Grizzlies beat Pistons 111-108 in OT
11/1/2013MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mike Conley scored 22 points, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen added 16 each and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Detroit Pistons 111-108 in overtime tonight.
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.
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.
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 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.
Memphis sealed the game with a 3-pointer from the right corner by Tayshaun Prince, who had six in the 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.
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.
Memphis carried a 47-41 lead into halftime after Allen and Randolph scored 10 points apiece, Allen also handed out three assists.
The Pistons were led by Stuckey, who came off the bench to score 11 points before the break.
Both teams struggled with turnovers early - the Pistons having 10 and Memphis 11 in the half. But the Grizzlies committed only two in the second quarter, while hitting seven of their first eight shots in the period.
Memphis extended its lead to 10 points early in the third period, but the Pistons’ defense tightened and Detroit pulled back into the game. Monroe had eight points in the period and Stuckey’s basket late in the quarter 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 quarter. 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 3-point play, then tied it on the tip-in with 8-plus seconds left in regulation.
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 Lionel Hollins, now is an assistant coach with the Pistons. . The Grizzlies are 41-4 when they score 100 points over past two seasons.