Series G3, the San Antonio Spurs and the Grizzlies headed to Memphis to continue their contest.
The Spurs made significant adjustments tactically, focusing the game on defense.
After game G2, Popovich said with a stern face at the press conference, "We will never make so many mistakes again." Now, it seemed he realized the Grizzlies had regained their form and he voluntarily abandoned the team play strategy.
This approach appeared costly, as their season's success depended on the new playing style.
However, once the actual game began, that was proven to be the right choice.
The [Hammer Strategy] was just icing on the cake; the core strength of the Spurs lay in their defense.
With Green and Leonard, along with Duncan in the paint, this lineup was already top-tier in the league, not to mention the Spurs also had a mature defensive system.
The foundation of defense was meant for counterattacking, which also exploited the Grizzlies' twin tower lineup's weaknesses.
