Spurs vs. Grizzlies: Score, Highlights and Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
The FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee, is often referred to as the Grindhouse. Its occupants showed why on Monday.
The Memphis Grizzlies ground out an 89-74 victory over the San Antonio Spurs behind a stifling defensive performance in the first of four matchups between the Western Conference rivals this season. San Antonio scored a measly nine points in the entire fourth quarter and shot 36.6 percent from the field, 21.1 percent from three-point range and 55.6 percent from the free-throw line.
The Grizzlies are now 32-22 and 5-1 in their last six games, while San Antonio lost its three-game winning streak and dropped to 39-12 overall and a still-impressive 20-6 on the road.
It wasn't all defense for Memphis. Marc Gasol (15 points), Zach Randolph (15) and Mike Conley (12) all scored in double figures, and the team as a whole shot 21-of-25 from the charity stripe to make up for 39.5 percent shooting from the field and 21.1 percent shooting from downtown.
Still, it was the defense that set the tone, as the Spurs finished with 16 turnovers. Vince Carter also turned back the clock with four of his team's 11 blocks, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:
While Memphis' defense deserves plenty of credit, San Antonio was playing short-handed. The team announced Kawhi Leonard was out with a quad contusion, and Pau Gasol is still out after surgery for his fractured metacarpal.
David Lee led the way for the Spurs with 14 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Danny Green and Manu Ginobili each scored 12 points.
The Spurs (first) and Memphis (fifth) were in the top five of defensive efficiency entering Monday's game, per NBA.com. That was apparent from the start, as neither team reached double digits until Aldridge's jumper with less than five minutes remaining in the first.
Memphis finished the low-scoring quarter with an 8-4 run to take a 17-14 lead. The Spurs shot 7-of-20 (35 percent) from the field and 0-of-5 from three in the first, while the Grizzlies checked in at 8-of-23 (34.8 percent) from the field and 1-of-6 from three.
Ginobili bolstered San Antonio's offense early in the second by creating looks for himself and others with penetration, and his jumper capped a 12-4 run to give his team a 26-21 advantage.
However, the Grizzlies answered with a 14-3 spurt to seize a 35-29 lead after Conley found Brandan Wright for an alley-oop that saw the big man literally jump out of his shoe:
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News pointed to the Spurs' early turnover problems:
San Antonio finished the first half with nine turnovers, but that didn't stop it from tying things at 40 by intermission. Green drilled a three and hit a floater on two straight possessions during the run, and Lee's jumper evened the score.
The stalemate continued early in the third, but Memphis created some momentum with an 11-1 run to take a 56-48 lead. Tony Allen scored multiple times during the stretch, and Carter connected on a top-of-the-key three to give the Grizzlies a bit of breathing room in the back-and-forth contest.
Ginobili wouldn't let the Spurs fold and hit two straight threes to pull within a single point at 62-61.
The Grizzlies still took momentum into the final quarter after a Toney Douglas three made it 69-65 before Carter blocked Green's buzzer-beating attempt from deep. The 40-year-old kept that momentum rolling in the opening minute of the fourth with a circus shot for the and-1:
Things got worse for the Spurs when Aldridge picked up his fifth foul with the team trailing 73-65 with less than 10 minutes left. San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich left his big man in the game, but that didn't help much when Carter blocked him and Kyle Anderson on back-to-back shots:
The team reacted on Twitter:
James Ennis extended the lead to double digits with a layup, and Conley's and-1 made it 83-70 with less than five minutes left. McDonald suggested the game was essentially over with the Memphis defense leading the way:
The only question remaining was when—or if—the Spurs would score 10 points in the fourth. They had just seven when Ennis threw down a slam to push the advantage to 87-72 with less than four minutes left.
San Antonio never got to that double-digit mark and never challenged down the stretch.
Postgame Reaction
Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official website shared an amusing interaction between Memphis head coach David Fizdale and Carter after the game:
The Grizzlies passed along some of Randolph's comments:
On the other side, Aldridge said, "Without Kawhi, I have to be better out there, and I wasn't good tonight," per McDonald. "I have to be better."
What's Next?
The Spurs continue their eight-game road trip Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers and Friday against the Detroit Pistons. They face Eastern Conference foes in their next five contests and will look to gain ground on the Golden State Warriors with wins outside the West.
The Grizzlies have home games against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday and Warriors on Friday. The Suns were 16-35 entering play Monday, so it will be important for Memphis to take care of business before the showdown with the two-time defending Western Conference champs.
