NBA: For first time in 23 seasons, Spurs miss playoffs; Grizzlies advance to play-in tournament

August 13, 2020

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Gregg Popovich didn't put much thought into San Antonio's playoff streak when it was rolling along.

He's not thinking about it now, either.

The Spurs' record-tying run of 22 consecutive playoff appearances is over, and the longest season in team history — almost 300 days from the first game to the last — is also, strangely, over earlier than the NBA is used to seeing. The final outcome was a 118-112 loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night, a game that was meaningless in the standings.

"Looking at the past doesn't do much good," Popovich said. "Any success we've had has been because we've had some great players."

Rayjon Tucker had 18 points for the Jazz, who finished with eight players in double figures and used their regulars either sparingly or not at all. Jarrell Brantley and Georges Niang each added 13 for the Jazz and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell had 11 points in just 11 minutes in his final tune-up before the playoffs.

"You can't say enough about the Spurs," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "They've been the premier franchise in the NBA for a long time."

Keldon Johnson scored 24 points to lead seven Spurs in double figures. Marco Belinelli and Luka Samanic each had 16 for San Antonio.

The Spurs were officially ousted when Memphis beat Milwaukee, and Phoenix completed an undefeated eight-game run in the NBA's restart bubble with a victory over Dallas.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 13: Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs talks with Dejounte Murray #5 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 13, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Those games went final shortly before San Antonio-Utah started. The Spurs needed the Grizzlies or the Suns to lose to have any chance of getting into the West play-in series that begins Saturday to decide the NBA's final postseason berth.

"It's tough," Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan said. "It's more so tough putting your faith in somebody else's hands."

Popovich's routine seemed normal. He met with assistants to discuss strategy before addressing players during timeouts. When someone needed a little 1-on-1 instruction, he approached and offered a word or two.

It looked just as it always does. Only this time, it was very different.

For the first time since April 1997, the Spurs played a game knowing that the playoffs were out of reach. The 22-year run of playoff spots tied the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise for the longest in NBA history. The 76ers, starting as the Syracuse Nationals before moving to Philadelphia, went to the playoffs every year from 1950 through 1971.

With San Antonio out, the longest active postseason streak now belongs to the Houston Rockets. They'll be in the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year starting next week.

This is how long the streak went: David Stern wasn't even halfway through his 30-year run as commissioner when it started. The Charlotte Bobcats — that's what today's Hornets went by then — were still 6-1/2 years from playing their first game. Pat Riley was still coaching the Los Angeles Lakers.

And now, for the first time since 1981, the playoffs will happen without either Riley or Popovich as head coaches.

The Spurs won five championships during the streak. They played 284 postseason games over those years; the only franchises within 100 of that were the Lakers (218), Miami (196) and Boston (192). And the Spurs won 170 playoff games in that span; only seven franchises have more playoff wins in their entire history.

All 170 of those wins for the Spurs came under Popovich, a total that gives him more career playoff victories than any two current coaches combined. There were 102 players who got into at least one Spurs playoff game during the streak, including current NBA head coaches Jacque Vaughn, Steve Kerr and Monty Williams.

The Spurs came into Disney as playoff long shots and felt the eight games they were guaranteed of playing during the restart would be ways to have young players grow from competition. They made it to the last possible day of contention.

"At this point, it's been a huge success for our team and our young players, the development that we've talked about from the beginning," Popovich said. "We're very happy with what's gone on here."

He has given the restart rave reviews, both on and off the floor.

Popovich — an Air Force Academy graduate and the coach of USA Basketball's men's national team — wore a shirt pregame that read "Vote Your Life Depends On It." He has remained outspoken on the need to end racial injustice and police brutality during the Spurs' time in the bubble, talking about that perhaps as much if not more as he has about basketball.

"It's important to bring these up, painful as they are," Popovich said. "Some people talk about getting tired of hearing about it. But that's the point. It has to change."

Grizzlies advance to play-in

Jonas Valanciunas and Ja Morant had triple-doubles and the Memphis Grizzlies kept their season alive Thursday with a 119-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, who were missing star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo after he was suspended for head-butting an opponent.

Dillon Brooks added 31 points as Memphis posted its second wire-to-wire win of the season and wrapped up a spot in the play-in tournament that will determine the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Grizzies (34-39) are tied for eighth place in the Western Conference with Portland and Phoenix.

Portland will either improve to 35-39 or drop to 34-40 after it plays Brooklyn on Thursday night. Memphis owns the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over Phoenix.

The play-in round matches the No. 8 team against the No. 9 team. The No. 9 team must beat the No. 8 team two straight times to advance to face the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

Memphis hasn’t been to the playoffs the last two years after making seven straight postseason appearances from 2011-17.

Valanciunas had 26 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double in his 559th career game. The 28-year-old Valanciunas’ previous career high in assists was five. Morant had 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

This marked the first time two teammates posted triple-doubles in the same game since Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler did it Dec. 10 in a 135-121 overtime victory over Atlanta.

Brook Lopez scored 19 to lead the Bucks.

The Grizzlies got a break when Antetokounmpo received a one-game suspension after head-butting Moritz Wagner during the Bucks’ 126-113 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. The reigning MVP will be available when the Bucks open the playoffs.

This game was meaningless for the Bucks, who already had clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a second straight season.

SUNS 128, MAVERICKS 102

Devin Booker scored 27 points and Phoenix rolled past Dallas to keep its playoff hopes alive and finish as the only unbeaten team in the restart.

Dario Saric scored 16 points and Cameron Payne and Cameron Johnson each added 15 for the Suns. They will qualify for the play-in series that starts Saturday if Portland loses to Brooklyn later Thursday.

Dallas was already locked into a playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers, so the starters played limited minutes. Luka Doncic had 18 points in just over 13 minutes. Boban Marjanovic, Dallas’ 7-foot-4 reserve center, had 18 points and a career-high 20 rebounds.

KINGS 136, LAKERS 122

Buddy Hield scored 28 points, including a 3-pointer that capped Sacramento’s streak of 11 consecutive baskets the third period, and the Kings beat Los Angeles.

Bogdan Bogdanovic had 27 points as the Kings won for only the third time in the NBA restart. The Kings made 21 3-pointers, with Hield going 8 of 14.

The Lakers had their focus on the playoffs. Most Lakers starters were held out, but LeBron James had 17 points in 15 minutes, all in the first half. Dion Waiters led the Lakers with 19 points. Markieff Morris had 14.

Los Angeles locked up the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed three games into the restart.

WIZARDS 96. CELTICS 90

Thomas Bryant had 26 points and nine rebounds to help Washington beat Boston for its lone win in the restart.

Troy Brown Jr. added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Wizards.

The Celtics, who already were locked into a playoff matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, rested their starters. Rookie Javonte Green took advantage and scored a season-high 23 points for Boston.



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