MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Cam Spencer scored 21 points and Santi Aldama delivered a last-gasp defensive stand as the Memphis Grizzlies slipped past the San Antonio Spurs 106-105 Tuesday night at FedExForum. Memphis snapped a four-game skid by closing the final 1:26 on a 5-0 run, wasting a 30-point return from Victor Wembanyama, Jan. 6, 2026.
Spencer, who had 13 points in the fourth quarter, buried a 10-foot baseline jumper with 36.5 seconds left for the final points of the night, as detailed in the ESPN game recap. After the Spurs got one more look, Aldama met De’Aaron Fox’s midrange try near the horn, turning a potential winner into a stop that preserved the one-point escape.
Jaren Jackson Jr. matched Spencer with 21 points for Memphis, while Jock Landale added 19. Aldama finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, and the Grizzlies leaned on extra possessions and second-chance opportunities to stay close despite sloppy stretches and a low shooting night.
San Antonio had chances to put it away late. Fox, who struggled for much of the night, sparked the Spurs with a quick burst that pushed them ahead 105-101 in the final two minutes. But Spencer answered with a 3-pointer to cut it to one, then calmly created space for the go-ahead jumper that flipped the building.
Wembanyama’s 30 points aren’t enough
Wembanyama came off the bench and still looked like the game’s most dangerous problem, scoring 30 points in 21 minutes. He scored from all three levels, punished switches, and kept the Spurs afloat during dry spells, but San Antonio’s offense stalled just enough down the stretch for Memphis to steal it.
The Reuters report noted Memphis overcame 23 turnovers and played short-handed, with Ja Morant among the missing starters. The Grizzlies didn’t look crisp early, yet they stayed within striking distance, then turned the third quarter into the game’s pivot with a run that finally erased San Antonio’s halftime cushion.
Julian Champagnie scored 23 points for the Spurs, and Stephon Castle added 15 before fouling out in the final minutes. Fox’s late surge nearly wrote the ending anyway — until Aldama’s block and Spencer’s poise said otherwise.
Why the season series keeps swinging
Tuesday’s finish fit a season series that has repeatedly been shaped by availability and late-game execution. San Antonio took the first meeting in Memphis-less and Wembanyama-less fashion, winning 111-101, as recapped in the Nov. 18 game story. Two weeks later, the Spurs again won at home, 126-119, in the Dec. 2 recap.
Memphis finally clawed one back Tuesday, and the NBA box score and game page underscored how narrow the margin was: one late jumper, one blocked look, and a comeback that left Wembanyama’s return as a footnote instead of a headline.
Next up, the Spurs return home to face the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Grizzlies continue their homestand against Phoenix.
