Grizzlies gear up for Playoffs against Spurs after loss to Clippers

LOS ANGELES --- Rest and recuperation.
That, not necessarily a win for the better part of three quarters, is what the Grizzlies went for Wednesday night in their regular-season finale. The Griz didn’t play three starters in a 110-103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Staples Center.
The Griz will enter the NBA playoffs this weekend as the eighth seed in the Western Conference and they are set to face the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
Memphis and New Orleans both finished with 46-36 records, but the Hornets are the No. 7 seed because they hold the tiebreaker over the Grizzlies.
“We knew we were playing against a great team either way,” Griz forward Shane Battier said. “(The Spurs) play good at home and on the road. We have our work cut out for us. I told the guys its the playoffs but it’s still basketball. … We can’t get caught up in the fact that it’s the playoffs.”
The Griz-Spurs series will open with two games in San Antonio, beginning Sunday at noon. Game 2 will take place Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The series shifts to FedExForum April 23 for Games 3 at 6:30 p.m. The Griz will also host Game 4 with a time to be determined.
“We’ve played some good games,” Griz guard O.J. Mayo said of the regular-season series with the Spurs. “We just have to believe in ourselves and believe in what we’re doing.”
The teams split its four-game season series at 2-2. The Griz and Spurs each won their home games.

Projected Schedule:

Game 1 - Sunday, Grizzlies at San Antonio, noon, TNT
Game 2 - Wednesday, Grizzlies at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 - April 23, San Antonio vs. Grizzlies at FedExForum, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 - April 25, San Antonio vs. Grizzlies at FedExForum, TBA
Game 5 (if necessary) - April 27, Grizzlies at San Antonio, TBA
Game 6 (if necessary) - April 29, San Antonio vs. Grizzlies, TBA
Game 7 (if necessary) - May 1, Grizzlies at San Antonio, TBA


Read More from the Source

ZBO Leads Grizzlies against Clippers 105- 82

If you havent been excited about the Grizzlies before, now is most definitely the time. The Memphis Grizzlies (37-31) continue to prove to the NBA that they are a force to be dealt with. 
heir foibles had been written on a white board for all to see and digest.
The Grizzlies spent the past two weeks allowing opponents to shoot about 50 percent. They gambled too much in the passing lanes, didn't contest enough shots and lacked the ball pressure the coaching staff expects.
"We've been atrocious," Griz forward Shane Batter said.
All of that changed Monday night during their 105-82 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in FedExForum.
The Griz went from atrocious and back to attack mode, snapping a two-game losing streak before a crowd of 15,989.
Memphis (37-31) never trailed and never allowed the Clippers to get closer than 12 points in the second half behind the power of Zach Randolph's 30-point, 12-rebound performance and a stronger defensive effort than they had displayed in the past seven outings.
"It was an important game for us," Randolph said. "We came out with a lot of energy. We came out focused. We did what we had to do. We took care of business on the defensive end."
The Grizzlies) were more physical. They were more aggressive," said Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, whose team shot 37 percent through the first three quarters. "They were denying passing lanes. They beat us up."

Grizzlies' next game
Who: New York Knicks
When, where: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Madison Square Garden
TV, radio: SportSouth, WRBO-FM 103.5

Read More from the Source:

Photo courtesy: Mark Weber (commercialappeal)