O.J. Mayo took over down the stretch for the Memphis Grizzlies late in Monday's game against San Antonio, but it wasn't enough to lead the Grizzlies to victory as they fell 94-81.
Mayo scored 23 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, including his own 7-0 run in the fourth quarter, but the Grizzlies' deficit was too great to overcome.
The Grizzlies (4-10) played their best third quarter of the season for the first four minutes of the period but could never take the lead, although they remained within five points of the Spurs. Inconsistent shooting and a good San Antonio defense kept them from putting together a good run, although they had plenty of chances. They got to within a point of the Spurs on a jumper by Mayo with 9:15 remaining in the quarter, but they couldn't find the go-ahead basket.
Mayo's 23-point half was his third 20+ half of the season.
The Spurs (7-6) finally blew the game open late in the third, thanks to the perimeter shooting of Roger Mason, Jr., who hit a pair of 3's to stretch the lead to 16. The Spurs closed the quarter with a 16-4 run to take control of the game. The win put their record above .500 for the first time this season.
The game was a matchup of two great defenses, and it didn't disappoint. The difference was San Antonio's experience and the fact that they had better weapons than the Grizzlies did. They were able to find their shooting when they needed it in the second half. Tim Duncan had a good night, but not a great one for the Spurs. What made the difference was the play of their bench. Little-known George Hill scored a team-high 20 points off the bench for the Spurs, while Mason finished with 18. Duncan totaled 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Darko Milicic got his second start of the season in place of Darrell Arthur in an effort to match San Antonio's large lineup. The move turned out to be a huge success as Darko played easily his best game of the season. He finished with season-highs in points and rebounds, with 11 of each. He also had two steals and two blocks while helping to contain Duncan. Four Grizzlies finished in double figures as Rudy Gay finished with 13 points and Marc Gasol added 10.
The Grizzlies will travel to Utah to take on the Jazz at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Keywords: Darko Milicic, Memphis Grizzlies, O.J. Mayo, San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan
