Gasol scores 25 as Grizzlies rally to edge Magic 95-94
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Marc Gasol scored 25 points, including a pair of free throws with 12.2 seconds remaining to give the Memphis Grizzlies a 95-94 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.
Gasol's free throws completed a 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter as Memphis snapped a two-game losing streak.
Orlando still had a chance to win the game, but JaMychal Green stole the ball from Elfrid Payton and the ball ended up in Gasol's hands under the Magic basket as time ran out.
Troy Daniels finished with 19 points for the short-handed Grizzlies, who dressed nine players due to injuries. Andrew Harrison had 11 points and eight assists.
Evan Fournier scored 28 points for the Magic, while Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jeff Green scored 12 of his 14 points early in the fourth as Orlando built a double-digit lead.
JaMychal Green's steal from Payton was his second in the fourth quarter. Tony Allen also had a pair and disrupted the Orlando offense after the Magic built the lead to 14 behind Green's scoring.
But Memphis finally came alive at that point. The defense of Allen and the scoring of Gasol pulled Memphis within one on several occasions in the final 4 minutes.
Memphis still trailed 94-90 when JaMychal Green converted a 3-pointer with 47 seconds left. A 3-point attempt by Vucevic with about 24 seconds remaining rattled in the rim before popping out, setting the stage for Gasol's final free throws.
After Orlando carried a 50-49 lead into halftime, things got sloppy in the third quarter, particularly for Memphis, which missed 10 of its first 12 shots. At times, the nine Grizzlies who dressed for the game seemed to feel the impact of playing the second night of a back-to-back.
But Orlando couldn't take advantage of the anemic Memphis play. The Magic connected on only five of the initial 15 shots in the quarter. That prevented the Magic from extending the lead beyond five points and they held a 68-65 lead after three quarters.
TIP-INS
Magic: Payton, listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain, came off the bench in the first quarter. .Jodie Meeks remained out recovering from a right foot injury. . Fournier connected on a 3-pointer in the first quarter, making 757 straight games Orlando has made a shot from outside the arc. The last game without a 3-pointer was March 14, 2007. .Fournier hit all seven of his shots in the first half before ending the night 11 of 14, including 3 of 5 from outside the arc.
Grizzlies: The game was the final one of a seven-game stretch against Eastern Conference teams. .Gasol had a steal in the second quarter and flipped the ball backward over his head the length of the court for an assist on Troy Williams' breakaway dunk. . Memphis has won nine straight home games against Orlando. The Magic have not won at FedExForum since a 112-85 defeat on Jan. 23, 2008. . Memphis is now 5-0 on the second night of back-to-backs.
TRIAGE UNIT
The Grizzlies remained short-handed based on injuries and personal leave. Memphis dressed only nine players as it did in Wednesday night's loss in Toronto. Among the injured: G Mike Conley, F Vince Carter, F James Ennis, F Chandler Parsons and F/C Brandan Wright. Also, F Zach Randolph is not with the team due to the death of his mother last week.
UP NEXT
Magic: Continue a five-game road trip on Friday night, playing the Sixers in Philadelphia.
Grizzlies: Remain home to face the Lakers on Saturday.