Unsung Hero

The rivalry between the Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs is undeniable. The neck-and-neck game between the two was proven too much for Roger Mason, who brought the Spurs victory against the Suns. Apart from the Suns, there's also the Memphis Grizzlies that the Spurs ought to worry about particularly the guy named Rudy Gay. So, what's the Gay-solution that Spurs' coach Gregg Popovich applied? Have Bruce Bowen tail Gay and it worked in the favor of the Spurs, beating off the Grizzlies, 106-103, in a double-overtime game.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 32 pts, five assists. And despite missing the remaining 1:13 minutes of the game with 6 fouls, Tim Duncan dished out 29 pts and five rebounds. Manu Ginobili meanwhile had his low profile night with 20 pts. The Spurs' BIG 3 is pulling off games the way they should. But there's another player wearing grey and white jersey that deserves almost the same credit as the Spurs' BIG 3 gets and that's Bowen.

The perimeter defender of the Spurs took charge of Gay and limited him with 5-to-18 shooting. “A lot of times, I start out off them, then I end up on them, and they don't know what's going on. I more or less give them a different diet of things and slide my feet. They try to feel my body, and I'm nowhere to be felt,” said Bowen. Knowing the damage that the Grizzlies' ace player can do, Pop knows that Bowen can do the lock-down defense he's good at while the rest finish the game off. Gay finished with 13 pts and 11 boards. O.J. Mayo, the Grizzly rookie, took 29 pts along with Marc Gasol's 15 pts, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.

With Parker and Bowen providing more pressure on the ball, the Spurs forced several missed shots and turnovers and start chipping away at the Memphis lead.