With 4:52 remaining in the first quarter of Game 3 against the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had seen enough from his starting unit.
So he benched them. All of them.
Tony Parker had coughed the ball up four times, and the Spurs had committed seven turnovers in the first seven minutes of the game. Combined with a 2-of-9 effort from the field, San Antonio's first five had dug themselves a 16-5 hole.
The Spurs on the floor simply didn't come close to matching the Grizzlies' energy, and Pop's move was designed to avert a potential game-deciding quarter. Well, it was meant to do that and send a message to his starters that this kind of performance simply wouldn't be tolerated.
It's no secret that early series deficits don't bother the Grizzlies. They fell behind in both of their previous matchups this postseason before roaring back to advance. Popovich obviously knows this, and he wasn't about to let Memphis begin its comeback so easily.
Memphis' home crowd was electric, and that enthusiasm clearly got the Grizzlies going early. Tony Allen was en ...
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Article written by Grant Hughes
Gregg Popovich Benches Entire Starting 5 in 1st Quarter After Bad Game 3 Start
May 25th, 2013 by Grant Hughes Leave a reply »
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