Hornets used balanced scoring to topple Grizzlies in OT

Hornets slip past Grizzlies in OT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Emeka Okafor had 21 points, Darren Collison added 17 points and a career-high 18 assists and the New Orleans Hornets defeated Memphis 109-102 in overtime on Saturday, snapping the Grizzlies’ 11-game home winning streak.

New Orleans overcame a 21-point deficit in the third quarter to win its third game out of the past four. Four of the Hornets past 10 games have gone to overtime, and New Orleans had lost the previous three before Saturday’s victory.

Collison’s steal and dunk with 24 seconds left put the game out of reach.

David West led New Orleans with 22 points, while Peja Stojakovic had 20 points. Marcus Thornton finished with 14 for the Hornets, who moved ahead of Memphis for the Western Conference’s eighth playoff spot.

Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol had 25 points apiece for Memphis, which had not lost a home game since a 110-105 defeat to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 4.

O. J. Mayo scored 17 points and Rudy Gay and Mike Conley scored 10 apiece, but struggled from the field, shooting a combined 7 of 30.

Chris Paul, the Hornets’ leading scorer, sat out the game with a bruised left knee. Paul initially hurt the leg in Wednesday’s game against Golden State, then hit it again in Friday’s overtime loss to Chicago.

Collison replaced Paul when the Hornets’ leading scorer missed eight games earlier in the season with an ankle injury. New Orleans is 5-4 in games without Paul.

Memphis opened the game shooting 61 percent for a 15-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Randolph had 11 points and Gasol 10 as Memphis was pushing the ball inside.

Meanwhile, the Hornets, coming off their overtime loss to Chicago on Friday night, struggled from the field.

Things got a tad sloppy for Memphis at the start of the second quarter as turnovers thwarted a couple of potential fastbreaks.

West was doing his best to keep the Hornets in the game. He hit 6 of his first 8 shots, and had 13 points in the half.

But a few more turnovers and West’s shooting weren’t enough for New Orleans to make a dent in the Memphis lead. The Grizzlies closed the half outscoring the Hornets 11-2 for a 61-42 lead at the break.

Randolph had 14 points and Gasol and Mayo had 13 apiece as Memphis maintained its 60 percent shooting.

The Hornets made a run at Memphis to start the second half. New Orleans was much more effective moving the ball, and the Hornets were beginning to connect on their shots, particularly inside.

Okafor’s dunk, his fifth field goal of the quarter, cut the lead to 75-66, and Darius Songaila’s tip-in got the Hornets closer than they had been in a while at 75-68.

Okafor had 14 in the quarter, hitting all seven of his shots in the period. That helped New Orleans cut the Memphis advantage to 81-76 entering the fourth.

Collison was getting to the basket to keep the Hornets chipping away at the Memphis lead in the fourth. Finally, New Orleans pulled even at 85 when Songaila scored inside.

However, New Orleans was unable to overtake Memphis until overtime, then opened the extra period on a 6-2 run.

NOTES: After a winter storm Friday made Memphis roads slick, the Grizzlies offered fans the opportunity to exchange their tickets for Saturday’s game for tickets to next Friday’s home game against the Houston Rockets. … It was Randolph’s first game at home since being selected as a reserve on the All-Star team. The forward got a rousing ovation from the crowd when the honor was mentioned as part of his pre-game introduction. … Collison’s assists not only were a career high, but also a franchise best for a rookie. The previous was 16 by Paul in 2006 against Golden State.