Report Card: San Antonio Spurs (55-19) vs Memphis Grizzlies (50-24)

Apr 1, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies power forward Austin Daye (5) leaps to defend San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green (4) during the game at FedEx Forum. Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs 92-90. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

The San Antonio have lost their second straight game in a row after falling to the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night, 92 to 90.  In a game where Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili were not present, it did give those players a chance to step up in their absence.  If you saw the game, you were probably cringing at the kind of start the Spurs had.

It was ugly.

The Grizzlies offense, well lack there of, seemed like a game of players just put together, everyone was just passing to one another, no movement what-so-ever.  The Spurs didn’t look like themselves either at the start.  Once they settled down and moved the ball the team got off to a much better track then they did, starting the game off 0-for-9.

First, point guard Mike Conley delivered a game-tying 3-pointer with 30.7 seconds remaining in Monday night’s game against San Antonio. Then, after a miss by Tony Parker, Conley drove in for the game-winning layup with 0.6 seconds left to give the Grizzlies a 92-90 win at FedExForum. It was the second game-winning shot of his career. Conley led the Grizzlies with 23 points, while Parker paced San Antonio, with 25.

With the win the Grizzlies notched number 50 on the year.  This was a game that we

could

should of won.  Everyone in twitter universe was in an uproar on one particular play when the Spurs were on a run.  Gary Neal was running a break, two on one with Stephen Jackson to his left……….you should know what Neal decided to do.

That to me was the point of the game that hurt us, we had a chance for an easy bucket (Jackson probably would of been fouled in the

Apr 1, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley (11) brings the ball up court during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at FedEx Forum. Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs 92-90. Mandatory Credit: Spruce DerdenUSA TODAY Sports

process) but yet Neal decides to pull up and rims out his shot.

THE STAT: Conley, the NBA’s leader in steals with 164, entered tonight’s game having at least one steal in a team-record 64 consecutive games, which also is the longest such streak in the NBA. That streak finally ended against the Spurs.

TURNING POINT: Every time the Grizzlies made a run in the second half, the Spurs had an answer. That was until the final two minutes. Memphis pulled to within 86-84, but Parker answered, hitting a jumper with 2:15 to play. But that wound up being the Spurs last field goal as they only managed a pair of Parker free throws the rest of the way. Parker missed what would have been a go-ahead shot with seven seconds left, then failed to get off a final shot when the Spurs inbounded the ball with 0.6 seconds left.

HOT: Conley has become a consistent threat offensively in the last month. In March, he averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 assists, scoring at least 20 points during a three-game stretch. Against the Spurs, Conley was 11 of 17 from the floor, scoring 11 of his 25 in the fourth quarter, including seven in the final 2:37.

NOT: Boris Diaw.  What in gods name was he trying to do out there!?  He was firing the ball left and right, you would think he got a pep talk from Gary Neal.  Diaw failed to deliver a Tim Duncan-like performance. Diaw replaced Duncan, who was out with a sore left knee, in the starting lineup, but had just seven points on 3 of 12 shooting, and only three rebounds.

UP NEXT: For the Spurs, Wednesday vs. Orlando, Thursday @ Oklahoma City, Saturday vs. Atlanta.

With the two point loss now in the books, we now look at how the Spurs did in our post game report cards.

REPORT CARDS 

PG Tony Parker | 25 points, 9-of-19 shooting, 4 assists, 1 rebound, 33 minutes

Well he did what he could without his counterparts in the lineup.  Parker played a sub par game against the Grizzlies.  He didn’t shoot the ball well from the floor to start, but when things opened up, he hit a few jumpers in a row that seemed to get his confidence up.  Parker still shows everyone how tough he is when going inside with the bigs.  He was getting bounced around making his way into the paint which led him to go 7-of-7 from the free throw line.

GRADE: B

SG Danny Green | 3 points, 1-of-6 shooting, 1-of-4 3point, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 32 minutes

The stat sheet showed that he played but there was not much that Green did in this game against the Memphis Grizzlies that makes it worth talking about.  By far, his worse game I have seen in a long time from him.  In a game where he could of been more aggressive, he wasn’t.  Green needs to take some tips from Kawhi Leonard on the break on how to finish.  We can all come to a conclusion that if Green is on a break, chances of him finishing are not good.

GRADE: F

Apr 1, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Stephen Jackson (3) goes up for a lay up while guarded by Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Tony Allen (9) during the game at FedEx Forum. Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs 92-90. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

SF Stephen Jackson | 12 points, 4-of-10 shooting, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 34 minutes

Jackson made the most of his 32 minutes of play.  I didn’t expect him to score 20+, but knew that he would bring the type of energy that the Spurs needed with three main players out.  Jackson to me is more lethal when he is attacking the rim.  When he spots up, like any shot, it is 50-50.  To me, when he takes it to the rim, he is successful at doing so and I think it opens up things for others.  He did a great job on the boards as well.  I couldn’t be any more pleased with his performance.

GRADE:  B+

PF Boris Diaw | 7 points, 3-of-12 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 31 minutes

I am still scratching my head today wondering what in the world got into Boris Diaw Monday night.  I had to take a look at his game logs over at Basketball-Reference just to make sure that what I knew about Diaw the past few games were right.  The past three games that Diaw has played in, he went 3-of-6.  In those games he shot the ball twice.  Why?  He was in his ‘role’.  He was distributing, setting picks.  Against the Grizzlies, he put up twelve shots, hitting just three.  The last time Diaw put up as many shots was back on March 12th when the Spurs took on the Timberwolves where he went, 3-of-11.  He was not the player this game, that he has the past few.

GRADE: F

C Tiago Splitter | 13 points, 6-of-8 shooting, 11 rebounds, 1 block, 25 minutes

When Splitter fouled out I felt that we were in a world of trouble.  We had no big man that could do the job that he at least did against Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.  Splitter’s performance this game, has been the norm for him this season.  He needs to finish stronger at the rim.  Teams know now the move that he tends to go to when he catches the ball near the rim, reverse layup to either side.  The Grizzlies did a good job defending that Monday night.

GRADE: C+

Bench | 30 points, 13-of-20, 14 rebounds, 8 assists

Praise goes to the bench and their play Monday night.  When they came in, it gave the team the energy that they needed to compete with the Grizzlies.  DeJuan Blair, a man that has been in rumors all season long came in and played a remarkable game.  Well, he played DeJuan Blair’s game.  This is what he does.  He has a knack for the ball and is always around it.  He finished with six points, four rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes of play.  Nando De Colo also made the most out of his opportunity.  He has come to be a good guard that also knows his role and does not try and do to much.  Monday night, he went 5-of-6 from the floor, finishing with ten points. He also had 5 rebounds and just one assist.

GRADE:  A-