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Grizzlies take down Timberwolves

Jan 5, 2012 - 4:24 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Rudy Gay scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Grizzlies to a 90-86 win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday.

Tony Allen poured in 20 points, while Mike Conley scored 12 and dished out eight assists for Memphis, which has won three of four.

Kevin Love had a game-high 27 points and pulled down 14 boards while Ricky Rubio added 12 points and 10 assists for Minnesota, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Michael Beasley also had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

A Love three with 1:45 remaining pulled the Timberwolves within two, but Allen answered with a layup for an 80-76 edge. Beasley slammed in a thunderous putback dunk with 48 seconds left, but Gay came back with a jumper to restore a four-point edge.

The back-and-forth continued. After Rubio nailed a three to make it a one- point game, Conley made two free throws. Love then tipped in his own miss with 3.8 second left to make it an 86-85 game, but Mayo sank a pair from the line. Memphis then fouled Luke Ridnour to keep Minnesota from shooting a game-tying three.

Ridnour made the first free throw before intentionally throwing the ball off the rim in an attempt to make a putback, but missed as the Grizzlies held on for the win.

"We believe we can beat anyone we play its just a matter of doing it," Ridnour said. "Especially at home we have got to find a way to win those game, like I said you got to give them credit, they did the little things."

The Grizzlies opened the game on a 16-3 run and led 20-14 after one quarter. The T'Wolves shaved the deficit to three over the first two minutes of the second when Rubio found Anthony Randolph for an alley oop layup, but a 14-4 Memphis run made it 37-24 with just under 5 1/2 minutes to play.

Minnesota came within four with 2:30 left in the first half and trailed 43-37 at the break.

The T'Wolves took the lead in the third, going up 46-43 after Love nailed a trey at the 9:36 mark. Minnesota led by as many as five in the third stanza before Memphis regained the lead with 1:30 left. But Minnesota scored the final five points of the quarter to take a 59-57 lead into the fourth.

Minnesota built a five-point lead at 7:45 mark of the fourth quarter, when Rubio drove to the hoop and got a layup to fall, but an O.J. Mayo three and a Gay putback slam knotted the score at 68. The shots started a 13-0 run that Mayo ended with a free throw with 4:07 to play.

"We shot the ball well from the free throw line that's what you got to do when the ball isn't dropping," Gay said. "You got to find a way to get back in it, we did that and got the win against a good team. They are a different team than they were last year."

Game Notes

The Grizzlies were without Zach Randolph, who is nursing a knee injury...Memphis acquired Marreese Speights from the Sixers on Wednesday...The Grizzlies have won five in a row against the T'Wolves...Ridnour had 13 points for Minnesota.