Spurs at Grizzlies
THE STORY: A last-second heave from beyond the arc has given San Antonio life. The Spurs hope to extend their postseason stay at least one more game as they face the host Memphis Grizzlies Friday in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round series. San Antonio escaped the clutches of elimination with a 110-103 win in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The Spurs will need two more victories just like it to advance to the second round.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN.
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Memphis looked downright deflated after Gary Neal's 3-pointer at the buzzer forced overtime in Game 5. The Grizzlies couldn't match the Spurs shot-for-shot in overtime, and eventually lost by seven points to the top-seeded team in the West. Zach Randolph had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and put Memphis in position to win by hitting an 18-footer as the shot clock expired to give the Grizzlies a three-point edge late. All is not lost for Memphis, which still has two chances to win the best-of-seven and become just the second No. 8 seed to knock off a No. 1 team in the opening round. The Grizzlies have won their last four home games against the Spurs, including two in this series.
ABOUT THE SPURS: Neal is the toast of San Antonio, at least for the next two days. His long 3-pointer from the top of the arc sent the home crowd into a tizzy, and the Spurs rode that momentum to a dominant performance down the stretch in the extra session. Manu Ginobili had 33 points to lead the Spurs, while Tony Parker added 24 points and nine assists just two nights after a one-assist, seven-turnover performance in Game 4. The key to extending the series to a seventh game will be San Antonio's ability to excel on the road. Monday's Game 4 defeat was one of the worst of the season for the Spurs, who have lost eight of their last nine games away from San Antonio dating back to late-March.
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Ginobili had one of his most complete games of the campaign Wednesday, adding six rebounds, six assists and four steals. Grizzlies C Marc Gasol had 17 rebounds for the second time in the series, but his 5-of-14 shooting performance ultimately tipped the scales in favor of the Spurs.
KEY STATISTIC: 39:47 - Spurs forward Tim Duncan's playing time in Game 4, a season high for the aging big man. How he bounces back on just one day of rest could determine whether San Antonio can steal a win in Tennessee.
LAST WORD: "We needed 48 minutes. We didn’t need 47 minutes and 59, 58 seconds and three-tenths. We needed the full 48 to get it done." - Grizzlies forward Shane Battier.