Magic drop sixth straight with road loss to Grizzlies
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Zach Randolph had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Jon Leuer added 16 points and a career-best 12 boards to lead the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies to a 94-85 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
Mike Conley had 13 points and Jerryd Bayless finished with 11 points, including a late 3-pointer to preserve the win and end a two-game slide. Conley also had seven assists.
Andrew Nicholson and Jameer Nelson led the Magic with 19 points apiece. Nicholson also grabbed 11 rebounds while hitting 8 of 12 from the field. Arron Afflalo scored 17 points, Glenn Davis finished with 16 and Victor Oladipo added 10 in Orlando's sixth straight loss.
The Magic reserves managed only four points -- all from Jason Maxiell. Leuer led Memphis' reserves, who scored 38 points.
Memphis held a 14-point lead with just over 7 minutes left, but had to withstand a final push from the Magic.
The Grizzlies were without four key players. Marc Gasol is out indefinitely with a knee injury, while Ed Davis (ankle) and Tony Allen (hip) also sat out. Earlier in the day, the Grizzlies announced guard/forward Quincy Pondexter will miss significant time, possibly the rest of the season, with a right foot stress fracture.
That didn't seem to faze Memphis in the first half. The Grizzlies used 19 unanswered points spanning the first and second quarters to take a 51-30 lead at the break.
The Magic, who lost Sunday night in Houston, managed only 33 percent shooting in the half and had no one in double figures. While Memphis was going on its 19-0 run, the Magic went almost 7 minutes without scoring.
Conley had 12 at the break to lead Memphis.
Nicholson did his best to pull the Magic back into the game, scoring 13 points in the third. That allowed Orlando to pull within 10 before Jamal Franklin's 3-pointer at the horn gave Memphis a 73-60 lead entering the final quarter.
But the Magic continued to push behind Afflalo, whose seven early points in the final frame included a pair of free throws with 4:19 left to get Orlando within 85-78. The run eventually would reach 12-2, and the Magic were within 87-83.
But Randolph scored the next three points and the Grizzlies to weathered the rally.
NOTES: Franklin had a career-high eight points. . The Grizzlies saw their string of eight consecutive games with eight different leading scorers end. . Memphis G Nick Calathes had a career-high eight assists. . Leuer's previous best in rebounds was nine on two occasions, including earlier this month against Phoenix.