When Smith gets going, the Spurs usually get a win. The league's leading long-distance shooter came through again Tuesday, making three 3-pointers and scoring 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Spurs to a 98-84 win over Memphis in front of 19,519 at the Alamodome for their seventh consecutive victory.

"Steve Smith came out," Tim Duncan said, "and kind of took the game over by himself."

As a result, Duncan avoided his first-ever loss to the Grizzlies. The Spurs have beaten the expansion franchise 18 straight games ? their longest winning streak ever against a team.