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Grizzlies dump hot Nets with balanced attack

Jan 26, 2013 - 4:53 AM Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Marc Gasol had 20 points to lead seven Memphis players in double figures, and the Grizzlies cooled off the previously hot Brooklyn Nets with a 101-77 thumping Friday at FedExForum.

Gasol added nine rebounds while going 10-of-15 from the field, scoring all of his points during a first half in which the Grizzlies led by as many as 25 en route to their fourth victory in five games.

Mike Conley finished with 14 points in Memphis' balanced and effective offensive attack, with Zach Randolph compiling 12 points and nine rebounds in the rout.

The Nets shot just 40.8 percent from the field and went a poor 3-of-17 from 3- point range in suffering only their second defeat in 12 January outings. Brooklyn may have also lost starting point guard Deron Williams, who exited the contest late in the third quarter with a quadriceps contusion.

"They just took it to us," said Nets head coach P.J. Carlesimo. "They're one of the best teams in the league and they showed us why."

Brook Lopez paced the Nets with 18 points, with Williams totaling 12 points and six assists prior to departing.

Gasol was a force right from the get-go, amassing 12 points and six rebounds in the first quarter while igniting an early 13-4 run that staked the Grizzlies to a 19-9 lead just over seven minutes into the contest.

Memphis was ahead by as many as 14 points in the opening frame and held a 32-22 advantage by period's end, and was able to extend the margin with an equally strong second quarter.

The Nets trimmed the deficit to six during the initial stages of the second session, but the Grizzlies went on an 11-0 tear later on to break the game completely open. Chris Johnson buried a deep 3-pointer to begin the spurt, then capped it by dunking home a Tony Wroten miss to put Memphis ahead by a commanding 53-33 count with under five minutes to play in the half.

Memphis cruised into the break up 67-44 behind a torrid 60.4 percent shooting display, with Randolph making good on six of his eight field goal tries to aid Gasol's 20-point outburst.

"We did a pretty good job in the first half of moving the ball," said Gasol. "We knew what was there. [The Nets] wanted to show on the pick-and-roll and that created mismatches inside."

Brooklyn only made slight progress in the third quarter despite shooting an improved 52.9 percent over the 12-minute span. Reggie Evans netted eight points during the stanza, and his short jumper with 43.3 seconds to go pulled the Nets within 85-67 heading into the fourth.

They would get no closer, however, with Memphis beginning the quarter with a 10-4 sequence to put the game out of reach.

Wroten was one of three Grizzlies players, along with Rudy Gay and Jerryd Bayless, to put up 11 points, with Johnson scoring a career-best 10 in the win.

Game Notes

Evans ended with 11 points and a team-best 10 rebounds for Brooklyn, which fell to 12-3 since Carlesimo replaced Avery Johnson as head coach ... Gay played in his 477th career game as a Grizzlie, passing Pau Gasol for sole possession of first place in franchise history for that category ... Memphis improved to 13-0 this season when hitting the 100-point mark and 20-2 when outshooting the opposition. The Grizzlies went 52.2 percent from the floor ... Jon Leuer, acquired in a trade with Cleveland earlier in the week, made his Memphis debut during the game's final stages.