Grizzlies: Coach Fizdale finds home in Memphis

Few sports franchises embody the city they represent like the Memphis Grizzlies. Their no-nonsense, blue collar grit and grind style of play struck a cord with a fan base that has to roll up their sleeves and work for everything they get.

Like the Grizzlies, the city of Memphis is not flashy. There are no downtown sky scrapers, and aside from Graceland, there are no world renowned tourist attractions.

In a state that has few major cities, Memphis is still overlooked, creating an us against the world mentality among the locals.

And as a result, outsiders are often welcomed with a long-handled spoon.

That was the case for first year head coach David Fizdale, until an epic rant turned the tide in his favor...and turned a potential sweep into a playoff series.

A few days ago the Grizzlies were on the wrong end of yet another blowout playoff loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Down 0-2 and appearing lifeless as the series headed to Memphis, coach Fizdale sat at the post game podium Monday night and went ballistic on the referees.

He called the refs unprofessional as he pointed to the huge disparity in foul calls. He said their actions were unacceptable. He acknowledged that, as a rookie coach of a team with no championships under their belt, he understood that the perennial playoff powerhouse Spurs earned the benefit of the doubt on most occasions.

Then he rebutted with..."But y'all ain't gonna rook us!"

He praised point guard Mike Conley for being mild-mannered and professional for far too long, and applauded his team for showing the grit and fight that Memphians had grown fond of.

Most importantly, he stood up for a team and city that no one stands up for. And the gesture was not lost on the fan base.

As he emerged from the locker room to take the floor last night, coach Fizdale was met with a standing ovation from the sold out crowd, something I have never witnessed in my 30 plus years of watching the NBA.

Fans made t shirts and signs with his "Take that for data" closing remark from Monday's press conference, and they were full throat the entire evening...creating an electric playoff atmosphere for the players.

And speaking of the players, Conley acknowledged sending coach Fiz a text at four in the morning following the press conference, thanking him for having the team's back. As a whole, the Grizzlies' roster pledged to pay the $30,000 fine levied by the NBA for his tirade.

When they finally took the court, the Grizzlies played their most complete game in weeks, let alone in this year's playoffs. The Grind House was rocking, and the team was flying around and making plays.

So much so that Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich waived the white towel early in the second half as the Grizzlies' lead ballooned to as much as 20 points. His starters mostly watched from the bench from that point..

To put things into perspective, former Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger broke down and was reduced to tears at a post game press conference in last year's playoffs.

Tears? There's no crying in Memphis!

He was fired shortly after the Grizzlies were eliminated last season. I guess the We Don't Bluff city don't play that....

But I digress....

Yes, Memphis will and should be underdogs in game 4. And yes, the Spurs are still the prohibitive favorites to win the series, but what happened on Monday night was bigger than the end result.

On Monday night, Grizzlies fans let down their guard in appreciation for being fought for. On Monday night, Fizdale found a home in Memphis.

follow @plcolter

Grizzlies vs Spurs: The series that changed both teams

The seventh seed Memphis Grizzlies will take on the second seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs. It's their fourth time meeting in the post season, and the Spurs hold a 3-1 lead.

And while San Antonio has pretty much had their way with Memphis in the playoffs, it was the one that got away that changed both teams forever.

The Spurs were the number one seed in the Western Conference heading into the 2011 playoffs. The Grizzlies were the eighth seed. Not only was San Antonio prohibitive favorites to win the series, they were favored to sweep a young Memphis team that had not won a playoff game in three prior trips to the post season (0-12 from 2004-2006).

That's right...three appearances...swept all three times. Once by the Spurs in their first playoff appearance in 2004.

The Grizzlies ruffled some feathers in San Antonio heading into that 2011 playoff match up, when it appeared they purposely sat players late in the regular season to drop to the eighth seed.

Spurs swing man Manu Ginobili saw it as a sign of disrespect, saying..."They wanted us...now they got us".

Memphis shocked the sports world when they came away victorious, in San Antonio, in game one of that series. It was their first playoff win in franchise history...

But it wouldn't be their last.

The Grizzlies went on to upset the Spurs in six games in what became the coming out party for newly acquired journeyman power forward Zach Randolph. The Spurs had no answer for Z-Bo and the Grizzlies' aggressive style of play on defense.

The first series win in playoff history not only put Memphis on the national radar, but it also ushered in the "Grit and Grind" era that you see today. The core four of that magical run (Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Tony Allen) remained in tact over the years, and as a result the Grizzlies are one of just three teams in the league to reach the playoffs each of the last seven years.

That series also ushered in the "Believe Memphis" mantra, which can still be seen in the Grind House at every Grizzlies home game. Memphis saw their confidence soar through the roof, and while they haven't earned a trip to the Finals, they haven't missed the playoffs since. They have also been a consistent playoff thorn in the sides of Western Conference opponents since then.

Before that series the Grizzlies had zero playoffs wins under their belt. Since then they have 24, and a Western Conference Finals appearance.

As for the Spurs, the natural overreaction was talk of their demise. But the playoff loss was a blessing in disguise for them, too.

A couple of months later San Antonio made a draft day trade with the Indiana Pacers for the rights to Kawhi Leonard. A versatile forward that could get his own shot while shutting down the most potent scorer for the opposition.

This move was important because the lack of a player with his set of skills ultimately cost the Spurs that series. Memphis clamped down on San Antonio bigs Tim Duncan and Antonio McDyess, forcing their perimeter players to beat them off the dribble...something Ginobili and point guard Tony Parker were unable to do.

With Leonard transitioning into the focal point of the team the Spurs rebounded by making back to back Finals appearances in 2013 and 2014, narrowly losing the title in seven games before dominating the LeBron James led Miami Heat to win it all the following year.

Coincidentally enough, Kawhi was the Finals MVP that season.

Today, Leonard is not only the best two-way player in the league, but he is now considered a top five player overall. All Star appearances, first team All NBA, first team All Defense, multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, and MVP candidate this year. Kawhi does it all.

And here we are again, the Spurs are once again the heavy favorite to knock off the Grizzlies. Can Memphis find lightning in a bottle one more time? We will start to find out Saturday night at 7:00.

follow @plcolter

Memphis Grizzlies: Jekyll and Hyde ride continues

The Memphis Grizzlies have quietly been one of the most consistent teams in the league the last several years after bringing their core four of Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen together.

The Grizzlies are one of just three teams to reach the playoffs in each of the last six seasons (San Antonio, Atlanta). The Spurs have locked up another playoff berth this season and the Hawks seem poised to join them in extending the streak.

As for the Grizzlies? It depends on which team you're talking about....Jekyll Memphis or Hyde Memphis.

The NBA's bipolar franchise from the Bluff City is currently amidst a roller coaster ride of streaks...and it's driving their fans nuts.

It all started around the All Star Break. Memphis lost their last game before the break to New Orleans, and followed that up with a dud on the road against the Indiana Pacers in their first game back in action.

Then the Grizzlies seemed to turn it around with back to back wins over Denver and Phoenix.

From there the bottom seemed to fall out starting with a four point loss at Dallas that turned into a season-long five game losing streak. The low point being a home loss to the dreadful Brooklyn Nets.

Grizzlies analyst Brevin Knight coined this phrase during that television broadcast..."Partner...we have officially hit rock bottom".

Or did they?

Jekyll Memphis emerged from that five-game fiasco to rattle off four straight wins against teams in or battling for a playoff position. They even knocked off a fully loaded San Antonio Spurs team during that stretch.

But then, Mr. Hyde Memphis reared it's ugly head again and the Grizzlies are currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak. The last loss, a 91-90 defeat to the lowly Sacrament Kings last night, was unacceptable given the tightness of the Western Conference playoff race....even without All Star center Marc Gasol.

So what now?

Well...the Grizzlies take on the Pacers at home on Wednesday night, followed by a home tilt vs the Mavs on Friday night and an early afternoon tip off with the Lakers Sunday afternoon.

A week-long sweep should not be too much to ask...but then again....

With less than 10 games to play and clinging to a four game lead over the suddenly surging Nuggets and Trailblazers, the 7th seed Grizzlies desperately need their winning alter ego to re-take control of the wheel....and the streak.

If it doesn't...then the playoff streak could end at six for Memphis.

follow @plcolter