• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Gay, Grizzlies down Suns

Apr 12, 2012 - 6:45 AM Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Rudy Gay netted 32 points as the Memphis Grizzlies downed the Phoenix Suns, 104-93, at FedExForum.

Zach Randolph added 17 points and nine rebounds, while O.J. Mayo contributed 15 points and Mike Conley finished with 12 and seven assists for Memphis, which won its fourth straight game and sits in the fifth seed of the Western Conference.

"It's all about winning," said Randolph. "Whatever I can do to help the team out, that's what I'm going to do."

Marcin Gortat paced Phoenix with 19 points, Shannon Brown had 18 and Markieff Morris dropped in 17 for the Suns, who had won five of their last six.

Steve Nash had 11 points and 10 assists but turned the ball over seven times as Phoenix fell to the 10th spot in the West after Utah won on Wednesday.

Memphis held a 59-53 lead at the half and after a Marreese Speights jumper gave the Grizzlies their second double-digit advantage of the game four minutes into the third quarter, 69-58, the Suns battled back with a 9-1 push to get within 70-67.

Memphis, though, answered with an 8-2 run to regain its 11-point lead, 78-67, and held an 80-72 cushion at the end of the third.

The Suns then opened the fourth with an 11-1 push to take an 83-81 lead on Sebastian Telfair's jumper with a little less than nine minutes remaining in the game, but four straight points by Randolph put the Grizzlies back on top and they would not fall behind again.

Phoenix did manage to tie the game twice as the team's traded baskets over the next three possessions before a pair of Conley free throws sparked a 7-0 spurt by Memphis and the Suns would get no closer than five points down the stretch as the Grizzlies pulled away for the win.

"The second unit did everything they could to put us in a position to win, but the starters have to be able to complete the game," Suns head coach Alvin Gentry said.

It was a one-possession game over the first six-plus minutes of the first quarter until Conley's three-point play sparked a 10-0 run by the Grizzlies to jump out to a 23-16 lead.

Phoenix answered with a 6-3 spurt to close the gap to four, but Memphis recorded six of the last 10 points of the frame to carry a 32-26 advantage into the second quarter.

An early 10-1 run by Phoenix gave the Suns a 36-35 edge, but Randolph snapped the spurt with a layup to retake the lead and Memphis was able to maintain the advantage for the remainder of the half, taking a 59-53 edge into the break.

Game Notes

Memphis guard Tony Allen missed his fourth straight game with a lacerated lip...Phoenix won the season series, 2-1...The Grizzlies held a 43-31 advantage on the glass and a 20-9 edge in second-chance points.