The most memorable parts of the Spur’s play-in loss to the Grizzlies

It was a bold move, and it didn’t pay off: The Spurs did not advance in the playin in their battle with the Memphis Grizzlies. The good guys fought until the end, but their bid to start a new playoff streak came to an end. For the game, DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay led the team with 20 points each while Keldon Johnson had 11 points and 11 rebounds to join the double-double club with Jakob Poeltl who had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Dejounte Murray, as it’s becoming a nice habit, notched another triple-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Rudy Gay almost single-handedly willed the Spurs to a win with threes like these:

And H-O-R-S-E shots like this:

Dejounte Murray’s triple-doubles are occurring more often because he’s rounding out his game to become a better point guard in addition to his already stellar rebounding chops. The next leap he’ll need to make is expanding his offensive repertoire. Here, DJ finds Jakob Poeltl for the sweet jam:

DeMar DeRozan had a rough shooting night, but this swish gave the Spurs their first (albeit brief) lead of the night since the opening tip:

The way Patty Mills never quits and never stops moving is a great metaphor for the Spurs this season. Despite the circumstances, the Spurs never quit, and Patty Thrills showed up to shoot his way out of his recent slump, connecting on 3 of 6 from downtown.

An ode to Blockab’s defense, which anchored the Silver and Black’s defense all season.

If there’s one player who could have been a wrestler in another life tag-teaming with Stone Cold Steve Austin, it’s Keldon Big Body Johnson. Instead, he’ll just have to settle for taking the Spurs to the next step. It’s going to be a different vibe for KJ next season with crowd noise fueling his frenetic finishes.

Let’s wrap things up by sending you all out on a good note by showing the very first play of the game, back when things were still bright and hopeful:

If you missed last night’s play-in drama, here are the full game highlights:

Next up, the Spurs go fishing and head into the off-season. I think a few new faces will be on the team next season, but as long as Patty Mills remains the bridge to their glorious past, we can look forward to a bright future.

Go Spurs Go!