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Grizzlies edge struggling Lakers

Dec 1, 2010 - 7:49 AM Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Mike Conley poured in 28 points and Rudy Gay finished with 14 points and six blocks as the Memphis Grizzlies edged the LA Lakers, 98-96, at FedExForum.

Zach Randolph added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have won four of five.

"Mike played a great game tonight," Memphis head coach Lionel Hollins said. "He has to go back it up tomorrow night when we play the Atlanta Hawks, as we all do as a team. It's just his fourth year in the league, and the kid has a long ways to go, as do all of our young players. They've got a long ways to go."

Kobe Bryant finished with a game-high 29 points, and Pau Gasol added 15 points and 14 boards for the Lakers, who have lost three straight for the first time since March of last season.

Ron Artest scored 12 and Lamar Odom supplied eight points and 11 rebounds in defeat.

Entering the fourth up 70-65 the Grizzlies quickly expanded their lead to double digits with an 8-0 run to open the quarter. LA's Steve Blake responded with two three-pointers to cut the deficit to seven and the Memphis advantage would fluctuate around that mark until the final minutes.

Gay's mid-range jumper put the score at 89-80 with 4 1/2 left, but the Lakers' Shannon Brown hit a triple and a short jumper to keep the game manageable.

Conley connected on a three with 1:41 left to put Memphis up 91-89, and after a jump ball, Artest made a three in the corner to cut the lead to four inside the final minute.

After Marc Gasol missed a short hook shot, Bryant's layup made it a one- possession game. After a timeout with 28.2 seconds left Conley's bad pass was stolen by Pau Gasol and as Artest attempted a potential game-winning three- pointer at the buzzer, Gay came up with a huge block to seal the win.

After a back-and-forth first quarter the game was knotted at 27 heading into the second. Bryant led the Lakers with 11 points in the opening 12 minutes.

An Artest three-pointer just above the six-minute mark gave the Lakers a six- point lead, 43-37, but after trading baskets the Grizzlies were able to knot the score at 45 before they took the lead with a Marc Gasol layup and three- point conversion just over the three-minute mark.

Memphis led 51-49 at the break.

Xavier Henry's jumper at 7:35 put the Grizzlies up 11, and Memphis capitalized on five Lakers turnovers in the third quarter to hold their advantage at five, 70-65, heading into the final stanza.

"I just think we're getting off to late starts in the third quarters," Lakers head coach Phil Jackson said. "It's really hard to come out in the third quarters. You're not ready to play and, with teams getting a double digit lead, you have to fight it back. We have to come out with a little more energy."

Game Notes

The last time the Lakers dropped three straight was March 4-7 of last season (Miami, Charlotte, Orlando)...This is only the second time since Pau Gasol was acquired in 2008 that LA has lost three in a row...The Lakers won the first meeting on November 2...Blake and Brown both added nine points for the Lakers...Henry finished with 12 points and O.J. Mayo added 11 points in a reserve role for the victors.