Spurs bounce Grizzlies from playoffs for 2nd year in a row
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, and the San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 103-96 Thursday night to take the series 4-2.
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.
Tony Parker added 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Patty Mills had 10 points off the bench for the Spurs. San Antonio outrebounded Memphis 46-28, with 16 of those offensive boards. That led to 17 second-chance points.
Their 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, Zach Randolph 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Vince Carter had 12 points.
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.
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 three at the end of the quarter for his first bucket of the game. Conley hit another three 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 threes (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 four-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.