SAN ANTONIO — Mission find Santi Aldama was in effect.

Memphis Grizzlies players knew it was time to find their red-hot teammate after he saw a couple of shots go in. As for Aldama, he knew it was his night after his first shot attempt.

That shot was an air ball 3-pointer.

“That was my third in a row, counting last game,” Aldama said. “I was like, ‘alright, shake it off and start playing. ‘“

That was Aldama’s only airball of the night. He shined and scored a team-high 29 points in the Grizzlies’ 140-112 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Aldama shot 5-for-12 on 3-pointers on Friday night at Frost Bank Center. He made two 3-pointers in the first half, but it was a missed shot that signaled what was to come in the second half.

With a second left to go in the first half, Aldama launched a shot from beyond the half court line as the buzzer expired. The shot bounced off the back rim.

“I was kind of mad that it didn’t (go in),” Aldama said. “It felt so good.”

He’s hot

Aldama was a steady source of offense all night. He scored at least seven points in each quarter. His second half playing time increased after Zach Edey left the game with a nose injury.

Seeing Aldama shoot like this is not unfamiliar for his teammates.

“When he gets hot, there’s not a bad shot for him,” Jaylen Wells said.

Even Aldama impressed himself with his ability to score at all three levels on Friday night.

“After the last middy, I was like, wow,” Aldama said. “I was definitely feeling it.”

Getting it done on both ends

Aldama’s scoring will get the most praise, but for the second game in a row, he was arguably the best Grizzlies defender against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

Aldama’s ability to slide his feet helped him stay in front of Wembanyama and contest shots. The 7-foot-3 Spurs center isn’t usually matched up against bigs who are as nimble as Aldama.

Wembanayama finished the game with 19 points while shooting 8-for-19 from the field.

“It was big for me,” Aldama said. “I think I’ve had a couple of great defensive games and for me, that was a personal challenge. (Wembanyama) is of the best players in the NBA, so you always want to take on that matchup.”

Aldama was the last Grizzlies players to run off the floor. As he ran through the tunnel going towards the locker room, fans yelled his name, hoping he would stop.

As one fell yelled for the Grizzlies forward to sign a hat, Aldama halted his light jog. He then headed for the locker room, where an applause from the staff awaited him.

“Sixth Man of the Year,” Desmond Bane said “He can do it in a variety of ways. That’s what is so different. Whether it’s shooting, driving, passing, guarding (Wembanyama) tonight. … Winning basketball. Credit to him.”

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.