It was a tight one, but the Memphis Grizzlies did just enough to hang on and defeat the San Antonio Spurs, 91-88, in Game 3 of a 2011 NBA Playoffs first-round series. The No. 8 seeded Grizzlies are now up 2-1 against the top-seeded Spurs and poised to pull off the upset.
Spurs Vs. Grizzlies Final Score: Zach Randolph Leads Memphis To 2-1 Series Lead
The Grizzlies essentially clinched the win when Zach Randolph nailed a three-pointer with 41 seconds left. The shot came at the end of the shot clock, and it was a complete surprise. The Spurs had one last chance to win after cutting the lead to three points, but instead of calling timeout, the Spurs rushed the ball up the floor after a Grizzlies miss. Ultimately, Manu Ginobili couldn't even get a shot off, and the Spurs lost.
Randolph finished with 25 points to lead Memphis. Ginobili had 23 to lead the Spurs.
The Spurs cut the Grizzlies' lead to five points at the end of the third period, then eventually went on a 9-1 run to tie the game at 75 with 8:06 remaining after Ginobili cut backdoor behind Tony Allen, took a pass from Tim Duncan and finished a layup while drawing a foul. But Memphis maintained the lead for most of the middle stages of the fourth quarter. San Antonio tied the game at 80, but O.J. Mayo nailed a three-pointer to push Memphis back ahead. The Grizzlies took an 86-82 lead, but lost Allen to his sixth foul with 2:56 remaining.
Two Ginobili free throws cut the lead to two points, but Marc Gasol put Memphis up four with a 17-foot jump shot at the end of the shot clock. Two possessions later, Parker sliced down the lane and got a layup to cut Memphis' lead to 88-86 with 56 seconds left.
Follow along with this StoryStream for game updates. And for more on these teams, check out our Spurs blog, Pounding the Rock, and our Grizzlies blog, Straight Outta Vancouver.
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