Evans, Gasol lead Grizzlies over Pelicans 105-102

By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- After a poor defensive performance in the first quarter, the Memphis Grizzlies turned up the pressure all the way until the last minute.

The Grizzlies held New Orleans to a mere nine points in the third period and then forced a key turnover by DeMarcus Cousins in the final seven seconds to help them defeat the Pelicans 105-102 on Wednesday night.

With New Orleans trailing 103-102, Cousins headed to the middle of the lane, but had the ball knocked away by Marc Gasol. Tyreke Evans, who was fouled immediately after the turnover - the Pelicans' 12th of the game - converted a pair of free throws with 5.9 seconds left.

"It was a risky play," Gasol said of helping defensively on Cousins. "Once I saw him put the head down and not really seeing it, I saw a chance and took a gamble and it paid off."

After Evans' foul shots, the Pelicans had a chance for a tie, but E'Twaun Moore's 3-point attempt from the left wing bounced off the front of the rim.

"You've got to live with it," said Moore. "That didn't go in. You've got to go to the next time. That's all."

Evans scored 28 points, while Gasol finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis. JaMychal Green contributed 20 points and 14 rebounds - one off his season high in both categories.

Cousins had 29 points and eight rebounds. Moore finished with 16 points and Rajon Rondo scored 14.

Cousins was 2 of 10 from the field entering the fourth, but scored 14 points in the final quarter. He had four 3-pointers in the fourth, including a trio of 3s as the Pelicans overcame an 11-point deficit.

"Basically, had some open shots," Cousins said. "Found shots in the flow of the game."

After leading 61-60 at halftime, the Pelicans ran into offensive problems in the third quarter when they scored nine points - a season low for any quarter. They made only four of their 17 shots and missed all four free throw attempts.

"Bad quarter. Terrible quarter," Cousins said.

That allowed Memphis, which scored just 17 points in the period, to take a 77-70 lead heading to the fourth.

"Obviously, we struggled in the third quarter," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "We struggled to make a shot. I thought our defense was great in the third quarter. But when you give up 17 points and score nine, that was a major problem in the second half."

TIP-INS

Pelicans: F Anthony Davis did not play after injuring his right ankle Monday against the Pistons. ... New Orleans signed G DeAndre Liggins to a 10-day contract. The addition of Liggins gives New Orleans five former Kentucky Wildcats on its roster. ... Cousins has reached double figures in every Pelicans game this season. ... New Orleans was hindered by making only 23 of 34 free throws and going 5 of 8 in the fourth.

Grizzlies: Memphis had not played since Friday. The four-day span was the longest break of the season outside of the All-Star break. ... G Andrew Harrison, who missed the last game with a left shoulder injury, returned against New Orleans and started. He finished with 11 points. ... Gasol hit all five of his shots in the first half.

LAST SHOT

With his team trailing 105-102, Moore's last-second 3-point attempt from about 27 feet out was an open look, especially for a guy who hits 45.6 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, fifth-best in the league. "It was a great shot," Gentry said. "We're not going to get a better shot than that."

NO FOUL

The last New Orleans possession began with 5.9 seconds left, and interim Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff said things moved too fast to foul. "The way (the Pelicans) push it, sometimes it's a little dangerous," he explained. "Sometimes it's hard to wrap him up." As for Moore ending up with a good look, Bickerstaff said: "We trusted in our defense. (We) over-helped a little bit, which created a wide-open look."

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

Grizzlies: Travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Friday.

Wall returns as Wizards defeat Grizzlies

WASHINGTON -- The return of John Wall did not immediately turn the Washington Wizards aesthetically, but they had enough to defeat the struggling Memphis Grizzlies.

Bradley Beal scored 18 points and John Wall had 13 in his return from a left knee injury as the Washington Wizards fended off the Memphis Grizzlies 93-87 on Wednesday.

Wall sat out the previous nine games after receiving injections in his knee Nov. 25 to deal with inflammation. Washington (15-13) went 4-5 without the four-time All-Star. The Wizards returned home from a 2-3 road trip.

Memphis (8-20) has dropped five in a row and 16 of 17, yet stayed with Washington until the final stages.

Wall started and played 28 minutes. His most significant stretch came during the second quarter after Washington squandered most of a 10-point lead. After JaMychal Green's 3-pointer pulled Memphis within two, Wall outscored the Grizzlies 9-0 for a 38-27 lead with 1:59 remaining before halftime.

He showed plenty of agility with a throw down dunk and by blocking a Chandler Parsons dunk attempt late in the fourth quarter.

"I think it was cool other than my four missed free throws," Wall said. "Most important thing is we got the win."

Andrew Harrison scored 20 points for the Grizzles, who shot 38.3 percent from the field and had a season-low 29 points in the first half. Green had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Marc Gasol added 15 points and 10 boards.

Second-leading scorer Tyreke Evans sat out with right hip soreness.

The Wizards led 50-33 on Porter's 3-pointer with 7:59 remaining in the third quarter but didn't finish the period strong. The Grizzlies entered the fourth down 60-57 and took their first lead at 67-65 on a James Ennis 3-pointer.

Washington countered with a 13-0 run. Beal, who averaged 34.5 points over the previous four games, sank two 3-pointers in this stretch.

Memphis proved resilient and fought back to 83-80 on Gasol's jumper with 2:34 remaining but would get no closer. Beal and Kelly Oubre Jr. sank back-to-back 3-pointers for Washington.

"When you're down at that point, you've got to play perfect," Grizzlies interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "And those 3s especially, they hurt you."

Otto Porter had 14 points, Marcin Gortat 12 and Oubre added 11 for the Wizards. Mike Scott started in place of Markieff Morris (right hip soreness) and scored 10 points.

"It didn't look good because we missed some shots, played a little slow for whatever reason, long trip coming back," Wizards coach Scott Brooks following his team's latest suspect outing against a suspect opponent. "I like the fact that we came out and got the win. We played better than the score, I thought. ... Good win for us. Now focus on the next game."

Washington finished 12 of 24 from the free throw line. Memphis hit 15 of 16, helping to offset shooting 38.3 percent from the field.

The Grizzlies committed 12 of their 18 turnovers in the first half and misfired throughout. They shot 5 of 21 from the floor in the first quarter. They also played effectively at times in the second half, but not enough to end the current slide.

"You want to get out of a situation that obviously nobody likes, the only way to do it is by out-hustling the other team, out-working them," Gasol said. "Obviously we're not going to out-talent the other team so we have to be overwhelming defensively and trust each other defensively because that's going to bring trust on the other end."

The Wizards were just glad to end their stretch of games played without Wall.

"He's our leader (and) he's the head to our snake. For him coming back and getting his feet wet and getting back acclimated to our game and our style of play was big for us," Oubre said. "Hopefully, we can keep this rolling."

NOTES: Washington F Markieff Morris played less than 20 minutes and sat out the fourth quarter in each of the previous two games. ... Wizards C Ian Mahinmi (sore right knee) sat out for a second consecutive game. ... Memphis fell to 1-15 without injured G Mike Conley Jr. and 0-10 against Eastern Conference opponents. ... The Wizards host the Clippers on Friday, six days after losing 113-112 in Los Angeles despite leading by four points with 51 seconds remaining. Lou Williams sank the go-ahead 3-pointer for the Clippers with 1.2 seconds left. ... Memphis opens a two-game homestand Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks. ... The sides close out the season series Jan. 5 in Memphis.

Grizzlies top Wolves, snap 11-game skid

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- On Saturday night in Cleveland, the Memphis Grizzlies had rallied in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance to upset the Cavaliers. Though they lost that game and their losing streak stretched to 11 games, some of the momentum they created carried over to Monday night's game at FedExForum.

"I kinda felt it (a win) coming after that Cleveland game," said Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans, who finished with 16 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three blocks as Memphis ended its skid with a 95-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. "We talked about it after the game. That team was in the finals and if we can do that against them ..."

Then a victory would finally come. But having not won since Nov. 7 at Portland, it would not come easily. Minnesota shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who had a game-high 30 points, launched an off-balance 3-point attempt at the buzzer that would have tied the game, but the shot was off target.

Memphis starting point guard Mike Conley (sore Achilles) was on the bench in street clothes, but was an animated cheerleader. Postgame he summed up his feelings with a two-word tweet: "Thank God."

On the last play, Memphis center Marc Gasol (21 points, seven rebounds and five assists) switched with guard Andrew Harrison as the Timberwolves ran a pick-and-roll. Harrison briefly had to guard center Karl-Anthony Towns (game-high 11 rebounds and seven points) but then had Butler when the ball came back to him.

"Kinda made him take a tough shot," said Harrison, who finished with eight points. "I'm happy he missed."

Gasol was downright giddy, hugging a local sideline TV reporter and saying, "We won" and letting loose an expletive.

Butler, who also had five assists and four steals, was asked if he got a good look: "I think every shot I take is a good look."

Butler was 11 of 21 from the floor but Towns, who averages right at 20 points a game, only attempted six shots and made two. He did have three assists.

"The plan going in was to try to not let him play," said Grizzlies interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff. "We wanted to limit his touches as much as we possibly could."

Memphis (8-15) prevailed for the first time under Bickerstaff. The previous head coach, David Fizdale, was fired last week when the losing streak was at eight games.

The streak has been difficult and forward JaMychal Green, who gave the Grizzlies 14 points and nine rebounds, said the team stayed together better Monday night than it has during some other games.

"We be down some days," he said of team morale. "But we did a great tonight of not fading away from one another."

The Grizzlies carried a one-point lead into the fourth quarter and neither team led by more than one possession in the final 8:41 of game time. Evans hit two free throws with 12.7 seconds left to give the Grizzlies a three-point cushion before Butler missed his shot on the game's last possession.

"Our defense in the first half hurt us badly," said Minnesota coach Thom Thibodeau. "It was a little better in the second half."

Said Butler: "I don't think we got to loose balls. They're a hard-playing team."

Minnesota (14-11) got 14 points from forward Taj Gibson and 12 each from forward Andrew Wiggins and guard Jeff Teague.

The Timberwolves shot 44.3 percent from the floor and went 4 of 17 (23.5 percent) from 3-point range. Memphis shot 47.2 percent from the field while going 6 of 21 (28.6 percent) from long distance.

The Grizzlies had a 24-8 edge on fast-break points and owned a 41-34 rebounding edge.

NOTES: Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau only used eight players Sunday in a 112-106 home victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in the first night of a back-to-back set. Every starter played at least 35 minutes. Coming into the Monday game F Andrew Wiggins was tied for third in the NBA in minutes per game at 37.0, and SG Jimmy Butler was seventh at 36.5. He used only eight plays at Memphis, too. Butler played 40 minutes against the Grizzlies. Asked if fatigue was a factor, he said: "Does it matter?" ... Since J.B. Bickerstaff took over as head coach of the Grizzlies, guard Andrew Harrison has made 13 of 22 shots from the field (59.1 percent) and 5 of 6 from 3-point range (83.3 percent) in four games. ... The Memphis victory snapped an eight-game home losing streak.

McCollum has 24 points to lead Portland past Memphis

By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Portland is clamping down on defense and the effort is leading to recent success for the Trail Blazers.

The team has held seven of the last eight opponents under 100 points, including Memphis on Monday night as the Trail Blazers pulled away from the Grizzlies for a 100-92 win.

C. J. McCollum scored 24 points and Damian Lillard added 21 points as Portland sent Memphis to its fifth straight loss.

“Defensively we were able to get some stops down the stretch,” McCollum said of Portland’s ability to pull away after the game was tied at 80 with 6:41 remaining. “Noah (Vonleh) had some big baskets. Big rebounds. Different guys stepped up. Everybody did a little bit of everything.”

Shabazz Napier added 16 points, while Noah Vonleh finished with 11 points and 18 rebounds for Portland, which won its second straight and fourth in the last five.

“The other team was just missing a lot of shots, and I was just having a nose for the ball,” Vonleh said. “Boxing my guy out and going after it, that was my mindset.”

Vonleh’s rebounds were part of the Trail Blazers controlling the boards, outrebounding Memphis 60-35.

“Crushed us on the glass,” Memphis coach David Fizdale said. “We finally got our defense activated again, and I felt like we were back somewhat looking like our early season self. But the glass just really killed us.”

Mario Chalmers led Memphis with a season-high 21 points, while Tyreke Evans finished with 20. Marc Gasol had 19 points, seven assists and 12 rebounds, but was 7 of 20 from the floor, part of the Grizzlies shooting 38 percent for the game, and 27 percent from outside the arc.

The teams were tied at 80 with 6:47 left after Gasol split a pair of free throws. But Jusuf Nurkic, who had 10 points, converted a 3-point play and put the Trail Blazers ahead for good.

“It’s always difficult, it seems, to play here,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “Seems like the games are always a grind it out, low possession, low field goal percentage game.”

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: The game was the first of a five-game road trip for Portland. ... Portland lost to Grizzlies 98-97 earlier this month. .Vonleh’s 18 rebounds were one short of his career-high 19 on April 12 last season against New Orleans. It was Vonleh’s first double-double of the season. ... Napier, who was shooting 58 percent in his last six games, was 5 of 13 from the field.

Grizzlies: C/F Brandan Wright, who injured his right groin in Saturday’s game against Houston, sat out, along with G Mike Conley, who continues to nurse a sore left Achilles tendon. ... Memphis has allowed 100 points in nine of the last 10 games. ... Evans recorded at least 20 points off the bench for the seventh time this season.

LILLARD LIMPING

Lillard turned his ankle with just under 3 minutes left before halftime after stepping on Gasol’s foot. The Portland guard went down under the Trail Blazers basket, but eventually hobbled to the bench. He returned to start the second half. “I knew if there was some way he could play, he’s going to play,” Stotts said. “What he does, doesn’t surprise me.” Lillard was noticeably limping in the Trail Blazers locker room. He said trainers “did all kinds of different tape jobs on it,” at halftime, “then we went back out there and tried it. I was able to, at least, get something done.”

CLOSE, BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH

Memphis’ losing streak has reflected the signs of a struggling team, particularly without Conley. While the Grizzlies were in the game midway through the fourth quarter, they were consistently trying to catch up throughout the game because of poor shooting. “I do think if we could have made some of our open shots, it would have at least helped momentum and it also helps energize your defense when you make a couple of those,” Fizdale said. “But, ultimately, we’ve just got to keep plugging away.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Travel to Philadelphia for a Wednesday game against the 76ers.

Grizzlies: Wrap up a four-game home stand on Wednesday, hosting the Dallas Mavericks.

Walker leads late rally to send Hornets over Grizzlies

By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Kemba Walker re-entered the game with under 8 minutes left and things changed for the Charlotte Hornets.

Walker scored nine of his 27 points in a fourth-quarter rally as the Charlotte handed the Memphis Grizzlies their first home loss of the season with a 104-99 win Monday night.

“I was just trying to make plays. Trying to do what I can to help my teammates,” Walker said of the final stretch, where he also added a couple of assists. “My main focus was to continue to be aggressive, and if I can’t score, try to find other people to score.”

Jeremy Lamb added 17 points and rookie Malik Monk finished with 13 points.

Memphis held a 10-point lead with 7:57 remaining, but Walker re-entered the game and kick-started the Charlotte rally, which included an 18-4 run by the Hornets. Memphis couldn’t catch Charlotte primarily because they made only 6 of 27 shots in the fourth, including 2 of 11 from outside the arc, many of them coming in the closing minutes as the Grizzlies tried to stop the Hornets rally. There were plenty of close shots missed by Memphis as well.

“Everything went wrong at the same time,” Memphis coach David Fizdale said of the Hornets outscoring Memphis 31-17 in the final period. “It just seemed like we couldn’t make a layup, when we had open layup. When we had open threes, we couldn’t make open threes.”

Tyreke Evans led Memphis with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Mike Conley finished with 16 points. But Conley was a major part of a 34 percent shooting night for the Grizzlies missing 14 of his 18 shots in the game and all seven from outside the arc.

James Ennis III and Dylan Brooks scored 11 points apiece.

“I really liked the fight,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said.

TIP-INS

Hornets: Won their first road game this season. ... Monk had a nice representation of fans in the stands. His hometown of Lepanto, Arkansas is about 40 miles from Memphis. ... Walker had a team-high six assists and has led the Hornets in assists in each game this season. ... Dwight Howard had seven rebounds, the first time this season he has not reached double digits.

Grizzlies: Memphis’ last four home games have come against teams playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Charlotte defeated Orlando at home Sunday night. ... The game was Memphis’ first of the season against an Eastern Conference team. ... C Marc Gasol was listed as questionable before the game with a bum left ankle, but played, finishing with 10 points. ... The Grizzlies bench continued to dominate opponents, outscoring the Hornets reserves 51-39.

SHOOTING WOES: Neither team shot particularly well - Memphis at 34 percent and the Hornets connecting on 42 percent. But that 42 percent marked the first time an opponent has shot above 40 percent against the Grizzlies at FedExForum in five home games this season.

BIG MAN BATTLE

The game featured two big, physical centers in Gasol and Howard, but neither showed their normal offensive production. Howard missed eight of his nine shots and both his free throws for 2 points, while Gasol was 4 of 15 from the field. “Trust me,” Gasol said, “in 10 years, I still haven’t met a player that wants to miss on purpose.”

LOSING LEADS

Despite suffering only their second loss, Memphis has squandered significant leads several times already this season. “I know a lot of it is casual play, and that will get you burnt in this league. It’s so easy to lose a lead with the way teams shoot the ball,” Fizdale said.

UP NEXT

HORNETS: Entertain the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, the only home game in a six-game stretch.

GRIZZLIES: Face the Orlando Magic at home on Wednesday.

Smith leads Mavericks past Grizzlies for first win

By SEAN SHAPIRO
Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — Dennis Smith Jr. took a major step forward in his fourth career game.

The 19-year-old point guard had 19 points and five assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to their first win of the season, 103-94 over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” Smith said. “I got tired of losing.”

Smith was at his best in the second half, with 14 points and four assists, as Dallas snapped a four-game losing streak.

“Well, Smith’s pretty clearly a gamer. He is unafraid,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “Tonight was the biggest amount of responsibility that we have put on him.”

Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, who went head-to-head with Smith, was also impressed by the rookie.

“I love his game. I watched a lot of film on him. He plays with a great pace, very patient,” Conley said. “He’s going to be something special in the league and they’ve got a good one. It’s fun to compete against him.”

Memphis had a season-opening three-game win streak come to an end in the opener of a home-and-home back-to-back between the teams.

Marc Gasol had 26 points for Memphis. Conley scored 21 points and Tyreke Evans had 13 off the bench for the Grizzlies.

Wesley Matthews added 16, Harrison Barnes had 15, J.J. Barea scored 14, and Dirk Nowitzki scored 13 points for Dallas.

“I think the ball is moving better,” Barea said. “Everybody is touching it. We are more active on offense.”

The Mavericks went ahead 8-7 with 8:30 remaining in the first quarter on a hook shot by Nerlens Noel and never surrendered the lead. Memphis pulled within three in the fourth quarter before Dallas went on a 9-0 run to regain control.

“We couldn’t get stops, it’s simple,” Gasol said. “When you don’t have enough stops, you won’t be able to get over the hump. ... We didn’t play enough good D and we were not disciplined enough in order for us to win.”

Dallas led by as much as 19 in the first half, but Gasol helped drag his team back into the game in the third quarter. Gasol scored 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting in in the period, cutting the score to 79-72 before the fourth quarter.

Both teams struggled at the free-throw line. The normally reliable Grizzlies made 16 of 24 free throws, and Dallas went 20-for-29.

Devin Harris played his first game since the death of his brother on Oct. 19 and had six points. Before the game, Carlisle said Harris wouldn’t travel to Memphis with the team on Thursday.

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: F Chandler Parsons didn’t play since he isn’t yet medically cleared to play in back-to-back games. Parsons, a former Maverick, is expected to play Thursday. ... Memphis will play 16 back-to-backs this season.

Mavericks: Barea played in his 700th career game. ... Dallas’ 32 points in the first quarter where a season-high. ... Nowitzki played in his 1,399th career game. He can become the seventh player in NBA history to reach 1,400 on Thursday.

NOT SO FREE

Gasol went 3-for-8 from the line. He entered the game having converted on 26 of 27 free-throw attempts, including a 10-for-10 night.

REBOUNDING

The Mavericks have struggled with rebounding this season and had been outrebounded 211-160 in their first four games. The Grizzlies had a 36-35 edge in total rebounds, but Carlisle felt his team won the overall battle because Memphis collected a few rebounds late once the game had been decided.

UP NEXT

Grizzlies: Have a chance to bounce back against the Mavericks on Thursday night.

Mavericks: Will try to win their third straight game in the all-time series against Memphis.

Gasol leads Grizzlies to 98-90 win over Rockets

Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — In a game that he dominated offensively, Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said it was the team’s defense that helped the most in the wild come-from-behind win over the Houston Rockets.

Gasol scored 26 points to lead the Grizzles to a 98-90 win in Houston on Monday night. Memphis has won its first three games for the first time since the 2014-15 season when the team won its opening six contests.

Memphis allowed just two points in the final six minutes and ended the game on a 20-2 run.

“At the end of the game, not allowing them to score, that’s a great way to finish,” Gasol said. “When you can trust that your defense is going to be there at the end of the game, you don’t have to put as much pressure on your offense.”

With the game tied at 88 with less than three minutes remaining, tempers flared after Memphis guard Mario Chalmers fell to the ground and tripped James Harden, who then shoved Chalmers as he tried to get off the ground. After a lengthy review, both players received technical and Harden was called with an offensive foul.

Memphis guard Mike Conley said Chalmers’ scrappiness provided a spark for the Grizzlies.

“He embodies what we are and for that to happen at that point of the game, it got everybody going,” Conley said. “It got everybody believing that, ‘Hey, we belong here, we’re supposed to be here, and this is our chance to win the game.’”

On the following play, James Ennis III made a shot where he was fouled and converted the free throw to put Memphis up three. After Clint Capela’s dunk, Conley hit a 3 to push the lead to 94-90.

Conley struggled for most of the game, shooting 3-for-10 from the field and scoring nine of his 17 points at the free throw line, where he was perfect. But he came on huge for Memphis down the stretch, making key shots and getting pivotal assists.

“They did a good job of defending and switching — every shot I took was a tough shot up until the fourth quarter,” Conley said. “In close games, there’s a job to be done, and you just have to go out there and do it.”

For most of the game, it was Gasol who gave Houston fits. Whether he was overpowering Capela or shooting over smaller forwards, Gasol found a rhythm, making eight of his 15 shots and going 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

When told he had five dunks in the game, Gasol said, “That’s four too many.”

On Eric Gordon Bobblehead Night where he was presented with his Sixth Man of the Year Award in a pregame ceremony, the veteran guard was ironically a starter in the game. Gordon led the Rockets with 27 points.

Harden finished with 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Houston was held to 90 points, three less than their season low of 93 from all of last season.

“Our bodies weren’t popping and moving like we normally do,” Harden said. “We didn’t make shots, obviously. They played pretty good defense, but we just didn’t pop when we needed it.”

Houston led 57-50 at halftime. The Rockets held a lead as big as 12 points in the second half, but the Grizzlies got hot midway through the fourth quarter.

OFF-SHOOTING NIGHT

The Rockets made just nine 3s on 23.7 percent shooting. Houston was 1-8 when making less than 10 3s last season.

“Obviously, we forced some up — some were good and didn’t go in,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We have to improve. We’ve got to get better, and I knew it was going to be a tough game.”

BOO BIRDS:

Forward Chandler Parsons was booed heavily by the Toyota Center crowd when he first took the floor. Parsons spent his first three seasons in Houston before leaving for Dallas in 2014.

TIP-INS

Grizzles: Guard Tyreke Evans played through a bruised left knee after being listed as questionable. Evans played 21 minutes and had five points. ... Forward JaMychal Green missed a second straight game with a left ankle injury and wore a boot on the team’s bench.

Rockets: Harden was named Western Conference Player of the Week early Monday after averaging 27.7 points, 9.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.67 steals to lead Houston to a 3-0 start. It was the 14th time in his career to win the award. ... Veteran center Nene received a technical foul for a dead-ball brush with Parsons late in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Grizzlies: Visit Dallas on Wednesday night.

Rockets: Visit Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Recap: Grizzlies ride Selden, Baldwin past Suns

Juan Carlos Blanco, RotoWire

Wayne Selden and Wade Baldwin IV combined for 54 points, including 11 of the team’s final 13, to lead the No. 4-seeded Memphis Grizzlies to a 102-98 victory over the No. 13-seeded Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas Summer League second-round playoff action on Thursday evening at Cox Pavilion.

The Grizzlies (4-0) erased a slim first-quarter deficit by exploding for 37 points in the second period. While the Suns (2-3) did outscore Memphis by a 52-49 margin in the second half, the Grizzlies managed to score 13 points over the final 3:28 to secure the victory. As implied by the final score, both teams had the hot hand from the field, with the Suns slightly winning that battle by a 53.5 percent-47.4 percent margin. Two keys to victory were Memphis’ near-perfect performance from the free-throw line (95.7 percent) and its sizable 39-29 rebounding advantage. Those performances helped overcome five double-digit scoring efforts by the Suns, as well as a total of 17 turnovers.

It was Selden, a second-year shooting guard who started to come on late last season for the Grizzlies, who led the way with a game-high 33 points (10-17 FG, 3-8 3PT, 10-11 FT) along with four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Baldwin followed with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, a total he complemented with seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Deyonta Davis, the Celtics’ first pick in the second round a year ago who was eventually traded to Memphis, followed with a bench-leading 16 points over 19 minutes. He added four boards and an assist. Rade Zagorac, another 2016 second-round selection, totaled eight points and six boards. Jarell Martin, Memphis’ 2015 first-round pick, matched Zagorac’s scoring total and added four rebounds and an assist.

Mike James spearheaded the Suns with 32 points (11-16 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 7-7 FT), five assists, five rebounds and three steals. Last year’s first-round pick, Dragan Bender, tallied 20 points, seven boards and five assists. Shaquille Harrison added 16 points, two rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block. Josh Jackson, this year’s fourth overall pick, supplied 13 points, eight rebounds, an assist and two steals. Second-round pick Davon Reed matched Jackson’s point total and complemented it with a rebound, n assist, a steal and a block.

The Grizzlies now move on to a Friday quarterfinal matchup against the No. 12-seeded Miami Heat.

Grizzlies sign Gs Evans, McLemore

The Memphis Grizzlies signed free-agent guards Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore on Friday.

Evans reportedly agreed on a one-year, $3.3 million deal. McLemore reportedly landed a two-year deal worth $10.7 million.

Evans played one season of college basketball at the University of Memphis before embarking on his NBA career. He has career averages of 16.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds over eight pro seasons.

Evans finished last season with the Sacramento Kings after being dealt from the New Orleans Pelicans in the DeMarcus Cousins trade. He has been plagued by knee issues in recent seasons.

McLemore also arrives from the Kings after four seasons in the NBA. He has career marks of 9.4 points and 2.6 rebounds.

"We want to welcome Ben McLemore to the Grizzlies organization," general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement. "Ben brings tremendous athleticism, significant upside and a tireless work ethic to our franchise, while adding more outside shooting to our rotation. We are confident he will continue his development as a player and thrive under head coach David Fizdale and his staff."

Grizzlies will retire Randolph's No. 50

The Memphis Grizzlies showed their appreciation to Zach Randolph on Thursday by announcing that the veteran forward/center will be the first player in franchise history to have his No. 50 jersey retired.

The Grizzlies announced the move in an open letter to Randolph, two days removed from the two-time All-Star ending his eight-year tenure with the club by agreeing to a two-year, $24 million deal with the Sacramento Kings.

"Thank you for all the joy and magical moments too numerous to count," the letter read in part. "Thank you for the energy and excitement you brought each and every night to FedExForum. Thank you for your leadership and service. Thank you for your larger than life impact and for keeping all Memphians warm. Thank you."

The open letter was signed by general manager Chris Wallace and president of business operations Jason Wexler.

Majority owner Robert Pera stated on the team's official Twitter account that No. 50 "will never be worn by another member of the Memphis Grizzlies." He also thanked Randolph for helping "turn a lottery team into a perennial playoff contender" and helping "make a basketball team a model of community service."

Randolph ranks first in franchise history in rebounds (5,612) and is second behind Mike Conley in points (9,261). The 35-year-old excelled in a reserve role last season, averaging 14.1 points and 8.2 rebounds.

With Sacramento, Randolph reunites with Dave Joerger, his former coach with the Grizzlies.

Spurs advance: San Antonio beats Grizzlies 103-96 in Game 6

By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – The San Antonio Spurs wanted no part of playing a seventh game against the Grizzlies, not with the Houston Rockets looming in the next round.

Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, and the Spurs advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by beating Memphis 103-96 on Thursday night to take the series 4-2.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich congratulated Memphis on a great year, especially rookie coach David Fizdale.

"I'm seriously thrilled that we were able to get through that first round," Popovich said. "That's the good news. The bad news is that now we have to go play Houston."

The Spurs now have beaten Memphis four of the five playoff series between these teams, and this was San Antonio's second straight win over the Grizzlies in the first round. But this was the first time all season that the visiting team won.

"It's huge for us," Spurs guard Tony Parker said. "Memphis, you have to give them a lot of credit. They played unbelievable. They're a great team, and they made it hard on us and so we didn't want to come back for Game 7. We treated this game as if it was Game 7. We wanted those days off before playing Houston because it's going to be a fast-paced game against them."

Parker added 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 12 rebounds. San Antonio outrebounded Memphis 46-28, with 16 of those offensive boards. That led to 17 second-chance points.

Fizdale said rebounds, points in the paint and who pressured the best impacted each game in the series.

"I kept stressing that to our guys," Fizdale said. "To their credit, (the Spurs) won it more games than we did. But it definitely wasn't from a lack of competition on our part. I can sleep at night knowing my guys battled and competed their tails off."

The Spurs' semifinal with Houston will start Monday night in San Antonio.

Mike Conley scored 26 points, leading the five Memphis starters in double digits. Marc Gasol added 18.

The Grizzlies fell to 3-10 in elimination games, losing six straight.

This was a taut game with 16 ties and nine lead changes, especially with four ties in the fourth quarter.

The Spurs took control after the Grizzlies went up 88-81 on three free throws from Conley with 6:29 left. Then Leonard scored eight straight for San Antonio, starting a 22-8 run to finish the game.

"The guys were amazing in the fourth quarter," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "Huge plays. Great defense too. So, happy to go back home with a win and win the series."

Even with Conley and Gasol a combined 2 of 10 in the first quarter, the Grizzlies trailed only 24-22 after Conley knocked down a 3 at the end of the quarter for his first bucket of the game. Conley hit another 3 for the final shot in the second quarter, putting Memphis up 50-45. The team that led at halftime won each of the first five games.

Parker hit his first six shots before finally missing his seventh with 29 seconds left in the first half.

The Grizzlies took their biggest lead at 57-47 on a 3-pointer by James Ennis III. That gave Memphis as many made 3s (9 of 17) as the Spurs had attempted (3 of 9) at that point. Randolph's layup with 7:19 left matched that 10-point lead at 63-53.

Then the Spurs went on a 13-3 run over a 4-minute span to erase that lead on Aldridge's three-point play at 67-66. Aldridge finished with nine points in helping the Spurs lead 75-74 at the end of the quarter.

TIP-INS

Spurs: They improved to 36-15 with a chance to clinch a series under Popovich, who took over in the 1996-97 season. ... Ginobili converted a four-point play with 1:31 left in the third, putting the Spurs up 73-69. ... The Spurs wound up tying the Grizzlies' reserves with 16 points thanks to Mills.

Grizzlies: The Grizzlies set a franchise record hitting eight 3-pointers in the first half, topping the previous mark of seven in the second half May 1, 2005, against Phoenix. ... Conley has 20 or more points in five straight playoff games, the longest such streak in franchise history.

HE SAID IT

Popovich: "I'm thrilled we were able to win because if we played 10 times, we each would probably win five."

FREE THROW WATCH

Fizdale earned a $30,000 fine from the NBA for his "Take that for data" rant about the free throw discrepancy in Game 2. Well, Leonard was 9 of 10 at the free throw line through three quarters compared to the Grizzlies' 7 of 8. The Spurs were 18 of 20 through three quarters. The Spurs finished 22 of 25 compared to 20 of 24 for Memphis.

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Grizzlies face must-win situation, host Spurs

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If the season is a guide, the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies will have a Game 7.

The home team is undefeated in nine overall meetings this season as Memphis hosts San Antonio on Thursday for Game 6 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series at FedExForum.

"We're treating every game like it's a Game 7," Memphis point guard Mike Conley said. "We're treating every game like it's the last game. We expect to come back (to San Antonio) -- that's our mindset."

Conley is averaging 27.3 points and 7.5 assists over the past four games.

The Spurs, who lead the series 3-2, used a late 12-0 run to put away the Grizzlies 116-103 on Tuesday.

To force a seventh game, Memphis must find an answer to its most pressing problem: slowing down San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard.

"If anyone has any suggestions, send them my way," Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said when asked about containing Leonard. "I'm listening. I'm open to ideas."

While the Grizzlies have been slightly better at containing the Spurs star at FedExForum, Leonard has still averaged 30.5 points in the two games there.

"We were sharper with our defensive execution at home," Fizdale said Wednesday. "It was night and day."

Leonard is shooting 48.8 percent from the field in Memphis but nearly 60 percent at home. He has missed only one of his 48 free-throw attempts in the series.

"(Leonard has) gone through the ceiling, improving every year, with all parts of his game." San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "He understands that he's a facilitator as well as a scorer."

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili came off the bench Tuesday to provide a spark.

"He brought that grandpa juice is what I call it, and we all followed," San Antonio guard Patty Mills said after the game. "We shouldn't wait for him to do that before we get into gear, but it really is inspiring when you see him dive on the ball putting his body on the line. Hard drives, hard cuts, it gets us all going."

Prior to Game 5, Ginobili, who had 10 points on Tuesday, hadn't made a shot, but Popovich hadn't lost faith in his 15-year veteran.

"I'm going to use him like a bar of soap until there's nothing left," Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News.

The 39-year-old Argentinian, possibly playing in his final season, was 0-for-15, including 0-for-10 from 3-point range, in the series' first four games.

"You know it's not going to continue," San Antonio forward Danny Green told the San Antonio Express-News. "The numbers are with (Ginobili), so you tell him to keep shooting it. We have ultimate confidence in him."

To advance, the Grizzlies must hold serve at home and then knock off the Spurs in San Antonio on Saturday for the first time since December 2014.

"We're not going to back away from this," Fizdale said. "The good part is that I've got a locker room full of guys that want to get back and play Game 7. Well, Game 6 (first) is obviously our Game 7."

Leonard, Mills lead Spurs by Grizzlies for 3-2 series lead

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The Spurs turned to their "grandpa" for the lift their young stars have struggled to provide in the past two games.

Manu Ginobili hit the court, literally, providing an early spark that helped carry San Antonio to a 116-103 victory over Memphis.

Kawhi Leonard had 28 points and the Spurs rebounded from two discouraging road losses to beat the Grizzlies on Tuesday night and take a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

Ginobili had 10 points, three assists and three steals in 18 minutes. It was not an overly impressive stat line, but it was how the 39-year-old played that energized San Antonio.

In what could be the final season of his storied 15-year NBA career, Ginobili threw his body to the court and drove to the basket with the fearlessness he showed as a rookie.

"You know that he's got a huge heart, and he has a huge effect on our team when he's healthy," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "And having a good night, starting out the way he did, was really a big boost."

After failing to score in the first four games, Ginobili had six points in 33 seconds in the first quarter. He hit the court face-first after stealing the ball and getting tangled up with Vince Carter to preserve a lead at halftime.

"He brought that grandpa juice is what I call it and we all followed," Patty Mills said. "We shouldn't wait for him to do that before we get into gear, but it really is inspiring when you see him dive on the ball putting his body on the line. Hard drives, hard cuts, it gets us all going."

With each team winning on its homecourt, Game 6 is Thursday night in Memphis.

"We expected it to be a long series," said Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley, who had a team-high 26 points. "Every game, including tonight, is a Game 7 in our opinion, we're treating every game like it's the last game. We expect to come back here (Saturday for Game 7). That's our mindset."

Marc Gasol added 17 points for Memphis, which has lost nine straight postseason games in San Antonio.

Tony Parker added 16 points and six assists and LaMarcus Aldridge had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs.

Ginobili's play was especially inspiring to his best friend on the team, Mills, who scored a postseason-high 20 points on 5-for-7 shooting.

"He was incredible, he finished the game," Ginobili said. "He made four 3s in the fourth, tough ones, quick release. Sometimes you need something like that from somebody. Sometimes it's going to be him, sometimes it's Kawhi, more often. It's good to have a team that deep."

The Spurs shot 14 for 28 on 3-point attempts, two off its postseason record.

"They're the same shots that we shot in the first three, four games, they just dropped tonight," Mills said. "But definitely a good feeling when you can see some go in."

San Antonio shot 53 percent from the field and Memphis shot 52 percent in a surprisingly explosive game between teams renowned for their defense.

"We were definitely sharper with our defensive execution at home," Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said. "No doubt about it. It was night and day. The mistakes, just mindless mistakes today. A lot of their baskets came off breakdowns."

James Ennis III had 11 points and Andrew Harrison added nine, as both took advantage of Leonard leaving them to help defensively during the second and third quarters.

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: Conley and Gasol are the only Memphis players to score in double figures in all four games. ... Zach Randolph had nine points and six rebounds Tuesday after averaging 17 points and 9.7 rebounds in the previous three games. Randolph was held to six points and three rebounds in Game 1. ... Tony Allen remained out with an injury to his right leg after being kicked in the calf during Memphis' regular-season finale against Dallas. ... Ennis was 4 for 9 from the field in scoring 11 points after averaging 7.0 points in the previous four games.

Spurs: San Antonio's franchise record for 3-pointers made is 16 against Miami in the 2013 NBA Finals. ... Leonard has scored in double figures in 25 straight playoff games, the longest streak in franchise history since Tim Duncan had 26 from 2011-2013. ... The Spurs have lost three straight only once this season, dropping their final three games of the regular season after clinching the second seed. They have lost two straight on four occasions, including back-to-back losses in Memphis in this series. ... Dewayne Dedmon returned after missing Game 4 due to an illness. ... Ginobili's eight points in the opening quarter are the most he scored in any quarter of a playoff game since scoring nine in the 2014 NBA Finals.

FATHER TIME

Ginobili said he has definitely felt his age this season.

"Yeah, when your try to go by somebody and you can't go by anybody, it's when you start to feel it more," he said. "Many guys my age are in pain, back problems, knee problems, I don't have any of that. I'm very lucky in that regard, I'm not playing with pain. I'm slow, you lose a lot of explosiveness, that's normal. I'm not in pain and that's one of the things that stretched my career."

NOT THIS TIME

Before the game, Fizdale made his first appearance at the podium in San Antonio since delivering a nearly 2-minute diatribe on the officiating in Game 2 on April 17. Fizdale punctuated his tirade by slamming the table, but refrained from doing so during his pre-game session Tuesday.

"No, no, no," Fizdale said, rising quickly as he chuckled. "That costs too much money."

The NBA fined Fizdale $30,000 for his tirade.

Tied at 2: Gasol lifts Grizzlies past Spurs 110-108 in OT

By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Grizzlies guard Mike Conley said he was an option to take the final shot and that the San Antonio Spurs thought so, too, on a night when he scored a franchise postseason record 35 points.

Marc Gasol laughed and insisted he didn't know his teammate was an alternative on the game-winning play. Zach Randolph backed up his All-Star center, too.

"He told me he was going to get it and go to his fadeaway, and that's what he did," Randolph said.

Gasol hit a 12-foot floater with 0.7 seconds left in overtime, and the Grizzlies beat the Spurs 110-108 on Saturday night to even up their Western Conference first-round series at 2-2.

The Grizzlies won despite blowing a 10-point lead with 7:38 left in regulation and franchise postseason-high 23 turnovers that San Antonio turned into 31 points.

Gasol finished with 16 points after shooting 5 of 12 for the game. He also had 12 rebounds.

The Grizzlies overcame another postseason personal best from Kawhi Leonard, who had 43 points. He rallied the Spurs by scoring the last 16 points of regulation, but missed a 21-footer short of the rim with James Ennis defending him just before the buzzer ending regulation. Leonard also tied it at 108 with 17 seconds left in overtime with a 3 from the left corner.

"That was great game," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Both teams played their hearts out. Just a fantastic basketball game. The fans got their money's worth tonight for sure. At the end, Marc made a great shot. L.A. (LaMarcus Aldridge) contested it very, very well, and it went down."

Game 5 is Tuesday night in San Antonio.

Conley also had eight assists and nine rebounds. Randolph added 12 points and 11 rebounds, but was 4 of 12 from the field.

Tony Parker scored 22 points after being shut out in Game 3, and Aldridge finished with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

The Spurs made all 17 of their free throws, a tremendous improvement from Game 3 when they were 16 of 28 from the line. Unlike Game 2, Memphis also got to the line more than San Antonio and was 22 of 24.

Leonard finished with 24 points combined in the fourth quarter and overtime in a thrilling game that also featured six lead changes and seven ties in the fourth quarter and overtime. Conley said it was scary watching the two-time Defensive Player of the Year and MVP candidate this season shooting away.

"He's unbelievable," Conley said. "It got to a point where you just knew if he got a shot off it was going in."

Memphis coach David Fizdale was pretty impressed with his own guard who got a five-year, $153 million contract last summer in what was the richest deal in the NBA at that point.

"I don't think we will be having a discussion about how much money he is worth," Fizdale said. "I don't want to hear about it at least. The guy's a superstar."

In overtime, the Spurs led 102-100 when Parker intercepted a pass by Conley and pushed the ball up-court. But rookie Andrew Harrison raced down to block Mills' shot, and Gasol was fouled when he scored inside to tie it up. His free throw with 1:32 left put the Grizzlies up 103-102, then Conley hit a floater with 47.3 seconds left.

With Ennis defending Leonard, the MVP candidate committed a turnover when he lost the ball out of bounds with 43.7 seconds left. But Leonard's final 3 tied it up one last time before Gasol's big bucket.

"They were able to counter Kawhi going off and making incredible shots," Spurs forward Pau Gasol said. "So you've got to give them credit. You've got to regroup and get ready for Game 5."

TIP-INS

Spurs: Danny Green finished with five points on 2-of-9 shooting. Manu Ginobili was 0 of 5 himself and finished without a point. Ginobili is 0 of 15 from the floor in this series.

Grizzlies: Vince Carter became the first 40-year-old to make three or more 3-pointers in a playoff game. He hit three in the first half and finished 3 of 5 outside the arc. ... Randolph previously had the franchise record scoring 34 points in the postseason twice.

LEONARD'S STREAK

When Leonard hit a free throw with 1:20 left in the second quarter for 10 points, that marked his 24th straight playoff game in double figures. That ties him with Tim Duncan for the second-longest stretch in franchise history behind only Parker's streak of 25 straight such games between May 17, 2012 and June 9, 2013.

GAME 4

The Spurs now are 16-16 in Game 4s after being up 2-1 in a series, including losing seven of their last eight such games. The Grizzlies snapped a five-game skid themselves in Game 4s. This was their first win in a Game 4 since May 13, 2013, over Oklahoma City.

HE SAID IT

Fizdale: "I know we're a seventh seed, but we feel like we beat the best teams in the West and that we can at least compete with the best, so our guys have a lot of confidence that way."

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This story has been updated to note Memphis' 23 turnovers were a franchise worst in the postseason.

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Grizzlies seek to even series with Spurs

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The Memphis Grizzlies fed off the choice words of their coach and a fired-up home crowd to get their first series win. Now things get tougher.

"It gets harder and harder as you go along, so, yes, Game 4 will be our toughest game we've played this year," Memphis veteran Vince Carter said after Friday's practice, as the Grizzlies prepare for Saturday's game with the San Antonio Spurs at FedEx Forum in Memphis.

Although the Spurs had more attempts (28, to Memphis' 20) from the free throw line in Game 3 on Thursday, two days after an anti-officials tirade from Grizzlies coach David Fizdale, Memphis was able to limit San Antonio star Kawhi Leonard and beat the Spurs 105-94. San Antonio leads the series 2-1.

Fizdale struck a different tone in Thursday's postgame press conference.

"I ain't going down the road, man," Fizdale said when asked about the continued disparity in foul shots. "I'm begging for my players to pay fines I don't think that's a good look, to keep going down that road.

"A lot of that was to put pressure on our team to step up."

On Thursday, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich applied his own pressure to the Spurs.

Less than a minute into the second half, with San Antonio trailing by nine, Popovich pulled all five of his starters.

"We turned it over twice to start the minute like we were out on a picnic someplace," Popovich said in his postgame news conference. "I don't know. Those two turnovers, and then the mistake defensively where Marc (Gasol) got the three-pointer at the top, and all of a sudden, it was a nine-point game.

"I thought at that point, we lost a little bit of composure and a little bit of confidence, and the rest ensued."

Leonard, who scored 69 points in the first two games, and was limited to 18 on Thursday, got his coach's message.

"He was just disappointed in the last couple plays," Leonard said. "So, I guess he thought that we all should come out of the game at that time and see if that second unit had more energy."

Leonard was 4-for-4 from the line after making all 19 of his free throw attempts in Game 2.

Prior to Thursday, Fizdale had wondered if Leonard was even human.

"He was standing next to me the other night and, he wasn't breathing. He wasn't breathing," Fizdale told The Sporting News prior to Game 3. "So, I'm going to check the rulebook and find out if robots are allowed to play in the NBA 'cause somehow Pop and them have figured (it) out. They know something I don't know. I think he bleeds antifreeze or something."

In the first three games, Leonard is shooting 67 percent from the field and 32 of 32 from the line.

To even the series at 2-2, Memphis will need big contributions again from the trio of point guard Mike Conley, center Marc Gasol and power forward Zach Randolph, who accounted for 66 of the Grizzlies points on Thursday.

The series returns to San Antonio on Tuesday for Game 5.

Grizzlies pull within 2-1 of Spurs with 105-94 win

By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Memphis coach David Fizdale set the tone with his memorable rant about the officiating in Game 2, which led to a $30,000 fine by the NBA.

Then the Grizzlies matched his intensity on the court.

Mike Conley had 24 points and eight assists, helping the Grizzlies snap a 10-game postseason skid against the San Antonio Spurs with a 105-94 victory Thursday night.

Faced with the possibility of a daunting 3-0 deficit in its first-round playoff series, Memphis responded with a physical, rugged effort.

"I mean the Spurs were punking us. Let's be real about it," Fizdale said. "Those first, probably out of the eight quarters, they just bullied us for like five and a half of those, and you're not going to beat the Spurs letting them dictate everything. So we had to match them, or otherwise we were going to get pummeled. And so I was just really proud of the way we stepped up and took the challenge."

It was the Grizzlies' first win over the Spurs in the playoffs since April 2011, when Memphis beat San Antonio in six games. It also was Fizdale's first postseason victory as a head coach.

Game 4 is Saturday night.

"It wasn't about the last two playoff series we've had against them," Conley said. "It was about tonight and showing that we have heart and showing that we have enough in the tank to show that we can win and give ourselves confidence and allow us to believe that we can make this a series."

Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph each scored 21 points for Memphis, which outscored San Antonio 31-17 in the third quarter and led by as much as 22 in the second half.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the game got away from San Antonio in the first minute of the third quarter.

"We turned it over twice to start the minute like we were out on a picnic some place," Popovich said.

San Antonio star Kawhi Leonard, who scored 32 and 37 in the first two games, was held to 18 points. LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 and Kyle Anderson finished with 15 as Popovich pulled his starters quickly in the third quarter and benched them for most of the fourth.

"He wants us to understand what's going on on the floor and how important the opportunity is for us," Leonard said.

Memphis fans roared when Fizdale came onto the court before the game following his rant. And they stayed on their feet much of the night, funneling their frustration into yelling for the Grizzlies and against the officials.

The Spurs once again had a big edge at the line in the first half (10 of 15) compared to the Grizzlies, who took only four free throws the entire first half. The crew of James Capers, Courtney Kirkland and Pat Fraher whistled the Spurs for only one foul in the second quarter - with 10.9 seconds left.

But Randolph scored 11 points in the second quarter, and the Grizzlies carried a 50-46 lead into halftime. Then they really took control, opening the third by hitting 10 of their first 14 shots. They also played much better defense, harassing the Spurs into missing 11 of their first 17 in the quarter.

TIP-INS

Spurs: Manu Ginobili became the first second-round draft pick to play 200 career playoff games. ... The Spurs shot an NBA-best 87.7 percent at the free-throw line through the first two playoff games. They finished 16 of 28 (57.1 percent).

Grizzlies: Fizdale stuck with the lineup that worked in the second half of Game 2 when Memphis outscored San Antonio 45-40 despite losing. That led to another start for Randolph and James Ennis. It was just the sixth start for Randolph, who had 19 double-doubles off the bench during the regular season.

BALL SECURITY

The Grizzlies took very good care of the ball, with only two turnovers through three quarters. The Spurs didn't score off either of those, and Memphis finished with five. San Antonio turned it over 12 times, and Memphis converted those into 13 points.

PARKER SHUT DOWN

San Antonio guard Tony Parker was held scoreless on four shots. He also had a turnover in just under 19 minutes. He averaged 15 points through the first two games.

Memphis coach Fizdale blasts 'unprofessional' officiating

Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Memphis coach David Fizdale blasted the officiating in Game 2 of the Grizzlies’ first-round series against the Spurs, deeming it ”unprofessional” and ”unacceptable” before slamming his fist on a table and storming off.

San Antonio held off a late rally to beat Memphis 96-82 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round matchup.

Fizdale said the veteran crew of Danny Crawford, Rodney Mott and Bill Spooner ”did not even give us a chance” to even the series. After initially saying he needed to ”have a glass of wine on the plane” to analyze what happened, Fizdale unleashed a nearly two-minute tirade during a postgame interview that grew increasingly louder.

”It was a very poorly officiated basketball game,” Fizdale said. ”Zach Randolph, the most rugged guy in the game, has zero free throws, but somehow Kawhi Leonard had 19 free throws?”

Leonard had a postseason career-high 37 points and made all 19 free-throw attempts. The Grizzlies took 15 free throws as a team against San Antonio’s 32 even though Memphis attempted 35 shots in the paint, 17 more than the Spurs.

”I’m not a numbers guy, but that doesn’t seem to add up,” Fizdale said.

Adding to Fizdale’s consternation was the fact that Memphis rallied from a 26-point deficit in the second half and had an opportunity to win after a 29-point blowout in Game 1.

The Grizzlies closed within 75-71 early in the fourth quarter, but San Antonio responded with 3-pointers by Tony Parker and Pau Gasol in rebuilding their double-digit lead.

Leonard shot all four of the Spurs free throws in the final quarter while the Grizzlies were limited to one on a three-point play by Marc Gasol.

”I felt like I got fouled the times that I went to the line,” Leonard said. ”Memphis is a physical team throwing a lot of bodies at me. I guess I did something and the refs were paying attention and I was able to get to the line.”

The trio of Crawford, Spooner and Mott have officiated more than 400 playoff games over careers that span more than two decades for each, but Fizdale was irate with their performance.

Fizdale wasn’t sure if his status as a first-year coach or his team’s decorum had anything to do with the lopsided numbers, but he wasn’t happy with the result.

”Kawhi shot more free throws than our whole team, explain it to me,” Fizdale said. ”We don’t get the respect that these guys deserve because Mike Conley doesn’t go crazy, he has class and he just plays the game. But I’m not going to let them treat us that way. I know (San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has) got pedigree and I’m a young rookie, but they are not going to rook us.

”That’s unacceptable, that was unprofessional. My guys dug in that game and earned the right to be in that game and they did not even give us a chance.”

Game 3 is Thursday night in Memphis.

Leonard's 37 points lead Spurs by Grizzlies 96-82

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The Spurs responded to another late-game meltdown as they have all season: relying on a little 3-point shooting and a whole lot of Kawhi Leonard.

They also got an assist from the officials, according to Memphis coach David Fizdale.

Leonard had a postseason career-high 37 points and added 11 rebounds, and San Antonio beat the Memphis Grizzlies 96-82 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Memphis.

San Antonio led for all but 13 seconds in winning its 10th consecutive postseason game over Memphis.

"This team has character, besides the talent and the desire to win," Spurs center Pau Gasol said. "We have to keep that up every single night. We responded well when they made their run, and that's the mindset we have to have every night."

Leonard finished 9 for 14 from the field and was 19 for 19 on free throws.

Leonard attempted more free throws than Memphis had as a team, which infuriated Fizdale.

"We don't get the respect that these guys deserve because Mike Conley doesn't go crazy, he has class and he just plays the game," Fizdale said. "But I'm not going to let them treat us that way. I know (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has) got pedigree and I'm a young rookie, but they are not going to rook us. That's unacceptable, that was unprofessional. My guys dug in that game and earned the right to be in that game, and they did not even give us a chance."

Memphis closed within 75-71 early in the fourth quarter, but San Antonio responded with 3-pointers by Parker and Pau Gasol in rebuilding their double-digit lead.

The Grizzlies forced seven turnovers while outscoring the Spurs 34-19 in the opening 16 minutes of the second half. Conley, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph accounted for 21 points.

Conley finished with 24 points, Randolph had 18 points and Marc Gasol added 12 points for the Grizzlies.

Tony Parker added 15 points for the Spurs, who had three others score in double figures.

San Antonio had a better start than in Game 1. Leonard made sure of that.

Leonard opened the game by making his first three shots and four free throws as the Spurs built a 13-point lead, the same deficit they faced in the opening period Saturday.

Unlike Game 1, there was no coming back from that deficit for Memphis.

San Antonio had a 26-point lead in the first half on the strength of its outside shooting. The Spurs only had 12 points in the paint, but got two 3-pointers from Parker and Danny Green, in building a 26-point lead in the first half.

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: Memphis was 2-0 at home against San Antonio in the regular season, winning by an 11-point average. ... Vince Carter was assessed a technical foul in the first half after attempting to head-butt Kyle Anderson. Carter was upset he nearly fell on the opposite end of the court, believing Anderson had pushed him from behind. ... Randolph had his 21st double-double this season and his first of this postseason after being limited to six points and three rebounds in Game 1.

Spurs: LaMarcus Aldridge has scored in double figures in each of his 12 playoff games with the Spurs. He became the fifth player since 2006 to score 1,000 points in his first 46 playoff games, joining Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. ... Danny Green has 162 3-pointers in the postseason, passing Bruce Bowen (161) for second in franchise history behind Manu Ginobili's 309. ... Popovich has 160 postseason victories, which is third in league history behind Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171).

PATIENTLY WAITING

Memphis forward Tony Allen remains out with a right calf injury, and Fizdale is still unsure if Allen will return in the opening round.

"I just take it game by game," Fizdale said. "Honestly, I don't want to get too far ahead, get too up or too down when it comes to that situation. I'm just hoping for the best."

Grizzlies need major improvement vs. Spurs in Game 2

Stats, LLC

SAN ANTONIO – Things are going to have to change quickly if the Memphis Grizzlies hope to steal home-court advantage away from the San Antonio Spurs in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round playoff series that continues Monday at the AT&T Center.

The Spurs took the opening game of the series on Saturday, riding a 19-0 surge over a five-minute span bridging the third and fourth quarters to turn a tight contest into a 111-82 rout.

San Antonio led 74-64 with 1:53 to play in the third quarter but closed the quarter on a 10-0 run and added the first nine points of the fourth quarter to build a 93-64 advantage. During that stretch, Memphis missed nine consecutive shots and committed three turnovers.

"The best part was the team keeping its composure, not going off in different directions and just trying to do what he planned execution-wise on both ends of the floor," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "I thought we got better as the game went on."

Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs with a career-playoff-high-tying 32 points, 15 of which came in the third quarter when he matched the Grizzlies' entire offensive output.

"We are on our home floor and we went down early, but we stayed in it," Leonard said when asking about the Spurs' comeback from 13 points down in the first quarter. "We got physical and got some stops and got rolling from there."

The Spurs rested their starters for the entire fourth quarter, which could be a huge advantage in a series that is expected to be a physical one between grind-it-out teams.

Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 32 points, 25 of which came in the first half when he outscored the rest of his teammates combined by a point. Gasol said the Spurs defended better as a team, especially in the paint, in the second half.

"We know they are good at that, and we wanted to try to attack them one-on-one," Gasol said. "They plugged the paint, and we've got to be a little more disciplined with our spacing and hold our spots so we have outlets when we drive. We've got to be a little more conscious when we drive to be patient and kick it and make them work so we get multiple passes in every possession."

And once things went south for the Grizzlies, they never found their usual ability to stem the negative flow. Memphis scored just 33 points in the second half and missed 9 of its 10 3-point attempts after halftime.

"(San Antonio) just got after us -- they upped their pressure," Memphis coach David Fizdale said. "We went over it (in game planning), we expected it, but we didn't respond well to it. Give the Spurs credit; they really turned the game around defensively against us. They forced us into some tough situations in that third quarter and broke the game open."

Mike Conley added 13 points for Memphis but didn't score after the eight-minute mark of the second quarter.

"We have to get Mike (Conley) going," Fizdale said. "Without Mike having a big series, this won't be much of a series; we understand that."

Memphis was affected by the absence of defensive ball hawk Tony Allen, who missed Game 1 with a right calf injury and is not expected to play on Monday. San Antonio reported a clean injury sheet on Sunday afternoon.

Games 3 and 4 of the series will be Thursday and Saturday in Memphis, respectively.

Leonard has 32 points, Spurs rout Grizzlies 111-82 in Game 1

By RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Playing the Memphis Grizzlies in the postseason keeps bringing out the best in the San Antonio Spurs.

Kawhi Leonard matched his postseason high with 32 points and San Antonio rolled to a 111-82 victory over Memphis on Saturday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.

"That's what star players do," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said about Leonard. "It's the playoffs, he stepped up. He made a lot of great plays for us. He's a very determined individual. He's just beginning to come into his own and realizing the effect he has on a game on both ends of the court."

Game 2 is Monday night in San Antonio.

Memphis was outscored by 34 points over the final three quarters in dropping its ninth straight postseason game to San Antonio.

"It got ugly quick," Memphis coach David Fizdale said. "They just got after us, they really got after us. They upped their pressure."

Marc Gasol had 32 points, but only seven in the second half as the Grizzlies fell behind by as many as 36 points. Memphis point guard Mike Conley finished with 13 points, but did not score after making a layup with 8:40 remaining in the second quarter.

San Antonio guard Danny Green had only two points, but blocked four shots and had a steal while primarily defending Conley.

"It wasn't just me," Green said. "Patty (Mills) did a great job on him (and so did) Kawhi, Tony (Parker). We had different spurts on him, threw different looks at him. Try to wear him down a little bit. We have a lot of good defenders around here."

The Grizzlies made their first five shots and first four 3-pointers in racing to an 18-7 lead. Gasol hit a turnaround jumper and 3-pointer on Dewayne Dedmon to open the game.

"We started to jump into the ball-handler," Leonard said. "We tried to get an extra body on Marc Gasol, he got going, as well as Conley. Just trying not to make it easy for those guys. They are great players and they can win a game."

San Antonio would not take its first lead until there was 8:53 remaining in the second quarter, but raced to victory once it did.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points and Parker added 18, but it was Leonard who sparked the blowout win.

"Kawhi is our main guy," Parker. "He's been playing great this year, MVP level. He's been aggressive every game. If we want to go anywhere in the playoffs, he's going to have to perform at that level every game."

Memphis was without defensive lynchpin Tony Allen. He's out indefinitely with a calf injury, and Leonard took advantage for his fourth career playoff game of 30-plus points.

"Obviously, we wanted to win a game," Leonard said. "We are on our home floor and we went down early, but we stayed in it."

After falling behind 28-15 with two minutes left in the first quarter, the Spurs outscored the Grizzlies by 42 points over the next two quarter, including a 19-0 run to bring the third and fourth periods.

Amid chants of "MVP! MVP!" Leonard scored 15 points in the third quarter as the Spurs built a 20-point lead. His pull-up jumper off an isolation against James Ennis III gave San Antonio an 84-64 lead to close the third, erasing a 13-point deficit in the first half.

Leonard was 4 for 5 from the field in the third quarter and made all seven of his free throws in the third.

The Spurs were able to sit all their starters but Dedmon in the fourth quarter as their lead ballooned to as many as 36 points.

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: Allen is out indefinitely with a strained right calf. The 13-year veteran suffered the injury when he was kicked in the calf during the first quarter of Memphis' regular-season finale against Dallas. ... The Grizzlies last postseason victory over the Spurs was a 99-91 victory April 29, 2011. The victory knocked the then top-seeded San Antonio out in six games in the opening round. ... Gasol's previous high against the Spurs was 28 points in a 107-101 loss on Dec. 15, 2014. ... Vince Carter has played in 83 career postseason games over 11 seasons, starting 61 times. He has played in four games or less in four of those postseasons.

Spurs: San Antonio is 15-4 against Memphis in the postseason. ... Manu Ginobili suffered a small cut under his left eye late in the first half that forced him to the locker room, but he returned for the second half. ... The Spurs have opened the postseason on the road just twice in 15 years since moving into the AT&T Center in 2003. ... Ginobili has 309 3-pointers in his postseason career, third behind Ray Allen (385) and Reggie Miller (320) in league history.

MISSING ALLEN

Memphis has to accept Allen is not expected to play against San Antonio, Fizdale said.

"We can't worry about that no more," Fizdale said. "We've just got to do a better job of obviously taking the challenge one on one. I didn't think we shrunk the floor well against them. I didn't think we got the ball synch to the pick and roll coverage when we called the coverage."

PRIME PARKER

Parker had 18 points in 22 minutes after averaging 10.1 points in the regular season.

The 16-year veteran only had two assists, but no turnovers in leading the Spurs to a decisive victory.

"Him being aggressive, knocking down shots, and penetrating, getting the defense to get an extra guy to go to him is big for us," Leonard said. "Not just for me, but for everybody. It gets us open shots."