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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs

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May 19, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
3:30 PM Memphis Grizzlies San Antonio Spurs Grizzlies

Today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day will showcase two Southwest Division rivals when the Memphis Grizzlies visit the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Two years ago, these teams met in the first round and Memphis defeated San Antonio to become just the second number eight seed to upset a number one seed in a seven-game series. The Grizzlies earned their first playoff win in franchise history in Game 1 of that series.

This afternoon, Memphis, who will be making its first conference finals appearance, will match up against a Spurs team that will be making its eighth trip to the Western Conference finals in the last 16 seasons. And just as they did two years ago, the Grizzlies will be looking to steal home-court advantage from San Antonio. Since that Game 1 win in the first round of the playoffs two seasons ago, Memphis has lost six straight to the Spurs in San Antonio. The sooner the Grizzlies can put an end to their losing streak in San Antonio, the better their chances of having success in this series.

The Spurs, who will be making their second consecutive appearance in the Western Conference finals, can advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2007 by simply protecting their home court. A task they could not complete in last year’s Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Southwest Division will represent the Western Conference in this year’s NBA Finals. Whether it will be the Spurs, who have been there and done that, or the Grizzlies, who are looking to extend the best playoff run in franchise history, remains to be seen.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Indiana Pacers 106 New York Knicks 99 Pacers Pacers

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 1-0
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 46-21

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers

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May 18, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
8:00 PM Indiana Pacers New York Knicks Pacers

If George Hill’s concussion keeps him out of Game 6, the Indiana Pacers will need D.J. Augustin to be more productive than he was in Thursday night’s Game 5 if they hope to close out their series with the New York Knicks tonight. Hill, who missed Indiana’s 85-75 Game 5 loss, will be a game-time decision for tonight’s Game 6.

Augustin, who started Game 5 at point guard in Hill’s absence, played 39 minutes, scored 12 points, committed two turnovers and dished out “zero” assists on Thursday night. A zero-assist performance for a starting point guard in 39 minutes of a closeout playoff game is not only unfathomable—it is inexcusable. And after failing to close out the series in New York, the Pacers hope that a return to the familiar surroundings of Bankers Life Fieldhouse will help Augustin pass off for at least one or two assists tonight.

To avoid a seventh and deciding game in New York on Monday night, the Pacers must protect their home court tonight. Either a George Hill showing or a better floor game from Augustin would improve Indiana’s chances of closing out the Knicks and moving on to the Eastern Conference finals.

If the Knicks hope to extend this series and force a Game 7 back in New York, they will have to find a way to earn a win in Indiana for the first time this season. In fact, including Games 3 and 4 of this series, the Knicks have dropped their last five trips to Bankers Life Fieldhouse by an average of 13.8 points. New York has averaged just 84.8 points against the Pacers in those games, and in these playoffs the Knicks have averaged just 76.5 points in Indiana.

During the postseason, New York is leading the league in defensive efficiency (93.2 points per 100 possessions) while holding opponents to an NBA-best 84.1 points per game. However, despite their superb defense, it will be the Knicks’ offense that will ultimately determine whether this series will see a Game 7 or be closed out tonight.

Thursday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Indiana Pacers 75 New York Knicks 85 Pacers Knicks
San Antonio Spurs 94 Golden State Warriors 82 Spurs Spurs

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Thursday’s Games: 1-1
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 45-21

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors

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May 16, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
8:00 PM Indiana Pacers New York Knicks Pacers
10:30 PM San Antonio Spurs Golden State Warriors Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs will be looking to advance to the Western Conference finals for the second consecutive season when they visit the Golden State Warriors in today’s NBA Game of the Day. However, if the Spurs want to win Game 6 and close out the Warriors tonight they will have to become the first team to win consecutive games in this series. Through the first five games of this Western Conference semifinal matchup, San Antonio has won the odd-numbered games while Golden State has won the two even-numbered matchups.

If the Spurs can break that cycle and win this final even-numbered game, they will close the series and move on to the Western Conference finals where they will face the Memphis Grizzlies. But before they can even think about any potential conference finals date with the Grizzlies, the Spurs have to figure out a way to win one more game against the surprising, fearless and resolute Warriors.

Including Tuesday night’s 109-91 Game 5 loss in San Antonio, Golden State has lost five games this postseason. The Warriors successfully rebounded from those first four losses and will try to duplicate that feat at home tonight. And if they want to continue their surprising run, the Warriors have no choice but to do just that.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Chicago Bulls 91 Miami Heat 94 Heat Heat
Memphis Grizzlies 88 Oklahoma City Thunder 84 Thunder Grizzlies

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 1-1
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 44-20

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder

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May 15, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
7:00 PM Chicago Bulls Miami Heat Heat
9:30 PM Memphis Grizzlies Oklahoma City Thunder Thunder

The reigning Western Conference Champion Oklahoma City Thunder will try to avoid elimination when they host the Memphis Grizzlies in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day. The Thunder, who trail the Grizzlies 3-1 heading into Game 5, have to protect their home court if they hope to keep their postseason run—and hopes of another conference championship—alive.

Oklahoma City, who has participated in the last two Western Conference finals, has to find a way to win three in a row against the Grizzlies if it hopes to reach the conference finals for a third straight season. The first four games of this series have been decided by a total of 20 points and the Thunder have been in each of them until the final moments. Each game has been a one-possession game in the final 90 seconds. If a few late-game possessions had gone in Oklahoma City’s favor, it is quite possible that it could be the Thunder, instead of the Grizzlies, holding a 3-1 series lead.

But more often than not in this series, it has been the Grizzlies making plays in the closing moments. To put it simply, Memphis has found a way to win three games to Oklahoma City’s one. The Grizzlies have battled and fought the Thunder until the final buzzer and have earned their 3-1 series lead. If Memphis wants to end this series tonight, and advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history, the Grizzlies will have to show the same fight and resolve that has put them in this position.

A series is not over until a team wins four games, and with tonight’s game being played in Oklahoma City, where the crowd will be raucous from start to finish and the Thunder will literally be fighting for their playoff lives, Memphis will have a battle on its hands. If the Grizzlies want to get that fourth win and close out this series, they will have to survive a battle that will likely be like no other they have ever faced before.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
New York Knicks 82 Indiana Pacers 93 Pacers Pacers
Golden State Warriors 91 San Antonio Spurs 109 Spurs Spurs

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 2-0
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 43-19

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs

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May 14, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
7:00 PM New York Knicks Indiana Pacers Pacers
9:30 PM Golden State Warriors San Antonio Spurs Spurs

The pivotal Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs is today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day. The series is tied at two games apiece and the winner of tonight’s game will be just one win away from advancing to the Western Conference finals.

Golden State, who made the playoffs this season for just the second time in 19 years, is in relatively unfamiliar waters. However, the Warriors’ unfamiliarity with this stage has not intimidated the young team in the slightest bit. Earlier in the series, Golden State earned a 100-91 Game 2 victory in San Antonio to snap a 30-game road losing streak to the Spurs. And Sunday afternoon, the young Warriors overcame an eight-point deficit in the final 4:48 of regulation to win Game 4, 97-87, in overtime to tie the series. Tonight, the Warriors will try to become the first team to win consecutive games in this series and take a 3-2 series lead in a place where they have won just once in the past 16 years.

The Spurs, who have made the playoffs every season since 1998, are looking to advance to the Western Conference finals for the eighth time in 16 years. During that span they have won 4 NBA Championships. San Antonio’s core of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker has been together for over a decade and is largely responsible for three of the 4 championships the Spurs have won.

Duncan, Ginobili and Parker hope to lead the Spurs to another championship before their time together in San Antonio comes to an end. But before this group of battle-tested veterans can take another step towards that ultimate goal, they will have to find a way to lead San Antonio over the surprising, upstart and fearless Warriors.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Miami Heat 88 Chicago Bulls 65 Heat Heat
Oklahoma City Thunder 97 Memphis Grizzlies 103 Grizzlies Grizzlies

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 2-0
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 41-19

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