San Antonio Spurs big man LaMarcus Aldridge had himself quite a first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum on Monday night. LA scored 22 of the Spurs' 42 points in the opening salvo — the most points he scored in a quarter throughout his 14-year career.
Aldridge flashed the full repertoire in the first 12 minutes of the match, knocking down fade-away perimeter jumpers, schooling his defenders on the low block, and even showing his extended range by hitting a corner triple.
Locked in L.A.! 🔒
LaMarcus Aldridge gets out to a quarter career-high 22 PTS in the 1st for the @spurs! #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/szTmbF6fr0
— NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2019
His fiery start gave San Antonio a 72-61 lead at halftime and looks to be well on their way to getting the road victory. It hasn't been easy for the perennial contenders this season, as they rank 10th in the stacked Western Conference with a 11-17 slate. The team has dealt with inconsistency in their last 10 games, going 5-5 in that stretch.
Aldridge, for his part, has continued to produce solid numbers since signing with the Spurs in 2015. Now on the last year of his four-year contract, the 34-year-old has become a prime trade target for other teams.
San Antonio also seems to be gauging their options at the moment, with teams like Aldridge's former squad Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and the Sacramento Kings all reportedly showing interest in the seven-time All-Star.
Now getting up there in age, Aldridge does possess some limitations particularly on the defensive end, but he can still score with the best of them — evident by his explosion against Memphis.
LA has been averaging 18.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game this season, while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three.
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