MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Chris Paul broke out of a scoring slump with 23 points and 14 assists, Willie Green keyed a fourth-quarter rally and the New Orleans Hornets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 98-91 on Friday night.
Paul, limited to 17 points over the previous three games, was 7 of 15 from the field, including 2 for 3 on 3-pointers. Green scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth as the Hornets snapped a three-game skid and moved past Portland into sixth place in the Western Conference.
Jarrett Jack had 19 points for New Orleans, while Marco Belinelli and Carl Landry scored 14 apiece. Belinelli was 6 of 7 from the floor and Landry grabbed 10 rebounds.
Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies with 20 points and 11 rebounds. O.J. Mayo had 13 points, while Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Darrell Arthur scored 12 apiece.
Memphis had a chance to tie it with 34.1 seconds left, but Gasol missed two free throws, then fouled Jack, who both of his foul shots for a 95-91 Hornets lead.
The Hornets, who went 5 for 6 at the line in the final 32.1 seconds, managed to get the win despite losing leading scorer David West when he sprained his left ankle with about 8:20 left in the first quarter.
Memphis, in the eighth spot in the West, had won five straight home games.
New Orleans closed the first half with a 14-2 run to tie it at 45. Jack capped the surge with a layup in the final seconds of the second quarter.
Mayo had 11 points at the break, and Conley had 10, hitting all four of his shots. But he struggled guarding Paul, spending the final minutes of the half on the bench with three fouls.
The Hornets made nine of their first 11 shots in the third to build a 68-58 lead. But the Grizzlies rallied to send it to the final period tied at 72.
NOTES: Hornets F Trevor Ariza was out with a strained muscle. ... Many of the Grizzlies have begun sporting beards, part of a pledge to let their facial hair grow until they earn a playoff berth. ... Mayo earned a technical in the first half when he and Paul got tangled up and Mayo reacted. ... Memphis G Ish Smith, obtained in the trade deadline deal with the Rockets, got his first action in a Grizzlies uniform, entering in the third quarter. ... Mayo matched his season high with six assists.
source: Yahoo News
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