Grizzly Watch! Game 4 in Memphis

"It is the biggest game in Grizzlies franchise history. A chance to take a 3-1 lead against the #1 seed San Antonio Spurs." - Ernie Johnson

That's why we're here. Let's get into it.

- I spend the 15 minutes prior to this game privately freaking out because "Women's Hockey" is listed on the channel this game's supposed to be on. Canadians love their puck, but my cable company's certainly capable of f***ing this up. Luckily, they did.

- The early talk in the TNT studio surrounds Kobe's bum ankle and the MRI he's apparently forgoing. "Will Kobe sit out?" I'd lay similar odds to those of Sean Elliott hitting a game winner for the Spurs tonight.

- Tipoff! Bias alert: I'm openly going to be cheering for Memphis all night; They're an 8 seed who's never won a playoff series and they're playing the NBA's version of the Patriots; how do you root against them?

- Eva Longoria's ex-husband is torching Mike Conley early, with 8 of the Spurs' first 10

- Marc Gasol: strong case for Most Redeeming Toss-In From a Horrible Trade Ever

-Spurs are clicking early offensively after that first turnover; Timmy D buries a fallaway over Gasol to put them up 16-9 as Lionel Hollins calls for time.

- "In the NHL, you have to win 16 games, JUST to win the Stanley Cup" - Steve Kouleas. Thank you for that oddly-enunciated obvious observation. Really hard-hitting s***. I don't even like hockey, and I'd love to jersey that guy and fishhook him.

- Randolph gets the ball on the block amid 3 defenders and goes to the line. A quick player profile comes up on the screen: "Team Role: Own the Paint". seems about right.

- the Grizz are opening things up a bit, causing turnovers, pushing in transition, and trying to take the Spurs out of their game, so Popovich promptly calls his first timeout and calms things down.

- Sugar Shane Battier is owning George Hill right now, but the Spurs' hot shooting and Memphis' turnovers have put the Grizz down 26-21 after 12 minutes.

- The Grizz's youthful bench is making the Spurs' old legs run more than they'd like to be; Greivis Vasqeuz hits a huge 3 to tie things up at 28

- After a Spurs airball, OJ Mayo comes right back for a transition layup; Grizz up 2, crowd officially losing it. After how much sucking these fans have been through, the energy inside the FedEx Forum tonight could probably cause a nuclear meltdown.

- Richard Jefferson forces a layup through 2 defenders that sails over the backboard and out of bounds, touching nothing, and falls on the landing. Awkward Shot of the Year? (not involving Javale Mcgee)

- Tony Parker's on fire; Tony Allen is not. 35-32 Spurs at 6:40

- Gasol is giving the Spurs all kinds of problems on the boards, challenging for every ball. He's tipped at least 3 to open guys with absolutely no position.

- Tony for 3! Still hasn't missed. He's officially stolen "Pretty Tony" back from Toney Douglas, even if he made the reference more fitting.

- Gasol grabs an offensive board and feeds Mayo for an open 3. Body Up.

- Mayo gets loose and throws down a nice reverse off a beautiful backdoor feed from Z-Bo. Don't worry, you'll see it on SportsCenter.

- Antonio McDyess, he of the veteran sagacity, picks up a foul trying to contain Gasol and fires his mouthguard at the bench. T-bomb.

- Timmy looks tired, straight up. He squares up and loses the ball trying to move to the hoop; he never does shit like that, this is Tim Duncan we're talking about. Farmer's bet he'd rather be matching up with Pau right now.

- Lionel Hollins to Tony Allen "Stop shooting the fucking ball! You're awful!"*

*slight paraphrase

- Manu goes behind his back more than Tony did to Ms. Longoria, finding Parker for two on the break

- Mike Conley doesn't check the clock in time and sends the Grizz into the half down 50-48: San Antonio's shooting like 94% so 2 points isn't that discouraging. Parker's the only one in double figures....with 19.

- For a guy who spends his regular season shoulder-to-shoulder with Jack Armstrong covering the Raptors, Matt Devlin's found himself a cushy playoff gig; it's kinda like Damon Jones always having those great All-Star seats

- Memphis is attacking the Spurs, posting up Gasol and creating a lot of contact down low, to the tune of 3 fouls in the first 2 minutes, and better yet, a 7-0 run.

- Timmy loses the ball on a double-team. The crowd amps it up a notch; the camera cuts to Pop with a rare "Fuck My Life" look on his face, and complete pandemonium erupting around him.

- Confession: the Talking Ball that sounds like Shaft where JR Smith nails a 3 at the end is a pretty decent ad.

- Grizz are on a 14-0 run, the Spurs are handling the rock like a nervous crack fiend, with Memphis playing the swarming cops.

- Gasol, still wreaking havoc on the O glass; rips the rock away from Timmy D and scores. His effect on this game can't be understated. If I was in charge of the Jumbotron/speakers at FedEx arena, I'd have one of these on cue to play every time Tim Duncan did anything at all.

- Smothering D + efficient scoring = Memphis leads by 13 after 3. Suck It, Spurs fans.

- Darrell Arthur delivers one of those "more than two points" buckets, putting a huge swat on Parker, then outrunning the entire break to catch on oop on Bonner's head, put Memphis up 16, and send the crowd to Isaiah Rider heights (interpret that either way you'd like).

- New Most Hilarious Thing Ever, just discovered while Wikipedia-ing Isaiah Rider on commercial. "Oh you got Dana Barros AND Cedric Ceballos on the track?!?!" I'm so buying this on eBay.

- Spurs down 18 with 8 left; luckily, Brandon Roy's playing on the other channel.

- Sugar Shane hits a 3 to bring the lead to 20 at 5:40. I'm more burnt out than Timmy right now, but I'm still cheering at my TV by myself.

- Danny Green appearance = game over.

- "All I Do Is Win" blares on the speakers as the Grizz book the 104-86 victory, and unless San Antonio can do something that's only ever happened 8 times, after being totally owned in the second half, their season will end in the first round. Who needs Rudy Gay?