Two days later, the G3 between the Spurs and the Grizzlies came to an end.
After returning to the Holy City, the Spurs beat the Grizzlies 108 to 101, pulling one back.
Despite Popovich's tough talk after G2, he obediently reverted to a 2-1-2 zone defense in G3.
Or rather, his seeming despair after the G2 was an act designed to lull the Grizzlies into complacency.
However, that wasn't the key to the Spurs' victory, as Hansen still scored 35 points.
The real issue was that, on that night, not only did the Spurs maintain their defensive intensity, but their offense opened up as well.
And the key to igniting the offense was an unlikely hero.
Green had been shooting well from three in the first two rounds for the Spurs, but he struggled in the first two games against the Grizzlies, hitting just 2 out of 10 attempts from beyond the arc.
You might say it was because Hansen was defending him, but the deeper issue was his mentality.
