Grizzlies Triumph to Escape Record for Futility

A last-second basket by Blue Edwards rescued the Grizzlies from ignominy Wednesday night, giving them a 105-103 victory over Minnesota at Vancouver.

The Grizzlies snapped a 23-game losing streak, one short of the NBA record, after they had set a mark for the most consecutive losses in one season, 20.

Edwards made the winning shot from the top of the key with eight-tenths of a second left. The basket capped a comeback by the Grizzlies, who trailed by 12 points after three quarters before going on a 16-0 run in the final period.

With the score tied, 103-103, Edwards inbounded and took a return pass. He dribbled into the key area and launched his game-winning jump shot.

Tom Gugliotta made a bad pass on the final possession for Minnesota, which has lost three in a row.

Bryant Reeves scored a career-high 28 points for Vancouver, who fell one loss short of the record set by the Cleveland Cavaliers over two seasons in 1982.

Edwards scored 24 points for the Grizzlies, and Isaiah Rider had 28 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota.

Vancouver picked on the right team. Minnesota had lost to the Grizzlies earlier in the season, in their first home game in the NBA, 100-98, in overtime on Nov. 5.

The game also broke a streak of 18 in which the Grizzlies had failed to score 100 points.

Earlier in the season, Vancouver showed itself to be streaky, losing 19 games in a row.

Orlando 98, New York 85--Shaquille O’Neal missed the game because of the death of his grandmother, but the Knicks’ Patrick Ewing failed to take advantage of O’Neal’s being missing in the middle.

Ewing scored only five points for the Knicks, who became Orlando’s sixth road victim in a row. He made only one of 14 shots, scoring only on an uncontested fast-break dunk in the first quarter.

Horace Grant had 29 points and Dennis Scott added 22 for Orlando, making four three-point baskets in the third quarter, when the Magic broke the game open. Anfernee Hardaway, Nick Anderson and Brian Shaw had 11 points each.

Orlando won for the 21st time in 25 games since the All-Star break. The Magic’s six-game road winning streak is a franchise record.

Anthony Mason scored 22 points for the Knicks, who dropped two games behind third-place Indiana in the Eastern Conference. A jump shot by J.R. Reid capped a 10-2 burst and pulled the Knicks within 85-80 with 5:31 remaining, but Grant made three consecutive jump shots to trigger a 12-0 run that sealed the game.

Seattle 118, Houston 103--Gary Payton scored 30 points for the SuperSonics, who set a franchise record for shooting accuracy at Seattle in their eighth victory in a row.

Shawn Kemp added 24 points and nine rebounds for Seattle, which shot 64.9% (48 for 74). The previous team record was 63.5 percent against the Clippers in 1991.

Detroit 98, Charlotte 83--Otis Thorpe made 13 of 15 shots and matched his season high with 27 points for the Pistons, who won at Auburn Hills, Mich.

Indiana 102, Philadelphia 87--Reggie Miller scored 23 points at Philadelphia and Dale Davis added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who handed the 76ers their 12th loss in 13 games.

San Antonio 117, Sacramento 96--The Spurs rebounded from their first loss in more than a month, winning at home behind a 25-point performance by Vinny Del Negro.

NBA Notes

The Seattle SuperSonics activated swingman Vincent Askew off the injured list. To make room, they placed Sherell Ford on the injured list.