Give the Memphis Grizzlies credit for their unwavering belief in themselves and
their mission in their first round series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Not even a 29-point loss in Game 1, a game played without injured (knee)
defensive stopper Tony Allen, has shaken their confidence.
The Grizzlies insist they are ready for Game 2 tonight (9:30 ET, TNT),
regardless of what transpired during the first 48 minutes of this series.
Grizzlies coach David Fizdale made that clear after his team’s Sunday workout,
as Ron Tillery of the Commercial Appeal reports:
“We came in here understanding we’re playing against the No. 2 seed and to win a
series we know it wasn’t going to be a sweep on our end. Let’s be real about
it,” Fizdale said. “Our goal is how do we get one game in San Antonio and take
care of our home? That’s how you win a series when you’re down. We can’t wallow
in how we lost. You put it behind you; you prepare from the film; you make the
adjustments and try to win Game 2.”
Even the Spurs aren’t putting much stock in Game 1 as they want to avoid a
letdown given their long storied playoff history with the scrappy Grizzlies.
“The next one is very dangerous, because everything went so well (in Game 1),”
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili told media Sunday. “We beat them by 30. We didn’t turn
the ball over. We controlled the rebounds. So we know they are going to come at
us very hard because they know they need to win.
“Hopefully, we are smart enough and experienced enough to be mentally ready and
not take anything for granted. That’s the biggest danger. I’ve seen 15-year vets
that after a win, they relax. We’ve got to know that they need this win, that
they are tough, hard-nosed and they are going to come after us. We’ve got to
bring the same aggressiveness or even more.”
