The San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies squared off for the fourth and final time this NBA regular season on March 25, 2026, with the action tipping off at FedExForum in Memphis. With both teams heading in opposite directions in the standings, this Western Conference clash carried different implications for each side, but it still promised plenty of intrigue for basketball fans tuning in across the country.
Coming into the contest, the Spurs had firmly established themselves as one of the league’s elite squads. San Antonio boasted a 54-18 record, good for the second seed in the West, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder—who themselves were riding a scorching 12-game winning streak. The Spurs, winners of six straight, were three games back of OKC and eight clear of the third-seeded Lakers, all but locking up the No. 2 seed as the regular season’s final stretch approached.
Memphis, meanwhile, found itself in a very different place. The Grizzlies sat 12th in the Western Conference at 24-47, their playoff hopes all but dashed. Injuries and a midseason roster shakeup—most notably the trade of Jaren Jackson Jr.—had left Memphis limping to the finish line. The Grizzlies had lost 11 of their last 12 games, including back-to-back blowout defeats: a 146-107 drubbing by the Atlanta Hawks and a 124-101 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. To make matters worse, their injury report read like a who’s who of sidelined talent, with Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Santi Aldama, Brandon Clarke, Jaylen Wells, Scotty Pippen Jr., Ty Jerome, and Jahmai Mashack all unavailable. Javon Small was listed as questionable, further depleting the Grizzlies’ rotation.
San Antonio entered the matchup as heavy favorites—16.5 points, to be exact, with -1600 odds to win outright according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Memphis, by contrast, was a +900 underdog, and the game’s total was set at 233.5 points. Given the teams’ respective trajectories, many analysts predicted a comfortable victory for the Spurs, with some projecting San Antonio to surpass the 130-point mark against a struggling Memphis defense.
The Spurs’ recent form certainly justified such optimism. They were fresh off a 136-111 dismantling of the Miami Heat, a game in which Victor Wembanyama led the way with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks. Keldon Johnson and rookie Dylan Harper each chipped in 21 points, while Stephon Castle added 19. San Antonio dominated the glass, outrebounding Miami 62-38 and grabbing 17 offensive boards. Over their last 24 games, the Spurs had won 22, and their offense was humming—averaging 119.2 points per game (third in the NBA), ranking fifth in offensive rating, and sixth in field goal percentage. Defensively, they were just as stout, holding opponents to 111.7 points per game (seventh-best) and ranking third in defensive rating.
Individually, Wembanyama has taken the league by storm in his sophomore campaign, averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while anchoring the Spurs’ defense. Stephon Castle, another rising star, continued to impress with 16.5 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per contest. Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, and veteran Harrison Barnes have all played crucial roles in the team’s success. With De’Aaron Fox (lower back tightness) and Luke Kornet (right knee injury) both sidelined for this game, rookie Dylan Harper was expected to see a bump in minutes and responsibilities.
Memphis, on the other hand, was in full youth movement mode. With so many veterans and key contributors out, the Grizzlies were using the final games of the season to evaluate young talent and determine who might form the foundation of their next competitive roster. GG Jackson, fresh off a 26-point performance against Atlanta, was joined by fellow youngsters Cedrick Coward, Walter Clayton Jr. (who had 16 points and six assists against the Hawks), Taylor Hendricks, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper in the rotation. The Grizzlies’ offense averaged 115.3 points per game (18th in the league), but their defense had been porous, surrendering 119.1 points per game (24th) and ranking 22nd in defensive rating.
Looking at the betting trends, San Antonio had covered the spread in 16 of their last 24 games, including their last two on the road. The Spurs were 39-32-2 against the spread on the season, while Memphis was 33-38. The Grizzlies had failed to cover in eight of their last 14 losses and were just 8-11 against the spread as a home underdog. The under had hit in 41 of the Spurs’ 72 games and in 37 of the Grizzlies’ 70, with recent matchups between these teams also trending under the total.
Reflecting on the season series, the Spurs had claimed victory in the first two meetings, 111-101 and 126-119, before Memphis eked out a 106-105 win in the third matchup. That lone Grizzlies win was something of an outlier, as San Antonio shot just 37% from the field and 30% from three-point range. With the Spurs rolling and Memphis reeling, few expected a repeat of that upset.
“The gap in talent is more significant than the spread indicates, and expect this to be put on full display,” wrote Sean Barnard in his pregame analysis. “Memphis is coming off back-to-back blowout losses by 20+ points, and count on the Spurs to add to this streak.” According to USA TODAY Sports, “the Spurs are the much better team, so covering as -1600 favorites will be no problem here.”
As the teams took the court in Memphis, fans were treated to a showcase of youth, athleticism, and contrasting fortunes. With both squads missing key contributors, the spotlight shone even brighter on rising stars like Wembanyama, Castle, Jackson, and Harper. For San Antonio, it was a chance to sharpen their playoff form and maintain pressure on the Thunder atop the conference. For Memphis, it was another opportunity to evaluate their young core and begin the long process of building for the future.
With the regular season winding down, the stakes couldn’t be higher for the Spurs, while the Grizzlies look to salvage positives from a challenging year. As the game unfolded, all eyes remained on whether San Antonio would continue their dominant run or if Memphis’s young guns could surprise the basketball world once more. The action is ongoing, and fans everywhere are watching to see how this chapter in the Spurs-Grizzlies rivalry plays out.