NBA Playoffs 2013

Memphis, TN

Tony Parker recorded a game-high 37 points and six assists as the San Antonio Spurs advanced to the NBA Finals with a 93-86 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum, ending the Western Conference finals via sweep.

The Spurs advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since winning the championship in 2007. They await the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers.

The Spurs sweep was the first in a conference finals since New Jersey swept Detroit in the 2003 Eastern Conference finals.

"It's an unbelievable feeling. It's really hard to go to the Finals and win a championship. For me, personally, I was 21 when I won my first title and you think it's easy and you're going to go back every year," Parker said.

"In 2007, I won my third one in five years. Six years goes by and every year it gets tougher and tougher. Every team wants to beat you. That's why it's even more special to go back after all these years," he added.

Tim Duncan added 15 points, eight boards and four blocks while Kawhi Leonard added 11 for the Spurs, who shot 51.3 percent and at the same time, held the Grizzlies to a 37-percent clip.

Memphis forward Quincy Pondexter scored a career-high 22 points off the bench while Marc Gasol added 14 points for the Grizzlies, who were held to under 40-percent shooting for the third straight game.

Zach Randolph capped a frustrating series with 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting from the floor to go with eight rebounds. Randolph averaged just 11 points a game against the Spurs. In the first two rounds, he averaged 19.7 points.

"I just think we learned that winning isn't easy and winning championships is one of the hardest things you can possibly do. I think our guys really dug deep to get as far as we did, and San Antonio is a tremendous team," Pondexter said.

The Grizzlies used a 5-0 spurt to pull to within 89-86 with 48.7 seconds left in the game but Parker halted the run with a pair of free throws with 29.7 seconds to go.

The Grizzlies failed to score the rest of the game while Parker sank two more charity shots for the final count.

 

 

 

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Tony Parker Carries Spurs Past Grizzlies into 2013 NBA Finals