a six-game series defeat of the Golden State Warriors has Gregg Popovich’s team in the conference’s biggest dance for the second straight season and eighth time in the last 15 years.
On the opposite side of the ring (and perhaps the basketball spectrum) lies the Memphis Grizzlies. Their 56 victories during the regular season made them the winningest team in franchise history. And Lionel Hollins‘ grit-and-grind group carried over that pioneering success into the postseason, as their six-game ouster of the Los Angeles Clippers and five-game dismissal of the Oklahoma City Thunder have pushed this club further into the playoffs than it had ever been before.
It’s a small-market battle for the chance to compete for NBA gold, and one that promises to provide elite-level play over the course of the series.
Season Series: Tied 2-2
Playoff Seed: Grizzlies No. 5, Spurs No. 2
Playoff Records: Grizzlies 8-3; Spurs 8-2
Playoff Schedule: Game 1 Sunday, May 19, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC); Game 2 Tuesday, May 21, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN); Game 3 Saturday May 25, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN); Game 4 Monday, May 27, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN); Games 5-7 TBD if necessary
What Everybody’s Talking About
Even without direct championship implications in the series, this Spurs-Grizzlies’ clash has prize fight written all over it.
“It’s not going to be pretty,” Tim Duncan said, via Art Garcia of Fox Sports Southwest. “Sorry, it’s just not gonna be. It’s going to be two teams (that) are going to try to impose their wills on each other.”
The Spurs (96.2) and Grizzlies (99.9) are the only two Western Conference with a top-six defensive rating in the postseason, via NBA.com/stats. Considering the powerhouse offenses each team has defeated to get this far (the Clippers, Warriors and Thunder each had a top-six playoff offensive rating), their commitment to the defensive end of the floor has truly been a sight to behold.
That’s why Popovich has braced his team for the offensive challenges that now lie ahead.
“I do know (Memphis) had a heck of a year, along with Indiana and Miami, you can argue who is the best defensive team,” he said, via Garcia. “They’re gritty, talented. (It will) be a heck of a challenge, I know that.”
Their four regular-season matchups yielded a total of two 100-plus-point outings, one for each team. And that’s with two of the four needing an extra session to determine the outcomes.
What Nobody’s Talking About
If you caught that collective groan at the end of the Spurs’ series-clinching victory on Thursday night, then you heard all you need to know about the thoughts of broadcasting executives when it comes to this series.
Both the Grizzlies and Spurs have established their position among the league’s elites throughout the season. Both teams enjoy rabid fanbases that anxiously await the opening of the AT&T Center and FedEx Forum on game nights.
But that hasn’t translated to national appeal for either franchise. The Spurs’ team-first approach underrates the star treatment afforded to lesser players on opposing clubs, while the Grizzlies’ best could fill an instructional DVD without producing a single highlight.
Neither team saw a single entry in the league’s top-15 jersey sales, while the Spurs were the only team in this series to crack the top-10 in merchandise sales sneaking in at the ninth slot, via NBA.com.
At some point, the casual fans will come around and kick themselves for grossly underappreciating San Antonio’s dominant era (four titles since 1999). The Spurs have participated in three of the six lowest-rated NBA Finals in league history and produced the least-watched championship battle in 2007 despite LeBron James‘ finals debut, according to ESPN.com.
Key Matchup: Mike Conley vs. Tony Parker
A microcosm of the series as a whole, the wars soon to be waged at the point guard position will pit the established, decorated veteran against a blossoming, yet unheralded star.
Tony Parker has the decisive edge in hardware (five All-Star selections, three championship rings and an NBA Finals MVP Award, 2007). And the 31-year-old has powered the Spurs through these playoffs, setting postseason team highs in scoring (22.4 points per game) and assists (6.3).
But for the second straight series, Parker will be trying to fend off an up-and-coming floor general.
Despite some trouble finding his shooting form (38.5 percent shooting from the field in the second season), Mike Conley has found his way to 17.6 points while tossing out 7.6 assists a night (against 1.9 turnovers) and swiping 1.6 steals. He’s mastered the pick-and-roll sets with Marc Gasol, and kept the rest of his teammates satisfied with their touches.
Truth be told, though, this is just one of many enchanting matchups (Tim Duncan vs. Gasol and Zach Randolph, Manu Ginobili vs. Tony Allen and Kawhi Leonard vs. Tayshaun Prince) that will be well worth your attention.
Don’t Forget…
This marks the second postseason meeting between these teams in the last three seasons.
In 2011, Memphis etched its name in the history books with a shocking upset of the San Antonio Spurs. That season, the Grizzlies became just the second No. 8 seed to eliminate a top seed since the league expanded its first-round series to seven games in 2003, according to Sean Highkin of USA Today.
Granted some of the faces have changed since that time.
Just a sophomore, Leonard was still suiting up at San Diego State when that series took place. Tiago Splitter was then just a rookie, largely reduced to mop-up duties. Those two players have produced two of San Antonio’s top four win shares ratings (6.2 and 8.2, respectively) during the postseason, via Basketball-Reference.com.
Memphis has added to its own arsenal as well. The Grizzlies added an accomplished veteran to their starting five weeks before the 2013 trade deadline in Prince, then found a pair of steady offensive hands for its second unit in Jerryd Bayless (8.9 points per game in the playoffs) and Quincy Pondexter (6.5).
Prediction: Spurs in 6 Games
Memphis has a way of keeping its opponents far from its comfort zone. It’s a grueling exercise, but one made capable by a first-team All-Defensive performer on the perimeter (Allen) and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year manning the middle (Gasol).
The challenge for the Grizzlies, though, lies in identifying the Spurs’ top option.
Stopping Parker’s penetrations is key, but it can’t come at the detriment of exposing the defense to their horde of perimeter threats. Ginobili and Leonard can both create off the dribble, and straying too far away from the paint leaves Duncan and Splitter free to attack in the paint.
Slow the tempo, and the Spurs can ratchet up their defense. Force the issue, and the younger-than-advertised gazelles are more than willing to enter a track meet.
Save for a complete Memphis transformation in style, points will come at a premium in the series. San Antonio’s scoring depth will ultimately prove to be the deciding factor.
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Unlikely Big 3 has Memphis in 1st Western finals (Yahoo! Sports)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Miami Heat have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Spurs have dominated for years with the trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.
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Memphis Grizzlies took long road to conference finals
Jerry West remembers building these Grizzlies. It wasn’t always fun. But it worked.
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NBA Picks: Memphis Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs, Game 1
The Memphis Grizzlies are 10-1 against the spread during the 2013 NBA playoffs, which is important to consider when making your picks on Sunday as they take on the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center.
Sports bettors will find that the Grizzlies are five-point road underdogs in the pro basketball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total sits at 183.5 in the market.
Let’s take a closer look at Game 1 of the 2013 Western Conference Finals from a betting perspective, while offering up an against-the-spread pick along the way.
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Blueprint for Memphis Grizzlies to Stun the NBA and Win 2013 Championship
After the Memphis Grizzlies closed out the Oklahoma City Thunder, 88-84, on Wednesday night to clinch a five-game series win and advance to their first Western Conference finals in franchise history, I went to bed thinking, “I bet this Grizzlies team finally gets some respect tomorrow morning.”
Well, I was wrong.
Instead of everyone praising Memphis and wondering whether or not they are a threat to the Miami Heat, everything was about Kevin Durant‘s lackluster performance. All I heard were things like, “Durant came up small in the clutch” and “Durant disappointed me.”
There was hardly any mention of the Grizzlies, hardly any credit given to their No. 2 ranked defense for holding Durant to 5-of-21 shooting in Game 5 and to 15-of-48 shooting over the final two contests of the series combined.
I don’t get it. Why are we killing Durant when we should be lauding Memphis? After all, they only allowed 96.8 points per 100 possessions this season and house the Defensive Player of the Year in Marc Gasol, an All-Defense first-teamer in Tony Allen and two All-Defense second-teamers in Gasol and Mike Conley. Oh, and Tayshaun Prince is no scrub on that end of the floor, either.
Well, I will be the one to give the Grizzlies their due: they are good. Very good. In fact, they are so good that they are the absolute last team the Heat want to see in the finals. Russell Westbrook going down with a meniscus may have been the worst thing that ever happened to Miami. You see, the Heat match up well with the Thunder.
They don’t match up well with Memphis. At all.
You think the Indiana Pacers are solid up front? Well, the Grizzlies are the Pacers times two. Gasol is better than Roy Hibbert. Zach Randolph is superior to David West. This is a two-headed monster that will absolutely eat you alive if you don’t have the means to stop it, and guess what? The Heat do not have those means. Not in their frontcourt.
Let’s examine the things Memphis must do to capture its first NBA title this June.
Keep Gasol and Randolph out of foul trouble
This may seem pretty obvious, but the Grizzlies’ two bigs are doing a heck of a job in this regard thus far in the postseason.
Throughout the series against Oklahoma City, never once did Randolph accumulate more than three fouls. Gasol? He picked up five personals in Game 3, but in the other for contests? One, three, three and two.
Z-Bo has always been rather excellent in avoiding foul trouble. Over the course of his career, he hacks only 2.4 times a game. Gasol is a little more aggressive, racking up 3.3. However, Gasol has been able to defend without slapping guys around during these playoffs, and Memphis needs that to continue.
When Randolph and Gasol are on the floor together, the Grizzlies are near impossible to guard down low. Both of them are great in the post, both can hit jumpers and both can make plays with the basketball. We all know how good of a passer Gasol is, but don’t underestimate Randolph in that capacity, either. He is no slouch in that area.
Obviously, keeping from fouling may be a bit tougher in a potential battle with Miami, a team with guys that love to get to the rim and draw contact. The San Antonio Spurs, who will be Memphis’ conference finals opponent, will be somewhat difficult to handle in that area, as well, as they have someone in Tim Duncan who likes to go to work in the post, and Tony Parker, who can get into the lane at will.
That’s where the next point comes in, and it’s…
They must rotate their perimeter defenders in and out to keep them fresh
The Grizzlies’ defense doesn’t just begin and end on the interior. They have what is the best trio of perimeter defenders in the league on their ballclub in Allen, Prince and Quincy Pondexter.
All three of those players have accumulated solid chunks of floor time throughout this postseason, and if Lionel Hollins can manage their minutes accordingly to make sure they have enough energy to defend the likes of Manu Ginobili, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, they will represent an absolutely lethal combination.
You saw how Memphis handled Durant. Both Allen and Prince saw time on arguably the best scorer in the league, and what they did was wear him down. That 31 percent clip he shot over Games 4 and 5 was not just due to KD simply missing shots; it was a direct result of the fact that Allen and Prince were basically up in his jersey.
A squad like the Heat has two perimeter scorers who can light you up: James and Wade. Well, the Grizzlies have three outstanding wing defenders to deal with them, not to mention a great defensive point guard in Conley to harass potential opposing floor generals like Parker, Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole.
This Memphis team has it all defensively.
They must get some outside shooting
It’s fairly obvious that the way a team like Miami would defend the Grizzlies is by sending double-teams into the post, forcing Gasol and Randolph to kick the ball out the perimeter. This is where Memphis’ wings come into play.
The Grizzlies ranked last in the NBA in three-point makes this season, but they also ranked last in attempts.
No, Memphis doesn’t exactly have great outside shooters, but the primary reason as to why they don’t launch many triples is because Gasol and Z-Bo are so dominant in the post. Why jack up threes when you can pound the ball inside and get easy buckets, right?
Still, the Grizzlies do have guys who can make the three-ball. People forget that Prince is a threat from long range. He is a career 37 percent shooter from beyond the arc, and this season he hit on 40.4 percent of his three-point tries. People seem to forget Prince can play in general. It took this vicious slam to refresh everyone’s memory.
Also, Pondexter shot treys at a 39.5 percent clip, and Jerryd Bayless converted on a respectable 35.3 percent of his attempts from distance. Plus, Bayless connected on 43.9 percent of the trifectas he took from the corners, making him a very reliable threat from those spots on the floor.
This notion that Memphis “can’t” make threes is a bit too extravagant. They aren’t the Golden State Warriors, but they are fully capable of making you pay if you leave someone open.
Win the turnover battle
The Grizzlies were very prudent with the rock this season, ranking fourth in the NBA by turning the ball over only 13.2 times a game. They have been even better in the playoffs, registering only 10.4 turnovers a contest, No. 1 amongst postseason teams. This will be absolutely crucial the rest of the way, as the Heat and Spurs both possess the ability to score in transition, especially Miami.
On the flip side, Memphis was tied for sixth in the league in forcing turnovers.
The Grizzlies are well-known for being a team that can win “ugly,” and turnovers play a big part in that. If you can create turnovers on the defensive end and limit your miscues on offense, you are going to have a good shot to win the game no matter what. In Memphis’ case, a club that not only forces opponents into mistakes, but shuts them down as well, this makes the Grizzlies an extremely dangerous foe.
The last thing you want to do against the best teams in the league is be careless. Memphis fans don’t have to worry about that, as the Grizzlies have shown the ability to maintain possession of the ball.
The final word
I understand that I may be jumping to conclusions here, but I already have the Grizzlies and Heat penciled in for the NBA Finals.
Beating San Antonio will be no easy feat for Memphis and Miami will get a fight from whomever they face in the Eastern Conference finals (and it will more than likely be Indiana), but I think these are the two best teams remaining.
The Spurs endured a much tougher series with the Warriors than the Grizzlies had with Oklahoma City, having played a couple of overtimes. Given that San Antonio’s legs are a bit older, fatigue may definitely end up playing a factor.
As far as how I think that potential finals matchup will go, I think the Grizzlies are certainly capable of beating the Heat.
It would not be nearly as colossal of an upset as you think. It would only seem that way because of Miami’s starpower and Memphis’ small market.
Remember the 2004 Detroit Pistons? No one gave them a puncher’s chance against what looked like an invincible Los Angeles Lakers squad, but they posed such a matchup problem for the Lakers that they dominated Phil Jackson’s club en route to a 4-1 series victory.
Now I’m not saying that the Grizzlies would do to the Heat what the Pistons did to Los Angeles that year. What I am saying is that you should never underestimate the effect of matchups, and Memphis matches up incredibly well with Miami.
Think about this: who in the world on the Heat can defend either Gasol or Randolph one-on-one? The answer is nobody. The two best options would probably be Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony, but Haslem is a guy who has played 15 to 18 minutes a game all season, and Anthony hardly plays at all. If either of those two sees extended minutes, it would mean that the opponent is imposing their will on Miami and forcing them to play their game.
The Heat don’t like to play big. They like to roll with Chris Bosh, Shane Battier and LeBron up front to maximize their effectiveness offensively.
That isn’t going to work against Memphis, and please don’t tell me that James can guard one of Gasol or Randolph. He can’t. He would get into foul trouble in a matter of minutes, and with Wade ailing with that shaky knee, LeBron needs to be on the floor.
As stated earlier, you would have to assume that Miami’s method of attack defensively would be sending constant double-teams into the post, but there is only so many times you can do that before it burns you.
The Grizzlies absolutely love contact. They even love flagrant fouls.
This is something that the Heat are not too fond of. They have complained about how physical the Chicago Bulls are, and Memphis is bigger, stronger and more physical than the Bulls. The Grizzlies beat you up. Just ask Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka.
A Memphis-Miami finals matchup has “classic series” written all over it. Is it a shoo-in to occur? Of course not, as the Spurs are an outstanding team in their own right and the Heat still have one more battle in the East to take care of.
I just hope we see it.
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Memphis Grizzlies Enter Elite Club of Ugly NBA Powerhouses
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder by a final score of 88-84 In Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, and in typical “grit ‘n grind” fashion, the Grizz notched their win with a style that was far from aesthetically appealing, but still damned effective.
Memphis made only 37 percent of its shots and knocked down a grand total of three triples, but thanks to its defense, those numbers were enough.
The results are in: Ugly wins.
By adopting and embracing a brutally physical, defense-first style, Memphis has turned itself into one of those rare title contenders that gets the job done without a whole lot of flair. Thinking back on champions past, the vast majority had some kind of conventional superstar whose dazzling offensive skills pushed his team over the top.
Guys like Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are supposed to lead their teams to titles. Since when does someone like Marc Gasol belong in that group?
Well, he doesn’t. Not really, anyway.
It’s important to note here that Gasol might very well be a superstar—just not in the conventional sense. He was rightfully acknowledged this year as the league’s best defensive player and his skills as a facilitator make him one of the 10 most impactful two-way threats in the league.
But he’s not a highlight generator and very little of what he does well is readily apparent to casual viewers. He’s great, but not in a way that syncs up with what we’ve grown used to seeing from the best players on championship-caliber teams.
And in a broader sense, the Grizzlies don’t really measure up to other championship clubs we’ve seen recently, either. There are some elements of the 1999 San Antonio Spurs, in that Gasol and Zach Randolph give them a hulking tandem up front that compares reasonably well to Tim Duncan and David Robinson. But at the same time, they’ve got elements of the 2004 Detroit Pistons, who got by with defense and a total team approach that eschewed the notion that superstars were necessary to get rings.
What’s interesting is that the Grizzlies do share something with both of those past champions: They’ve found a way to generate offense to complement what they do on the defensive end of the floor. Appropriately, though, Memphis has been using its bulk and physicality to get the job done.
Of the teams that advanced to the conference semifinals, the Grizzlies rank first in points in the paint (41.7 per game), second in second-chance points (14.7 per game) and fourth in points off turnovers (16.2 per game). When you don’t have a stable of reliable outside shooters or a dominant wing scorer, these are the ways you have to generate points.
Coupled with the Grizzlies’ incredibly low turnover rate (only 11 percent of their possessions have ended in giveaways, which is the best figure of any postseason team), the subtle ways they use their size and strength to maximize scoring opportunities has actually resulted in an offense (104.4 points per 100 possession in 11 playoff games) that would have ranked among the league’s top 10 in the regular season.
But I think we’re all in agreement that Memphis’ excellent play has had little to do with its offense.
The Grizzlies defend at a level that was exceeded (by the slimmest of margins) during the regular season by only the Indiana Pacers. To a man, the Grizzlies take pride in dominating individual matchups by being more physical than their opponents.
Gasol and Randolph beat up Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in the first round, and followed it up by wearing out Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins (a physical player in his own right) in the second.
In addition, Tony Allen, Quincy Pondexter and Tayshaun Prince conspired to make Kevin Durant‘s semifinal series a black-and-blue nightmare. Mission accomplished.
There might be a couple of caveats to lumping the Grizzlies in with the league’s best “ugly” teams in recent years. After all, they’ve feasted on the two worst-coached clubs of the 2013 postseason crop. Vinny Del Negro trotted out a lineup in the fourth quarter of an elimination game that had played only a handful of minutes together during the year.
And we all know how poorly Scott Brooks’ offense adjusted to the loss of Russell Westbrook.
Let’s not take anything away from the Grizzlies, though. They beat teams into submission during the regular season and they’re doing the same thing now.
We don’t yet know whether the Grizzlies will face the Golden State Warriors or the Spurs in the Western Conference finals. But one thing’s for sure, Memphis’ ugly effectiveness makes it a threat to beat absolutely anyone.
*All stats via NBA.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.
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Everything You Need to Know About NBA Sleepers Memphis Grizzlies
Who the heck are these Memphis Grizzlies, and can they actually win an NBA title?
Fans in Oklahoma City and the rest of America are learning Lionel Hollins’ defensive-minded group is much stronger than its No. 5 seeding would indicate.
Personnel
For starters, their defensive core is built around three elite stoppers.
Marc Gasol won 2013 NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors, but he wasn’t even the top vote-getter in the coach’s All-Defensive team tally. He and point guard Mike Conley earned Second Team honors while scrappy swingman Tony Allen received well-deserved First Team recognition.
These physical, mentally-tough Grizzlies were down 0-2 to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, and then dug in their heels. Gasol and Zach Randolph helped Memphis beat LA by double digits in four straight games, effectively turning Lob City into “Sob City” in a week’s time.
These days, they’re in the process of toppling the defending Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Kevin Durant had a couple monster games to start the series, but as usual, Memphis made adjustments and has since slowed the superstar down and hindered the Thunder attack.
Allen garners plenty of defensive praise, but Tayshaun Prince has been critical in helping him slow down the Durantula. His length and craftiness are underrated.
At the point, Conley held his own against Chris Paul in Round 1, and is now picking apart Oklahoma City’s Westbrook-less backcourt. He’s posting 19.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.3 rebounds, and his eight three-pointers have helped the Griz stretch the floor when it matters most.
He’s helped on the perimeter by Jerryd Bayless, who’s dangerous as a shooter and a slasher, especially in the open floor.
Mix in some clutch scoring and stubborn defense from Randolph, a.k.a. Z-Bo, and you have the ingredients for something special.
ESPN NBA Insider Chris Palmer thinks Larry O’Brien trophy kind of special.
And I agree with him.
Let’s not forget that this playoff run wasn’t a guarantee after Memphis traded Rudy Gay January 30, as he was the highest-scoring player on the team at the team.
It turned out to be an addition-by-subtraction scenario, as the club was no longer hampered by his inefficient shooting and lack of facilitation.
Including the playoffs, the Grizzlies are 34-14 without Gay, and they’re currently on the cusp of advancing to the Western Conference Finals.
Offensive Blueprint
Sports Illustrated’s Rob Mahoney explains how Gay’s exit liberated Memphis’ offense:
These Grizzlies are definitively better than the Memphis team — led by Gay in minutes, field-goal attempts and points per game — that lost in the first round a season ago. They execute more evenly (the Grizzlies have scored 105.5 points per 100 possessions in this year’s playoffs compared with 99.6 in the 2012 postseason), shoot more accurately (they’ve posted an playoff effective field-goal percentage of 47.3, up from 44.9 last year) and even defend more aggressively. But still, it would be unkind and inaccurate to say that the Grizzlies have improved because of Gay’s exodus, though the trade certainly served as a mechanism for Memphis’ evolution.
Memphis’ offensive identity lies in the paint, where they get Randolph and Gasol copious touches.
Hollins’ crew took a massive chunk of its shots from within eight feet in the regular season:
Similarly, a huge portion of the Grizzlies’ playoff attempts (44.5 percent) come from the interior:
Compare those with a team like Oklahoma City, who took just 34.2 percent of its shots from that range in the postseason:
That difference in priorities makes it easier to understand Memphis’ 3-1 series lead.
Defensive Identity
They simply do what it takes to win, and live by the adage, “defense wins championships.” Gasol defends the paint religiously, and is willing to do whatever it takes to stop opponents.
Even if it involves using props.
Memphis will be a tough club to top if it advances to the conference finals, especially the way it’s been playing at home lately.
The FedExForum turns into a raucous “Grind House” every postseason, and the Grizzlies have fared well there and taken care of business on their home floor.
Scott Brooks’ Thunder face a huge uphill battle if they want to come back in this series. They’re facing a Memphis group that knows how to control a series once it gets a grip on it.
Predictions For Rest of Playoffs
- Grizzlies easily advance past Thunder: OKC might squeak one out at home in Game 5, but they’ll certainly put their foot down in Game 6 on the strength of their home-court defense.
- Grizzlies over Spurs in Six: In the Western Conference Finals, the combination of Gasol and Z-Bo will counteract Tim Duncan, while Mike Conley and Jerryd Bayless will keep San Antonio’s perimeter busy.
- Grizzlies take Heat to At Least Six: It’s tough to bet against LeBron James, but Memphis’ size will give Miami fits, and Conley will outplay the likes of Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole. Expect the Griz to win at least a couple games against the defending champs, if not the whole enchilada.
Bottom line: The San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat must take note.
Don’t sleep on the Grizzlies.
Follow Dan on Twitter for more NBA Playoff talk: @DanielO_BR
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Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies Game 4: Video Highlights and Recap
The 2013 NBA playoffs resumed on Monday, May 13, as the Oklahoma City Thunder traveled to play the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.
In what has been one of the most competitive series of the year, the Thunder and Grizzlies took it to another level in this one. Four quarters wasn’t enough, as the fired up Memphis crowd was treated to an overtime contest.
The question is, were they treated to a home win?
Kevin Durant finished with 27 points, seven assists, seven rebounds, one block, one steal and hit the game-tying field goal to send the game into overtime. Serge Ibaka added 17 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, while Reggie Jackson picked up 15 points and eight assists.
As for Memphis, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley all topped 20 points. Z-Bo finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, Gasol dropped 22 points and 10 boards and Conley finished with 24 points and four steals.
So was the Grizzlies’ trio strong enough to secure the win and grab a 3-1 series lead? Or were the shorthanded Thunder able to even things up at 2-2?
Check the video provided above to find out.
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Emerging Storylines to Watch in OKC Thunder vs Memphis Grizzlies Series
If you haven’t been tuned into the ongoing Oklahoma City Thunder-Memphis Grizzlies series, you’ve been missing out.
Not only are you missing a slugfest between two title contenders, but you’re out of the loop as far as some of the postseason’s most intriguing storylines. Between one of the game’s most underrated point guards, a one man scoring machine and the shooting struggles of a beloved shot-blocker, the side stories are worth taking a gander at.
One Is The Loneliest Number
It’s tough to go it alone. Don’t believe me? Just ask Kevin Durant.
After the game’s most electrifying combo guard went down with a freak knee injury, arguably the game’s most offensively gifted forward had to give it a go all on his lonesome. KD is leading all scorers in the playoffs with a whopping 32.3 points per game, and considering his team finds itself in a 2-1 hole, it will need all the points it can get from Durant.
Aside from the short-term issue of losing Russell Westbrook, the Thunder now realize more than ever just how vital Westbrook is to this squad long term. While his expected return is unknown, the loss of their dynamic floor leader is a prime example that no one can go it alone in the NBA.
While the guys Kevin has around him are the furthest thing from scrubs, outside if Kevin Martin, there is nobody else who can consistently catch fire like Westbrook. If some Thunder fans didn’t appreciate Russell before, it’s a safe bet they appreciate him a lot more now.
Does he shoot a little too much? Yeah, of course, but any greater scorer runs the risk of overshooting when you have a score-first mentality.
While whispers of frustrated fans have alluded to Kevin Durant being too passive or not demanding the ball enough times from Westbrook, this series as it stands is his opportunity to make the biggest mark he can as the undisputed primary scoring option.
Will Kevin Durant’s scoring prowess single-handedly stave off disaster for the Thunder’s season, or will the loss of Mr. Westbrook be too significant?
Tune in to find out, folks.
Mike Conley Is Good…Very Good
Let’s go back in time for a second and re-examine the 2007 NBA Draft. Lost in the hoopla concerning Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, one of the most productive members of that class happens to be as understated now as he was back then. In an era that favors flash over substance, sometimes the quietest guy in the room gets lost in all the noise that more exciting players make.
Mike Conley‘s game is efficient, gimmick-less and embodies a winning brand of basketball. He is a competent defender, a great ball-handler, a good shooter and he possesses phenomenal dexterity when it comes to finishing around the basket. Plain and simple, the guy deserves a lot more credit for his team’s success as of late.
No doubt, Memphis has a solid frontcourt pairing, but let’s not forget the guy who is feeding them the rock and keeping the whole ship efficiently coasting. In Game 2 of this series, Mike did his best LeBron James impression when he scored 26 points, snatched 10 boards and dished nine assists en route to a 99-93 win over the Thunder. Oh yeah, he also shot a cool 50 percent from the field—incredible efficiency all around.
Here’s a tip: stop sleeping on Mike and be sure to keep an eye on him in the ensuing games. You’re missing out on a criminally underrated floor general.
In Need of A Surge From Serge
We already know Kevin Durant is going at it pretty much by himself, so when a key member of the squad is struggling, it makes their situation all the more difficult. Whether it’s scoring, shooting or defense, Serge Ibaka is just struggling as of late.
The 6’9″ Ibaka has been trying with all his might to keep Zach Randolph off the glass, and although his effort is valiant, it’s apparent he is physically outmatched as far stopping Z-Bo. Even in their Game 1 victory, Randolph out-tallied him in the rebound column, and at worst, he broke even with him. Ibaka is also a combined 11-39 from the field in this series—absolutely atrocious for someone with a reputation for being a solid mid-range shooter.
The Grizzlies are continuing to pound the ball inside, and for a guy like Ibaka who’s a little more at home stepping out and knocking down jumpshots, this slow, calculating pace of play doesn’t favor his talents as a player.
Ibaka absolutely has to get going, and it’s more than just putting the ball in the hoop off rebounds or from the free-throw line. For the Thunder’s sake, they need him to step out and knock down some shots. If he can force whoever his man happens to be—whether it’s Z-Bo or another Memphis big man—to step out of the lane and contest the shot, it will open the paint up for everyone else.
For a jump-shooting team like the Thunder to lose their premier slasher in Westbrook, they can’t afford someone like Ibaka to go cold for long periods as he has as of late. If Serge can give the Thunder one solid, meaningful all-around performance, it could totally shift the dynamic of the series.
Is It All Over?
More than the individual storylines, the ultimate storyline is whether or not we will witness the regression of last year’s Western Conference Finals champions. Will they escape imminent elimination, or will the wounded Thunder advance to the Western Finals for another year sans their second-leading scorer?
Only time will tell, but whatever the result, we’re in for a fantastic finish to what’s been a brusing, bare-knuckle series.
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