NBA Game Summary - Atlanta at Memphis
Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Conley scored 21 points and the Memphis Grizzlies scored eight of the final 10 points to down the Atlanta Hawks 94-88 in a playoff-like atmosphere at FedExForum.
The Grizzlies' late push over the final three minutes helped them rebound from Friday's surprising loss to the Timberwolves.
Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph each posted double-doubles and combined for 27 points and 25 rebounds for Memphis, which shot 19-of-21 from the foul line and won the rebounding battle 55-37.
"Really good win for us against a very good team. We all know how good they are," Grizzlies coach David Joerger said.
A week chock full of tests for the Hawks ended the same way it began -- with a road loss. They had their 19-game winning streak snapped in Monday's setback to the Pelicans and bounced back with home wins over the Wizards and the Western Conference-leading Warriors.
Jeff Teague paced the Eastern Conference leaders with 22 points, Kent Bazemore scored 14 and reserves Mike Scott and Dennis Schroder netted 11 apiece.
All-Star Al Horford shot just 2-for-11 from the field, and his turnover with 2:44 remaining preceded Tony Allen's tie-breaking tip-in off a Randolph miss. Allen was whistled for goaltending on a similar play the next time down but forced a Kyle Korver turnover at the other end.
Jeff Green's two free throws gave Memphis a 90-86 lead, and after Teague missed a runner, Conley drove left and scooped one high off the glass for a six-point cushion inside the final minute.
Paul Millsap missed 3-pointers on the next two Atlanta possessions to end his miserable 2-for-10 shooting night.
"Our execution has probably got to be better," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We've got to cut harder. We've got to screen harder and all those things."
Memphis led most of the first half despite not making a 3-pointer and shooting just 38 percent from the floor. They were ahead by nine early on, but Atlanta went ahead midway through the second quarter and took a 43-42 lead into the break.
The largest lead for either team in a back-and-forth third quarter was seven, 63-56, held by Atlanta with four minutes left. The Grizzlies, though, ended the frame on a 13-3 run to jump back in front. Memphis was inbounding the ball along the sideline with 2.1 seconds on the clock and executed a perfect alley- oop from Conley to Kosta Koufos just before the buzzer.
The Grizzlies were 0-for-9 from 3-point range before Conley made two during a 11-2 run early in the fourth. The spurt gave the hosts a seven-point lead, 82-75, that was quickly erased when Scott and Bazemore both hit from deep and Teague put in a tying floater with 4:30 remaining.