Spurs 93, Grizzlies 87
Manu Ginobili scored 17 points in his return to the lineup as the San Antonio Spurs beat the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 93-87 Wednesday to even their Western Conference quarterfinal series at a game apiece.
Ginobili, who missed Game 1 with an elbow injury, added seven rebounds, four assists and four steals for the top-seeded Spurs. Tim Duncan and Richard Jefferson had 16 points apiece and Tony Parker chipped in with 12 points and seven assists in the victory.
Sam Young's 17 points led the way for the Grizzlies, who host Game 3 on Saturday night. All five Memphis starters scored in double figures, but the bench shot just 8 for 24 on the night.
The teams played a low-scoring, back-and-forth first half with neither team up by more than five points until late in the second quarter. Randolph and Conley hit jumpers during a 7-0 run that put Memphis up by six, and the Grizzlies carried a 44-41 advantage into the break.
Consecutive Parker baskets put San Antonio back in front early in the third, and Ginobili followed with a three-point play and a dunk to highlight the Spurs' 9-0 run. The Grizzlies battled back late, with Conley's short shot with 35 seconds left cutting the deficit to one through three quarters.
The Spurs fought off several Memphis challenges throughout the fourth quarter, and extended the advantage to six points on a Jefferson 3-pointer with 3:40 remaining. The Grizzlies closed to within two on a Young 3-pointer with 14 seconds left, but George Hill hit four free throws to put things out of reach.