Mayo scores 22 to lead Grizzlies past Nuggets

[March 12, 2012]  DENVER (AP) -- O.J. Mayo scored 22 points, including a critical 3-pointer in the closing seconds and the Memphis Grizzlies hung on to beat the Denver Nuggets 94-91 Sunday night to sweep the three-game regular season series for the first time in their history.

Mike Conley, who returned to play after suffering a cut above his right eye, had 13 points. Dante Cunningham added 12 points and Tony Allen 10 for the Grizzlies, who also snapped an eight-game losing streak in Denver.

Nene, Al Harrington and Corey Brewer each scored 15 for the Nuggets, who dropped to 2-2 on a season-high nine-game homestand.

Memphis stretched its lead to 85-80 after Tony Allen hit a 21-foot jumper with 6:20 remaining. But the Nuggets fought back to within a point at 88-87 when Lawson connected on a 3-pointer with 2:55 left.

The teams traded free throw shots over the next two minutes before Mayo drained a 3-pointer with 57 seconds remaining to put the Grizzlies up 94-89.

Nene and Brewer each hit one of their two free throws in the final 40 seconds, pulling the Nuggets within three. But after a Memphis miss, Denver failed to get off a shot in the waning seconds after Andre Miller lost the ball, the last and most costly of Denver's 24 turnovers.

Trailing 58-55 after Nene made a pair of free throws, Memphis went on a 14-1 tear to grab a 69-59 lead with 3:35 left in the third, their biggest lead to that point. But they lost Mike Conley during the surge, when he had to leave the game for the locker room to have a cut over his right eye treated. Conley returned early in the fourth quarter.

The Nuggets got back into it with a 9-0 run of their own, capped by Afflalo's 20-foot jumper pulling Denver to within 69-68. Mayo hit a long jumper to stall Denver's momentum and the Grizzlies held a 73-70 lead going into the fourth.

Denver led 53-50 at halftime helped by Nene who broke through for a pair of dunks and hit two free throws during the last 2:18 of the second period.

NOTES: The Nuggets' Timofey Mozgov (left ankle), Kosta Koufos (left knee) and Rudy Fernandez (lower back) remain sidelined. ... Memphis has won 10 of its last 12 games. ... Denver was playing the first of five straight games against winning teams. Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Boston and Dallas are next. ... All three of Memphis' wins over Denver this season were by three or fewer points.

[Associated Press]

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