Grizzlies top Warriors 98-94 for 3rd straight win

[April 04, 2012]  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- O.J. Mayo scored 19 points, Mike Conley added 18 and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a lackluster performance with a fourth-quarter rally to defeat the Golden State Warriors 98-94 on Tuesday night.

Golden State led by 12 early in the fourth quarter, but Memphis went on a 13-0 run to erase the advantage and fight to their third straight win.

Dante Cunningham scored 13 points, hitting all six of his shots for Memphis.

Marc Gasol added 12, Rudy Gay finished with 11 points, despite going 3 of 13 from the field, and Gilbert Arenas scored 10 points, going 4 for 4 from the field.

David Lee scored 22 points to lead the Warriors, who lost their sixth straight. Nate Robinson scored 18 and Brandon Rush added 13 on 4 of 7 from the field.

The Grizzlies won the game by outscoring Golden State 28-15 in the final period, shooting 70.5 percent.

The fourth-quarter rally was keyed by Cunningham, who had nine in the period, and Mayo who scored six.

Memphis was coming off a 94-88 win at Oklahoma City on Monday -- a victory that seemed to provide a new momentum.

But for the first three quarters, the Warriors appeared to be the ones in line for the playoffs, instead of hoping for good draft position.

The game started pretty ugly. The Warriors missed nine of their first 10 shots, and both teams ended the first quarter hitting 9 of 24 from the field.

The offense picked up in the second as Lee was effective for the Warriors, while Memphis was relying on balanced scoring.

Golden State, which started three rookies -- Klay Thompson, Jeremy Tyler and Charles Jenkins -- went to their veterans to take a second-quarter lead.

Lee's basket with 2.4 seconds left in the half gave him 14 points and tied the game at 50 at the break.

Conley, who hit 5 of 7 shots including 2 of 3 outside the arc, had 12 for Memphis.

The Warriors extended the lead to nine in the middle stages of the third as the Grizzlies continued to look lethargic. Mayo hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull Memphis close, but Robinson answered with consecutive long-range jumpers to provide the Warriors a buffer.

That helped Golden State carry a 79-70 lead into the final quarter, and a 3-pointer by Rush on the Warriors' initial possession of the fourth gave them the first double-digit lead of the game.

The lead reached 86-74 on another Robinson basket with just over 10 minutes to play before the Grizzlies began their comeback.

NOTES: Memphis was back at full strength after starting guard Conley and reserve forward Cunningham sat out Monday's win at Oklahoma City with ankle problems. ... The Grizzlies were playing the middle game of their only back-to-back-to-back series of the season. ... Meanwhile, Golden State was playing its second game in a stretch of six of seven games on the road. ... Warriors F/C Andris Biedrins returned to action after missing the previous five games with a right groin strain. ... Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, in town for Wednesday's events on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, was seated with Memphis owner Michael Heisley at center court.

[Associated Press]

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