NBA News Wire
Nets 103, Grizzlies 94
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
NEW YORK — Guard Marcus Thornton came off the bench to score a game-high 20 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 103-94 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night at Barclays Center.
It was the seventh wire-to-wire victory of the season and second straight for the Nets, who became the first team in the NBA this season to record 12 or more steals in four straight games.
Thornton scored 20 or more points for the second time in three games. Guard Joe Johnson added 21 points, guard Deron Williams had 16 points, guard Paul Pierce had 14 points and eight rebounds and forward Andray Blatche scored 12 points off the bench for Brooklyn, which won its sixth straight game at Barclays Center and fourth consecutive overall.
Forward Jon Leuer scored 19 points and center Marc Gasol had 18 points and seven rebounds for the Grizzlies, who had 21 turnovers as their two-game winning streak was snapped. Guard Tony Allen had 15 points and six rebounds, center Kosta Koufos had 12 points and eight boards, and forward James Johnson had 12 points.
The Nets (30-29), who moved over .500 for the first time this season, dominated from the opening tip, racing out to a 21-2 lead on a Williams layup. Their lead ballooned to 21 on a three-point play by Blatche with 3:30 left in the first quarter.
Gasol injected life into the Grizzles (34-26) with eight points and five rebounds in the first quarter and, after making just one of its first 11 shots, Memphis ended the first quarter shooting 30.8 percent (8 of 26) from the field, trailing 30-19.
On the strength of a 14-0 run, the Grizzlies pulled within 30-26 on an Allen putback, but Thornton caught fire in the second quarter, scoring 15 straight points to extend Brooklyn’s lead to 50-39 with 2:14 left in the first half.
The Nets scored the first nine points of the third quarter and had its largest lead at 30 on a Johnson floater with 1:30 left in the third quarter.
NOTES: The Nets were without F Kevin Garnett (back) for a third straight game. Brooklyn is 4-5 with the future Hall of Famer out of the lineup, but has won its last three. … The Nets signed C Jason Collins to a second 10-day contract Wednesday. The 13-year pro is averaging 0.6 points, 1.0 rebound and 0.2 assists per game. … Out for the Grizzlies was F Zach Randolph (flu-like symptoms). … Memphis coach Dave Joerger said he was finally able to see G Beno Udrih in practice for the first time Tuesday in Brooklyn. “We just want to get him comfortable first,” Joerger said of Udrich, who was claimed by Memphis on Feb. 27, three days after being waved by the Knicks. “I’m happy to have him, happy to have his experience.” … The Nets head to Boston on Thursday, while the Grizzlies play in Chicago in the final game of a three-game road trip.
