Hoops Habit
Fansided

2017 NBA Playoff Roundup, Day 6: LeBron Making History, Moose Is On The Loose And R.I.P. Raptors

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 20, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) dunks against the Indiana Pacers in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Cleveland defeats Indiana 119-114. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 20, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) dunks against the Indiana Pacers in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Cleveland defeats Indiana 119-114. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
2017 NBA Playoffs
Apr 20, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guards Vince Carter (15) and Mike Conley (11) celebrate during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Memphis defeated San Antonio 105-94. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /

Grizzlies Won’t Be Rooked

Grit-N-Grind. We should’ve seen this coming, especially after David Fizdale’s “TAKE THAT FOR DATA” rant galvanized an entire organization and its fan base.

And yet, there was something pleasantly surprising about Game 3’s beatdown of the Spurs, even if we’ve come to expect these kinds of scratch-and-claw efforts from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Mike Conley led the way with 24 points and eight dimes on 7-of-13 shooting. Marc Gasol pitched in 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Zach Randolph put up 21 and 8 on 9-of-16 shooting. The usual suspects carried the load, even with Tony Allen still sidelined.

But as much as they did the heavy lifting, the other guys chipping in made the win even more satisfying. JaMychal Green was a +17 in 24 minutes. James Ennis added 12 points in the starting lineup. Wayne Selden had 10 points off the bench and is wanted for the murder of this innocent rim:

It’s impossible to tell whether the Grizzlies can replicate this effort for Game 4 to tie up the series, especially against a Spurs juggernaut that will be seeking revenge. Maybe they could use another Fizdale tirade in the meantime.

Either way, at least we’ll always have this vintage Grit-N-Grind performance, which ended a 10-game playoff losing streak to the Spurs and handed Kawhi Leonard the first postseason loss to Memphis of his career.