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Gay, Randolph lead Grizzlies over Clippers 106-91

Nov 19, 2009 - 5:24 AM MEMPHIS, Tenn.(AP) -- Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins thinks his team's chemistry is finally right.

Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph scored 21 points apiece and the Memphis Grizzlies won their second straight, 106-91 over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

"It's caring about each other and respecting each other and getting back to being a team again," Hollins said. "We've been working on coming back together."

Marc Gasol set a club record for consecutive field goals made, making 15 straight over a two-game span before a miss in the third period.

"Two games in a row we've won," said Gasol, who had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists. "That's the most important. Everything else is just numbers and stats. As you can see, we're playing better."

O.J. Mayo also had 16 points as Memphis shot 54 percent from the field. All of Gay's points came in the second half as he made 9 of 12 shots.

Baron Davis led the Clippers with 23 points, and Chris Kaman finished with 17. Ricky Davis and Craig Smith each scored 12 points, Smith missing only one of his seven shots.

"They're at home, so we can't afford to give them extra possessions, extra buckets," Baron Davis said. "At times, we get out of sync offensively. Next thing you know, a two-point game is a 10-point game. It's a four-point game, then it's a 13-point game. It's a six-point game, and it's a 15-point game.

"You can't play like that on the road. You have to stay close, and you have to be able to get stops and get rebounds. We weren't able to do that."

The Grizzlies hit their first seven shots, including four by Gasol, who was 8 of 8 in Saturday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gasol hit three more before a miss with 3:52 left in the third quarter, breaking Tony Massenburg's franchise record of 13 straight established in 1999.

Memphis shot 59 percent in the first half and carried a 55-45 lead into the break. Randolph and Gasol scored 14 points apiece, while Mayo had 12 points. The trio was a combined 16 of 20 from the field. Memphis enjoyed success inside after Clippers forward Marcus Camby left the game in the first quarter with a lower back bruise and did not return.

"Part of the problem was that Gasol had a good night on us," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We were doing a good job on Zach Randolph until Marcus Camby hurt his back and had to go out of the game.

"The Grizzlies had it going both ways in the post, which forced us to double-team, and they made shots," he added.

The Clippers initially kept pace as Kaman missed only one of his first five shots, and Baron Davis scored 15 of the Clippers' 23 points in the first period. Kaman had the other eight.

Davis ended up with 20 points in the half, while Kaman had 12.

"We didn't come out ready to play," Kaman said. "Anytime that happens, it's going to be a tough night. Defensively, we let them get away from us a little bit. They had dunks and easy layups. Our rotations were bad."

Already leading by double digits, Memphis opened the third period with a 9-2 run. The Grizzlies would build their lead to 22 points in the third and were up 82-64 at the end of the period.

The Clippers, using their reserves for more defensive intensity, were able to get within 13 in the fourth, but never got closer, dropping their fifth in the last six.

And while the Clippers are reeling, Memphis players think they've found a key to success with better ball movement, balanced scoring and trust in each other.

"How we played today is something like how we need to play every game," Gay said. "We need to spread the ball around."

NOTES: Clippers G Baron Davis recorded five assists, leaving him five short of 5,000 for his career. Grizzlies G Jamaal Tinsley, signed to a contract last Saturday, appeared in his first game since the middle of the 2007-08 season. Tinsley, who picked up two quick fouls after entering in the first quarter, played six minutes and did not score. Clippers G Eric Gordon was out with a strained groin. The Clippers are 1-8 when the second-year guard out of Indiana doesn't play. Also inactive was G Kareem Rush, who tore his right ACL in Tuesday night's game at New Orleans. The injury will be reevaluated when the Clippers return home to Los Angeles. Grizzlies C Hasheem Thabeet, the second pick in last year's draft, played 12 minutes. Coach Lionel Hollins said the rookie will begin to get more playing time. "I just think he needs to play," Hollins said, adding, "You look at the situation, where we are, do I play guys who really aren't the future? I decided he's got to get out there and take his lumps."