Memphis @ San Antonio preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 18, 2019 ) Memphis 91, San Antonio 104

The San Antonio Spurs were bad enough early on Saturday that coach Gregg Popovich called a full timeout and replaced his entire starting lineup five minutes into the game. The Spurs will try for a better start and a better finish when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

Popovich was not happy that his team came out without aggression on Saturday and watched the Celtics shoot 51.1 percent from the floor in a 135-115 loss. San Antonio gave 13 different players at least nine minutes of playing time trying to find the right combination but instead fell for the fourth time in six games and allowed 72 points in the first half in its worst defensive performance of the young season. The Grizzlies had their own issues on the defensive end in a 138-122 home loss to Dallas on Saturday while allowing a season-high 18 3-pointers. "It's on us," center Jonas Valanciunas told reporters. "We're just not clicking right now. At moments, we were really good. We were showing really good basketball but sometimes we fall back. So, it's on us to fix it. We are capable of doing it, we've just got to do it."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS South (Memphis), FS Southwest (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (2-7): Memphis was run off the floor in a 118-86 loss at Orlando on Friday and was torched for a season high in points allowed by the Mavericks. "We've been talking about it all season long - and the last two games have really been about - trying to identify our defensive identity," Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters. "And we're struggling right now, giving up 60-plus points in the paint. ... We're going to get through it, and we're going to get through it together." Offense proved to be an easier proposition on Saturday as seven players scored in double figures - led by power forward Jaren Jackson Jr.'s 23 points - while the team shot 52.6 percent from the floor.

ABOUT THE SPURS (5-4): All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge is off to a slow start but seemed to turn a corner with a season-high 39 points in a win over Oklahoma City on Thursday. Aldridge could not find the same magic against the Celtics and slumped to a season-low three points on 1-of-4 shooting in 26 minutes - the third time in the last six games that he scored in single digits. Point guard Dejounte Murray flirted with a triple-double with 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds against the Thunder but managed just four points, four assists and four turnovers in Saturday's setback.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Spurs PG Patty Mills is 8-of-13 from 3-point range over the last three games.

2. The Grizzlies elected to rest rookie PG Ja Morant on the second night of the back-to-back Saturday but don't plan on making that a regular occurrence.

3. The teams split four meetings last season, with Memphis earning a 104-103 win at San Antonio on Nov. 21.

PREDICTION: Spurs 121, Grizzlies 106