Spurs near sweep of Grizzlies with Game 3 OT win

Sam Amick | USA TODAY Sports

MEMPHIS — They played all the right music, as Don't Stop Believin' blared through the FedEx Forum air that was still filled with faith almost until the end.

They used the right props, the yellow lint floating down from above as the "Memphis Believe" towels were swung with so much passion from the sellout crowd.

They even took the right approach for once, jumping out to a huge lead against a San Antonio Spurs team that did such a spot-on impression of the old Washington Generals early on.

But even with a city at its back in this building where they've been nearly unbeatable all season long, the "Grit and Grind" Memphis Grizzlies are likely no more after falling 104-93 to the determined Spurs in overtime of Game 3 of the Western Conference finals Saturday night. They now trail San Antonio 3-0 in the series.

As was the case in San Antonio's Game 2 overtime win, Tim Duncan took over when it counted most. With one fan yelling "Hey Duncan, why don't you retire?!" he showed yet again why there's simply no reason for the future Hall of Famer to consider hanging up those sneakers just yet. He hit a 19-foot jumper to open the extra period, followed it with a layup that turned into a three-point play, then handed the baton to the likes of Tiago Splitter and Tony Parker as the Spurs surged.

"He was huge the other night in overtime and got it done for us, and he did it again tonight," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "That's why he is considered as great as he has for the last 17 years. He's been unbelievable. He feels a responsibility to carry us in those kinds of times, and he did it again tonight. I don't know what else to say. He was fantastic."

Duncan scored seven of his 24 points in overtime, while Parker made up for his disastrous start by finishing with 26 points. The Grizzlies were led by Mike Conley's 20 points and had five players score in double figures, but they were woeful offensively yet again while shooting just 39.2% overall. While the Spurs' Big Three of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili finally played well on the same night, the Grizzles' Big Three of Conley, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph were a combined 20 of 53 from the field. Memphis hit just 10 of 18 free throws as well.

After trailing by 17 points in the first quarter, the Spurs led for the first time early in the fourth quarter when Danny Green's three-pointer put them up 67-65. There were seven lead changes from there, with Tony Allen missing a chance to finish the job by hitting just two of four free throws in the final 2:21 of play and regulation ending in an 86-86 tie. Manu Ginobili got the Spurs the extra time almost on his own, hitting a cutting layup off a Duncan pass with 1:19 left and hitting two free throws with 54 seconds left to put the Spurs up 86-85.

"One of the best wins I've witnessed being a Spur," said Ginobili, who had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. "It really looked ugly in the first quarter. They were really inspired, all over looking good. But we calmed down. We started to do what we do."

The elderly Spurs had hailed the merits of the three days of rest ever since Game 2 came to an end, and why not? Parker had a lingering calf problem that was in need of healing, Duncan is in an eternal fight with Father Time that is always easier with some time off, and the momentum that Memphis may have manufactured from their Game 2 surge — an 18-point comeback that fell short in overtime — would surely wear off by the time tipoff finally arrived.

But the rust factor apparently won out over the rest, as the Spurs — Parker, in particular — may have had their worst prolonged stretch of the entire season as they fell behind 26-9 in the first quarter. Parker, who had combined for just five turnovers in the first two games, had four during the 11 ugly minutes in which the Spurs' eight total turnovers led to 11 Grizzlies points and San Antonio missed 15 of 19 shots. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had enough when the Grizzlies went up 19-5, yanking all of his starters for a lineup of Gary Neal, Cory Joseph, Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner and Ginobili.

The 29-13 lead at the end of the first quarter left the FedEx Forum crowd ready for a Beale Street celebration, but they'd be playing the blues in due time. San Antonio cut the lead to 44-40 by halftime, as Parker and Duncan combined for 15 points in the quarter and the Spurs hit 11 of 17 shots in all.

"The first half I was grandfatherly," Popovich said. "And in the second half, I was, what word can I say? I was ugly because I wasn't going to watch it again. So maybe I helped them get through, stick together in the first half. But in the second half, they didn't need that again. They needed to get nasty and ugly and angry, and so that's what I tried to make them."

The Grizzlies will be hard-pressed to keep believing from here. This was likely their end, coming in their sanctuary of a building where they seemed to do everything right before it all went wrong.

"It's hard to explain," Grizzlies guard Tony Allen said. "It's an awful situation that we're in. We have to claw our way back into this series."