Spurs 112, Grizzlies 92
Kawhi Leonard matched his career high with 26 points on 12-of-13 shooting as host San Antonio defeated Memphis for its 20th win in 21 games.
Manu Ginobili also scored 26 points and made four 3-pointers and Tim Duncan added 13 points as the Spurs moved 4 1/2 games ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference race with five games remaining. Tony Parker scored 10 points in nine minutes before leaving with back spasms as San Antonio (60-17) reached the 60-victory mark for the fifth time in franchise history.
James Johnson scored a season-high 20 points off the bench for Memphis, which slipped into ninth place in the West and is one game behind eighth-place Phoenix for the final playoff spot. Mike Conley added 18 points as the Grizzlies lost for the 16th time in their last 17 regular-season visits to San Antonio.
The Spurs led by 24 after Danny Green’s 3-pointer with 7:16 left in the third quarter but Memphis trimmed the margin to 81-67 heading into the final stanza. The Grizzlies trailed by 13 with under 7 1/2 minutes to go before Leonard scored five straight points and both teams soon cleared the benches.
San Antonio held Memphis to 5-of-22 shooting in the first quarter while taking a 26-10 advantage. The Grizzlies cut their deficit to six on Zach Randolph’s basket with 3:19 left in the second before San Antonio closed with a 12-2 burst for a 54-38 halftime lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Parker landed hard on his back with 7:38 left in the opening quarter and departed the contest with 2:41 remaining and is slated to undergo an MRI exam on Monday. … Randolph had just eight points and Memphis C Marc Gasol scored only six. … Leonard also scored 26 points against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 11, 2013.