|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Tickets at Ticket Master
Kirk Hinrich and the Bulls gave Memphis a scare in the second half, but the Grizzlies wouldn't let up.
Pau Gasol scored 23 points and had nine rebounds and James Posey added 27 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls 105-98 Saturday night.
Memphis has won four straight and eight of nine to move 11 games above .500 (33-22) for the first time in franchise history. Lorenzen Wright had 14 points and nine rebounds for Memphis, and Bonzi Wells added 16 points.
Hinrich scored a career-high 25 points and had nine assists for Chicago.
Memphis went on a 14-4 run in the third quarter to extend its lead to 74-51, but the Bulls closed the period with a 21-2 run. Hinrich had 14 in the spurt, including a 3, to cut the Grizzlies' lead to 76-72 at the end of the third quarter.
Hinrich hit a jumper
to start the fourth quarter to pull the Bulls to 76-74, but that's as close
as Chicago got.
Williams hit a 3-pointer and Wright and Gasol hit four consecutive free throws
to extend Memphis' lead to 93-80 with 3:18 remaining.
``As usual we played pretty well down the stretch,'' Gasol said. ``We were able to stop their momentum in the third quarter. They were back in the game, and it was a dangerous situation for us. But we were able to execute and run our stuff and play through it and get out with a win.''
Memphis looked to have control of the game when it went up by 23 points in the third quarter, but Hinrich made the Grizzlies work a little harder.
``We just wanted to keep fighting. We had not played well to that point and we were able to make a little bit of a run and make it a little more interesting,'' Hinrich said.
The Grizzlies shot 56.8 percent in the first half. Posey scored 14 and Gasol had 10. Williams, who had seven assists in the half, finished with seven points and eight assists.
``We were very confident with the way we played,'' said Grizzlies head coach Hubie Brown.
Marcus Fizer finished 21 points and nine rebounds for Chicago and EddieRobinson added 14 points.
Notes
Memphis forward Stromile Swift left the game with a mild left ankle sprain
in the second quarter and did not return. ... Bulls head coach Scott Skiles
and Jamal Crawford were both issued technicals for arguing with officials. Crawford
finished with just four points for Chicago in 15 minutes. ... The Grizzlies
are 20-1 when they score a 100 points or more. ... Chicago isnow 1-31 when trailing
after three quarters.