Griz drop second consecutive game
Spurs end up victorious in defensive battle
SAN ANTONIO — Grizzlies coach David Fizdale lauded the San Antonio Spurs’ ability to bring out the best in their opponents.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich lamented having the play two more games against a potential postseason opponent this late in the regular season. Those opposing thoughts were delivered before their game tipped off Thursday night.
Fizdale and Popovich had to agree on one thing after the Grizzlies’ 97-90 loss to the Spurs roughly two hours later in the AT&T Center: If they do meet in the first round of the playoffs, the series promises to be another low-scoring, defensive-minded affair.
The No. 2-seeded Spurs would host the seventh-place Grizzlies if the playoffs began today, and the Grizzlies won't be intimidated.
Both squads took turns suppressing the other’s offense, but the Spurs ended up earning their first victory over the Grizzlies in three tries this season with a late-game surge.
The Grizzlies clawed back from a 15point deficit with a run that bridged the third and fourth quarters. Grizzlies rookie Andrew Harrison scored the first points of the fourth quarter when his 3-pointer cut their deficit to 74-72. Memphis later tied the score at 74 when Brandan Wright caught Harrison’s errant floater and scored.
San Antonio, though, went on a run Who: Memphis vs. Golden State Warriors When, where: 7 p.m., Sunday, Oracle Arena TV, radio: Fox Sports Southeast; WMFS 92.9 FM/680 AM
that re-established their double-digit advantage.
Kawhi Leonard stole Mike Conley’s post-entry pass to Marc Gasol and found LaMarcus Aldridge, who then fed Tony Parker. Patty Mills ended a two-on-one fast break with a layup that put the Spurs ahead by 10 points.
The Grizzlies kept attacking in the third to put themselves in position to steal a road win. But the Spurs routinely had a response.
A Conley three-point play cut the Grizzlies’ deficit to 66-60 but Spurs big man Pau Gasol answered with a baseline 3-pointer. When Troy Daniels' 3-pointer made it a four-point game, Mills responded with a shot from beyond the arc.
The Spurs initially pulled away behind a 13-0 run midway through the second period and grabbed their biggest lead of the game at 45-30 with 6:15 left to play before halftime. Memphis missed five straight shots and committed a turnover during the offensive malaise.
Despite shooting just 38.5 percent over the first two period, the Grizzlies trailed 51-42 at halftime of a game that had the makings of a blowout loss.
Memphis began the game missing seven of its first nine shots with two turnovers. The Grizzlies then connected on six of their next eight field goals to stay competitive.
Meanwhile, Grizzlies veteran swingman Tony Allen returned to the starting