Spurs skid continues with late collapse to the undermanned Grizzlies

The Spurs were in control for most of Saturday night’s game before a fourth quarter implosion.

Following a hard-fought loss against the Kings on Friday night, the San Antonio Spurs seemed poised to snap their skid on Saturday against the shorthanded Grizzlies. Coming into the game, Memphis was the only team in the Western Conference with fewer wins than San Antonio, and through three quarters, it appeared like things were going to stay that way. Unfortunately, the Spurs had an epic collapse in the fourth quarter by being outscored 33-14, marking their eighth consecutive loss.

Even though this is a young and rebuilding team, games like this are still deflating to watch. On the bright side, no game with this squad is devoid of highlights, and as usual, Wemby was involved with a number of them. After having his first block-less game against Sacramento, the French phenom made his defensive impact felt less than two minutes in by swatting a Desmond Bane layup attempt.

The rookie finished with a ludicrous eight blocks. In fact, he became just the third teenager in NBA history to tally eight blocks in a game.

Wemby’s shooting struggles continued though, as he finished just 6-17 from the field, but that didn’t stop him from launching from deep when the opportunity presented itself.

Even with his shot not falling, Wemby’s enormous gravity also opened up opportunities for teammates, as is shown when the Grizzlies’ defense was too focused on him to notice a cutting Keldon.

Wemby aside, fan-favorite Manu Mamu (aka Sandro Mamukelashvili) made a number of hustle plays that brought the crowd to its feet, including an exciting sequence involving a blocked three and an alley-oop within the span of five seconds.

The Georgian also showed off his range by knocking down this three in the midst of a strong opening quarter for San Antonio.

Of course, the Spurs’ other young guns had plenty of highlights too, including this aggressive drive from Sochan that’s reminiscent of Keldon.

Speaking of Keldon, he was his usual fearless self, attacking the basket and drawing fouls in the process.

Even though the end result was disappointing, this Spurs team is still trending in the right direction. Sure, they’ve dropped eight straight, but they’ve been competitive in their most recent two matches — now they need to learn how to maintain their composure in the fourth, which is a lot to ask for a young team that is still trying to find its identity.