San Antonio walked into FedExForum and turned the night into a track meet on its terms.
The Spurs, owners of the NBA’s best form entering the game (WWWWW), steamrolled the Memphis Grizzlies 123-98 on March 26, 2026, leaning on a blistering start and a third-quarter avalanche to extend their win streak to five. Memphis, sliding in at 24-48 and coming off an LLLLW stretch, never found a stable footing.
How the game flipped
The tone was set immediately. San Antonio dropped 38 points in the first quarter while holding Memphis to 19, creating a 19-point gap before rotations could settle. Memphis briefly stabilized in the second, winning the period 25-19, but the halftime math still favored the Spurs: 57-44.
Any chance of a grind-it-back comeback disappeared after intermission. San Antonio detonated for 41 points in the third quarter — its biggest scoring quarter of the night — while Memphis managed 20. That 41-20 swing pushed the margin into blowout territory and effectively decided the final 12 minutes.
Ball movement: Spurs’ defining edge
San Antonio’s offensive organization showed up in the assist column. The Spurs finished with 36 assists, a clear indicator of a possession-by-possession advantage in creating shots through movement and decision-making. Memphis recorded 26 assists, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace once San Antonio’s tempo and spacing opened the game.
Quarter-by-quarter snapshot
First quarter: Spurs land the first punch
San Antonio’s 38-point opening quarter created immediate separation, forcing Memphis into a catch-up script for the rest of the night.
Second quarter: Memphis answers, but not enough
The Grizzlies won the second quarter 25-19 to cut into the deficit, but the Spurs’ early cushion kept the game from swinging.
Third quarter: the knockout
The Spurs’ 41-point third quarter was the decisive stretch, turning a manageable halftime deficit for Memphis into a runaway.
Fourth quarter: late push, no path back
Memphis took the fourth 34-25, but the outcome was already sealed by the third-quarter damage.
What it means going forward
For San Antonio, this was a clean, road-ready template: win the possession battle with passing, spike the scoring in decisive bursts, and keep the opponent chasing. At 55-18, the Spurs continue to stack wins with little margin for opponents to survive even brief lapses.
For Memphis, the record (24-48) and recent form underline the problem: even when the Grizzlies find a response — like the second and fourth quarters — the margin for error is thin against elite teams. Wednesday was another reminder that slow starts and post-halftime breakdowns are a losing equation.