Leuer shot 10-of-13 from the field in a reserve role to pace the
Grizzlies, who ended a four-game home losing streak. Ed Davis added
21 points and 12 rebounds in place of the injured Zach Randolph
(ingrown toenail) while Mike Conley erupted for 18 points and 14
assists.
Marcus Morris scored 13 of his 18 points in the second quarter for
the Suns, who made just 7-of-29 attempts from beyond the arc. Goran
Dragic added 16 points in defeat.
Morris' hot second quarter - highlighted by a fast-break 3-pointer
with 8:38 remaining - helped lead the Suns to a 54-46 halftime lead.
Memphis stormed back to start the second half, pulling ahead on Tony
Allen's 3-pointer with 7:01 left in the third and riding Davis'
two-handed dunk at the buzzer to carry an 82-74 edge into the
fourth.
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Five straight points from Jerryd Bayless pushed
the lead to 11, and Phoenix failed to make a game of it after
being held to one field goal during a four-minute stretch early
in the final quarter. Leuer delighted the crowd with a wide-open
3-pointer with just over three minutes left, and both teams
emptied their benches from there.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Randolph missed his second straight game after
sitting out Monday's practice, telling reporters his big toe was
"as big as a balloon." There is no timetable for his return. ...
Phoenix SG Eric Bledsoe was limited to nine points on 4-of-13
shooting in his return to the starting lineup. Bledsoe missed
six games with a shin contusion, then came off the bench for
both ends of a home-and-home against Utah. ... Despite missing
Randolph and C Marc Gasol (knee), Memphis outscored Phoenix
56-36 in the paint.
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