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Grizzlies rally past Jazz

Apr 15, 2012 - 5:00 AM Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Rudy Gay scored a game-high 26 points to go with 12 rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies used a big fourth quarter to top the playoff-hopeful Utah Jazz, 103-98, at FedEx Forum.

O.J. Mayo finished with 20 points -- 17 in the final 12 minutes -- and Marc Gasol added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have won five of their last six games. Mike Conley also had 17 points for Memphis, which is entrenched in the fifth spot in the Western Conference, 1 1/2 games ahead of Dallas.

"Obviously, it makes it more of a playoff atmosphere when teams are playing for something, basically for seeding or to get into the playoffs when they play like that," said Gay.

Devin Harris finished with 20 points and six assists, and Al Jefferson netted 20 points to go with eight rebounds for Utah. Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward contributed 17 points apiece for the Jazz, who have lost two straight and are two games behind Houston and Denver, who are tied for seventh in the West. Utah is also a half-game behind ninth-place Phoenix. Derrick Favors donated 10 points in defeat.

Trailing by six heading into the final quarter, the Grizzlies quickly erased the deficit with a 12-4 burst to take an 82-80 lead on a Mayo three-pointer with just over eight minutes to play.

After falling behind 86-84 on a Harris jumper, the Grizzlies rallied and a layup by Conley with just over four minutes left put Memphis up 88-86.

A running layup by Mayo extended the Memphis lead to five with just over three minutes left, but the Jazz stayed close and two free throws from Favors with 1:04 to play made it a one-point game.

Mayo answered at the other end with a huge three to put the Grizzlies up 98-94, and Gay and Gasol sank key free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

"We're trying to fight for something," said Gasol. "If you look at the standings, you're going to get motivated, enough said."

After a tightly contested first quarter that featured five lead changes and seven ties, Utah held a slim 30-28 lead.

With the game tied at 32 early in the second quarter, the Jazz opened up a 40-34 lead with an 8-2 run, but that's the largest lead either side would have in the first half.

Memphis quickly closed the gap by scoring the next six points to tie things at 40 on a Gasol jumper with 4:27 to play before halftime.

Jefferson drained a 19-foot jumper to extended the Utah lead to 51-46, but the Grizzlies stayed close and scored the final four points of the half to get within 51-50 at the break.

Trailing by three with just over five minutes to play in the third quarter, the Jazz grabbed some measure of control with a 9-0 burst to go ahead 72-66 with just under three minutes to play.

Conley hit two free throws to cut it to three with 51.8 seconds to play, but Millsap connected on a deep three-pointer with one second left in the third stanza to restore the Jazz's six-point lead, 76-70, heading into the final quarter.

Game Notes

Memphis improved to 15-3 when it scores 100-or-more points this season...Memphis shot 49 percent from the floor and 7-of-13 from three-point range, while the Jazz shot 48 percent from the floor and just 5-of-11 from beyond the arc...Utah outrebounded Memphis, 41-38...Memphis turned 14 Utah turnovers into 16 points, while the Jazz converted 12 Grizzlies turnovers into 16 points...The game featured 20 lead changes and 17 ties.