Horrible, shocked, unprepared. Those three words could more than likely explain the performance from the Memphis Grizzlies following an 111-82 rout against the San Antonio Spurs.
However, in just a matter of minutes, the Grizzlies would look to even the series.
Yesterday, the Grizzlies were heading into practice as confident as ever. Per Ron Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale preached that his team is ready.
“We came in here understanding we’re playing against the No. 2 seed and to win a series we know it wasn’t going to be a sweep on our end. Let’s be real about it,” Fizdale said. “Our goal is how do we get one game in San Antonio and take care of our home? That’s how you win a series when you’re down. We can’t wallow in how we lost. You put it behind you; you prepare from the film; you make the adjustments and try to win Game 2.”
For the Grizzlies, Marc Gasol led the way with 32 points and shot 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Gasol was also the leading scorer of the night.
The Spurs will put Game 1 behind them since they clearly understand the value of what is at stake. Per Tillery, Manu Ginobili says Game 2 will be just as important.
“The next one is very dangerous, because everything went so well (in Game 1),” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili told media Sunday. “We beat them by 30. We didn’t turn the ball over. We controlled the rebounds. So we know they are going to come at us very hard because they know they need to win
.“Hopefully, we are smart enough and experienced enough to be mentally ready and not take anything for granted. That’s the biggest danger. I’ve seen 15-year vets that after a win, they relax. We’ve got to know that they need this win, that they are tough, hard-nosed and they are going to come after us. We’ve got to bring the same aggressiveness or even more.”
