Banged Up Spurs
Even with their experienced starting backcourt sidelined, the San Antonio Spurs are finding ways to win. The Memphis Grizzlies, meanwhile, keep losing despite the strong play of their young guards.
The Spurs go for their fifth win in six games Monday night as they travel to Memphis, which will be trying to avoid a third straight defeat.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Spurs –1 point spread favorites (NBA Odds) for today’s game, the over/under has been set at 179.5 (View Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 65% of bets for this game have been placed on Spurs –1 (View NBA Bet Percentages).
San Antonio (6-6) is coming off a 119-94 rout of Utah on Friday, as it hit a season-high 51.9 percent from the field. Roger Mason started his seventh straight game at point guard in place of Tony Parker, who suffered a sprained left ankle Nov. 7, and scored a season-high 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting.
"I wasn’t going to go too crazy, but it was one of those nights," said Mason, who went 7-of-10 from 3-point range. "Definitely felt good. If I had an open look, I was mad if I missed one.”
The Spurs started 8-of-9 from beyond the arc and finished at a season-best 60 percent (15-of-25). They’re shooting 40.9 percent from 3-point range and are 5-2 since Parker was injured.
"I think when we get everyone back, (Mason) will give us the depth we’ve been looking for,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, referring to the absence of Parker and Manu Ginobili, who could make his 2008-09 debut next week after offseason ankle surgery. "I thought he was excellent at both ends tonight. He took advantage of offensive situations and played a really fine all-around game.”
So did rookie reserve George Hill, who scored a career-high 23 points as the Spurs’ bench outscored Utah’s 55-34.
Tim Duncan, who had 18 points and seven rebounds against the Jazz, is shooting 54.7 percent from the field this season – his highest percentage since his rookie season of 1997-98, when he made 54.9 percent.
Duncan averaged 23.1 points on 59.4 percent shooting in his first eight games at Memphis, but has scored just 15.5 per game and hit 44.8 percent in his last four visits.
While San Antonio tries to push its record above .500 for the first time in 2008-09, Memphis (4-9) is just looking for a win. Saturday’s 103-94 loss to the Jazz was the Grizzlies’ sixth in seven games.
O.J. Mayo led Memphis in scoring for the fifth time during this 1-6 stretch with 23 points. Mayo, the NBA’s leading rookie scorer at 20.2 points per game, is averaging 22.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in the last seven contests.
Second-year point guard Mike Conley scored 14 points for the second straight game Saturday, while adding a season-high eight assists and not committing a turnover. Memphis, however, committed 18 turnovers.
"It’s like they are all little pests out there, slapping at the ball,” said Conley, averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 assists and 55.2 percent shooting in his last three games. "I think we just got a little too carried away. We started crying to the refs a little bit too much, looking for fouls, instead of staying aggressive."
Memphis is among the league leaders with 16.4 turnovers per game, but faces a San Antonio team that has forced an NBA-low 144 turnovers this season.
The Grizzlies have won six of the past 10 meetings with San Antonio in Memphis, following 13 consecutive home losses to the Spurs.
Bet NBA Basketball
Did you like this article? Subscribe to our Basketball news feed for the fastest updates delivered right to you – Click here to Subscribe