San Antonio Spurs vs Memphis Grizzlies: Takeaways and Star Performer

The San Antonio Spurs and back-to-back games don’t usually vibe. Thursday Night against the Memphis Grizzlies, they started strong and did not look back.

Kawhi Leonard was simply on fire from behind the 3-point line. The Spurs leading score went 7-of-9 from beyond the arc as he finished with a game-high 27 points.

Entering the night, Leonard ranks atop the leaderboard from the 3-point line shooting an astonishing 46-percent. Leonard looked confident shooting the ball Thursday night.

via NBA.Com

“I’ve been confident in it,” said Leonard, who entered the night making 46 percent of his 3-pointers. “Tonight, I got hot so I kept shooting until I missed. Shots just fell for me.”

As hot has Leonard was shooting the ball, Tony Parker and LaMarcus Aldridge also had themselves great games. Parkers stat line will make anyones jaw drop–17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. For Aldridge, 18 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots.

Dec 3, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) drives to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jeff Green (32) in the second quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Spurs defense was stifling through-out the game. As they saw their offense shoot 50 percent from the floor, their defense held the Grizzlies to 38 percent.

Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph scored 15 a piece for Memphis.

Gasol and Randolph felt the pressure of the Spurs defense. As the ball reached the post the Spurs quickly doubled-down on them forcing turnovers. Gasol had four of his five in the first half.

Kawhi Leonard Was On FireLeonard continues to lead this team on the scoring end. Thursday night was no different. Leonard was nearly perfect from the field shooting. He was 9-of-13, including 7-of-9 from 3-point. Remarkable the kind of shooter and offensive weapon he has become from last season. His defense was also key to keep the Grizzlies big three at bay.

Calling Danny Green, Mr. Green?Awful performance by Green. How much longer will it be before Gregg Popovich makes a move in replacing him in the starting lineup? He went 0-of-5 from the field, 0-of-3 from 3-point.

Splash CityAs a team the Spurs were 10-of-18 from 3-point range. Granted, most of them were by the hands of Leonard, Manu Ginobili chipped in two and Matt Bonner, one.

Notes:

–Leonard’s previous high for 3-pointers was five against Miami last season.

–San Antonio has now won 13 out of the last 15 meetings against Memphis.

–This marks the 16th time this season the Spurs have held an opponent under 100.

Star PerformerYou can go with Aldridge or Parker. But hands down it would have to be the play of Leonard. To go along with his 27 points, Leonard also pulled down eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block.