Grizzlies have Spurs’ number on Jackson Jr.’s shot
A 17-point San Antonio Spurs lead quickly vanished in the first half Friday. From that point on, neither the Spurs nor the Memphis Grizzlies could create much separation in their game at Frost Bank Center.
The Grizzlies entered the fourth quarter with a lead and kept the pesky Spurs at bay. Each time San Antonio made a push, the Grizzlies stayed steady. Memphis had the ball with 20 seconds remaining and a three-point lead before the Spurs got a steal and made a 3-pointer to tie the game.
Jaren Jackson Jr. got the ball. waited patiently and sunk a left-handed floater over the Spurs' defense with 1.2 seconds remaining. The Grizzlies (24-47) held on to win 99-97, their 13th consecutive victory over San Antonio.
San Antonio (15-55) got a big night from star rookie Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 31 points.
Here are some takeaways from the game.
Changing of the point guard
Desmond Bane was out of the starting lineup due to a back injury after playing in the past three games. Point guard Jordan Goodwin returned to the starting lineup, and Scotty Pippen Jr. was back after missing the past three games.
Pippen came off the bench but made the more meaningful impact of the two point guards. He scored, made nice passes and had four steals. His performance against San Antonio showed that he shouldn't be playing in a reserve role for the remainder of the season unless it's in place of Luke Kennard and Bane.
Pippen finished with 18 points and made six of his nine shots, and added three rebounds, two assists and four steals. He has turned into a solid player for Memphis this season and potentially beyond.
Santi Aldama’s career night
Santi Aldama is in the midst of a strong stretch of games after a long period of struggling. He entered Friday with three consecutive games of at least 14 points. That streak extended to four. The 6-foot-11 forward made three 3-pointers, but it was his allaround
game that stood out against the Spurs. He finished with a seasonhigh 13 rebounds, his third straight game with at least nine.
With Jaren Jackson Jr.'s notable limitations as a rebounder, Aldama's ability to grab boards is an important skill to track.
The streak lives on
The Spurs have long dominated their matchups against the Grizzlies,
but Memphis has had a strong stretch of performances the past four seasons. That series dominance continued Friday, even with Memphis missing many of its top players.
The Grizzlies have had games where they've had 20-plus point comebacks, and others where they have won by more than 20 points. Friday felt like all of those games in one. They looked like they were going to get run out of the building early in the game. By the second quarter, there
were reminders of how quickly Memphis can erase leads. The last two quarters showed how even in many of the wins, the Spurs don't go away easily.
What’s next
Memphis will finish its four-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies are 0-2 against them this season. Denver is currently No. 2 in the Western Conference standings.