It probably wasn’t the points, although Tony Parker dropped 20 on Memphis and thoroughly won his point guard matchup with Mike Conley. It probably wasn’t the moves, although TP tossed around whatever defender was guarding him like a rag doll. It probably wasn’t the dimes either, although this ridiculous bullet, over-the-head dime to Kawhi Leonard has to rank as one of the best highlights of San Antonio’s postseason. It was what Parker said afterwards that truly resonated.
“I can promise you this: Nobody’s happy in our locker room, because we were up 2-0 (in the West finals) last year and we lost,” Parker told the media in the postgame. “It’s just one game. It means nothing. We still have a long way to go.”
True, Tony. It is just one game, and considering most looked at the Grizzlies as favorites coming into this afternoon, we think Spurs’ fans should stay calm and think it over before going on Facebook and posting some 300-word celebration update. There’s no way Zach Randolph scores only two points in a game the rest of the way. There’s no way Tony Allen runs around like a chicken with his head cut off the rest of the way. And Matt Bonner might not make four triples the rest of the series.
But if Memphis wants to get a split, they must figure out how to stop one of the NBA’s most underrated point guards. He barely broke a sweat today.
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