Field Level Media
Dec 7, 2018
JaMychal Green scored a team-high 24 points to lead a strong bench effort by Memphis as the visiting Grizzlies defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 107-103 on Friday night.
Kyle Anderson added 19 points and 11 rebounds, Marc Gasol scored 15 and Joakim Noah came off the bench to contribute 13 as Memphis' reserves outscored their New Orleans counterparts 53-11.
Julius Randle led the Pelicans with 26 points and 13 rebounds, but he missed two important free throws late as New Orleans scored its last field goal with 5:18 remaining.
Anthony Davis added 25 points and 11 rebounds, Jrue Holiday had 20 points and 11 assists, and Solomon Hill scored a season-high 14 for the Pelicans. Nikola Mirotic returned from a two-game absence caused by illness and had four points in 20 minutes off the bench.
The Grizzlies won for the third time in their past four games. The Pelicans finished 1-2 on a homestand against Western Conference playoff contenders, having lost to the Los Angeles Clippers and beaten the Dallas Mavericks.
Anderson's driving layup broke a 103-all tie with 1:30 remaining.
The Pelicans failed to score on two possessions and the Grizzlies on one before Mike Conley Jr. made one of two free throws to push the lead to three with 24 seconds left.
Davis missed a 3-point try, but New Orleans kept the ball when the rebound went out of bounds off a Memphis player.
E'Twaun Moore missed another 3-point attempt, and Anderson made one of two free throws to complete the scoring.
The Pelicans scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter before Noah's tip-in pulled Memphis within 91-86.
New Orleans increased the lead to 100-92 when Hill made his fourth 3-pointer, two more than his previous season-high.
Shelvin Mack's 3-pointer and Green's jumper pulled Memphis within 100-97.
Green's dunk tied the score at 101, and the score was tied again after Conley made a pair of free throws and Randle twice made one of two free throws.
Randle scored 11 points in the first quarter, but the Grizzlies led 31-30 at the end of the period.
The score was tied twice early in the second quarter before Noah scored five points during a run that ended with the Grizzlies holding a 44-35 lead.
The Pelicans scored the next seven points, and back-to-back 3-pointers by Hill gave them a 52-50 lead.
Baskets by Davis and Randle increased the lead to 56-51. Memphis came back to tie the score on two free throws by Conley before Holiday's jumper gave New Orleans a 60-58 halftime lead.
--Field Level Media