• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Conley leads Grizzlies over Suns

Jan 11, 2014 - 5:15 AM Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Conley tied a career high with 31 points, 17 of which came in the second half, to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 104-99 victory over the Phoenix Suns at FedEx Forum.

Conley, who poured in 30 points in Tuesday's 110-108 overtime loss to San Antonio, finished 11-of-19 from the field and added seven assists in a second straight outstanding performance.

"I feel like I'm just showing people what I can do," he said. "I'm just going to continue playing and try to get wins and see what happens, because I have no control over [the All-Star selections]. But I feel like I'm playing at an all-time level right now."

Zach Randolph posted 20 points and 13 rebounds and Ed Davis amassed 10 points and 17 boards off the bench in the win, the Grizzlies' third in as many meetings with the Suns this season.

"They are a tough team for us, for whatever reason," Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek remarked.

Goran Dragic paced Phoenix with 21 points and eight assists, with Markieff Morris tallying 17 points in defeat.

A tightly contested game throughout was deadlocked at 88-88 until Conley buried a 3-pointer with 2:43 remaining. The standout point guard found Davis for a successful jumper on the Grizzlies' next possession, then fed James Johnson for another trey that capped a pivotal 8-2 run that put Memphis up by six with 1:40 left.

"Mike Conley made a bunch of great plays at the end of the game," said Hornacek.

The Suns got the deficit down to four on three occasions down the stretch, the last coming on a Dragic runner that pulled Phoenix within 100-96 with 28.1 seconds to go. Mike Miller hit two from the line on Memphis' ensuing trip, however, and Courtney Lee followed with two game-sealing free throws after the Suns' Channing Frye was off the mark on a long-range jumper.

Memphis trailed by double digits early on after an 8-0 run sent the Suns ahead by a 25-15 count eight minutes in. The Grizzlies countered with a 10-2 burst to close the gap, and the game remained close until the Suns began to create some separation towards the end of the first half.

A Marcus Morris 3-pointer ignited a 7-2 spurt that extended Phoenix's lead to 51-44 with three minutes left in the second quarter, and the Suns carried a 55-48 advantage into the break behind 13 points from Dragic and 10 from Frye.

Phoenix owned a 71-64 lead midway through the third quarter before missing 11 of its next 12 field goal attempts, enabling the Grizzlies to end the period on a 10-3 run that forged a 74-74 tie entering the final frame.

Game Notes

Conley also had 31 points against Philadelphia on Mar. 7, 2009 ... Davis' 17 rebounds bettered a career best set twice previously, most recently at Houston while with Toronto on Feb. 28, 2012 ... The Suns dropped to 5-6 when guard Eric Bledsoe, who underwent knee surgery on Friday and is sidelined indefinitely, is out of the lineup ... Memphis shot 48.8 percent from the floor compared to a 41.3 percent clip for Phoenix, improving the Grizzlies to 15-4 when outshooting their opponent this season.