The Spurs came out to a 33-21 advantage after quarter one, then kept up momentum, only to lose the lead as time ticked down in the 3rd Quarter. Fred VanVleet went off at that point, finishing with 25 points, 10 assists on 7 threes. Memphis had vaporized a 23-PT lead and seized a 1-PT statement, only for it to slip away. San Antonio's lead grew back to double-digits as the Grizzlies realized it was folly to fight the bombardment from long range by the Spurs, who seemed destined for the NBA Finals yet again.
The Spurs had only six turnovers, led by Buddy Hield's 32 points, who hit the dagger in the 4th Quarter as San Antonio pulled its starters. Hield splashed in a deadly 10 three-pointers. Dejounte Murray had 19 points & 10 assists, hitting a statement slam late in the 4th. Brandon Ingram had 18 points, with Kevin Love's 15 points off the bench. Trey Burke had 15 points, hitting 5 from long range.
Against his old team, Brandon Clarke had 12 rebounds. Drummond had 9 with 2 blocks.
In defeat, Ja Morant had 35 points with 12 assists, hitting six threes. Jarren Jackson, Jr finally had a big-time game, albeit too late, with 28 points & 12 rebounds. Kyle Anderson chipped in 14 points. Steven Adams had 12 rebounds. In the victory, the Spurs topped their previous mark in Game 2, this time connecting on a team-record 30 shots from 3PT distance, a testament to their unrivaled firepower.
