| Orl |
21 |
17 |
15 |
29 |
82 |
| Mem |
22 |
21 |
24 |
21 |
88 |
Date of game: 2/22/2013
|
Recap: Memphis vs. Orlando
Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph each recorded double-doubles and the Memphis Grizzlies earned their sixth straight win with an 88-82 decision over the short-handed Orlando Magic.
Gasol finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Randolph chipped in 16 and 14 for Memphis, which won the battle in the paint, 40-32 and had 12 more fastbreak points.
The Magic will almost surely miss the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, forcing them to build for the future at Thursday's trade deadline by dealing sharpshooter J.J. Redick to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The three players Orlando received in the six-player deal -- Beno Udrih, Doron Lamb and Tobias Harris -- as well as Hakim Warrick, who was acquired from the Bobcats, were not available Friday, leaving the Magic with seven healthy bodies.
Arron Afflalo and Maurice Harkless totaled 20 and 19 points, respectively, to lead the Magic, who are mired in a 1-16 slump and have lost 10 straight on the road.
Even with the loss, Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn was positive after the game.
"I was extremely proud -- just the effort and the competitiveness, the thing(s) we've been talking about," Vaughn said. "It was just really good basketball overall tonight."
Andrew Nicholson added 14 points, but fouled out in the fourth quarter along with Nikola Vucevic, leaving the visitors with five available players down the stretch.
Despite the lack of depth, Orlando was within 74-71 with just over four minutes remaining before Tayshaun Prince, Randolph and Gasol each scored to make it a nine-point game with 2:10 left.
The closest it got from there was six.
"They came out and they fought right from the start. They fought right until the end. We did enough to win. It wasn't pretty," Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins said.
There were 15 lead changes and five ties in the first half, but the Grizzlies ended it on a 12-2 run, with Prince beating the halftime buzzer with a turnaround jumper for a 43-38 lead.
Memphis began pulling away in the third, and Quincy Pondexter's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the hosts a 67-53 advantage.
Game NotesThe home team has won eight in a row in this series ... Mike Conley checked in
with 14 points and seven assists for Memphis ... The Magic shot just nine free
throws and made seven ... Memphis went 17-of-29 from the foul line.
