Spurs’ Jonathon Simmons plays volleyball off the glass

Game 1 between the San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies was all but decided. But it didn’t matter to Spurs guard Jonathon Simmons, who swatted away Wayne Selden’s layup.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has to be smiling with the effort his young guard was showing in this playoff blowout.

OK, Popovich probably wasn’t smiling, but Jonathon Simmons was relentless Saturday night, even though San Antonio was already up by 31.

Simmons chased down Grizzlies’ Wayne Selden and almost flattened the basketball on the glass.

I can’t help it, but that block had a little “LeBron chase-down” to it and Simmons had no regrets in rejecting Selden. Simmons finished the game with six points, two rebounds, two assists and a block in 14 minutes of action for the Spurs.

San Antonio started the game off slow, giving up 30 points in the first quarter to the Tony Allen-less Grizzlies.

Popovich probably had some nice things to say to the Spurs after the first quarter, as they only gave up 34 points in the next two quarters combined. The Spurs blew the game wide open in the third quarter and never looked back. They won the game 111-82, and it almost didn’t even feel that close.

San Antonio was led in scoring by their two superstars, Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge. Leonard was ultra-efficient, scoring 32 points on 11-of-14 shooting, while Aldridge poured in 20 points as well.

The Grizzlies wasted a huge night from Marc Gasol, who had 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 from distance.

First-year head coach David Fizdale will need to make a lot of adjustments for his veteran team as they head into Game 2 on Monday.

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But until Monday, the young Grizzlies guard is going to have to think about Simmons’ block in his nightmares.