Spurs lose rare 2 games in a row

Published Mar. 19, 2017 12:19 a.m. ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Mike Conley had 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Zach Randolph added 18 points and the Memphis Grizzlies extended their winning streak to four with a 104-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night.

Memphis held an 89-86 lead with 5:45 left, then went on a 9-1 rally to match its biggest advantage of the game at 98-87 on a three-point play by Marc Gasol with 2:30 left.

Not long afterward, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sent his reserves in.

Gasol had 16 points and seven assists for Memphis, while JaMychal Green scored 13.

Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs with 22 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 points and nine rebounds. Jonathon Simmons scored 14 as San Antonio lost its second straight.

The Spurs struggled early from outside the arc and finished 9 of 28 on 3-point attempts.

Through three quarters, the game featured six ties and 15 lead changes. Memphis held the only double-digit lead, and that was early.

The Grizzlies pushed their advantage to nine points on a couple of occasions early in the fourth, but San Antonio stayed close with 3-pointers from Simmons, Leonard and Davis Bertans.

Memphis started its final spurt with three free throws from Conley, who then made a 3 with about four minutes left.

The Grizzlies built an early 11-point lead as the Spurs struggled shooting in the opening quarter. San Antonio ran off nine straight points to tie it, and the game settled into a close one.

Memphis carried a 44-43 lead into halftime as Vince Carter had 10 points. Leonard led the Spurs with 11.

The game remained close and intense as several players questioned calls. Carter said enough to receive a technical during a sequence that helped the Spurs eventually pull even.

Memphis took a 75-73 lead into the final period.

TIP-INS

Spurs: G Tony Parker returned after missing four games with a stiff back. He finished with four points on 2-of-8 shooting. ... Dejounte Murray sat out with a left groin injury. . San Antonio missed its first nine shots from outside the arc before Patty Mills hit a 3 to open the second quarter. . San Antonio connected on its first 16 free throws before Leonard was off target in the fourth quarter, the team's only miss of the game.

Grizzlies: Memphis signed G/F Wayne Selden to fill the void left by F Chandler Parsons' left knee injury. Selden, a member of the team's training camp roster, was averaging 18.5 points per game with the Iowa Energy of the D-League. ... Memphis also called up F Deyonta Davis from Iowa before the game. . Carter played in his 1,336th regular-season game, passing Gary Payton for 14th on the career list. ... Memphis defeated San Antonio 89-74 in their first matchup this season on Feb. 6. ... Memphis had 20 assists and 10 turnovers, marking the 46th straight game in which the Grizzlies had more assists than turnovers.

BROTHERLY LOVE

The Gasol Brothers -- Marc with the Grizzlies, and Pau, who started his career with the Grizzlies and now plays for San Antonio -- faced each other for the 22nd time in a regular-season game. But they didn't square off for the opening tap as they did at the 2015 All-Star Game. Pau Gasol came off the Spurs' bench Saturday and scored eight points.

UP NEXT

Spurs: Host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Grizzlies: Start a four-game road trip Tuesday in New Orleans.