Timberwolves 80 - 85 Grizzlies
Final
  for this game

Grizzlies take down Timberwolves

Feb 9, 2012 - 5:27 AM Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Rudy Gay had 19 points, nine rebounds and three steals, helping the Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 85-80.

Quincy Pondexter added a career-high 17 points and six boards for the Grizzlies, who snapped a three-game skid. Dante Cunningham and Marc Gasol each had 12 points.

"I just tried to continue being aggressive," Pondexter said. "After the last few games, I was real disappointed. I stayed aggressive and my teammates did a great job of finding me. You just have to be active on the floor, getting rebounds and doing a lot of the little things that help you be real productive in these types of games."

J.J. Barea ended with 17 points and six assists for the Timberwolves, who had a three-game winning streak stopped. Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams each donated 13 points.

All-Star forward Kevin Love served the second of a two-game suspension. He will return to action when Minnesota plays Dallas on Friday.

The Grizzlies led for a majority of the first quarter and took a 26-21 margin into the second.

Ahead by four, 36-32, with 4:14 left until half, Memphis went on a 8-2 spurt to create some distance. Cunningham had four points during the surge, which Mike Conley capped with a layup for a 44-34 lead at the break.

The Grizzlies scored the first six points of the second half. Pondexter and Marreese Speights each made two free throws prior to Gay's slam, which made it a 50-34 game.

Trailing by 16, 56-40, with 7:09 remaining in the third, Minnesota put together a 10-0 run to make things close. Wesley Johnson's slam and alley-oop dunk cut the gap to 56-50.

But Memphis promptly responded with eight straight points to build a 64-50 lead with 1 1/2 minutes to go. It was a 66-54 game heading to the fourth.

The Grizzlies led by as many as 17 in the final period.

Game Notes

Memphis has won six in a row against Minnesota...Timberwolves center Darko Milicic (bruised left quadriceps) missed the game...The Grizzlies were without guard Tony Allen (hip/knee)...Nikola Pekovic had 10 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota...Speights tied a career high with 15 rebounds.






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