Wizards 107, Grizzlies 87
John Wall collected 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists as host Washington took advantage of shorthanded Memphis.
Marcin Gortat added 22 points and nine rebounds while Paul Pierce scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half as the Wizards jumped on top in the second quarter and never looked back. Drew Gooden contributed 13 points for Washington, which has won back-to-back games for the first time in more than a month to pull within 1 1/2 games of Toronto for the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference.
JaMychal Green posted season highs of 13 points and six rebounds in his first career start for the Grizzlies, who sat Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen on the second night of a back-to-back. Jarnell Stokes picked up season highs of 13 points and eight boards off the bench as Memphis saw its lead over Portland and Houston for the No. 2 spot in the West trimmed to 1 1/2 games.
The Grizzlies held a nine-point lead late in the first quarter and were up 41-35 seven minutes into the second before the Wizards took over. Wall scored six points and Pierce hit a pair of 3-pointers in a 19-4 spurt that put Washington on top, and Pierce’s third 3-pointer of the period made it a 60-47 gap at the break.
Beal’s jumper spread the lead to 20 points with 6:41 left in the third and it swelled to 89-62 on Gortat’s bucket with 1:34 remaining in the period. Memphis closed the third with a 9-0 run but never seriously threatened in the fourth as the Wizards put it away.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Wizards C Kevin Seraphin was hit with a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game after pulling Grizzlies F Jon Leuer to the ground by the arm on a dunk attempt. … Conley (ankle) was the only one of the four missing Memphis regulars to be listed with an injury. … Washington F Nene (personal) sat out the game.