Grizzlies 117, Spurs 116 (3OT)
Zach Randolph scored six of his 21 points in the third overtime and added 21 rebounds and Marc Gasol had 26 points and nine boards as visiting Memphis outlasted San Antonio.
The Spurs took the lead in the third extra period but Randolph scored the next six points and that was all the Grizzlies needed to snap a nine-game losing streak in the series. Mike Conley collected 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and Vince Carter (18 points) and Kosta Koufos (16) each recorded a season high off the bench for Memphis.
Danny Green buried a season-high seven 3-pointers en route to 25 points and Tim Duncan collected 23 points and 16 rebounds but struggled to 5-of-15 from the line for San Antonio. Boris Diaw added 17 points and 13 rebounds while Manu Ginobili recorded 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists off the bench but was off the mark on a 3-point attempt at the end of the third overtime.
Green gave the Spurs a 101-100 lead on a 3-pointer with 1:21 left in the first extra period and Duncan split two free throws to make it a two-point gap before a bad turnover on a long pass attempt by Ginobili gave the Grizzlies another chance, and Gasol’s putback forced a second overtime. Diaw’s 3-pointer put San Antonio in front 109-108 but Courtney Lee countered with a 3-pointer from the right side with 2.6 seconds left and Duncan rattled in a jumper at the buzzer to force a third extra period.
The Spurs took their first lead of the game on Green’s 3-pointer that made it 80-77 with 8:21 left in regulation and it went back and forth until another 3-pointer from Green gave San Antonio an 88-86 lead with one minute to play. Conley nailed a tying 3-pointer with 7.2 seconds left and Green countered from beyond the arc with 2.5 ticks remaining before Gasol heaved up a running, step-through shot from well beyond the top of the key that banked in and forced overtime.
GAME NOTEBOOK: San Antonio had not played a triple-overtime game since 1984, and Grizzlies played their first since the 2006 season opener. … Carter is averaging 17 points in the last two games after scoring in double figures once in the first 23 games. … The Spurs whittled a 23-point deficit in the second quarter down to seven at the half and fell behind by 17 points in the third before fighting back again.