Balanced scoring helps Grizzlies stay hot at home with 135-110 win over Timberwolves

Grizzlies topple Timberwolves 135-110

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Rudy Gay scored 21 points, Zach Randolph and O.J. Mayo added 20 apiece and the Memphis Grizzlies won their seventh straight home game with a 135-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

Mike Conley added 18 points and eight assists, and Sam Young scored 17. Marc Gasol finished with 12 points. Memphis has won 10 of its past 13.

Randolph had 12 rebounds and Gasol had 10, helping Memphis to a 45-37 rebounding advantage.

Corey Brewer led the Timberwolves with 22 points, while Al Jefferson scored 21, all in the first half. Wayne Ellington had 17 points and Kevin Love finished with 14 points and nine rebounds as Minnesota dropped its fourth straight.

Memphis put the game away with a 40-22 third quarter, as Gay and Randolph both had 10 points in the period.

The 135 points were a season high for Memphis, which is 8-0 at home against teams with a losing record.

The Grizzlies hit their first five attempts outside the arc, helping to build an early 11-point lead. But Minnesota kept pace with the shooting to stay close through the bulk of the half.

After the Timberwolves pulled even on Ellington’s 20-foot jumper, the teams remained within a basket of each other, the Grizzlies taking a lead, and the Timberwolves matching them.

Jefferson was getting to the basket against Gasol, scoring 21 points in the half, missing only two of his first 12 shots.

Four Grizzlies already had reached double figures at the break, led by Mayo’s 12.

Memphis was able to create a bit of space by outscoring Minnesota 8-2 to close the half for a 66-59 lead at the break. Memphis continued the rally in the third, eventually extending the run to 16-4 spanning halftime.

The Timberwolves started to show the effects of their three-overtime loss at Houston on Wednesday night, and by the time Randolph connected on a 3-pointer from the right corner, Memphis’ lead had reached 93-73.

The advantage eventually would reach 25 before entering the fourth quarter, as Memphis already had a season-high in 3-pointers made, connecting on 10 of 15 outside the arc before the fourth quarter.

That was part of Memphis shooting 66 percent through the first three quarters, ending the night at 59 percent, compared to 48 percent for Minnesota.

NOTES: Minnesota has given up at least 100 points in the past 10 games. … With his start, Mayo became the first player to start the first 120 games of his career since Dwight Howard between 2004-06. Howard eventually started his first 149 games. … The Timberwolves were finishing a four-game road trip, their longest of the season. Meanwhile, Memphis was playing the first of three games in four days, all at home. … Memphis’ 40 points in the third matched the highest quarter for the Grizzlies this season.