Spurs One Win From NBA Finals After Taking Game 3 Against Grizzlies

The San Antonio Spurs are one win from some familiar territory — the NBA Finals.

The Spurs defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 104-93 in overtime on Saturday night, pushing the upstart Grizzlies team to the brink of elimination. If the Spurs win, it would be the team’s fifth NBA Finals appearance in the last 14 years. The Spurs have won all of those trips.

The Spurs were led Saturday by 37-year-old Tim Duncan, who scored the final five points as the team rallied from an 18-point deficit.

“He was huge for us the other night in overtime and got it done for us, and he did it again tonight,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Duncan. “That’s why he is considered as great as he has for the last 17 years. He’s been unbelievable. He feels a responsibility to carry us in those kinds of times, and he did it again tonight.”

Duncan has played nothing like his age would imply in the regular season and playoffs, regularly notching double-doubles and controlling the interior.

“I’m not worried about how old I am or whatever, whatever it may be,” Duncan said. “I’m very focused on having another opportunity to make it to a championship and try to win, that’s all.”

The two-time MVP is also playing with the distraction of his divorce from wife Amy. Media outlets confirmed that she filed for divorce after 11 years of marriage, but Spurs officials said Duncan would not be addressing the divorce at all.

The win over the Grizzlies makes give straight for the Spurs, and brings Duncan one step close to avenging last year’s bitter exit. The team had a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals, but saw the Oklahoma City Thunder come back and win the next four.

The San Antonio Spurs have a chance to wrap up the series Monday in Memphis.