Grizzlies 121, Pelicans 114 (OT)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Lance Stephenson scored a career-high 33 points and Matt Barnes added a triple-double of 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the injury-depleted Memphis Grizzlies to a 121-114 overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night at FedExForum.
Stephenson, whose previous career high was 28 points, scored six of his points in overtime, including a spinning, left-handed layup that gave the Grizzlies a 112-106 lead with 1:16 left. Memphis' JaMychal Green added 21 points and 10 rebounds and had seven overtime points.
Point guard Briante Weber, making his NBA debut for the Grizzlies, had 10 points and seven assists in 40 minutes after signing a 10-day contract Friday morning.
Jrue Holliday paced New Orleans with 34 points and 10 assists, while Anthony Davis scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Ryan Anderson had 24 points.
The Grizzlies played without three injured starters -- point guard Mike Conley, forward Zach Randolph and center Marc Gasol (out for the season) -- and backup point guard Mario Chalmers, who suffered a ruptured Achilles in a loss at Boston Wednesday.
The depleted Grizzlies suffered yet another loss in the opening half. Veteran Vince Carter left the game with a lower left leg injury midway through the second quarter and hobbled to the locker room. Carter did not return.
But the Grizzlies (39-26) were able to outscrap the Pelicans, also minus several key players, including Eric Gordon (out for the season) and Norris Cole. New Orleans lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 7-25 on the road and 1-6 against Southwest Division opposition.
Ahead by one at the half, Memphis extended its lead to nine points early in the fourth quarter on a Green jumper. But the Pelicans fought back behind Anderson, who triggered a 13-5 run to tie the game at 79. Anderson scored 10 of the points during the stretch, including a 3-pointer and a three-point play.
The Grizzlies moved back ahead by six with 3:10 to go after a Stephenson 3-pointer. But the Pelicans responded again with an 8-0 run, capped by an Anderson 3-pointer, to take a 97-95 lead with 1:18 left.
Memphis tied the game at 99-all with 49 seconds left on a Green putback and could have won in regulation, but Stephenson missed a layup in the closing seconds.
With Weber making his NBA debut, the Grizzlies offense struggled in the opening quarter and fell behind by nine (21-12). Memphis shot 28 percent and trailed 24-20 at the end of period. The Grizzlies' starters were 3 of 14 in the quarter.
In the second period, the Grizzlies followed the aggressive play of Stephenson to recover. Stephenson scored 10 points in the second quarter and rookie Jarell Martin added six to help Memphis grab a 48-47 halftime lead.
Holliday had 15 at the half to lead the Pelicans and Davis scored 10.
NOTES: To compensate for injuries to Mike Conley and Mario Chalmers, the Grizzlies signed PG Briante Weber to a 10-day contract. Weber was playing for the NBA Developmental League's Sioux Falls Skyforce, where he averaged 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22 games. He spent time on the Miami Heat's preseason roster. ... G Jrue Holiday scored a career-high 38 points in the Pelicans' 122-113 loss at Charlotte on Wednesday. It represented the 11th time in 13 games that he has scored 20 or more points. ... Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger and his wife, Kara, purchased the remaining 1,500 tickets to Friday night's game on behalf of the Dave Joerger Foundation and gave them away (limited to two per person) on a first-come, first-serve basis from the FedEx Forum lobby. ... Since moving into the starting lineup Jan. 21 after injuries to Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans, Pelicans G Norris Cole was averaging 13.2 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc. Cole was a late scratch because of a lower back injury.