Grizzlies at Spurs
The Memphis Grizzlies had to host the team with the best record in the NBA on Tuesday and don’t get much of a break the next night. The Grizzlies will endure the second night of a brutal back-to-back when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. The defending champion Spurs have dropped three of their last five games and expect to again be without Tony Parker due to a nagging hamstring injury.
San Antonio played without Parker, Manu Ginobili (back), Tiago Splitter (calf) and Tim Duncan (rest) in Monday’s 108-95 loss at Portland and lost Kawhi Leonard to a hand injury late in the contest. The Spurs expect to have at least Duncan back in the lineup Wednesday against a Memphis squad that had to battle down to the wire to snap Golden State’s 16-game winning streak in a 105-98 triumph on Tuesday. The Grizzlies have won five in a row since falling to the Spurs at home Dec. 5.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Memphis), CSN Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (20-4): Memphis got its usual strong performance from Marc Gasol with 24 points and seven boards Tuesday but also received a surprising contribution from Vince Carter off the bench. The veteran, who signed a three-year deal with the Grizzlies in the summer, posted a season-high 16 points and led a 20-0 run opening the second quarter that put Memphis in front for good. Carter had failed to reach double figures in any of the previous 14 contests but buried a season-high four 3-pointers against the Warriors in 24 minutes.
ABOUT THE SPURS (17-8): Duncan became the second-oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double when he put up 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the 107-101 victory at Memphis on Dec. 5. Parker initially suffered his hamstring injury in that contest and has missed five of the six games since, with San Antonio going 3-3 in those six contests. Cory Joseph is getting most of the playing time in Parker’s spot and is averaging 12.5 points in the last six.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Spurs have taken nine straight in the series, including a four-game sweep in the 2013 playoffs.
2. San Antonio rookie SF Kyle Anderson scored a season-high 15 points Monday and could be in line to absorb some of Leonard’s minutes.
3. Memphis F Zach Randolph, who was held to 10 points and eight rebounds in the first meeting, has posted a double-double in four straight games.