The Morning Tip-Off

The Morning Tip-Off is where we scour the internet, to bring you all the San Antonio Spurs news from different outlets, all on one page. Here are your links for May 22nd:

Spurs Out-Uggly Grizzlies in Game 2 Of Western Finals – Bleacher Report

The wheels came off the wagon, and the Spurs found themselves on the brink of blowing a crucial contest at home. Over the last 8:10 of regulation, San Antonio missed all but one of its 12 attempts from the floor (including an ugly fadeaway by Tim Duncan at the end of the game), turned the ball over four times, and racked up six fouls—four of which came on the same possession.

San Antonio Spurs 93, Memphis Grizzlies 89: Survival of the Fittest – Project Spurs

Through three quarters the San Antonio Spurs appeared to pick up where they left off in Game 1, combining a dominant defensive performance with a precision offense directed by the brilliant play of point guard Tony Parker.  For a brief moment in the third quarter, Parker was at the height of his powers, getting into the middle of the Grizzlies defense and reading their schemes and rotations at an elite level.

Spurs 93, Grizzlies 89 (OT): Grit and Grinded – Spurs Nation

As well as the Spurs played in Game 1, a letdown was almost inevitable. It didn’t happen until the fourth quarter, but happen it did with a 15-2 Memphis run — fueled by Manu Ginobili’s flagrant foul on Tony Allen (see below) — that forced overtime. The collapse prevented them from crushing the Grizzlies’ morale, but the fact remains: They lead the series 2-0, a point at which teams have won best-of-7 series 94 percent of the time, and the Spurs are 19-2.

Spurs Avoid Collapse, Survive Nearly Fatal Error – 48 MOH

The San Antonio Spurs didn’t score a single point over the final 4:18 of the fourth quarter in Tuesday night’s 93-89 overtime win over Memphis, and the Grizzlies clawed their way through a 15-2 comeback run and sucked the oxygen from the AT&T Center. The visitors were stout defensively over the final eight minutes of regulation, but while Tony Allen writhed in pain and held his head with 26 seconds remaining in the final frame, it was a moment of drama that nearly flipped this game upside-down.