Spurs 101, Grizzlies 87
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- LaMarcus Aldridge scored 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds Monday night, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 101-87 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
Aldridge finished 11-for-16 from the floor and 9-for-11 at the foul line. He also had three assists and two blocks in 31 minutes.
The Spurs were without Kawhi Leonard (quad contusion), and they rested Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Patty Mills scored 17 points with four assists off the bench, and Kyle Anderson had 13 points, seven assists and four steals. Reserve Boris Diaw chipped in 13 points and six rebounds.
After losing their previous game at Oklahoma City, San Antonio (62-12) managed to avoid dropping consecutive games for the first time this season.
Vince Carter paced injury-depleted Memphis with 14 points off the bench. The Grizzlies (41-33) lost their third straight game while falling to 3-7 over their past 10 games. Forward JaMychal Green finished with 12 points, and Matt Barnes scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Up by eight points at halftime, the Spurs stretched the margin to 81-68 through three quarters. They led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs shot 51.4 percent from the floor and made five of 15 from 3-point range. Memphis shot 39.8 percent from the field and hit on six of 19 from long distance (31.6 percent).
San Antonio had more points in the paint, 46-36, and posted a 43-39 edge on the glass.
Aldridge topped all scorers in the first half with 17 points. After leading by as many as 16 points in the first quarter, the Spurs went into halftime with a 53-45 advantage. Carter had 11 points at the half.
The Spurs swept the season series from the Grizzlies 4-0.
NOTES: San Antonio F Kawhi Leonard again sat out with a right quad contusion, and Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker were all rested and didn't make the trip to Memphis. "It's all based on the schedule and how many minutes they've played," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Three in four nights; back-to-backs -- it doesn't matter who we're playing. We don't pick games out." ... Memphis PF Zach Randolph missed his second straight game with a right ankle sprain. ... So far, the Grizzlies have used 27 different players this season. That ties them with the 1996-97 Dallas Mavericks, who finished 24-58, for the most in league history. ... Popovich, speaking on how the Grizzlies have battled despite injuries, said: "They've been magnificent. The coaching staff deserves huge credit for keeping them together." ... The Spurs entered Monday's game leading the NBA in both FG percentage and points allowed per game.