San Antonio Spurs fight elimination by beating Memphis Grizzlies 110-103: NBA Playoffs
Manu Ginobili shot 10-of-18 from the field and scored a game high 33 points as the Spurs held on tight and defeated the Grizzlies at AT&T Center, 110-103 on April 27, 2011. The Grizzlies were leading the Spurs until Gary Neal’s three-pointer pushed the game
into overtime. The Spurs took a 7-0 run in the final moments of the game that resulted in a win at home and the series is now 2-3 with the Grizzlies leading by one game.
Before the game, the Spurs stared into a big gap in the series and were 1-3 against a team that was on the brink of throwing them out in the very first round.
Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies with 26 points, 11 rebounds and the player also dished out six assists in the loss. Mike Conley contributed 20 points, grabbed five rebounds to go along with five assists in 42 plus minutes. Sam Young contributed 18 points
to his team’s box score. Marc Gasol added 11 points and grabbed game high 17 boards for the losing team.
The Spurs who are still in danger of being eliminated from the first round of the Playoffs received 24 points and game high nine assists from Tony Parker. Parker chipped in six of his 24 points in the extra frame as the top seeded San Antonio avoided being
dropped by the eighth seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
Tim Duncan who could only score six points on his 35th birthday overcame the slump to clinch 13 points and 12 rebounds in 40 minutes of action.
The Spurs outscored the Grizzlies in the first half, 50-42. It was late in the third quarter that Memphis chipped in a few shots that bridged the gap and pulled the scores closer. San Antonio played energetically, leaving behind the horror that came in form
of Monday’s Game 4 loss to the Grizzlies, 104-86.
Duncan started the game by clinching four points on back to back possessions. Overcoming the previous disappointment, the player added 11 of his 13 points in the opening frame of the game. The Spurs jumped into the second quarter with a six point lead over
the opposition, 20-14. After another scoring frenzy the suddenly tenacious Grizzlies gave them an eight point edge before halftime.
Young’s three-pointer earned the Grizzlies a one point lead. This helped them move on to build a five point lead over the opposition, 68-63, with just one minute remaining until the third quarter to finish. Grizzlies held on tight to the lead and did not
let go of it until Neal’s game tying three proved fatal for them.
Memphis hosts Game 6 on Friday night.
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