The San Antonio Spurs usually do very well against the Memphis Grizzlies, and a Tim Duncan triple double led the defending NBA champions to a 107-101 win on the road, the first team to beat the Grizzlies at home this season.

The 38-year old Duncan scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and added 10 assists, becoming the second-oldest player in NBA history to post a triple double. The record is held by Karl Malone, who had one when he was 40 years old (and 127 days) while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2013.

For Duncan, it’s his first triple double since 2010 and only the fourth of his career, which seems surprising considering how long he’s been around and his ability to do a lot more than just score points and grab rebounds.

The Spurs played great defense in the first quarter, holding the Grizzlies to just 14 points, and simply held on from there. Manu Ginobili was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Danny Green, Tony Parker and Cory Joseph scored in double figures as well.

For the Grizzlies, too few players did all of the work. Mike Conley has said more than once that their power is their team ability and togetherness. Marc Gasol, Conley and Tayshaun Prince combined to score 71 points, but that’s not the way the Grizzlies do business, and when too few players contribute, it’s not that surprising to see them fell at home. Vince Carter and Kostas Koufos combined to score just two points, a big part of the problem.

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