Grizzlies 99 - 86 Timberwolves
Final
  for this game

Gasol helps Grizzlies take down Timberwolves

Mar 31, 2013 - 5:23 AM

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Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Marc Gasol scored 21 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 99-86 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

Mike Conley scored 19 points and Zach Randolph added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have won two straight.

"I thought our defense kept us in the game. We held them to 36 points in the second half and really clamped down and took control of the game," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said.

Ricky Rubio finished one assist shy of a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and Derrick Williams added 19 points for the Timberwolves, who were without center Nikola Pekovic because of a sprained left ankle.

"They are a very solid defensive team and they know exactly what they have to do to win. They took the game away from us in the second half," Wolves coach Rick Adelman said.

Memphis trailed 67-65 entering the fourth, but opened the final frame on a 14-4 burst to take an 81-69 lead with just over seven minutes left.

The Grizzlies' lead grew to 13 points, but a Greg Stiemsma jumper cut the lead to single digits, 86-77, with 3:53 left. It would be as close as the Wolves would get the rest of the way as they fell to their seventh loss in 11 tries.

Memphis shot a blistering 59.1 percent (13-for-22) over the final 12 minutes and went 4-for-6 from behind the arc.

Minnesota led 30-23 after the first quarter, and pushed its spread to 12 early in the second. The Grizzlies, though, outscored the Wolves 19-12 the rest of the way to go into the break trailing 50-45.

Memphis managed to take the lead with a Gasol jumper with just over seven in the third. Minnesota battled back to go up three, 63-60, following a pair of Williams free throws, and took a slender 67-65 lead into the final frame.

Game Notes

Memphis shot 50.7 percent from the floor and went 6-for-10 from downtown ... The Grizzlies scored 18 points off 17 Minnesota turnovers ... There were 17 lead changes ... Darrell Aurthur scored 15 points for the Grizzlies ... Stiemsma finished with 12 points for the Wolves.






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