Grizzlies grind out OT victory over winless Pelicans
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- JaMychal Green scored 21 points, Mike Conley added 20 and Marc Gasol, who had struggled throughout the game, dropped in a key 3-pointer in overtime to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the New Orleans Pelicans 89-83 on Wednesday night at FedExForum.
Gasol's 3-pointer came with 2:39 left in overtime and gave the Grizzlies an 84-76 lead. Conley followed with another 3-pointer for a 10-point advantage less than a minute later.
The Pelicans, winless in five games, were led by reserve Lance Stephenson, who scored 21 points. Langston Galloway and Buddy Hield, also reserves, scored 18 points apiece.
The Pelicans got 64 points from their bench. Anthony Davis, averaging 37 points per game, was 3-of-13 shooting from the field and finished with 10 points.
The Grizzlies and Pelicans struggled throughout. Both failed to shoot 40 percent from the floor in regulation and both were plagued by turnovers and faulty execution.
Memphis had 20 turnovers and scored only nine points in the fourth quarter. New Orleans had 22 turnovers and scored only 11 points in the third quarter.
Gasol made only three of his 18 shots in 38 minutes, one night after being given the night off by coach David Fizdale.
Ahead by seven at the half after a 35-point second quarter, the Pelicans lost their shooting touch in the third. Missing its first seven shots of the quarter -- followed closely by three successive turnovers -- New Orleans managed only 11 points in the quarter and Memphis took advantage. The Grizzlies led 66-59 entering the fourth.
The Pelicans shot 22.7 percent in the third quarter (5 of 22) and went 1 of 7 from beyond the arc.
New Orleans' shooting woes began early.
Trailing 21-13 after shooting 29.4 percent from the floor in the first quarter, the Pelicans recovered behind Stephenson and Galloway. Stephenson and Galloway combined for 24 of the team's 35 points in the second quarter and New Orleans led 48-41 at the break.
Stephenson scored nine straight points midway through the quarter and Galloway followed with a 10-point run. Galloway's back-to-back 3-pointers late in the quarter gave the Pelicans a seven-point lead, their biggest of the opening half.
The Grizzlies' four veterans – Gasol, Conley, Tony Allen and Zach Randolph -- struggled in the first 24 minutes. They combined to shoot 6 of 28. Randolph missed his first seven attempts and was 1 of 8 in the half.
NOTES: Memphis G Tony Allen, who missed the first three games of the season with a right knee injury, played in Monday's loss at Minnesota and made his first start against the Pelicans. ... New Orleans C/F Anthony Davis opened the season with back-to-back games of 50 and 45 points and entered Tuesday's game with a 37-point average. Davis has benefited from being an 86 percent free-throw shooter. He leads the league in free throws made (12.3 per game) and attempted (14.3). ... Pelican guards Tyreke Evans (right knee) and Quincy Pondexter (left knee), both with Memphis connections, did not play. Evans is a former University of Memphis player and Pondexter is a former Grizzlies' guard. ... Pelicans G Tim Frazier, filling in for Jrue Holiday (out for personal reasons), is one of four NBA players averaging at least 15 points, nine assists and 4.5 rebounds. The others are: Houston's James Harden, Cleveland's LeBron James and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook. "I think that he's done everything we could possibly ask him to do in that situation," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said of Frazier. "And he has been really good."