• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Spurs try to stave off elimination in Memphis

Apr 29, 2011 - 2:33 PM (Sports Network) - Gary Neal gave top-seeded San Antonio new life on Wednesday.

Now the Spurs hope to do something with it as they try to stave off elimination yet again in Game 6 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against the upstart Memphis Grizzlies.

The Spurs were all but dead in Game 5 when Neal buried a game-tying three- pointer at the end of regulation, and San Antonio surged in overtime for a 110-103 win.

The Spurs, however, are still down in the series 3-2 and in danger of becoming just the second No. 1 seed to lose a best-of-seven series in the first round as the set shifts to Memphis, where the Grizzlies won Games 3 and 4. Eight seeds like the Grizz are only 3-52 all-time in the NBA Playoffs.

Tony Parker scored six of his 24 points in the extra session and had nine assists in Game 5 for the Spurs, who received a game-high 33 points from Manu Ginobili. Tim Duncan had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Zach Randolph had 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Grizzlies, who also got 20 points from Mike Conley. Marc Gasol added 11 points and 17 rebounds, but his air ball led to a 24-second violation in the last minute of overtime.

"As a team we've got to be able to wash this one away, the taste of it away, realize what we didn't do and come back ready to go Friday in front of our home crowd," Conley said.

The Spurs had two incredible shots in the last 2.2 seconds of regulation to essentially save their season.

Randolph hit a pair of foul shots for a 95-92 difference with 9.4 seconds left. Then, after the Grizzlies nearly came away with the ensuing inbounds pass, Ginobili somehow, falling out of bounds, hit a long shot from the right corner. The bucket with 2.2 seconds left was originally ruled a three-pointer, but was changed to a two when replays showed Ginobili's left foot was on the line.

"I didn't even see the rim," Ginobili said. "I had Marc on top of me, falling out of bounds. I just got lucky, that's the truth."

Randolph then sank two more from the charity stripe for a 97-94 score with 1.7 seconds to go. Following another Spurs timeout, Neal, a rookie out of La Salle, received the inbounds pass at the top of the arc and delivered the incredible tying shot, breathing new life into the Spurs and their fans.

"We hung in tough. That's all about character," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

Parker then sparkled in overtime to spur San Antonio to victory. His pull-up shot from the left elbow with nearly 1 1/2 minutes left gave the hosts a 105-103 edge. Tony Allen was way off on a three-point try at the other end, but misses from Parker and Antonio McDyess gave the Grizzlies a shot for the tie.

Memphis, which went 1-of-7 from the field in OT, was called for a shot clock violation on its next possession. Gasol was under pressure from Duncan and his fall-away jumper hit nothing with 21.3 seconds left.

George Hill, who finished with 12 points in the game, sank two foul shots with 18.6 seconds left and Ginobili made three more to seal the outcome.

"I think we were down after the loss of the lead when they did it up at the end," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "We had too many guys who were hurt and not mature enough at this stage to just let it go, play and get the win."

"I don't know if we showed the heart of a champion," Ginobili added. "We got lucky. It's the truth. Overall they played a better game. We just stuck in there and kept fighting."

The 2007 Dallas Mavericks are the only No. 1 seed to fall in the first round since the series was expanded to the best-of-seven format. Golden State beat the Mavs in six games that year after Dallas blitzed through the regular season with 67 wins. Meanwhile, only eight teams have rallied from a 3-1 deficit with Phoenix being the last to do it in 2006.

These teams split four games in the regular season. In their only previous postseason meeting the Spurs swept the Grizz in four games back in the 2004 playoffs.

Game 7 of the series, if necessary, will be back in San Antonio on Sunday.