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Conley, Gay lead Grizzlies over Hornets

Oct 19, 2010 - 3:52 AM MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Mike Conley scored 19 points, Rudy Gay had 16 and reserve rookie guard Xavier Henry added 15 to help the Memphis Grizzlies remain unbeaten in the preseason with a 96-91 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Monday night.

Henry scored 14 points in the second half and sparked the Grizzlies in the final quarter. Memphis entered the fourth quarter trailing 74-67, but opened the period on an 11-2 run capped by Henry's 3-pointer from the right wing for a 78-76 lead.

The Grizzlies built the lead to nine points in the game's closing minute.

Memphis (7-0) hasn't won as many games in the preseason since 2005-06, the last season in which it qualified for the playoffs.

"We revved it up in the second half and everybody contributed," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "That's the way we would like to do it (during the regular season)."

Pops Mensah-Bonsu had 19 points for the Hornets (1-5), while Aaron Gray scored 13. Chris Paul was held to seven points on 3-of-13 shooting, but finished with 12 assists. Forward David West missed his fourth consecutive game with a sprained right wrist.

The Grizzlies played without All-Star forward Zach Randolph, who missed the game with an illness, but they persevered behind Henry's best game of the preseason. Henry's previous high had been nine points against Milwaukee on Saturday.

"I'm getting more comfortable in the system," Henry said. "I knew I'd eventually loosen up and start playing the game instead of thinking the game."

Henry spent one year at Kansas before being taken as the 12th overall pick by the Grizzlies in the NBA draft.

"He's a scorer," Hollins said of Henry. "That's what he is. I thought he played well overall. He made some hustle plays, got a couple of rebounds (and) made some plays on the break."

Without Randolph, the Grizzlies were outrebounded 23-17 in the first half and led only briefly.

The Hornets scored the game's first eight points and led 15-7 midway through the opening quarter before the Grizzlies rallied. O.J. Mayo and Conley had four points each during a 12-4 run that gave the Grizzlies a 20-17 lead.

Unable to establish a presence underneath, the Grizzlies failed to keep the lead.

The Hornets went up 46-40 late in the second quarter before Conley helped direct a comeback. He hit six straight free throws to tie the game at 50 with 30.6 seconds to go. Two baskets by Marcus Thornton in the final 8.1 seconds put New Orleans up 54-50. Thornton's second basket came on a driving layup at the buzzer after a steal at midcourt.

Notes: The Hornets acquired G Curtis Jerrells from San Antonio on Monday for a second-round draft pick. Jerrells, undrafted out of Baylor in 2009, averaged 6.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in five preseason games with the Spurs. ... The Hornets trimmed their roster to 16 by waiving G Mustafa Shakur and C Darryl Watkins. ... Veteran G Tony Allen missed his third straight game for the Grizzlies with a sore right ankle.