Spokesman-Review
National Basketball Association
Memphis 110, New Orleans 95
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, February 1, 2016
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Officials: #18 Matt Boland, #45 Brian Forte, #58 Josh Tiven
Attendance: 15210

NEW ORLEANS -- Guard Mike Conley keyed a 10-0 fourth-quarter run with a go-ahead 3-pointer and no-look assist to center Marc Gasol to lift the Memphis Grizzlies to a 110-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Monday night at the Smoothie King Center.

The Pelicans led 86-84 with 7:02 left, but Conley nailed a long-range jumper to put Memphis up for good, 87-86. After a New Orleans miss, Conley drove the baseline, was fouled by Toney Douglas and made both foul shots.

Forward Vince Carter then hit the first of three 3-pointers to give Memphis a 92-86 lead, and Conley closed out the spurt by feeding Gasol from the high post for a rolling dunk. The Grizzlies shot 61 percent for the game.

Guard Jeff Green led the Grizzlies with 24 points off the bench and forward Zach Randolph had 22 points. Conley had 17 points and 10 assists. Carter had 11 fourth-quarter points, with nine coming on long-range jumpers.

The Grizzlies (29-20) won for the eighth time in nine games, and the Pelicans (18-29) finished a season-long seven-game home stand with a 5-2 record. New Orleans 110.2 points in winning seven of their previous nine games, but they shot just 41 percent and were held under 100 points for the first time in 10 games.

Forward Anthony Davis led New Orleans with 23 points and nine rebounds, and guard Norris Cole added a season-high 23.

Randolph scored seven consecutive points with three impressive post-up moves against Davis, and Memphis led 63-57 midway through the third quarter. But the Pelicans closed with a tomahawk dunk by Davis off a Jrue Holiday miss to move within 77-75 after three quarters.

Davis led all scorers with 15 first-half points, but the Grizzlies erased a 12-point deficit with a 32-point second quarter to take a 54-52 halftime lead. Randolph, Gasol and Green each scored 12 points for Memphis, who shot 61 percent from the field (22 of 36), including 4 of 6 from long range.

The Pelicans overcame the Grizzlies' sizzling shooting by turning seven Memphis turnovers into 13 points. Cole added 14 for New Orleans in the first half. Memphis closed the half with a 12-1 run.

NOTES: Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said even though New Orleans entered last night's game having won seven of nine, it can't let up after starting the season 1-11. "With the struggles we had, every game becomes really important," Gentry said. "We have 35 games left. We're going to have to have a good winning percentage to still be able to make the playoffs." ... While Gentry said he's been thrilled with PG Jrue Holiday's point production and clutch shooting off the bench, he's even happier with his defense. "We'll assign him to the best offensive player," Gentry said. "He's been terrific. We need that from him every night to give us an opportunity to win." ... The Pelicans signed G Bryce Dejean-Jones to a second 10-day contract. ... Memphis F Jeff Green averaged 26.7 points during a three-game homestand. "He's attacking the basket, getting into the paint," Memphis coach Dave Joerger said. "Easy baskets are hard for us to come by and he has given us a big jolt to our offense."
Top Game Performances
 
Memphis   New Orleans
Jeff Green 24 Scoring Norris Cole 23
Mike Conley 10 Assists Norris Cole 6
Zach Randolph 12 Rebounds Anthony Davis 9
Mike Conley 6 Free Throws Made Ryan Anderson 2
Mario Chalmers 2 Steals Bryce Dejean-Jones 2
Marc Gasol 2 Blocks Jrue Holiday 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Memphis 110 60.6 9-16 15-18 27 40 5 4 14
New Orleans 95 40.9 10-26 13-21 19 37 4 8 10
Upcoming Games
  • New Orleans will play their next game on the road against San Antonio. The Pelicans have a W/L % of .368 after a win and .393 after a loss.
  • Memphis will play their next game on the road against New York. The Grizzlies have a W/L % of .536 after a win and .667 after a loss.