8:00 PM ET, November 1, 2013
FedExForum, Memphis, TN
FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Mike Conley, Grizzlies top Pistons in OT to claim first win
Grizzlies Fight Off Pistons In OT
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The Grizzlies not only erased Detroit's late lead in regulation, but kept the momentum into overtime for a 111-108 win over the Pistons on Friday night.
"I think maturity allows you to understand the situation and embrace the situation," said guard Mike Conley, who led the Grizzlies with 22 points. "We've been there before. We know the game is far from over."
Zach Randolph and Tony Allen added 16 points each. Memphis outscored the Pistons 11-2 to start the extra period en route to its first victory of the season. Marc Gasol added 15 points for Memphis and Randolph had 10 rebounds.
"We were able to get stops when we needed them," Allen said.
Josh Smith and Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 19 points each, although Smith was 7 of 23 from the field. Will Bynum had 18 points, while Greg Monroe finished with 16 for the Pistons and Andre Drummond had 12 points and 16 rebounds.
Smith had eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks.
The loss extended the Pistons' road losing streak against Western Conference teams to 19 games.
The teams were tied at 95 at the end of regulation. Gasol's tip-in with 8.2 seconds left in regulation tied the game and Detroit's Chauncey Billups missed a 3-pointer as time ran out.
Memphis scored the first four points of the overtime, before Bynum converted a reverse layup for the Pistons. It was a continuation of the Memphis rally from regulation, and had Detroit scrambling to try unsuccessfully to catch up.
"I think we need to stay calm," Billups said. "Everything was frantic. We took some tough shots, but we played really good.
"We showed a lot of fight, and played hard."
Memphis sealed the game with a 3-pointer from the right corner by Tayshaun Prince, who had six points in overtime, and a drive by Randolph for a 104-97 lead. Allen's drive off of a steal by Conley put the Grizzlies up by nine.
"I thought our big guys came in and made plays," Conley said. "Marc (Gasol) made plays down the stretch. Tayshaun came in and hit a couple of big buckets, and that's what we expect from guys who know and have been in these situations we have been in."
The win was the first for Memphis coach Dave Joerger, who took over in the summer after former coach Lionel Hollins was not re-signed.
Both teams struggled throughout the game with turnovers, committing 20 each. However, Memphis stopped throwing the ball away early in the fourth. Their last turnover of the game came with just under 5 minutes left in regulation.
"They were throwing a lot of different things at us, but a lot of it was just mental errors," said Conley, who committed five turnovers. "We were making errant passes and not focused at certain times."
The Grizzlies led 47-41 at halftime.
Memphis extended its lead to 10 points early in the third quarter, but the Pistons' defense tightened and Detroit pulled back into the game. Monroe had eight points in the quarter and Stuckey's late basket gave the Pistons a 69-67 lead after three.
The Pistons used a 16-5 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to build a 75-70 lead early in the fourth. While Memphis was able to retake the lead, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who had 13 points, scored four straight points near the 5-minute mark to give Detroit its largest lead of the game, 87-80.
The Pistons still held a 94-88 lead after Smith's 3-pointer with 1:09 left, but Gasol scored on a three-point play, then tied it with the tip-in.
"That was a Western Conference Finals team last year, and we had a chance to win," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. "I'm proud of our guys.
".We knew they were going to be tough, and our guys were there the whole time."
Game notes
The Grizzlies are 5-14 in home openers, including last year's win over Utah. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Grizzlies have won consecutive home openers. ... Memphis has won eight straight over Detroit. The Pistons' last win over Memphis was Jan. 27, 2010. ... Stuckey dressed out for the first time after missing the season opener with a fracture in his right thumb. ... Henry Bibby, who served on the Memphis staff under Hollins, is an assistant coach with the Pistons. ... The Grizzlies are 41-4 over the past three seasons when they score 100 points.
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
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