Field Level Media
Jan 26, 2019
Mike Conley scored 22 points and Jaren Jackson added 20 as the Memphis Grizzlies ended an eight-game losing streak with a 106-103 victory Saturday, sending the visiting Indiana Pacers to a defeat in their first game since Victor Oladipo's season-ending injury.
Marc Gasol scored 18 points as the Grizzlies won for just the second time in their last 16 games.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 for the Pacers, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end one game after Oladipo was lost for the year because of a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee suffered in Wednesday's victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Conley added 11 assists for the Grizzlies, who opened up an 11-point lead in the opening quarter and never trailed in the game. Memphis' defense forced 17 Indiana turnovers.
Despite playing for the second time in two nights, the Grizzlies jumped out to a 24-19 lead after the first quarter, even though they shot just 9-of-24 (37.5-percent) from the field. The Pacers were worse at 4 of 14 (28.6-percent).
The Grizzlies led 53-42 at halftime and still had an 11-point lead nearly four minutes into the third quarter before the Pacers made a run. Indiana outscored Memphis 14-4 to tie the game 67-67, but the Grizzlies were undeterred.
Memphis closed out the third quarter on a 9-2 run to push the lead back to nine points at 78-69. The Pacers answered again, cutting the deficit to 85-82 with five minutes remaining, but Gasol hit two 3-pointers down the stretch and Conley added another to put the game away.
Memphis' Justin Holiday scored 16 points, getting the best of brother Aaron Holiday, who had seven for the Pacers. The Pacers lost on the road for the first time since Jan. 9 at Boston.
Myles Turner scored 14 points and Domantas Sabonis added 11 for the Pacers, who entered the fourth quarter with a deficit for just the 13th time this season. Indiana is now 11-1 with at least two days of rest before a game.
Tyreke Evans, who moved into the Indiana starting lineup with Oladipo out, scored nine points, ending his streak of double-digit games at seven.
--Field Level Media