In a matchup between two of the top three defensive teams in the league, the Memphis Grizzlies came out on top and defeated the San Antonio Spurs 89-74 at FedExForum Monday night to start a three-game home stand.
Memphis snapped the Spurs’ 27-game streak of games scoring 100-or-more points and held them to a season low 74 points. The last time the Spurs were held below 100 points was on Dec. 8 at Chicago in their 95-91 loss against the Bulls.
Shooting only 39.5 percent from the field, Memphis relied on their defensive effort and became the first team this season to defeat the Spurs despite shooting under 40 percent. Memphis also held a significant advantage in second chance points scoring 14 while the Spurs only had four.
Starting their first game of their annual Rodeo Road trip without All-Star Kawhi Leonard in the Memphis matchup due to a quad contusion, the Spurs struggled to connect from the field in the fourth quarter and were outscored 20-9, tying a season-low for points scored in a quarter for San Antonio. It also marked the least amount of points scored in any quarter by a Grizzlies opponent. The Spurs shot only 3-of-25 (.120) from the field in the fourth period and missed all five of their three-point attempts.
San Antonio entered the game leading the league in three-point percentage; however, both the Spurs and Grizzlies struggled offensively from beyond the arc with both teams shooting only 4-of-19 (.211) from three-point range.
Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph both led Memphis with a game-high 15 points each. Gasol also posted seven rebounds in 34 minutes while Randolph grabbed six boards in 23 minutes off the bench.
Mike Conley scored in double figures for the 39th time this season, posting 12 points and nine assists in 35 minutes.
Vince Carter recorded seven points, six rebounds and four blocks in 24 minutes. The last time Carter had four blocks in a game was on April 13, 2009 against the Charlotte Bobcats while he was a member of the New Jersey Nets. He became just the fifth 40-year-old in NBA history to block four-or-more shots in a game, joining Dikembe Mutombo, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parish and Karl Malone.
His first home game this season, Brandan Wright connected on all four of his field goal attempts to record a season-high nine points, three rebounds and three blocks in only 14 minutes.
David Lee led the Spurs with 14 points and three rebounds in 17 minutes while Dewayne Dedmon and Manu Ginobili both had 12 each. LaMarcus Aldridge recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes.
Next Game
The Grizzlies continue their home stand on Wednesday, Feb. 8 as they take on the Phoenix Suns at 7 p.m. Come support the Grizzlies live at FedExForum, watch on FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN.
Key Stat of the Night
- In the fourth quarter, Memphis held San Antonio to just nine points on 3-of-25 shooting (.120). The Spurs’ nine points tied a season-low for points scored in any quarter and were the least points scored in any quarter by a Grizzlies opponent. Their .120 shooting percentage was a Spurs’ season-low for any quarter and a season-low for any Grizzlies opponent in any quarter.
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- LaMarcus Aldridge (13 points, 10 rebounds) recorded his 10th double-double of the season.li>
- Marc Gasol tied a game-high 15 points to go with a team-high eight rebounds, marking his 41st game with 15-or-more.
- Dewayne Dedmon had a game-high 12 rebounds, tying a season-high and the ninth time he has led the Spurs this season.
- Mike Conley had a game-high nine assists to go with 12 points.
- Vince Carter recorded a season-high four blocks, marking the first time he has done so since April 13, 2009 against the Charlotte Bobcats while a member of the New Jersey Nets.
- Brandan Wright knocked down all four of his field goal attempts en route to a season-high nine points to go with three rebounds in just 14 minutes.
- David Lee knocked down all six of field goal attempts for a team-high 14 points.