NBA Playoffs 2016: San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies Game 3 Preview
The second-seeded San Antonio Spurs have so far dominated the seventh-ranked Memphis Grizzlies through the two games in the first round of their Western Conference Playoffs series.
With the Spurs' 2-0 lead, they will now be playing the Grizzlies for the third time on Friday, April 22nd, at the FedExForum in Memphis.
Games one and two were both blowout contests. The first one last April 17th ended with San Antonio leading by as much as 32 points, bearing a final score of 106-74. Forward Kawhi Leonard was the main factor in the Spurs' offensive surge that helped them hand the Grizzlies its worst post-season loss.
He finished the game with 20 points and four assists, shooting 8 out of 13 from the field, through 28 minutes of playing time. Lamarcus Aldridge also came up big for San Antonio, scoring 17 points, along with four rebounds, shooting 8 out of 15 from the field, through 26 minutes of playing time.
The second game last April 19th was a 26-point victory for coach Gregg Popovich and his wards, as they ended the night with a final score of 94-68. This time around, it was more of a combined effort from San Antonio, courtesy of Patty Mills and once again, Kawhi Leonard.
Mills, who was playing off the bench, scored 16 points, while shooting 5 out of 8 from the field, through 19 minutes of playing time. Leonard was the second leading contributor, scoring 13 points, along with three rebounds and two steals, shooting 4 out of 10 from the field, through 26 minutes of playing time.
Yet, despite their convincing wins, Leonard says his team is not taking the opposition any lightly.
"You've got to fight. We've got to still execute. (We) turned over the ball a lot today," Leonard said about his team's total of 17 turnovers. "They were physical. They've got hands, but there's still opportunity for us to improve. They're still an NBA team."