The tenth-seeded San Antonio Spurs are hoping to get back to the playoffs for the 23rd time in 24 seasons when they face the ninth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies on the road in the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday night. The winner of this game will play the loser of Warriors-Lakers for the eighth seed, while the loser’s season is done.
Last season, the Spurs missed out on the playoffs for the first time in 23 seasons. In reality, for the Spurs to get to this point is a win for this team. San Antonio has one of the youngest rosters in basketball, and it’s never easy to win with young talent.
Lonnie Walker IV is excited for the opportunity to make the playoffs, and Walker, who played in six playoff games in his three-year career, hopes to get the victory over Memphis on Wednesday night.
‘This is situation that I’ve never been in, and on top of that, we’re trying to make the playoffs,” Walker said. “I’m starving, I’m hungry, I’m excited, and I’m ready to play with my team and get a dub.”
Dejounte Murray knows what’s at stake, and it’s simple for Murray: it’s win or go home.
“It’s one chance closer to get an opportunity to make the playoffs,” Murray said. “So, win or go home. It’s easy, said and done. You win, and you move on. You lose, and you go home.”
For San Antonio to get to the playoffs, they have to win two games on the road, which might be good for this team. The Spurs have been a better team on the road than at home this season. San Antonio is 19-17 at home but is 14-22 on the road, so maybe being on the road will benefit this team. Memphis took the season-series 2-1, but San Antonio’s only victory against the Grizzlies was in Memphis in the first game of the season.
These two teams last played at the end of January and the beginning of February in a two-game set in San Antonio, which the Grizzlies swept. Memphis won both games by double-digits.
At this point, Memphis, who lost to the Blazers in the Play-In game last season, has won five of their last six games, while the Spurs have lost five of their previous six. The Grizzlies are playing better basketball right now, but it’s one game, and anything can happen in a one-game situation, so we’ll see who will win and who will go home.
