AP - Resting three of their biggest stars, San Antonio still had too much firepower for Memphis in a 101-87 win with Patty Mills bagging 17 points for the Spurs.
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili sat out the match at FedExForum in Memphis on Monday, but that mattered little as LaMarcus Aldridge had 31 points and 13 rebounds to steer San Antonio to the emphatic victory.
Mills got plenty more game-time than normal and the Australian also chipped in with four assists in his 22 minutes on court.
Vince Carter led Memphis with just 14 points.
The Grizzlies' defeat meant they were now 5-1/2 games behind the Clippers - with just nine games left - in the fight for fourth in the West, after Los Angeles beat Boston 114-90.
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Meanwhile, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook recorded his seventh triple-double for March - the most in a month since Michael Jordan also had seven in April, 1989 - and led the Thunder to a 119-100 win at Toronto on Monday, stretching the team's winning streak to eight straight.
The Thunder has already clinched the NBA's Northwest Division, while the Southwest has been secured by San Antonio.
Among other key results in the run toward the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers cruised past Boston 114-90 and tightened their grip on fourth in the Western Conference, while Atlanta narrowly held off a fast-finishing Chicago 102-100 and retained outright top spot in the Southeast Division.
Westbrook had 26 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for the Thunder and put himself up alongside two of the all-time greats. Not only did he match Jordan's effort of seven in a month, but his 16 this season is the most since Magic Johnson had 17 in 1988-89.
Kevin Durant scored 34 points for Oklahoma City, who are on their longest streak since winning ten straight in the 2013-14 season.
DeMar DeRozan had 19 points for the Raptors, who lost at home for just the fourth time in 2016.
Portland beat undermanned Sacramento 105-93 to hold onto sixth place in the West, 2-1/2 games behind fifth-ranked Memphis.
Dallas moved into a virtual tie with state rival Houston for the eighth and last playoff spot in the West by winning 97-88 at Denver, led by reserve JJ Barea, who scored 18 points and had 11 assists.
Miami's Dwyane Wade had 30 points to lead the Heat to a 110-99 win against Brooklyn, staying a game behind Atlanta in the Southeast.
New Orleans beat New York 99-91, recording their first victory this season when scoring in double figures, having been 0-33 beforehand.
Utah handed the Los Angeles Lakers their equal heaviest defeat in history, winning 123-75 to inflict the most lopsided defeat ever on a Lakers team featuring Kobe Bryant.
Minnesota's Andrew Wiggins scored 32 points as the Timberwolves hung on against a Phoenix comeback and won 121-116.
