When the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs were bounced from the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies, it marked the potential end of a championship window for a team that’s been a contender for more than a decade. (Just ask Tony Parker.) Several players, including Tim Duncan(notes) and Manu Ginobili(notes), looked aged and slow.

It turns out there was good reason for Ginobili’s general lack of dominance. Because, no big deal, he was playing with a broken arm. From Tim Griffin on Spurs Nation (via PBT):

Ginobili told the Argentine website Noticiasmdq.com that he sustained a small fracture of the right humerus, the long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. The injury occurred in the final game of the regular season on April 13 when he was trapped in a collision between Tim Duncan and Phoenix’s Grant Hill(notes).

The Spurs originally announced that Ginobili sustained a sprained elbow. He missed the first game of the playoffs and then played the remaining five games with the injury in the six-game series loss to Memphis. He averaged a team-leading 20.6 points per game against the Grizzlies despite playing with a balky brace.

Here’s what he told Argentine reporters (translation provided by ProjectSpurs.com).

“Last Wednesday, the medical staff of San Antonio I had the last MRI,” Ginobili said. “The liquid has been absorbed and small fracture in the humerus is welded at 85 percent. I have to be doing nothing for 3 weeks and then begin slowly.”

Well, I suppose we now know why he wore what seemed to be Barry Bonds’ elbow guard during the series.

Ginobili wasn’t at his best vs. the Grizzlies, but, as Griffin notes, he was still one of the better Spurs. He did miss Game 1, but that seems minor when put up against the seriousness of this injury.

Manu has earned a reputation as a flopper during his NBA career, but he has played through more injuries than virtually any other person in the league. He may sell fouls beyond what’s reasonable, but that doesn’t mean he’s soft. In fact, he’s about as tough as they come.

Related: Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO (AP)—No one even asked Memphis coach Lionel Hollins about it. He just waited for nearly two dozen cameramen and reporters to huddle around Saturday, then spoke directly to one person who wasn’t even there.

“I just want to say this for Tim Duncan(notes),” Hollins began.

Right. About that.

“We did not tank the season so we can get the San Antonio Spurs,” he said.

Hollins was playfully needling the two-time MVP. But after Duncan said “they chose to play us” in reference to the Grizzlies sitting their stars and dropping their last two games—losses that assured Memphis the No. 8 seed— Hollins couldn’t resist responding before Game 1 on Sunday.

His levity seemed fitting for a team facing little pressure ahead of this series. Eighth seeds are 3-51 against No. 1s in NBA history. The Grizzlies are 0-12 in the playoffs and are in the postseason for the first time since 2006. Winning one game would make franchise history.

Then there’s the Spurs.

They’re back atop the West after a 61-win resurgence and mindful this could be their last shot for a fifth title in the Duncan era. Not that it’s made San Antonio the conference favorite for the NBA finals.

So when the Grizzlies rested Tony Allen(notes) and Zach Randolph(notes) in their last two games, in addition to Mike Conley(notes) in the finale, the Spurs saw Memphis as not exactly eager to improve its seeding and possibly face the Los Angeles Lakers or Dallas instead.

“They played us well the last couple of games,” Duncan said Friday. “They feel they match up well against us. They chose to play us, they got us, and we’ll see what happens.”

Spurs guard George Hill(notes) noticed, too.

“I don’t know why they want us so bad,” Hill said. “It was 2-2 (in the regular season). That’s 50 percent. But if they want to take their chances against us, bring it, I guess.”

Hollins insisted that wasn’t it at all.

“My thought process had nothing to do with the San Antonio Spurs,” Hollins said. “It had to do with us being healthy coming into this series, whatever series it was going to be.”

The Spurs, of all teams, can relate to wanting to stay healthy.

They lost All-Star Manu Ginobili(notes) to a sprained right elbow in their season finale Wednesday against Phoenix, a game that was largely meaningless beyond trying to stay above Chicago for the NBA’s best record. A night earlier, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich didn’t play his stars against the Lakers.

Ginobili is doubtful for the postseason opener. But San Antonio’s second-leading scorer was already back shooting jumpers Saturday, and his teammates seem to think he’s OK to play.

“For me, it’s almost impossible he’s not going to play,” guard Tony Parker(notes) said.

Parker, along with Ginobili and Duncan, are the only Spurs remaining from the 2003-04 team that swiftly ended Memphis’ first playoff appearance in franchise history, sweeping the Grizzlies in four games. Seven years later, Memphis is still waiting for its first postseason win.

Forward Shane Battier(notes) was on that 2004 Memphis team, before being traded to Houston and then back to the Grizzlies this season. Battier said Saturday he can’t figure out why some people think Memphis tanked its final two games in order to play the No. 1 seed.

Same for Allen.

“They don’t come to me and say, ‘Hey, T.A., this is what we’re going to do.’ Me, personally, I was hurt,” the guard said of sitting out the last two games. “As far as tanking, I don’t know nothing about that. So I’m not the one to talk to about that.”

Hollins was. But he was only talking to one person out there.

“I just want Tim to know that,” Hollins said. “Tim, we weren’t seeking you out.”

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili might play in Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies after all.

Tony Parker said Saturday he’s feels it’s “almost impossible” that his All-Star teammate won’t play Sunday. Ginobili sprained his right elbow in Wednesday’s regular-season finale at Phoenix, but has already been practicing.

He tweeted Thursday that the pain was already almost gone. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich still lists Ginobili as doubtful for the series opener.

Ginobili is San Antonio’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points.

The Grizzlies wouldn’t mind the Spurs being cautious. Having never won a playoff game in franchise history, Memphis will take all the help it can get.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)—Before the Memphis Grizzlies can think about winning a playoff series, they first have to take one small step.

Win a postseason game.

The Grizzlies enter their series against the San Antonio Spurs with the dubious record of being swept out of the first round in all three of their previous playoff appearances.

At 0-12, it’s some heavy baggage. Depending on which Memphis player is answering the question, it is a record that can be tough to ignore.

“We’re very aware of it,” guard Tony Allen(notes) said after practice Friday. “They have been ranting about it all year. We’ve gotten our short-term goal (making the playoffs) out of the way, and now it’s time to make some noise in this postseason.”

To do that, Memphis will have to beat a Spurs team that finished with the second-best record in the league.

San Antonio, the top seed in the Western Conference, hosts the eighth-seeded Grizzlies for the first two games starting Sunday before the series moves back to Memphis for Games 3 and 4.

The Grizzlies hope they get a second look at the city of San Antonio this series because that means they will have accomplished the goal of winning a playoff game, something this franchise has yet to do in making the postseason three straight seasons starting in 2004.

The Spurs were the first team to sweep the Grizzlies out of the postseason in 2004, and the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks followed the next two postseasons in needing only four games to advance to the conference semifinals. It’s not the kind of mark any NBA team wants.

Center Tim Duncan(notes) was part of the Spurs team that swept Memphis in 2004, but was surprised when asked about the Grizzlies still looking for their first playoff win.

“Wow. But I don’t think that means anything,” Duncan said. “This isn’t a team that’s played the last 20 years, or however old that franchise is. This is a brand-new team for them, and they’ve been playing well. They’re pretty confident in what they do. History doesn’t matter right now.”

Memphis is 13-8 since starting March with a 109-83 win over the Spurs, a stretch that also includes a 111-104 win over San Antonio on March 27.

Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins notes these are different players than the previous teams, a group that plays harder and tougher.

Point guard Mike Conley(notes) insists they aren’t thinking about that 0-12 record in the postseason.

“We’re worrying about this team. This team hasn’t been 0-12. We haven’t lost 12 straight playoff games. We haven’t even been in the playoffs as a team,” he said.

“We’re just thinking of this as our first opportunity to get out here and show people what we can do, and not just win a game. We want to win a series. We’ve got to keep our minds set on that and not worrying about a winless streak that’s been going on for the organization.”

The Grizzlies have some confidence from splitting the regular-season series with the Spurs, and Manu Ginobili(notes) is doubtful for Sunday.

Hollins was criticized for sitting Zach Randolph(notes) and Allen in the Grizzlies’ final two games, with some complaining he passed up the chance for a higher seed while others said he was trying to avoid playing the defending champion Lakers. Hollins defended the decision, saying he wanted his players rested for the postseason.

Allen said the plan is to not get hung up on winning just a game, not when there are bigger goals.

“We plan on winning this series and plan on getting to the next series,” Allen said. “In order to do that, we have to take it one game at a time. Come in with great focus and just stay together, and knowing it’s going to be a hostile environment down there. Just be ready for whatever comes our way.”