The Memphis Grizzlies found themselves in a similar situation against the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 2.

The red-hot Grizzlies had won five of their last six games. Right before that stretch was a late fourth quarter meltdown on the road against the Spurs on Nov. 18.

Another close battle was taking place at Frost Bank Center when the Grizzlies went on a quick 5-0 to take a 3-point lead with 4:07 left in the fourth quarter.

Memphis failed the test again as San Antonio closed the game on a 16-6 run to secure a 126-119 win.

This was the second consecutive game where Memphis got most of its offensive production from the 2024 draft class.

Cam Spencer led the Grizzlies (9-13) with 21 points and Jaylen Wells added 20 points. Zach Edey secured his fourth double-double this season with 19 points and 15 rebounds.

San Antonio (14-6) got a season-high 31 points from Harrison Barnes.

Here’s what went wrong in the loss for Memphis.

Ja Morant, where are you?

When the Grizzlies lost their first meeting to the Spurs, San Antonio ended the game on an 11-0 run. This game also ended on a Spurs run.

Both losses can be traced to the gap in point guard play in the closing minutes. San Antonio was able to rely on De’Aaron Fox, who scored the team’s last 11 points and finished with 29 for the game.

Memphis didn’t have a go-to playmaker or shot creator when San Antonio ramped up its pressure. Moments like those are harsh reminders that the Grizzlies are missing four point guards, including star Ja Morant.

Morant has thrived in the clutch several times in his career. One of those moments was earlier this season when he made a go-ahead basket in the final seconds to secure a Grizzlies win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Grizzlies have played well for the most part in Morant’s absence, but a lot of that has been due to the combination of getting Zach Edey healthy and a weaker schedule.

Teams like the Spurs are better equipped at making Memphis miss its point guard.

Morant should be reevaluated this week, giving the team a better timeline of when he should return from a right calf injury.

Jaren Jackson Jr. disappears

When Morant isn’t available, Jackson is supposed to be the closer. That wasn’t the case in either of the two losses against San Antonio.

Jackson finished this game with seven points on 3-for-9 shooting. Six of his shot attempts came in the fourth quarter, so he was more aggressive, but the results weren’t good. He only made one shot and scored two points.

The Grizzlies shot 7-for-24 as a team in the fourth quarter.

San Antonio wasn’t much better, shooting 9-for-21 in the final quarter. However, the difference was the star players. While Jackson struggled, Fox scored 11 points to seal the deal.

What’s next

Memphis will get two days off before returning home for a matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 5.

The Grizzlies went 3-1 on a four-game road trip and have shown signs of being able to compete against the league’s upper echelon.

Grizzlies Guard Kobe Bufkin’s 10-day contract will expire before the team’s next game. He didn’t receive any playing time with the Grizzlies.

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.