Overshadowed by Golden State’s historic run, the San Antonio Spurs put together their own season for the ages, too. Now that the postseason finally has arrived, they have no intention of easing up.
“We didn’t play the way we did this season just to be on vacation after a few games,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “It’s exciting. The pressure, the responsibility, the fact that we have another shot at making something big happen. We are very excited about that.”
The Spurs tied for the seventh-best record in NBA history at 67-15 only to earn the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference behind Golden State. Before their anticipated faceoff with the Warriors seeking their third berth in the NBA Finals in four seasons, the Spurs must start with their first-round series Sunday night against seventh-seeded Memphis.
Battered by injuries, the Grizzlies held the No. 5 spot until losing nine of their final 10. They still have veterans Zach Randolph and Tony Allen making their sixth straight playoff appearance with Memphis with help from Vince Carter and Matt Barnes. Carter said San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has created a system that all the Spurs buy into no matter who’s on the floor.
Still, Memphis isn’t giving up without a fight.