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For the second year in a row, the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies will meet in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Spurs easily swept their Southwest Division rivals in last year’s series, but the Grizzlies, one of the most injury-depleted teams in postseason history, were playing without the likes of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. San Antonio is still regarded as the clear favorite, but this matchup should be far more entertaining that last year’s series of blowouts.
Here’s a look at everything you need to know for Game 1:
Spurs vs. Grizzlies Game 1
Date: Saturday, April 15, 2017
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
TV Channel: ESPN
Spread: Spurs (-9), per OddsShark.com
Moneyline: Spurs (-550), Grizzlies (+375)
Over/Under: 192
Preview
While the Spurs, who won 60-plus games for the third time in four years, are favorites, it’s worth noting these teams split four regular-season contests this year, each winning two games on their home court.
The first two went to Memphis: A 15-point win in February in a game Kawhi Leonard didn’t play, and an eight-point victory in March.
“We’re playing with a sense of urgency defensively that we haven’t played with all season long,” said point guard Mike Conley after the win. “It’s almost as if we turned the switch on to playoff basketball.”
The Spurs responded with a 97-90 victory the following week, then won an overtime thriller in early April to even the season series.
If that last matchup, which saw three buckets in the final five seconds of regulation and had a legitimate playoff atmosphere, is any indication of what to expect over the next week, we’re in store for a thoroughly entertaining battle.
One thing we do know for sure: With these teams, there’s going to be a slower pace, physical play and strong defense. It may not always be pretty, but it will clearly be competitive. And after last year’s series, that’s all we can ask for.
