The San Antonio Spurs are one loss away from being eliminated for NBA Championship contention in the team's best season in years. The Spurs hadn't won 60 games since 2006, and had the NBA's best record until the very last day of the 2010-11 regular season. But on Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies can end the Spurs' title hopes with a win (8:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV).
Spurs Vs. Grizzlies, Game 5: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Face Improbable Elimination
The Grizzlies opened up a 3-1 series lead by sweeping both games at the FedEx Forum over the past week; it was the first playoff games Memphis had seen since 2006, and inarguably the most exciting since the very first postseason trip the Grizzlies made back when the team was still at The Pyramid. After splitting the first two games in San Antonio, Memphis rode its confidence, its impressive post attack and measured play from a surprisingly effective backcourt manned by Mike Conley, Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo.
The Spurs haven't been able to keep up. Tim Duncan has struggled to stop either Zach Randolph or Marc Gasol, never mind both. Tony Parker was expected to hold a huge advantage over Conley, but that matchup's been a draw. Manu Ginobili missed Game 1 with an elbow injury, dominated Game 2 upon his return, but for the series has shot worse than 40 percent, and is just 3-11 from behind the arc.
Now, it comes down to three Game 7s for San Antonio, beginning Wednesday at the AT&T Center. Be sure to see our Spurs vs. Grizzlies hub for full series coverage. For more on the Spurs, visit Pounding The Rock. For more on the Grizzlies, visit Straight Outta Vancouver.
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