Memphis center Marc Gasol had the height, weight and strength advantage over the 35-year-old Tim Duncan.

For the series, Gasol averaged 14.2 points and 11.8 rebounds to Duncan’s 12.6 and 10.5.

“We kept thinking they’d fold under the pressure, but they didn’t,” Duncan said. “They got the exact shots they needed, and they made them. We had so many close games, some that could have fallen to us, but they made the plays.”

In the end, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said this wasn’t as big as upset as the average basketball fan might be led to believe.

“Most people would think that, but they don’t understand the West,” Popovich said. “It doesn’t matter what your seeding is in the West. We all know that everyone is basically as good as everyone else.”