Look who has the NBA’s longest winning streak now.

The New York Knicks, mired in a bad slump just two weeks ago, tied a season high with their sixth straight victory by holding off the Memphis Grizzlies, 108-101 on Wednesday night.

J.R. Smith scored 35 points, his second straight 30-point game, to help the Knicks withstand a furious rally.

”I started off establishing my game on the inside and moving on from there,” said Smith, who shot 10 of 18 from the field and 12 of 13 from the free throw line. ”Fortunately, I got a lot of calls, got to the free throw line and was making my free throws, except for one. My mom is going to kill me, but I’ll take it.”

Smith scored 32 points against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

Carmelo Anthony added 22 points and Iman Shumpert had 16 for the Knicks, who started the season 6-0 but had played around .500 ball for much of the time since. They took over the NBA’s longest win streak after Miami’s 27-game run ended with a 101-97 loss in Chicago…

Mike Conley led Memphis with 26 points and Bayless finished with 24. Allen had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Marc Gasol, who missed the previous two games with an abdominal tear, finished with 13 points.

– Reported by the Associated Press

Marc Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies finally put away Oklahoma City with their final shot.

In a matchup of Western Conference contenders that had a playoff feel to it, Gasol tipped in Zach Randolph’s miss with less than a second left in overtime Wednesday night to give Memphis a 90-89 win over the Thunder.

Gasol was so excited about the winning basket that he dropped a not-suitable-for-television expletive in the live postgame interview.

”I saw Zach going baseline and just went for the rebound and got lucky with the tip,” Gasol said. ”It’s an emotional game. It’s a team that we like playing against, and a team that knows us very well. It was a gritty game.” …

”We win in a variety of ways. It’s never pretty,” said Mike Conley, who led the Grizzlies with a season-high 24 points. ”That’s that grit-and-grind motto right there. We just find a way to win however it is. (This) was one of those wins.”

Randolph added 15 points and 18 rebounds, giving him 7,001 career rebounds, while Gasol had 14 points and 15 rebounds.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points, including 15 in the third quarter to help Oklahoma City take its first lead. Westbrook scored 20 on 7-of-25 shooting from the field. Kevin Martin added 17 points, but no other Thunder player had more than seven.

– Reported by Clay Bailey of the Associated Press

The Denver Nuggets plodded along for three quarters before beating Memphis at its own game.

Hardly known as a half-court team, the high-flying Nuggets had to resort to set plays and setting picks to finally break free.

Turns out, they’re pretty good at it, especially when they dump the ball inside to Kosta Koufos.

Koufos scored 18 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds, helping the Nuggets rally to knock off the Grizzlies 87-80 on Friday night for their 11th straight victory, their longest streak in 30 years…

Then along came Kenneth Faried, providing a much-needed spark with his energetic play. The player known as ”Manimal” was blocking shots, hustling for rebounds and pestering Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies’ force up front who had 18 points and 18 rebounds.

With the Nuggets trailing 66-58 heading into the fourth quarter, Faried helped them go on a 17-4 run and seize back the momentum. That’s exactly why he’s on the court…

The Grizzlies have been on a 15-5 roll since a three-team deal on Jan. 30 that sent Rudy Gay to Toronto and landed Tayshaun Prince in Memphis. … Denver has won 26 of its last 28 home games against Memphis. … The Nuggets are 28-3 when allowing 100 or fewer points.

– Reported by Pat Graham of the Associated Press

The Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Lionel Hollins today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in February.

Spoelstra led Miami to a league-best 12-1 (.923) record in February. The Heat scored 100 or more points 10 times on the month, and also won nine games in February by at least 10 points, including a 114-90 road victory against Philadelphia on Feb. 23. The Heat held opponents under 100 points seven times on the month, including a 111-89 home victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 8. After a 102-89 loss to the Pacers on Feb. 1, the Heat ended the month on a 12-game winning streak. At 41-14, Miami stands alone atop the East.

Hollins led the Grizzlies to a Western Conference-best 9-2 (.818) record in February. The Grizzlies held opponents under 100 points nine times on the month, including a 105-88 home victory against Minnesota on Feb. 10. After starting February 1-2, Hollins’ Grizzlies ended the month on an eight-game winning streak. At 38-18 on the season, Memphis has the fifth most wins in the league and sits fourth in the West.

Other nominees for Coach of the Month were Boston’s Doc Rivers, the Indiana Pacers’ Frank Vogel, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Scott Brooks, and the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich.

Former Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley is hospitalized in a Chicago-area hospital after recently suffering a stroke.

Heisley was stricken last weekend soon after returning home from Houston, where he attended the NBA All-Star game.

“The family appreciates all the thoughts and prayers,” Heisley’s wife, Agnes, said Saturday in a statement that requested respect for the family’s privacy.

Heisley, whose 76th birthday is March 13, has privately dealt with a few medical issues over the past several years. He underwent a heart procedure within the past two years. Even so, Heisley shed 80 pounds last summer and began a workout regimen that included three-mile walks.

– Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

The Miami Heat announced today that they have traded center Dexter Pittman, a 2013 second round draft choice and cash considerations to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the draft rights to forward Ricky Sanchez.

“I want to thank Dexter for his hard work and professional attitude,” said Heat President Pat Riley. “Unfortunately, in order to gain roster flexibility we had to trade someone. We wish him nothing but the best.”

Currently in his third NBA season, Pittman (6-11, 285) is averaging 12.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.67 blocks on .470 shooting in 24.9 minutes in 15 games (12 starts) this year for the NBA Development League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.  The 24-year-old holds career D-League averages of 13.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.70 blocks on .510 shooting in 26.5 minutes in 37 games (34 starts) for Sioux Falls.

Drafted by Miami in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, the University of Texas product holds NBA career averages of 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds on .471 shooting in 7.9 minutes in 41 games (six starts) with the Heat.  A member of Miami’s 2012 NBA Championship squad, the Rosenberg, Tex. native has totaled six points and seven rebounds in 12 minutes in four appearances for the Heat this season.

Memphis now owns multiple second round draft picks in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Sanchez, a 6’11, 220-lb forward, was originally drafted in the second round (35th overall) in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. He appeared in 75 NBA Development League games (22 starts) for the Idaho Stampede from 2006-08 and averaged 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 25.1 minutes while shooting 41.4 percent from the field. The Puerto Rican native currently plays for Libertad de Sunchales (Argentina), appearing in 28 games this season and averaging 12.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 31.9 minutes while shooting 42.2 percent from the field.

Pittman, who was originally drafted by the Heat in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, appeared in 41 career games (six starts) with Miami and averaged 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. He is currently on assignment with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League.

Zach Randolph had 17 points and 18 rebounds, Mike Conley scored 17 points and the Memphis Grizzlies won their fifth straight game Wednesday, beating the Toronto Raptors 88-82.

Toronto’s Rudy Gay came up short against his former team as the Raptors had their five-game winning streak ended.

Acquired from Memphis in a three-team trade on Jan. 30, Gay had 13 points and nine rebounds but struggled with his shooting, making just five of 15 attempts. He also had a game-high five turnovers.

Tony Allen scored 12 points and Tayshaun Prince had 11 as the Grizzlies won for the eighth time in nine meetings with the Raptors and posted their fourth straight win in Toronto.

– Reported by the Associated Press 

Known for his stellar defensive play, Tony Allen has been coming through offensively for the Memphis Grizzlies the past few games.

Allen scored a season-high 19 points and led a key late third-quarter run in the Grizzlies’ 108-101 victory over Sacramento on Tuesday night, helping Memphis beat the Kings at home for the seventh straight time.

An 8.4-point scorer on the season, Allen has averaged 14.7 points in his last three games - all Memphis wins.

”The last few games he’s been scoring a few points and he’s made shots,” said Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins. ”He’s gotten to the basket, he’s made good decisions.”

Allen had seven points during a 13-8 run that gave the Grizzlies a 10-point lead in the closing seconds of the third quarter. He could have had two more points during the run, but his reverse layup was tipped in by Darrell Arthur.

”Tony is everywhere, he’s all over the place,” Grizzlies center Marc Gasol. ”We need Tony to do what he did. He’s a great player.”

Gasol led the Grizzlies with 24 points and 12 rebounds and Mike Conley scored 22 points. But it was Allen’s accuracy (8-of-12 shooting) and energy that helped Memphis enter the All-Star break on a three-game winning streak…

DeMarcus Cousins scored 23 points and Tyreke Evans had 20 for the Kings, who were attempting to win three straight for the first time in more than two months.

– Reported by the Associated Press

Tayshaun Prince scored 18 points, hitting all eight of his shots from the field, and the Memphis Grizzlies pulled away in the second quarter before coasting to a 105-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Three other Memphis players - Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Austin Daye - each finished with 16 points. Conley also handed out eight assists, while Randolph grabbed eight rebounds to help the Grizzlies win their second straight.

Luke Ridnour and Ricky Rubio led the Timberwolves with 17 points apiece, and both finished with four assists. Mickael Gelabale scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and Alexey Shved had 10 points and nine assists for Minnesota.

The loss continues a tailspin for the Timberwolves, who have lost 15 of their last 17 - including eight straight on the road.

Memphis outscored the injury-depleted Timberwolves 50-32 in the paint, and had a 20-4 advantage in fast-break points. The Grizzlies, as they did in Friday’s win over Golden State, did a good job in spreading the ball, recording 30 assists on 41 field goals…

The wounded Wolves were without F Chase Budinger, F Andrei Kirilenko, F/C Kevin Love, G Malcolm Lee and G Brandon Roy because of an array of injuries, leaving Minnesota with only 10 players. J.J. Barea didn’t play because of a left foot sprain…

Grizzlies F Quincy Pondexter played for the first time since suffering a left MCL sprain on Dec. 29 against Denver.

– Reported by Clay Bailey of the Associated Press

The Grizzlies say they will not trade Zach Randolph this season.

The team has fielded calls proposing trades for its all-star, but Griz CEO Jason Levien said he told Randolph on Thursday that he won’t be dealt this season. NBA teams have been told the Grizzlies aren’t looking to move the 31-year-old forward, who averages 15.7 points and 11.7 rebounds.

Randolph, speaking after the Grizzlies’ Friday morning shootaround in FedExForum, said he hadn’t been bothered by the trade speculation.

– Reported by Ron Higgins and Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired forward Rudy Gay and centre Hamed Haddadi from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for guard Jose Calderon, forward Ed Davis, a second-round draft choice in 2013 and cash considerations. The Grizzlies traded Calderon to the Detroit Pistons for forwards Austin Daye and Tayshaun Prince.

“This is the type of deal we have been looking for to take our team another step forward,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “Rudy Gay is a dynamic wing that elevates our talent level significantly.

“We want to thank Jose and Ed for their dedication and service to our organization. Both individuals are wonderful young men beyond just talented basketball players.”

Gay, 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, has averaged 17.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 36.2 minutes in 479 career games (443 starts).

According to ESPN.com, “Gay, averaging 17.2 points and 5.9 rebounds, signed a five-year, $82 million maximum contract in July 2010 with Memphis. The 6-foot-8 small forward is due $16.5 million this season with $37 million more over the next two years. Just over a week ago, the Grizzlies sent valuable reserve Marreese Speights and two other players to Cleveland in a move that cleared $6.4 million in salary and avoided a $4 million luxury tax hit this season. Team officials said that move put the Grizzlies in position not to have to make a move this season.”

The 26-year-old has played all seven of his NBA seasons in Memphis. He was selected with the eighth pick in the first round of the 2006 Draft by the Houston Rockets and his draft rights were traded to the Grizzlies.

Gay has averaged at least 18.9 points and 5.5 rebounds each season since his rookie campaign. He has also played in more than 95 per cent of the games in five of the past six seasons.

Gay has topped 90 steals in five of six seasons. He is the Grizzlies’ franchise leader in thefts (640), games (479) and minutes (17,338). He ranks second in total points (8,562).

Gay posted career highs of 20.1 points in 2007-08, 6.4 rebounds in 2011-12 and 1.7 steals in 2010-11. He shot .396 from three-point range in 2010-11 and poured in 134 three-pointers in 2007-08.

Gay netted a career-best 41 points at Miami on December 13, 2009. He has posted personal bests of 13 rebounds three times, five steals four times and 52 minutes on two occasions.

Gay averaged a team-high 19.0 points, a career-high 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 37.3 minutes in 65 games during the 2011-12 season. He was one of seven players in the NBA to rank in the top 20 in both scoring and steals.

Gay saw his first playoff action last season when he led the Grizzlies in scoring at 19.0 points in seven games. He also contributed 6.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 39.9 minutes.

Haddadi (ha-DAH-dee), 7-foot-2, 265, is the first Iranian-born player in the NBA. He has averaged 2.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 6.1 minutes in 134 career outings, all with Memphis.

Calderon averaged 10.0 points, 7.2 assists and 28.4 minutes in 525 games with Toronto. In the playoffs, he averaged 12.5 points, 6.1 assists and 24.1 minutes in 11 appearances.

Calderon averaged 11.1 points, 7.4 assists and 28.3 minutes in 45 contests this season.

Calderon was originally signed by the club as a free agent in 2005. He is the franchise leader in assists (3,770) and free throw percentage (.877). He ranks second in games played (525), fourth in minutes (14,909) and fifth in total points (5,235).

Davis was drafted by the Raptors in the first round (13th overall) in 2010. He has appeared in 176 outings with Toronto, averaging 7.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 24.0 minutes.

Davis averaged 9.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 24.2 minutes in 45 games this season. He has started in a career-high 24 games.

The final hurdle for the salary dump of Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors hinges on finding a third team to absorb the expiring contract of Raptors guard Jose Calderon, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Grizzlies have inquired with multiple teams over the past several days, searching for a willing partner to facilitate a three-team deal, sources said.

Despite organizational proclamations to the contrary, new Memphis ownership and management is determined to unload Gay and the $37 million owed him as soon as possible, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Calderon has a $10.5 million expiring contract.

– Reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports

Gay still might soon be out of a Grizzlies uniform, but he’s clearly not down despite the fact that trade speculation surrounding the 6-8 small forward has hardly decreased.

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, NBA executives believe the Grizzlies, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have had trade discussions that could involve Gay, Paul Pierce and Pau Gasol.

The speculation is that Memphis would receive Pierce, Los Angeles would get Gay and Gasol would land in Boston.

Griz CEO Jason Levien told local reporters last week that no deal was imminent. It is widely known that the Griz still are open to trading Gay, and expect better offers for the swingman now that the franchise is no longer on the hook for a luxury tax payment.

Memphis shed more than $6 million and got under the tax threshold Tuesday with a multiplayer deal that sent Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, Josh Selby and a protected 2015 first-round draft pick to Cleveland for forward Jon Leuer.

– Reported by Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal

The Memphis Grizzlies are adding a better scoring offense to complement one of the league’s best defenses.

Marc Gasol had 20 points and nine rebounds as the Grizzlies built a 30-point lead in the second half en route to a 101-77 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.

Gasol was 10 of 15 from the field, all of his points coming in the first half, as Memphis, which had seven players in double figures, won for the fourth time in the past five games.

It also marked the second straight game Memphis has topped the century mark after reaching 100 only twice in the 24 games before Wednesday’s 106-93 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

”One thing that we have had all season is our defense,” said Rudy Gay, one of three Grizzlies who finished with 11 points…

Mike Conley made six of seven shots, including 2 of 3 outside the arc, for 14 points, while Zach Randolph had 12 points and matched Gasol’s nine rebounds…

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 18 points, while Deron Williams scored 12, adding six assists before leaving late in the third quarter with a quad contusion…

Joe Johnson and Reggie Evans scored 11 points each, with Evans grabbing 10 rebounds.

– Reported by Clay Bailey of the Associated Press

The Memphis Grizzlies signed free agent guard/forward Chris Johnson of the NBA Development League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers to a 10-day contract, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Johnson (6-6, 201) joins the Grizzlies after averaging 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.81 steals on .439 shooting (.419 3FG shooting) in 29.0 minutes in 21 games (nine starts) for Rio Grande Valley this season.

The 22-year-old ranks fourth in the D-League in three-pointers made (54) and is tied for sixth in steals (38).  Among qualifying D-League players, he places sixth in three-point field goal percentage, 12th in steals per game and tied for fourth in steal-to-turnover ratio (1.58).

Johnson enjoyed a four-year collegiate career at Dayton University (2008-12), where he averaged 10.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in a school-record 138 games.  The Orlando native helped guide the Flyers to the 2010 NIT Championship and captured tournament MVP honors.

After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft, Johnson played for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Orlando Magic during the preseason.

The Grizzlies’ roster now stands at 12 players.

The Memphis Grizzlies acquired forward Jon Leuer (LOO-er) and a trade exception from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for forward/center Marreese Speights, guards Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby and a protected future first round draft pick, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

“Marreese will strengthen our front court, while Wayne and Josh will add depth to our back court. At the same time, we are adding a valuable asset with another future first round pick, while also maintaining our future flexibility,” said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. “We wish Jon and Jeremy the best as they move on with their careers and thank them for their time with us here in Cleveland.”

The Cavs will receive Memphis’s first round draft pick in the first available year (which is two years after Memphis has satisfied its current pick obligation to Minnesota). Starting in 2015 the pick could be conveyed to the Cavaliers. The pick is protected one-five and 15-30 in 2015 and 2016 (meaning the Cavaliers would acquire a 6-14 pick) and the pick is protected one-five in 2017 and 2018. If the pick has not been conveyed by 2018, it becomes unprotected in 2019.

Currently in his second professional season, Leuer (6-10, 228) recorded 19.5 points, 12.3 rebounds  and 1.8 assists on .512 shooting (.467 3FG) in 36.5 minutes in eight games (seven starts) for Cleveland’s exclusively-owned NBA Development League team, the Canton Charge.  The 23-year-old also has made nine appearances for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 2.4 points in 10.1 minutes.

Leuer holds NBA career averages of 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds on .489 shooting in 11.7 minutes in 55 games (12 starts) with the Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks.  The Long Lake, Minn. native was drafted by Milwaukee in the second round (40th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft after a four-year career at the University of Wisconsin.

Speights (6-10, 255) averaged 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds on .429 shooting in 14.5 minutes in 40 games (two starts) in his second season in Memphis.  Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round (16th overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft, the 25-year-old owns career averages of 7.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists on .474 shooting in 16.2 minutes in 305 games (60 starts) over five seasons with the Grizzlies and 76ers.

Ellington (6-4, 200) posted 5.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists on .407 shooting in 16.9 minutes in 40 games (four starts) in his first season with the Grizzlies.  Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round (28th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft, the 25-year-old holds career averages of 6.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .411 shooting in 18.4 minutes in 229 games (17 starts) over four seasons with the Grizzlies and Timberwolves.

Selby (6-2, 183) made 10 appearances with the Grizzlies this season, averaging 2.0 points in 5.9 minutes.  Drafted by Memphis in the second round (49th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft, the 21-year-old owns career averages of 2.2 points and 0.9 assists on .330 shooting in 7.8 minutes in 38 games over two seasons with the Grizzlies.

The game plan was simple for the Grizzles in overtime: Utilize one of the most imposing front lines in the NBA.

Marc Gasol scored 19 points, Zach Randolph had 13 points and 19 rebounds, and Memphis beat the Chicago Bulls 85-82 on Saturday night.

Gasol and Randolph combined for seven of the nine overtime points for the Grizzlies.

”When we got into overtime we went to our horses, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. We played an inside-outside game. Our All-Star bigs took over the game,” the Grizzlies’ Tony Allen said…

Chicago, playing its third consecutive overtime game in four days, didn’t have enough in overtime. The Bulls played without forward Luol Deng and had to fight back from a 17-point, third-quarter deficit.

Butler, starting in place of Deng, scored a career-high 18 points and Boozer added 17 as the Bulls had a three-game winning streak snapped…

Chicago played without Noah in the fourth quarter and overtime.

”That’s just a coaching decision,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said…

Rudy Gay finished with 16 points and Conley had 13 points and nine assists.

– Reported by the Associated Press

After a trio of blowout losses, the Memphis Grizzlies got back in rhythm for their own double-digit victory.

Mike Conley scored 19 points, Marc Gasol added 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Grizzlies snapped a three-game losing streak Friday night with an 85-69 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

The Grizzlies lost 103-82 San Antonio, 99-73 against the Los Angeles Clippers and 104-83 to Dallas in their last three games.

”It was a must-win game,” said forward Marreese Speights, who had 10 points and nine rebounds filling in for the injured Zach Randolph. ”We knew that before the game. We knew that (Thursday) when we had a team meeting. We knew we couldn’t lose at home and get blown out like we did the last three games.”

All five Memphis starters were in double figures as Tony Allen had 14 points and nine rebounds, plus six assists. Allen also had three blocks, while Rudy Gay scored 15 points.

The tailspin, amid trade talks involving Gay and other distractions, such as Gasol and Conley being the only players invited to a dinner with new owner Robert Pera, led to worries from fans and the team meeting Speights mentioned…

DeMarcus Cousins was the only Sacramento player in double figures with 22 points, plus 12 rebounds as the Kings saw their two-game winning streak end. Isaiah Thomas had nine points and five assists as the Kings recorded a season-low nine assists in the game.

– Reported by Clay Bailey of the Associated Press

Playing without Chris Paul proved no problem for the Clippers. Not having Rudy Gay was a much bigger issue for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Reserves Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes each scored 16 points, and the Clippers easily routed the Grizzlies 99-73 Monday night with Paul missing his first game this season because of a bruised right kneecap.

”Missing the best point guard in the world in Chris Paul, we all had to play collectively and step it up, and I thought we did a good job of that,” Crawford said.

The matchup between two of the best teams in the West wasn’t close after the first quarter. While Paul watched from the bench, the Grizzlies were without their leading scorer: Gay was excused for his grandmother’s funeral in Baltimore.

This also was the Clippers’ first trip to Memphis since they won Game 7 of their opening-round playoff series last May. All they did was match their largest margin of victory on the road this season while holding the Grizzles to a season-low in points and their worst field goal shooting percentage on their home court in franchise history…

Eric Bledsoe, starting for Paul, had 14 points, and Blake Griffin scored 10. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro was able to give nine players at least 17 minutes each before heading to Houston for the second half of a back-to-back Tuesday night…

Zach Randolph had 15 for Memphis, which lost its second straight blowout, after losing 104-83 at Dallas on Saturday night. Wayne Ellington added 11 in a rare start in place of Gay, and Darrell Arthur had 10 as the Grizzlies shot just 30.3 percent (27 of 89), a franchise-low at home. Randolph said they really missed Gay’s ability to drive and relieve pressure…

The Clippers had a 40-36 scoring edge in the paint as DeAndre Jordan and Griffin helped limit Randolph to 5-of-16 shooting and Marc Gasol to 4 of 13.

– Reported by Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press

The Memphis Grizzlies recalled guard Tony Wroten from the NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

In his third assignment this season, Wroten (6-6, 208) recorded 24.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.50 steals on .410 shooting in 29.0 minutes in two games after being re-assigned to the Bighorns on Jan. 11.  The 19-year-old scored a D-League season-high 27 points on Jan. 12 at Idaho, his fifth 20-point performance with Reno this season.

The Seattle native has averaged 15.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.50 steals on .410 shooting in 25.4 minutes in 10 games (two starts) over three assignments with Reno this season.

Wroten will join the Grizzlies for tonight’s tilt with the Los Angeles Clippers at 7 p.m. CT at FedExForum.

Drafted by Memphis in the first round (25th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft after one season at the University of Washington, Wroten has totaled two points, two rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes over six appearances for the Grizzlies during his rookie season.