Grizzlies 96, Pacers 84
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Guard Mike Conley scored 20 points and center Marc Gasol added 19 to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 96-84 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night at FedExForum.
Gasol, who also grabbed 12 rebounds, and Conley, who added eight assists, fueled a late run to push the Grizzlies' lead to 14 in the closing minutes and keep the Pacers from putting together a comeback. Gasol and Conley combined for Memphis' final 13 points.
Paul George, averaging 26.1 points, scored 29 to lead the Pacers but was only 4 of 12 from beyond the arc.
For Memphis, forward Matt Barnes also had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Grizzlies (15-14) won their fifth straight against the Pacers (16-10).
Memphis attempted to pull away late in the third quarter, using a 16-2 run to build a 62-50 lead. Trailing for the first time at 48-46 on a putback by Pacers guard George Hill, the Grizzlies got 3-pointers from Barnes and guard Vince Carter during the run. Carter capped the run with a reverse dunk.
Indiana answered with a run of its own, scoring nine straight to trim the Memphis lead to three points. The Grizzlies led 70-66 after three quarters.
The Grizzlies never trailed in the first half and built a nine-point lead at 19-10 late in the first quarter. The early lead had as much to do with Memphis' 10-of-22 shooting from the field in the first quarter as it did with Indiana's struggles. The Pacers were 5 of 19 in the first quarter and missed 8 of 9 3-point attempts.
In the second quarter, the Pacers gradually trimmed the deficit. A 3-pointer by George cut the Grizzlies' lead to 39-37 with three minutes left and centert Ian Mahinmi made it a one-point game (42-41) a minute later. Jordan Hill's putback in the closing seconds kept it a one-point game (44-43).
George had 14 points at the half for the Pacers, who were 3 of 14 from beyond the arc. Gasol had 11 points and seven rebounds at the half for Memphis, which shot 42.5 percent from the floor (17 of 40).
NOTES: Pacers F Paul George was fined $35,000 on Saturday for his public criticism of the officiating and use of profanity after Friday's 104-97 home win over Brooklyn. Pacers coach Frank Vogel called it a "heat of the moment" reaction by George and added "he's entitled to say what he feels. I don't have much more to say about it beyond that." ... Grizzlies G/F Tony Allen missed his fifth straight game with a right knee injury. ... Indiana opponents have averaged 111.8 points in Pacers losses this season, most allowed in the NBA. In wins by the Pacers, their opponents average 91.2 points. ... The Grizzlies allowed 10 3-pointers in their 97-88 loss on Friday night at Dallas. Fifteen opponents have made 10 or more 3-pointers against the Grizzlies this season, most allowed in the NBA. ... The Pacers entered the game averaging 103.8 points. The average leads the Eastern Conference and ranks sixth in the NBA. ... The Grizzlies do not normally struggle in the second game of back-to-back games. Memphis entered Saturday night with a 6-1 record in the second game of back-to-backs while averaging 103.7 points and shooting 48 percent from the field.