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Grizzlies-Spurs Preview

Nov 21, 2015 - 7:14 AM Maybe it's the acquisition of Mario Chalmers that's made the difference. Maybe it's improved play from Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.

Whatever it is, the Memphis Grizzlies suddenly are rolling, and their latest victory even came with Zach Randolph sitting out.

The San Antonio Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off their worst performance of the season, and they might be without LaMarcus Aldridge as they try to prevent the visiting Grizzlies from winning a fifth straight game.

Memphis (7-6) has won all four since acquiring Chalmers, who is averaging 16.5 points since Miami sent him away Nov. 10.

He had 10 off the bench in Friday's 96-84 win over Houston, but it was Conley and Gasol who stepped up the most the Randolph a late scratch because of knee soreness.

Conley finished with 26 points and Gasol recorded the first triple-double of his career - and the first for Memphis since his brother, Pau, had one in 2007 - with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

Conley is averaging 22.7 points and shooting 56.8 percent - including 11 for 17 from 3-point range - over his last three after scoring 15 while shooting 5 of 25 from the field over his previous two. Gasol averaged 13.3 points and shot 41.1 percent over his first eight, but is averaging 21.2 and shooting 54.3 percent over his last five.

''The spacing was fantastic,'' Conley said. ''We were able to move the ball, get a lot of easy opportunities. When we're getting a lot of easy opportunities, either in transition or in the flow early in our shot clock, we're a much different team.''

The Grizzlies also looked different without Randolph, who missed his first game of the season. It's unclear if he'll play against the Spurs (9-3), who could be facing a bigger problem is Aldridge can't go.

Aldridge finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds Friday against New Orleans, and he said he's not sure if he'll be able to play against Memphis after spraining his left ankle. That would create a big hole down low after Tim Duncan didn't have a rebound for the first time in his career during a 104-90 loss.

"I tried to play through it," Aldridge said. "I was a little bit of a liability on the defensive side. I couldn't move laterally, but I tried to get there.

"(It's) pretty tight right now, but we'll re-evaluate it in the morning and see how it feels."

The Spurs had their six-game winning streak snapped, and coach Gregg Popovich wasn't shy about pointing out how poorly his team played. San Antonio shot just 40.5 percent and had trouble guarding the perimeter all night.

Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points, but Tony Parker finished with 10 and Duncan had only six. Manu Ginobili sat out his second straight with tightness in his hip, though he's expected to play against Memphis.

''We were awful,'' Popovich said. ''We didn't stay in front of people very well. If you allow that much penetration, it throws everybody off kilter when everybody is helping and guys are open for 3s.''

The Spurs have won nine of the last 11 meetings with the Grizzlies, including the postseason. Leonard scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Parker added 17 in a 103-89 victory in the most recent matchup March 29.

Randolph had 20 points and 13 boards.