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Grizzlies take 2-1 series lead over Warriors with win

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, loses the ball out of bounds against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half of Game 3 of a second-round NBA basketball Western Conference playoff series on Saturday in Memphis, Tenn. At right is Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12), of Australia.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. » Zach Randolph scored 22 points and Marc Gasol added 21 points and 15 rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Golden State Warriors 99-89 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal.

Mike Conley and Courtney Lee both finished with 11 points for Memphis, which has won two straight with Conley, their point guard, back in the lineup.

MVP Stephen Curry finished with 23 points for Golden State but was 8 of 21 from the field, including 2 of 10 outside the arc. Klay Thompson had 20 points, and Harrison Barnes added 16.

For a second straight game, the Grizzlies made the Warriors look nothing like the team that was the NBA’s best home or away during the regular season. The Warriors missed seven straight 3s during one stretch, several wide-open looks, and the Grizzlies harassed them into a handful of ugly turnovers.

The Warriors went just 6 of 26 from 3-point range and 19 of 28 at the free throw line.

The Grizzlies improved to 6-2 overall in Game 3s in their franchise history and 6-1 when playing that game on their home court. With Game 4 at home on Monday night, the Grizzlies have their sights set on ousting the West’s No. 1 seed for the third time in their five-year playoff run as they try to reach their second conference final in three years.

Memphis outscored Golden State 46-32 in the paint and outrebounded the Warriors 44-39. The Grizzlies forced 17 turnovers they turned in 22 points, offsetting the Warriors’ 22 fast break points.

Golden State trailed by as many as 19 points early in the fourth quarter and tried to recreate its big comeback from 20 points down in Game 3 of its opening series at New Orleans. The Warriors got within 88-84 on a fastbreak layup by Barnes with 3:16 left.

Lee hit a 3, then Gasol beat the shot clock with a long jumper changed from a 3 after review. Green turned it over, and the Grizzlies finished the win.

The Warriors were up 15-10, a lead that didn’t’ last long as the Grizzlies put together a 25-9 run spanning the first quarter and into the second for a 35-24 lead.

Memphis led 55-39 at halftime, the second straight game the Grizzlies held Golden State below 40 points in the opening 24 minutes. Golden State had been held to 40 points or less only once all season.

The night so belonged to Memphis that with the crowd yelling at Randolph to shoot with the shot clock ticking down, he tossed in a 20-footer to beat the buzzer. Within a minute later, the league MVP had an air ball from 3.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Marreese Speights strained his right calf in the fourth quarter and did not return. … Curry, who had six assists in the game, handed out his 200th career assist in the postseason in the second quarter. He became the fifth player in Golden State history with at least 200 playoff assists. … Thompson has hit a 3-pointer in 15 straight postseason games.

Grizzlies: Gasol scored 12 points in the second quarter on 4-of-6 shooting, including 4 of 4 at the free throw line. He had five rebounds in the quarter. … Tony Allen had four more steals, giving him 16 in his past four games.

NEW MASK

The swelling has eased enough in Conley’s face that he switched to a new mask for a more snug fit. He didn’t shoot nearly as well as he did Tuesday night. Officials did take a timeout early in the third quarter for Conley to get some blood wiped away from his left eyebrow before putting the mask back on and returning to the court. He even took a charge from Leandro Barbosa late in the third quarter.

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