Wizards top Grizzlies for 13th straight home victory
WASHINGTON -- Otto Porter had 25 points and a career-high six 3-pointers as the Washington Wizards extended their home winning streak to 13 straight with a 104-101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
John Wall also had 25 points, including six in the final 2:11, and 13 assists for the Wizards (22-19), who won three in a row and six of seven overall. Markieff Morris also had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds as Washington exacted revenge from a pre-Halloween loss at Memphis.
Marc Gasol had 28 points for the Grizzlies (25-19). Memphis won the first meeting 112-103 in overtime by overcoming an eight-point deficit with 3:11 remaining in regulation. There were signs of a repeat even though the Wizards led by as many as 17. The Grizzlies roared back to trim the deficit to 97-95 with 2:34 left after Porter's back-to-back 3-pointers put Washington up 95-83.
Following a timeout, Wall penetrated past Memphis big man Marc Gasol for a layup. After a Grizzlies turnover, Wall once again drove for a basket, this time with a baseline drive that left Gasol spinning.
Vince Carter's 3-pointer with 9.9 seconds remaining pulled Memphis within 104-101. After the Grizzlies forced a jump ball and regained possession, James Ennis missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Mike Conley scored 20 points and Carter 12 for Memphis, which dropped two straight and three of its last four. JaMychal Green had 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Though only Washington's second game of the season, the loss at Memphis was part of an 0-3 start that ballooned into a 2-8 record. Since Dec. 5, Washington is 16-7.
The home streak is the franchise's longest since the Washington Bullets won 15 in a row during the 1988-89 season.
Memphis entered the day third in scoring defense at 99.1 points per game, though the Chicago Bulls shot 65 percent in the fourth quarter in the Grizzlies 108-104 loss on Sunday. The struggle stopping opponents continued.
The Wizards didn't match their 75 first-half points from Monday's 120-101 rout over the Portland Trail Blazers, but weren't light on offense. Porter sank all four of his 3-pointers in the opening seven minutes and finished the first half with 17 points. Washington's bench helped push the lead to 17 before entering halftime up 66-51.
Green's 13 points and seven rebounds highlighted a physically imposing third quarter as the Grizzlies outscored the Wizards 26-17 to trail 83-77.
NOTES: In its home victory over Washington on Oct. 30, Memphis C Marc Gasol's 3-pointer with 15.7 seconds left in regulation capped a late rally to force the extra session in which he scored eight of his 20 points. ... Wizards F Danuel House (right wrist fracture) is expected to learn results this week from a CT scan taken Tuesday. The rookie has missed the last 27 games. ... The Grizzlies start a three-game homestand Friday against the Kings. Memphis won the first meeting 112-98 at Sacramento on New Year's Eve. ... The Wizards play at the New York Knicks on Thursday night. Washington defeated New York in a previous meeting, but the Wizards are 1-7 this season in the second game of a back-to-back set.