Recap: Memphis vs. San Antonio
Sports Network | November 24, 2008
Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Manu Ginobili scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in his first action of the season, as San Antonio jumped out to a big lead and then staved off Memphis for a 94-81 victory to move above .500 for the first time this season.
The Spurs' leading scorer last season with a 19.5 average, Ginobili missed the preseason and the first 12 games of the season after recovering from offseason surgery on his left ankle. The 6-foot-6 Argentinian was hurt during his country's semifinal loss to the United States at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
"You appreciate getting 12 points in 11 minutes," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich of Ginobili. "It was a great contribution. He looked as good as he's looked in the past couple practices. I didn't want to play him too much, but I was really pleased that he got his rhythm back so quickly."
George Hill chipped in 20 points, and Roger Mason had 18 for the Spurs, who have won two in a row and five of six overall. Tim Duncan ended with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
O.J. Mayo had a game-high 26 points in defeat for the Grizzlies, who have lost three straight and seven of eight overall. Rudy Gay gave 13 points and 10 boards, and Darko Milicic had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
"I thought it was a good battle until they opened it up in the third quarter," said Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni. "We were in the game, and we played well. Obviously, the third quarter is our problem. It continues to be a problem."
The Spurs were up 22-17 after the first quarter, and still held the five-point lead, 41-36, at the intermission.
The teams played even through much of the third quarter, but the visitors used a late 17-4 run to pull away.
Three straight Marc Gasol points pulled the Grizzlies within 52-49 with 4:31 showing on the clock. Ginobili had six points for San Antonio to start the run, and Mason eventually closed it out with a three-pointer to give the Spurs a 69-53 lead with just a tad under 30 seconds left in the third.
Memphis trailed 72-55 heading into the final 12 minutes.
San Antonio led by as many as 22 points in the fourth frame, but a 15-4 run brought Memphis within 88-77 with 2:57 left in the game.
However, the Grizzlies were unable to get any closer down the stretch, and the Spurs took the victory.
The Spurs had 20 assists on 34 field goals, while the Grizzlies had 10 assists on 30 shots made...The Grizzlies have lost four of five and 11 of their last 13 meetings against San Antonio...The Grizzlies are 3-4 at FedEx Forum this season while the Spurs are 4-2 as the visitor on the year.
