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Suns mount incredible rally to down Grizzlies in double OT

Nov 6, 2010 - 6:48 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Jason Richardson poured in 38 points and came up with an incredible three-point bank shot and the tying alley-oop bucket as part of a crazy finish to regulation, as Phoenix beat Memphis, 123-118, in double-overtime to win at home for the first time this season.

Steve Nash had a combined 13 overtime points and scored 25 in total to go with nine assists for the Suns. Richardson went 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol each had 26 points for the Grizzlies, who lost their third straight game. Mike Conley had 16 points, seven assists and five steals for Memphis, which also received 12 points and 14 boards from Zach Randolph. Darrell Arthur ended with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

It was a wild conclusion to regulation when the Grizzlies squandered a chance to finish the game with a win. O.J. Mayo hit two free throws with 3.7 seconds left for a 98-94 difference, but Richardson banked in a long three-point try with 1.1 seconds to go.

After a Memphis timeout, Gay inbounded the ball off the back of Phoenix's Grant Hill. Gay got the ball and the clock ran out, but officials huddled at the scorer's table, and upon video review officials determined Gay was fouled by Nash with 0.4 seconds remaining.

Gay missed the first foul shot and then accidentally made the second one.

That left the Suns one last chance following a timeout. Hill inbounded the ball and delivered a perfect pass to the rim for a wide open Richardson, who directed the ball around the rim and through.

"Well we knew we worked on that play at practice all the time, the end of the game situation, and (Hill) threw a great pass," Richardson said. "He's known for great passes. He threw one to Christian Laettner to win the game (in the NCAA Tournament), so he threw a great pass up there and I almost missed the lay-up, but I'm glad it went in."

Fans who were walking out of US Airways Center returned and saw Richardson hit the opening layup of overtime. He nailed a jumper to give the hosts a 109-108 edge with 25.6 seconds left.

Nash committed a reach-in foul on a driving Conley with 6.6 seconds remaining, and a 1-of-2 effort squared the contest again.

Phoenix had three cracks at winning at the end of the first OT. Nash's three- point try kicked off the back of the rim, and Hill and Channing Frye both couldn't connect on tip-in attempts.

Richardson nailed a three and Nash connected with a running bank to start the second OT. The Suns were ahead the rest of the way, although Gay's chance to tie the game failed when his three-ball from the left wing was off the mark with under 10 seconds left. Richardson made two foul shots.

After Mayo made a layup with 1.8 seconds left, Nash countered with two at the line to seal the outcome.

The Grizzlies made just 3-of-10 shots from the field in the second OT and went 2-for-6 from the charity stripe in the shortened stanza.

"We missed some free throws. It's a tough thing, especially with a young team when we thought we had the game won," said Grizzlies acting head coach David Joerger. "And I was trying to tell guys it's not over, it's not over. Crazy things happen. And crazy things did happen."

Memphis led by as many as 18 in the opening quarter and was in front 55-45 at the half. The Grizzlies carried a 76-70 edge going to the fourth, but Phoenix scored the opening eight points of the period, capped by a Goran Dragic three- pointer.

Game Notes

Joerger was at the helm for the Grizzlies Friday because head coach Lionel Hollins and lead assistant Johnny Davis attended the funeral of former NBA standout Maurice Lucas, who died earlier this week due to cancer...The teams combined for 54 turnovers...Phoenix has won 14 of the last 17 meetings in the overall series and eight of the last nine at home against the Grizzlies...Gasol went 12-of-13 from the field...Hedo Turkoglu had 18 points for the Suns, who went 14-of-35 from three-point range.