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Grizzlies use big fourth quarter to down Nuggets

Feb 14, 2011 - 4:37 AM Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Zach Randolph scored 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Memphis Grizzlies over the Denver Nuggets, 116-108, at FedEx Forum.

Darrell Arthur finished with a team-high 24 points in a reserve role and Rudy Gay added 23 for Memphis, which has won three straight. Randolph grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds and Mike Conley finished with 17 points and five assists for the victors.

Carmelo Anthony finished with a game-high 28 points to go along with five rebounds for Denver, which has dropped three of four. Nene, Ty Lawson and J.R. Smith each contributed 14 points in the loss.

"You always have to pick up your level of play when you play against someone like [Anthony]," Gay said.

Trailing 90-82 entering the fourth quarter, The Grizzlies used the opening minutes of the fourth to trim their deficit, and after a pair of Conley free throws at the eight minute mark the game was tied at 96-96.

After trading baskets, Arthur made four straight from the line to give Memphis a 104-100 lead. The Grizzlies' lead remained around four until a Randolph layup and Conley jumper widened the Memphis advantage to 112-104 with 2:16 remaining. The Grizzlies maintained down the stretch to end a three-game skid against the Nuggets.

"They got all the loose balls, steals, offensive rebounds, you name it," Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups said of the Grizzlies down the stretch.

Arthur scored 10 on 5-of-6 from the field in the first quarter as the Grizzlies held a 31-26 lead after the opening 12 minutes.

The Nuggets opened the second quarter on a 16-3 run, capped by a Smith driving reverse layup at 8:10, giving them a 42-34 advantage. Smith scored six in the run, and Denver's lead remained around eight until a Smith slam with 1:31 remaining widened it to 11, 62-51.

After trading baskets down the stretch, a Smith fadeaway jumper gave the Nuggets a 67-55 edge at the break. The Denver guard scored 10 on 5-of-6 from the field in the stanza, and as a team the Nuggets connected on 76 percent from the field in the second quarter.

The Nuggets widened their lead to as high as 17, 86-69, with an Anthony three- pointer at 3:59. However, Arthur made the back end of two from the line on the next possession to begin a 8-0 Memphis run to keep the game close.

The teams traded baskets down the stretch and Smith's pullup jumper with 20.6 ticks remaining gave the Nuggets a 90-82 lead entering the final stanza.

Game Notes

Denver won the previous meeting 108-107 on December 5 at Pepsi Center...Tony Allen and Marc Gasol scored 17 and 15 points, respectively, for Memphis...The Grizzlies held a 41-29 rebounding advantage and scored 20 points off 15 Memphis turnovers...The game featured 11 lead changes...Billups and Kenyon Martin added 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Denver.