Two days after the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the San Antonio Spurs, the two squads will meet again at 9:00 AM on NBA TV Philippines, available on Smart LiveStream and Cignal TV.
What happened in their last meeting?
The Grizzlies defeated the Spurs, 121-113, thanks to a superb 24-point performance from backup guard Tyus Jones, filling in for Ja Morant, who was nursing an injured right thigh.
Despite the absence of the Memphis superstar, several Grizzlies stepped up to extend their winning streak to seven games and improve to 27-13 overall. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 16 points, six rebounds, and five blocks while fellow big man Steven Adams had a double-double of 13 points and 15 boards. Meanwhile, Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane chipped in with 15 points apiece.
As Jones led the way for the Grizzlies, it was his young brother Tre Jones, who spearheaded the scoring for the Spurs with 18 points to go along with seven assists. Josh Richardson added 16 points in a losing effort.
The Grizzlies had control of most of the contest before a late surge put the Spurs back in the game. San Antonio even held a brief five-point lead in the final frame before the home team restored order and reestablished their authority. A key defensive stop led to a Bane triple to make it 116-109 with less than five minutes left. From then on, the Grizzlies never relinquished the lead.
What’s in store for tomorrow’s matchup?
Morant is expected to be back for the Grizzlies as they hope to stretch their streak to eight wins. He is on pace for another All-Star season with averages of 27.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.1 steals. The uber-athletic guard remains one of the hottest tickets in the league with his daredevil drives and gravity-defying leaps.
The Spurs, meanwhile, continue to search for wins as they hold a 13-28 record. They’ve lost five of their last six games, winning only against the Pistons in a struggling stretch. Keita Bates-Diop (right ankle sprain) and Keldon Johnson (hamstring) are both listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game while Devin Vassell continues to be out with an injured knee.
But don’t be fooled by San Antonio’s poor record. The Spurs are a feisty team that can cause problems for the Grizzlies as exhibited by their fightback in the last game plus their close overtime loss back in November. In that early season matchup, Morant and Bane had to score 32 points each to put away the Spurs. A crazy ending led to Vassell’s 3-pointer that just missed as time expired.
