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Millsap helps Jazz slip past Memphis

Jan 2, 2011 - 6:32 AM Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - Paul Millsap led a balanced Jazz attack with 22 points and 10 rebounds, Deron Williams added 19 points and Utah topped Memphis, 98-92, at EnergySolutions Arena.

Rookie Gordon Hayward finished with 13 points and Al Jefferson and Raja Bell scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Utah, which has alternated wins and losses in its last four games.

"Every team is going to come out and play hard," Millsap said when asked if things are coming easier for him. "This is a very good basketball team that we played tonight. Our guys did a great job coming out with the win."

Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies with a game-high 27 points and 16 rebounds. O.J. Mayo scored 18 and Mike Conley added 17 points and seven assists for Memphis, which has dropped two in a row.

This was the second close game for the Grizzlies as they lost 100-98 to Sacramento on Wednesday on Tyreke Evans' beyond midcourt buzzer beater.

Down 71-69, the Grizzlies took the lead 19 seconds into the fourth quarter when Mayo drained a long three-pointer. Utah's Jeremy Evans responded with a alley-oop dunk on the next possession to regain the lead for the Jazz.

The game remained close down the stretch, including three ties. However, after two Jefferson free throws put the game at 83-83 just inside six minutes, Williams connected on a mid-range jumper at the five minute mark to give Utah the lead for good.

A Randolph layup at 1:25 made it a one-possession game, 94-91, but forced to foul, Memphis sent Williams to the line -- he made both. Marc Gasol made the back end of two from the line, and Hayward capped the night with a driving slam with 18.9 seconds left.

"We didn't make enough plays," Memphis head coach Lionel Hollins said. "We were getting stops and then we were turning the ball over. We just didn't get it done."

The game was tied at 21 after a back-and-forth first quarter. The Jazz jumped out to a 48-38 halftime lead behind a strong second quarter where Millsap and Hayward both poured in eight points.

The Grizzlies shot 65 percent from the field in the third, and trimmed the Utah advantage to 71-69 entering the fourth quarter.

Game Notes

The last time the Grizzlies won in Utah was January 2007...Memphis is 0-2 on a three-game road trip...Gasol finished with 16 points...Utah began a three-game homestand that will see the Jazz host Detroit and Atlanta...The Jazz have won 13-of-14 in this series.