The Memphis Grizzlies have the hot hand right now with two straight and four wins in the last five tries. They will go for another victory Sunday versus the New Orleans Hornets at FedEx Forum.
The Grizzlies will wrap up a four-game homestand, which began with a loss to the Indiana Pacers. However, the Grizzlies responded with back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets to run their home mark to 17-6.
Memphis destroyed the Nets, 101-77, on Friday and scored a season-best 67 points in the first half en route to the second-largest win of the season. A season-high seven players scored in double figures for the Grizzlies, who got 20 points from Marc Gasol and 14 by Mike Conley.
Zach Randolph compiled 12 points and nine rebounds for the Grizzlies, who used an 11-0 run for a 53-33 advantage late in the second quarter and scored a season-high 62 points in the paint. The Grizz are 13-0 when scoring 100 points this season and lead the league in points allowed per game (89.2).
Brooklyn never got any closer than 18 points the rest of the way.
"They just took it to us," Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo said of the Grizzlies. "They're one of the best teams in the league and they showed us why."
Rudy Gay scored 11 points and appeared in his 477th game for Memphis, passing Pau Gasol as the franchise leader in games played.
The Grizzlies will visit Philadelphia and Oklahoma City after Sunday's game.
New Orleans is opening a five-game road trip in Memphis and also has the Lakers, Jazz, Nuggets and Timberwolves on the schedule. The Hornets have lost two straight and three of four games since winning six of seven.
The Hornets were handed a 100-82 setback by the Houston Rockets Friday as Eric Gordon netted 20 points and Ryan Anderson added 19 in a losing cause. Al- Farouq Aminu and rookie Anthony Davis contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively, for New Orleans, which played its first game since the club's official announcement of the name change to the Pelicans.
"We didn't have the kind of focus that is necessary to play against an NBA team, especially one that has beaten you pretty good," said New Orleans coach Monty Williams.
New Orleans is only 28th out of 30 teams with 93.3 ppg and owns a 7-14 record outside the Big Easy. The Hornets are 2-10 on the road against the West.
Memphis defeated the Hornets, 96-89, in the first meeting of the season Dec. 7 at New Orleans Arena and has won six of the past seven games in this series.
The Grizzlies have won three in a row at home versus the Hornets.
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