On the one hand, the Spurs' miracle comeback to win Game 5 against the Grizzlies shows that San Antonio will never die. Truth be told, given the shots Manu Ginobili and Gary Neal hit to tie the score in regulation, the whole thing says more about the Spurs' big-shot ability that any failure on the Grizzlies' part. However, there is another team in the game besides the Spurs, and therefore, the discussion will inevitably turn to how the Grizzlies can possibly recover from being so close to ending the series.
Grizzlies Vs. Spurs: Memphis Blows Chance To End Series, So Now What?
It’s tempting to suggest there will be a mental carry-over effect, especially with a young team. Throw in the “SPURS NEVER DIE, THEY ARE COCKROACHES” angle, and you can easily think that the Grizzlies have suddenly shifted to being the underdogs, despite having a 3-2 lead and home-court advantage.
To this, I say ... eh. In 2007, the No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors had a golden opportunity (pun intended) to close out the No. 1 seed Dallas Mavericks in Dallas. With just 3:20 remaining in the fourth quarter, Baron Davis hit one of his prayer three-pointers to give the Warriors a six-point lead. But then Dirk Nowitzki just took over, hitting insane shot and making huge plays to eventually give Dallas a six-point win. The Warriors weren't as close as the Grizzlies were, but they were pretty damn close. For a couple days, we all wondered about the mental effect of the Warriors coming so close to knocking out arguably the best team in the league?
What happened in Game 6? The Warriors blew the Mavericks out, taking a 21-point third quarter lead and winning by 18. So much for the carry-over effect.
I think there’s a great chance we see something similar here. For one night, the Grizzlies will bemoan their missed opportunity. Then, they’ll realize just how much the Spurs had to do on their home court to even put themselves in a position to win, and gain confidence from that. They’re the better team, and mental voodoo is unlikely to change that.
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