Official Spurs at Grizzlies Game Thread (7:00)
 

7:00 PM
TV: FSN

San Antonio (28 - 10)
FireySpurs

at

Memphis (23 - 10)
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6...zzly100x70.jpg

(AP) -- Still searching for answers as they try to end their road slump, the San Antonio Spurs might have a tough time finding them in a showdown at Memphis.

While the Spurs hope to avoid their seventh loss in nine road games, the Grizzlies look for their fourth straight win as the top two teams in the Southwest Division meet on Friday night.

Memphis (23-10) has a chance to gain ground, entering this game trailing San Antonio (28-10) by 2 1/2 games.

The Spurs, however, have beaten the Grizzlies five straight times, including a 99-95 overtime win on Dec. 1, since Memphis stunned top-seeded San Antonio in the first round of the 2010-11 playoffs.

"You never forget those kinds of series," Spurs guard Tony Parker said. "Memphis is playing well so it's going to be a tough game."

San Antonio captured its 11th straight victory at home with a 108-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, but has struggled to find the same success on the road.

Eight of its 10 losses have come there, the latest a 95-88 defeat at New Orleans on Monday that snapped the Hornets' seven-game home losing streak.

San Antonio ranks among the top three in the NBA in scoring at 104.9 points per game, but has averaged just 85.5 in its last two road games compared to 112.0 in its last six at home.

Guard Manu Ginobili, though, has given the team a spark, averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his last three games.

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker combined for 57 points to lead the Spurs past the visiting Grizzlies in December. Duncan is still posting big numbers against Memphis, averaging 24.7 points and 14.7 rebounds in the last three meetings.

While the Spurs made 12 of 25 (48.0 percent) from beyond the arc against the Lakers, they've hit on 15 of 55 (27.3 percent) in their last two road games.
It doesn't figure to get any easier against a Memphis team leading the NBA in scoring defense (89.1). The Grizzlies have held opponents to just 82.6 points per game over their last seven contests.

"We're just going to have to play a little bit better," Parker said. "That's the NBA season, you're going to have ups and downs."

The Grizzlies return home, where they're 13-4, after sweeping a three-game West Coast road trip. Memphis won for the fourth time in five games with a 94-87 victory at Golden State on Wednesday night.

"We've been going through some ups and downs and had some lapses, some kind of lapse games," guard Rudy Gay said. "We had to come out here for ourselves to get three out of three."

After outscoring the Warriors 60-34 in the paint, the Grizzlies rank near the top of the NBA in points in the paint at 43.8 per game. That could be a factor against the Spurs, who rank in the bottom third of the league this month with an average of 42.4 paint points allowed.

Forward Zach Randolph has made a major impact inside, leading the NBA with 23 double-doubles. He had 17 points and 15 rebounds in last month's loss at San Antonio despite shooting 5 for 21.

Center Marc Gasol has scored 18.7 points per game on 23-of-39 (59.0 percent) in his last three against the Spurs.

The Grizzlies would like to improve their efficiency from the outside after hitting a season-low 2 for 17 (11.8 percent) from 3-point range on Wednesday.
The Spurs have one of the toughest perimeter defenses in the league, ranking second in opponent 3-point percentage (32.7)

If the Spurs play like they did against both New Orleans and LA Lakers, they may as well stay at either Corky’s or the Rendezvous and down some ribs instead of going to the game because the Griz will blow them away. But if the Spurs show up with their game face on, focused, they win by 7 points.

Spurs.......... 95
Memphis..... 88

Spurs WIN tonight despite the Great Memphis PHYSICAL BEATING D and hacking!!!

Spurs will get it together and clean up and SHOW MUCH BITER TOUGHNESS because Pop had shown them that Horror film of MULTI TURN OVERS + NOT SHARING THE BALL ENOUGH...

Spurs Offense returns tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:wink

Tony Parker plays like an MVP again!

And The GREAT Leonard put his stamps deep on this game!!!!

All Spurs hustle as a TEAM who is willing to do whatever it takes to compete and win on the road again!:smirk

Spurs 101
Grizs 95

Go Spurs Go

Refs for the Spurs-Grizzlies tonight are:

Danny Crawford, David Guthrie, Haywoode Workman

We beat them last time (in OT) without our 2 small forwards. Now with Jackson and Kawhi Spurs win by 8.

Grizzlies - 98
Spurs - 94

Feeling loss. Spurs haven't looked good in a while.

I have the same feeling Uwe, I hope we're wrong but I wouldn't be suprised at all to see the Spurs lose. They've looked horrible on the road as of late. One bright spot is Manu, he seems to be really finding his stride. Hopefully, they can pull out a tough win!!!!! I'll be a homer and pick the Spurs....

Spurs 100

Cubs 96

Will Gay and Randolph be playing this game?

Grizz 90 Spurs 87, Spurs won't win this one on the road IMO. I hope I am wrong.

:shocked

You would think this was a playoff game. Spurs playing with them to the end of the 2nd.

Tony!!!

They won by three, I was right there unfortunately! Score was off though, wish I was wrong on the result. I saw this as a loss, they could and should have won it though.

The offense shut down again at the wrong time.

Yes, they seemed to freeze again late! I miss the team that would be the one makin the stops and shots late! Their O got horrible late, horrible sides those two lucky threes that made it an OT game! This was a miracle we got to OT! This game should have been over earlier in regulation if the Spurs took care of the ball and hit a shot or two, but they went cold.

With Baynes they win.

Spurs rallied and played good in my opinion. However Memphis came up with big stops at OT and Spurs ran out of gas on offense. :(

Frustrating how Spurs were almost there but almost never counts....:smirk

I am never a Moral Victory supporter. Spurs came up short and did not get the job done on the road again. However there is def a positive thing came from that loss. Spurs are getting closer to a Win on the road. Improved Spurs performance is somehow positive to me. :)

That is okay next time we KILL Memphis Wednesday at our Home!!!! :smirk

Too many turnovers for the Spurs. Less chances for us, more for them. Too many turnovers against a class team equals a loss.

My observation is Spurs are either on the road or at home for last few games they are playing stronger than when they have to do one at home then go on the road then head back to home then on the road.

Bottom line it might be a conditioning thing happened to spurs since the last four games in 5 days happened @ Dallas then vs Brooklyn then @ Milwaukee then @ Knicks.

My guess is next three games are at home vs. Min Memphis & GS.

We will see Spurs get some rythm and get back riding that W streak again.:wink