Reserves Power Grizzlies
Memphis Coach Sidney Lowe has relied on his reserves in the fourth quarter recently in hopes of getting them experience.
Thursday night, Pau Gasol scored 23 points, but it was a pair of three-point baskets by key reserve Antonis Fotsis in the last 2:16 that helped the Memphis Grizzlies hold on to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers, 102-99, at Memphis, Tenn.
Fotsis’ long-range shot from the left baseline with 44.2 left gave Memphis a 99-97 lead. Gasol and Will Solomon, another reserve, combined to make three of four free throws in the last 19 seconds.
“I stuck with those guys to give them experience in a big-game situation, and they pulled it out,” Lowe said. “We played pretty good defensively all night. Fotsis hit two big shots in the corner, Pau made some big shots down the stretch.... It was a great win, and it was good to see those guys pull it out.”
Gasol made nine of 15 shots from the field and grabbed eight rebounds as six Grizzlies finished in double figures. Stromile Swift scored 17, and Shane Battier and Solomon finished with 12 each. Lorenzen Wright scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Grizzlies won their third consecutive home game.
Portland has lost three in a row and six of eight.
“We came out in the beginning with intensity,” Portland Coach Maurice Cheeks said. “Our intensity slipped a little, and they made shots, especially down the stretch.”
Five Trail Blazers finished in double figures, led by Rasheed Wallace’s 22 points and 19 by Derek Anderson, who made six of 10 from the floor. Bonzi Wells scored 18 points, and Ruben Patterson finished with 15.
Portland forward Scottie Pippen served a one-game suspension for taking a swing at Maverick guard Nick Van Exel in the Trail Blazers’ 108-96 loss to Dallas on Tuesday. Pippen also was fined $7,500.
Utah 97, Phoenix 96--Three weeks past his 40th birthday, John Stockton made all eight shots he took from the field, scored 18 points and handed out 11 assists as the Jazz ended a three-game losing streak with a victory at Phoenix.
The NBA’s oldest active player scored nine in the fourth quarter on four driving layups. The last one was a three-point play that put Utah up, 97-88, with 1:34 remaining.
Stockton had three steals and no turnovers in 37 minutes.
The Suns scored the last eight points, the first five by Stephon Marbury, and cut it to 97-96 on a three-pointer by another NBA old-timer, Dan Majerle, with 30 seconds left.
Majerle, retiring at the end of the season, missed an open three-pointer at the buzzer.
Chicago 104, New York 101--Tyson Chandler’s dunk with 1:39 remaining in overtime, and two free throws by fellow rookie Eddy Curry with 12 seconds left provided the winning margin for the Bulls at New York.
The Knicks took their only lead of overtime, 101-100, on Mark Jackson’s three-pointer with 1:51 left.
It was the 15th consecutive game the Knicks have lost when giving up at least 100 points.
Chandler led the Bulls’ seven double-digit scorers with 16 points. He also had a career-high 15 rebounds.
“This win means a lot to us,” said Chandler, a former Compton Dominguez High standout. “To be on the floor of Madison Square Garden, you feel proud to be wearing a jersey playing against the Knicks.”
New Jersey 101, Orlando 99--Ken- yon Martin had 26 points, a season-high seven assists and a game-saving block in overtime at Orlando, Fla., and the Nets defeated the Magic..
Keith Van Horn had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Jason Kidd had a career-high with 16 rebounds to go with 13 points and seven assists.
The Nets, winners of four of five, reduced their magic number to clinch the Eastern Conference to one.
“It was probably one of our biggest wins of the year,” Van Horn said. “You can’t ask for a better scenario, going into the playoffs at a high level.”
Tracy McGrady had 39 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists for the Magic, which had its five-game home winning streak ended.
Houston 98, Dallas 95--Steve Francis hit a long jumper to break a tie with 1:35 left in overtime at Dallas, then set up a three-pointer by Eddie Griffin as the Rockets overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat the Mavericks.
Nick Van Exel got his team back within three with a layup, but the Mavericks missed two chances to tie it in the closing seconds.
Francis had 14 of his 20 points after the third quarter as Houston ended a four-game losing streak and won for the third time in 14 games.
“They played harder than we did in the second half,” Van Exel said. “They wanted it more. They came at us first with their pick-and-roll game, then with their isolation game and kicked us around.”