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01-20-2009, 07:14 AM
Iverson Scores 27 to Lead Detroit Over Memphis
Jan 19, 9:34 PM (ET)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -Allen Iverson and the Detroit Pistons tightened up on defense to end their losing streak and prolong the agony of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Iverson scored 27 points and helped Detroit limit Memphis to just four shots in the final quarter on the way to an 87-79 victory over the Grizzlies on Monday, ending the Pistons' longest losing streak in five seasons.
Rasheed Wallace scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half to help bring Detroit's five-game skid to an end.
"I think that's what made our offense easy," Iverson said. "We were able to shut them down ... by helping each other on the defensive end. We just didn't leave a guy out there on an island. We helped each other a lot and we did a lot of talking on defense."
The Grizzlies, who lost their sixth straight and for the 14th time in 16 games, missed 10 of their final 12 shots. They didn't score after Mike Conley's driving layup with 2:56 left.
"You can't take anything away from those guys," Iverson said. "They missed some shots they can make. But we just got it done down the stretch. We did everything we needed to do."
Iverson and Wallace took over to score Detroit's final 10 points in the last five minutes after the Grizzlies tied the game at 77.
Wallace hit two free throws and Iverson followed with jump shots on consecutive possessions to make it 83-77. Wallace added two more free throws with 40 seconds left and Iverson made two more with 24 seconds to go for the final margin.
In the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies were 4-of-20 and didn't make a shot in the game's final 2:55.
O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies with 15 points apiece and rookie center Marc Gasol had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
"We got some good looks down the stretch, we just couldn't put it in the hole," Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni said. "We missed a couple of layups and wide-open shots here and there (and) Wallace was a good force inside on O.J. Mayo."
Memphis failed to score 90 points for the fifth time during its six-game losing streak, but started the second half as if it would end its struggles.
The Grizzlies had a 12-4 run late in the third quarter to take a 69-67 lead into the fourth. Memphis, which hadn't led since early in the second quarter, got a 3-pointer from Gay and a technical free throw from Mayo to tie the game at 65 with 1:56 left in the third quarter.
A high-flying dunk by Hakim Warrick tied the game again at 67 about a minute later and a 15-foot jumper by Darrell Arthur put the Grizzlies up two lead going into the fourth.
"We kind of collapsed at the end and they really picked it up," Gay said. "Allen picked it up and Rasheed really picked up his defense. Rasheed has been around. He's won championshihps and he knows what to do, especially in late-game situations." ^
Notes:
Memphis scored only 17 points in the first quarter. The Grizzlies are 0-15 this season when they fail to score at least 20 in the opening period. ... Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo, the team's leading scorer at 19.4 points per game, did not attempt a shot in the second quarter. ... Detroit's Tayshaun Prince, who went 14-for-27 in the team's past two games, was 2-for-12.
Jan 19, 9:34 PM (ET)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -Allen Iverson and the Detroit Pistons tightened up on defense to end their losing streak and prolong the agony of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Iverson scored 27 points and helped Detroit limit Memphis to just four shots in the final quarter on the way to an 87-79 victory over the Grizzlies on Monday, ending the Pistons' longest losing streak in five seasons.
Rasheed Wallace scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half to help bring Detroit's five-game skid to an end.
"I think that's what made our offense easy," Iverson said. "We were able to shut them down ... by helping each other on the defensive end. We just didn't leave a guy out there on an island. We helped each other a lot and we did a lot of talking on defense."
The Grizzlies, who lost their sixth straight and for the 14th time in 16 games, missed 10 of their final 12 shots. They didn't score after Mike Conley's driving layup with 2:56 left.
"You can't take anything away from those guys," Iverson said. "They missed some shots they can make. But we just got it done down the stretch. We did everything we needed to do."
Iverson and Wallace took over to score Detroit's final 10 points in the last five minutes after the Grizzlies tied the game at 77.
Wallace hit two free throws and Iverson followed with jump shots on consecutive possessions to make it 83-77. Wallace added two more free throws with 40 seconds left and Iverson made two more with 24 seconds to go for the final margin.
In the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies were 4-of-20 and didn't make a shot in the game's final 2:55.
O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies with 15 points apiece and rookie center Marc Gasol had 12 points and 13 rebounds.
"We got some good looks down the stretch, we just couldn't put it in the hole," Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni said. "We missed a couple of layups and wide-open shots here and there (and) Wallace was a good force inside on O.J. Mayo."
Memphis failed to score 90 points for the fifth time during its six-game losing streak, but started the second half as if it would end its struggles.
The Grizzlies had a 12-4 run late in the third quarter to take a 69-67 lead into the fourth. Memphis, which hadn't led since early in the second quarter, got a 3-pointer from Gay and a technical free throw from Mayo to tie the game at 65 with 1:56 left in the third quarter.
A high-flying dunk by Hakim Warrick tied the game again at 67 about a minute later and a 15-foot jumper by Darrell Arthur put the Grizzlies up two lead going into the fourth.
"We kind of collapsed at the end and they really picked it up," Gay said. "Allen picked it up and Rasheed really picked up his defense. Rasheed has been around. He's won championshihps and he knows what to do, especially in late-game situations." ^
Notes:
Memphis scored only 17 points in the first quarter. The Grizzlies are 0-15 this season when they fail to score at least 20 in the opening period. ... Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo, the team's leading scorer at 19.4 points per game, did not attempt a shot in the second quarter. ... Detroit's Tayshaun Prince, who went 14-for-27 in the team's past two games, was 2-for-12.