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Grizzlies and Spurs kick off West quarters in San Antonio

Apr 17, 2011 - 4:20 PM (Sports Network) - Be careful what you wish for.

After sitting their key players in the final two games, Memphis got exactly what it wanted -- a matchup with the No. 1 seed San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference quarterfinals that begin Sunday afternoon in the Alamo City.

The Grizzlies sat both Zach Randolph and Tony Allen in their last two contests in the regular season and then gave Mike Conley off in the finale, a tactic that caused the Grizz to lose both games and one that quickly caught San Antonio's eye. The Spurs thought Memphis was intent on playing them and not the second-seeded, two-time NBA defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

"They feel they match up well against us," Spurs star Tim Duncan said. "They chose to play us, they got us, and we'll see what happens."

For what it's worth Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins tried to downplay the controversy on Saturday with a little levity.

"I just want to say this for Tim Duncan .. We did not tank the season so we can get the San Antonio Spurs," the coach said.

No matter what Memphis really wanted is rather inconsequential. The club still faces a more than formidable challenge. Eighth seeds are 3-51 against No. 1s in NBA history and the Grizzlies are 0-12 in the playoffs, still searching for the first postseason win in franchise history.

The Spurs missed out on a chance for the league's best record overall and were edged out by the 62-20 Chicago Bulls. San Antonio still has homecourt advantage throughout the Western playoffs, however, and has reached the postseason every since the 1997-98 campaign, when Duncan was a rookie out of Wake Forest. It has four NBA titles in that stretch and time is running out on another Larry O'Brien trophy with this same nucleus.

NBA analyst Greg Anthony expressed how important it is to get Duncan involved in the twilight of his career.

"I think it's going to be very important that we see the old Tim Duncan and not the "old" Tim Duncan. Throughout the regular season, [the San Antonio Spurs] kind of put him in cruise control and he has not been a focal point of their offense, but I think he's going to have to have more say."

Duncan may have no choice but to put his foot down since Manu Ginobili is out of Sunday's Game 1 versus Memphis with a right elbow sprain he suffered Wednesday against Phoenix. An MRI revealed the magnitude of the injury to San Antonio's second-leading scorer (17.4 ppg). Ginobili was able to shoot some jumpers at practice Saturday and could be back for Game 2.

The Spurs ousted Dallas in six games in last year's first-round playoff series before bowing out in four games to Phoenix in the semifinals.

Memphis, meanwhile, hasn't participated in the postseason since the 2005-06 campaign.

The Grizzlies were jockeying for postseason position with New Orleans towards the end of the regular season. Despite earning nine victories in the last 13 games of the regular season, it was the pair of losses in the final two games that set up this series with the Spurs. Memphis lost the first two meetings of the season with the Spurs -- both in the Alamo City -- before winning the last two matchups in the Volunteer State.

"I think the San Antonio [versus] Memphis matchup is very compelling because Memphis has had a lot of success against San Antonio, particularly the last two games in March," added Anthony.

The Grizzlies have a quartet of scorers in Randolph, Conley, Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo to throw at San Antonio, but a fifth scoring option in Rudy Gay was not to be when the former UConn star was lost for the season because of a left shoulder injury. Hollins made sure his team didn't quit when it lost its star player in Gay, and can shock the world with a series win.

The Spurs swept the Grizzlies in four games in the 2003-04 postseason.

Game 2 of the set will take place next Wednesday in south Texas.