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Randolph, Grizzlies beat Jazz

Dec 16, 2012 - 5:42 AM Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - Zach Randolph registered a double-double with 25 points and 16 rebounds on Saturday, as the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a three-game skid with a 99-86 triumph over the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena.

Marc Gasol donated 16 points and eight boards, while Rudy Gay added 14 points in the victory, Memphis' first in Utah since Jan. 24, 2007.

"We played better defense in the second half and that was the key," Gasol said. "When we play good defense, when we are unselfish defensively, it translates into offense."

Al Jefferson led the Jazz with 21 points and eight rebounds and Paul Millsap chipped in 12 points for Utah, which has lost two straight.

Memphis trailed, 54-44, at the break, but the Grizzlies opened the third quarter on an 11-3 run to pull within two on Randolph's jumper just under four minutes into the second half.

After Utah answered with the next four points, Memphis responded with a 10-0 sprint, capped by a Gasol hook shot to take a 65-61 edge with just under four minutes left in the third.

Derrick Favors quelled the run with a layup, but Memphis closed the quarter on a 7-1 swing to take a 72-64 advantage into the final frame.

The Grizzlies went to their workhorse in the fourth, as Randolph poured in eight straight Memphis points midway through the frame, including a reverse layup to give the visitors an 86-75 lead with 5:45 left.

Memphis held Utah at bay from there, as the Jazz went nearly five minutes without a bucket from the field down the stretch.

"Second half they picked their defense effort a little bit and got a little more physical and we just didn't respond," Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin admitted.

Neither team led by more than three in a tightly-contested first quarter that found the Jazz holding a slim 21-19 edge.

Utah then opened the second on 9-2 run, capped by Gordon Hayward's triple less than 2 1/2 minutes in to give the Jazz a 30-21 advantage.

A Gay running hook shot cut the margin to four just before the midpoint of the second, but the Jazz tallied 10 of the next 12 points to build a 48-36 lead before carrying a 10-point edge into the locker room.

Game Notes

Memphis had dropped their last nine contests in Utah ... Hayward finished with 11 points ... Gay has scored at least 14 points in every game this season, extending his streak to a career-high 24 consecutive games.