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Mayo shows stellar scoring touch in win over Pacers

Oct 14, 2008 - 2:49 AM By Jason Smith PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) -- O.J. Mayo finally found the outside shooting touch that had eluded him in his first three preseason games.

Mayo connected on six 3-pointers and scored 26 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Indiana Pacers, 103-95, in an exhibition matchup Monday at FedEx Forum.

The third overall pick in June's draft out of Southern California, Mayo finished 10-of-17 from the floor, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. The rookie guard had shot just 34.1 percent (14-of-41) from the field in Memphis' first three preseason games.

His final 3-pointer, with 29 seconds left in the third quarter, capped a 24-10 run, and helped give the Grizzlies an 84-69 advantage entering the fourth.

Memphis, which got 16 points from third-year forward Rudy Gay and a double-double from rookie center Marc Gasol with 14 points and 10 rebounds, would go on to lead by as many as 20 in the final quarter.

Indiana, led by point guard T.J. Ford's 18 points, held Memphis scoreless over the final 4:58 of the first quarter, outscoring the Grizzlies, 13-0, over that span to erase what had been a 21-10 first-quarter deficit.

The Pacers led by as many as seven points in the second quarter, as Ford and center Rasho Nesterovic combined to score 26 of the team's 53 first-half points.

Nesterovic finished with 12 for Indiana and rookie center Roy Hibbert added 17 and nine boards off the bench.