• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Spurs host Grizzlies in Alamo City

Feb 27, 2011 - 4:07 PM (Sports Network) - Lately the Alamo City has been a place where visiting NBA teams go to die. The local San Antonio Spurs look to keep it that way when they shoot for their 21st consecutive win as the host tonight versus the Memphis Grizzlies in the opener of a home-and-home set at the AT&T Center.

San Antonio improved to 2-0 on a three-game homestand with Friday's 106-96 victory over Deron Williams and the New Jersey Nets. The Spurs spoiled Williams' debut with his new team, while Manu Ginobili took over with 26 points, six rebounds and five assists.

George Hill scored 19 points and both Tim Duncan and DeJuan Blair added 17 points and six rebounds apiece for the Spurs, who have won 20 straight games at home for the first time since Nov. 11-1989 - Feb. 6, 1990. San Antonio's last loss at home was to Dallas way back on Nov. 26, and won 22 home games in a row between the 98-99 and 99-00 seasons.

"Every game's not pretty and in a 48-minute game, you just keep on pushing and hope that you can break it at some point," said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. "Our guys did a good job of continuing to just play and work it out and they did."

Tony Parker provided 13 points, 10 assists and seven boards to help the Spurs improve to 27-2 as the host this season. The 1985-86 Celtics are the only team in NBA history to record a 40-1 mark at home for the season, while six teams have finished 39-2, most recently the 2008-09 Cavaliers.

The top-seeded and Southeast Division-leading Spurs have won eight of their last 10 games overall. Guard Gary Neal will miss tonight's game with concussion-like symptoms.

Memphis will continue its fight for a playoff spot in the jumbled Western Conference and sits eighth in the standings. It is coming off Saturday's 120-92 blowout of the Sacramento Kings at FedEx Forum, as Zach Randolph notched 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way.

Marc Gasol had 21 points, Darrell Arthur scored 17 and O.J. Mayo ended with 13 for the Grizzlies, who have won four straight at home and six of seven overall. Shane Battier scored just two points and had three assists in his first game with the Grizzlies since they acquired him from Houston.

"I was excited to come back to a familiar place," Battier said. "But your world gets turned upside down. I have a pregnant wife at home and you worry about her and you worry about the life issues, but from a basketball standpoint I was pretty pumped."

The Grizzlies are 14-4 in their past 18 contests and 13-19 away from the Volunteer State this season. They will continue to play without star Rudy Gay because of a shoulder injury.

San Antonio handed Memphis a 112-106 overtime loss back on Dec. 18 in the Alamo City behind Parker's 37 points and nine assists. The Spurs have won 17 of the previous 21 encounters with the Grizzlies, losers in 22 of the past 26 games at the Spurs.

These two teams will meet again Tuesday at FedEx Forum.