Grizzlies 110, Suns 91
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Memphis Grizzlies didn't have their "big fellas," center Marc Gasol and power forward Zach Randolph, who were out with injuries. They did have forwards Ed Davis and Jon Leuer, who until recently had seen sporadic playing time. On Tuesday night, Davis and Leuer combined for 44 points and 21 rebounds in a 110-91 win over the Phoenix Suns at the FedExForum.
Leuer had a career-high 23 points with nine rebounds. Davis had a season-best 21 points and 12 rebounds. Point guard Mike Conley, the team's leading scorer (18.3 scoring average coming into the game) finished with 18 points and 14 assists. Center Kosta Koufos scored 14 and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Memphis (9-8) opened the third quarter down eight points, but went on a 23-9 run and led 82-74 going into the fourth quarter. Memphis snapped its four-game home losing streak.
Forward Marcus Morris led the Suns (9-9) with 18 points off the bench. Guard Goran Dragic had 16 points. The Suns entered the game as the league leader in fast-break points at 20.0 per game. They outran the Grizzlies 14-4 but Memphis had a 56-36 advantage in points in the paint.
The Suns made eight or more 3-pointers in nine consecutive games. That streak ended as they finished 7-for-29 (24.1 percent).
Phoenix closed the first half on an 8-2 run, the last three points coming on guard Eric Bledsoe's running bank shot and free throw. Grizzlies rookie guard Jamaal Franklin knocked down a long jumper just before the buzzer and the half ended with the Suns leading 54-46.
Marcus Morris had 15 first-half points (he was 2-for-4 from 3-point range) and scored 13 of them in the second quarter. Conley had 11 points and four assists in the first half, with nine of his points coming in the second quarter.
NOTES: Memphis PF Zach Randolph missed his second straight game Tuesday after having an ingrown toenail removed last Saturday. ... Memphis F Quincy Pondexter scored a career-high 22 points off the bench Saturday in a home loss to Brooklyn after being a DNP-CD the previous two games. He also stared down coach Dave Joerger during a personal 14-point run. "It's something that's been addressed and I'm not going to comment on it," Joerger said Tuesday. ... Grizzlies C Kosta Koufos is averaging 11.7 rebounds in his three starts in place of the injured Marc Gasol (MCL sprain, left knee). ... Through 17 games, Phoenix ranked fifth in the NBA with 9.3 3-point makes per game. SF P.J. Tucker ranked sixth in the league in 3-point field-goal percentage at 48.9 percent (22-for-45). ... Suns C Miles Plumlee was seventh in the NBA in blocks with 1.94 per game.
