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Sports

Dudley leads Suns to 98-91 win over Grizzlies

Associated Press
Published | Updated

PHOENIX – Jared Dudley scored 19 points to lead six Phoenix players in double figures and the Suns beat the Memphis Grizzlies 98-91 on Saturday night for their fifth straight home win.

Marcin Gortat added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Suns, Grant Hill had 14 points, Steve Nash and Robin Lopez scored 11 each, and Channing Frye had 10. Nash also had 15 assists. Phoenix's home winning streak is its longest since winning the final eight home games of the 2009-10 season.

Marc Gasol had 21 points and Rudy Gay scored 19 on 7-for-20 shooting for Memphis. The surprising Grizzlies, one of the top teams in the Western Conference, were 4-0 since the All-Star break and had won five straight overall.

However, they couldn't cope with the improving Suns, who have developed a knack for erasing double-digit deficits. This was Phoenix's fifth victory since the All-Stsr game, and the fifth time they have overcome a margin of more than 10 points.

The Suns didn't lead in the first half until the closing minute when Dudley capped a personal 9-0 run with a 3-pointer — Phoenix's first 3 of the game — for a 51-48 advantage. Gay came back with a 3 of his own, tying the score, before Robin Lopez gave Phoenix a 53-51 halftime lead with a layup with 4.6 seconds left.

Memphis controlled the game early, twice opening 11-point leads in the second quarter. The Grizzlies, playing a more uptempo game since Zach Randolph went out with a torn ligament four games into the season, were running their fastbreak efficiently and capitalizing on 10 Suns turnovers, which resulted in 13 points.

In addition, Gasol was scoring from all angles, finishing the half with 14 points, and Michael Conley was playing almost as well as his heralded counterpart, All-Star Steve Nash. Conley had eight assists in the first two periods, while Nash, the league leader, had 10.

With Dudley continuing his strong shooting with four more field goals in the third quarter, the Suns extended their lead at the end of the period to 80-74. The Suns were also winnning the rebounding matchup, 38-21 at that point.

NOTES: Conley leads the league in steals and could become the first Memphis player to lead the NBA in a statistical category. ... The Suns' starting lineup of Nash, Dudley, Gortat, Hill, Dudley and Channing Frye began the game with a plus-155 rating when playing together — the best in the NBA. ... The Grizzlies lead the league in steals and turnovers forced, after leading in both categories last season. ... The Suns are holding opponents to fewer than 100 points per game; the last time they did that was the 2003-04 season.