2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 13: DeRozan Dominates, Bye Bye Bucks And Spurs Get A TP TBT

TP #TBT

Unlike other prestigious franchises with recently retired legends and numerous championship banners, the San Antonio Spurs don’t dwell on the past. The grooming of Kawhi Leonard into a superstar and the acquisition of LaMarcus Aldridge should’ve told everyone that, but a 61-win season in their first year without Tim Duncan probably did the trick just fine as well.

That being said, who doesn’t enjoy a good #ThrowbackThursday from time to time?

Early in the series, the Spurs took a commanding 2-0 series lead because Tony Parker had unexpectedly played Mike Conley to a draw. In the next two games in Memphis, and even San Antonio’s Game 5 win, Conley decisively had the upper hand.

Never a better time for a TP #TBT than Game 6 on the road!

Though Conley once again led the Grizzlies with 26 points Thursday night, the 34-year-old Parker was even better, tallying 27 points in just 31 minutes.

His 11-of-14 shooting was far more efficient than Conley’s 7-for-18 mark, TP chipped in four assists and he supplied not one, but TWO daggers in the game’s final minute to put the series away.

Forcing a Game 6 was commendable on the Grizzlies’ part, but the truth is that once Tony Parker outplayed Mike Conley in a few games this series, an insurmountable blow had already been dealt to their chances of actually winning it.

Patrick Beverley will be a bigger challenge in the Western Conference semis, because even though he’s not a steady scorer like Conley, his singular task will be stopping Parker. But if the Spurs can get more throwback performances out of their Hall of Fame point guard, they’ll be extremely difficult to stop in the postseason.