Western Conference Finals, Spurs take Game 1 Over Grizzlies 105-93

Not much to say about this game…Spurs shot great, the Grizzlies not so much.  Sportscasters tend to overreact to games like this.  The team that loses is never as bad as they looked, and the team that wins isn’t as good as they looked.  I’m sure the Grizzlies realize they won’t have another shooting game this bad from Zach Randolph.  The Spurs need to realize (and I’m sure they do after what happened last year in the Conference Finals) that, although capable of doing it, they can’t count on getting that kind of 3-PT shooting.  Spurs took 29 threes and made 14…that’s .483, they shot .376 during the season. 

In the last two games (Game 6 vs. the Warriors and this game) the Spurs have regained the offensive efficiency they had early to mid-season.  I was really concerned going into the playoffs the way the offense fell off the last month or so.  While I’m excited about the offense, they’re not going to keep shooting > .500 every game.  Averages will catch up to them and they’re going to have to find other ways to win.  Encouraging for me is that Tim Duncan (3-9) and Manu Ginobili (2-6) didn’t have much impact on and they still won by 22.  Duncan contributed on defense, blocking Randolph's first shot setting the tone for the night.  He also pulled down 10 rebounds. 

With no disrespect to Quincy Pondexter, the Grizzlies won’t win many games if he’s their leading scorer (in fact this was the first time that he’s ever led the Grizzlies in scoring).  The inability to get the ball to Randolph (he took just 8 shots) really threw the Grizzlies out of sync.  I’m pretty sure the Grizzlies will find a way to get Randolph the ball more in Game 2.

Part of the Spurs shooting success was the uncharacteristically bad defense the Grizzlies played.  Spurs shooters had open looks all game...and unfortunately for the Grizzlies, the Spurs hit a lot of 'em. I can't say much about what I expect in Game 2, except that the Spurs will have to find another way to win because I can't imagine the Grizzlies will let them shot 29 3-PTers again.  That tells me, that in Game 2 the Spurs are going to have to put the ball on the floor, hit some mid-range jumpers, get to the rim, and get to the free throw line.

While I'm not comfortable yet (Spurs were up 2-0 vs. the Thunder last year and lost the series 2-4), I would much rather be 1-0, then 0-1 and it will be silly to say I don't want them to be up 2-0 again this year.