The San Antonio Spurs can no longer reach the knockout stage after Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies win. This ends a record series. Austria’s NBA star Jakob Pöltl now wants to go to Austria first.
The San Antonio Spurs play-off record streak in the National Basketball Association (NBA) has come to an end after 22 years. Since both the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies won on Friday night, the Viennese Jakob Pöltl’s club can no longer reach the knockout phase. The Spurs then played in their last match in the “NBA Bubble” in Orlando against Utah Jazz.
Under successful coach Gregg Popovich, San Antonio had always reached the postseason from 1998 to 2019 and thus set the record of the Philadelphia 76ers (Syracuse Nationals until 1963), who had also been en suite in the play-offs 22 times from 1950 to 1971. All five previous Spurs title wins (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014) were also celebrated in the Popovich era.
“Unfortunately we were dependent on the competition”
“We knew that we had to approach every game with one hundred percent energy and will, as if it were our last game. We started the series with great motivation, started very well and also after the defeats against Philadelphia and the Nuggets die found the right answers, “emphasized NBA professional Jakob Pöltl on Friday.
“Unfortunately, in the end, we were also dependent on the competition, after they didn’t let anything go, the matter was decided before our last game. The balance is positive, both from the team’s point of view and from a personal perspective. The new line-ups first had to settle in, but then worked very well, my role has also increased after the failure of LaMarcus Aldridge and Trey Lyles, “summed up the 24-year-old Viennese, who tried” to stay aggressively in the zone and on both Ending my performance. I managed that very well for long stretches, all in all I can certainly be satisfied with my performance. “
Now it goes for Pöltl first back to San Antonio. “From there I hope to come back to Austria as soon as possible. If everything works out, I’ll be in Vienna in the middle of next week. After the long isolation, I’m really looking forward to seeing my family and friends again,” said Pöltl. “At the moment I cannot say in detail what the remaining weeks and the rest of the summer will look like, but I hope to be able to spend a large part of it in Austria.”
Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies battle for last place
For the final play-off spot there is a play-in duel between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Memphis Grizzlies. The Phoenix Suns, who were the only team to win their eighth and last seeding game in the “NBA Bubble” in Florida with a clear 128:10 success over the Dallas Maverikcs, are just spectators like the Spurs in the postseason. Although they had exactly the same record as the ninth-placed Grizzlies, the direct duels tipped the balance in favor of the competitor from Memphis, who celebrated a 119-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks (without the suspended “MVP” Giannis Antetokounmpo).
Portland, led by top star Damian Lillard (42 points and 12 assists), successfully defended eighth place in the west with a wafer-thin 134: 133 against the Brooklyn Nets. This means that the Blazers only need one win against Memphis at the weekend to reach the play-off. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, would have to win on Saturday (from 8.30 p.m. / live DAZN) and on Sunday (10.30 p.m. CET / live DAZN, if necessary) in order to make it into the postseason.
Thursday NBA results:
- Utah Jazz – San Antonio Spurs (Pöltl 10 Punkte, 5 Rebounds, 3 Assists) 118:112
- Boston Celtics – Washington Wizards 90:96
- Los Angeles Lakers – Sacramento Kings 122:136
- Memphis Grizzlies – Milwaukee Bucks 119:106
- Phoenix Suns – Dallas Mavericks 128:102
- Brooklyn Nets – Portland Trail Blazers 133:134
- Orlando Magic – New Orleans Pelicans 133:127
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