MEMPHIS, Tenn. _ The war of attrition continued for the Nets as they lost two more starters, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe, to injuries. But they overcame those setbacks plus their recent late-game meltdowns to score a 98-88 victory over Memphis on Sunday night at FedEx Forum.
The Nets led by 19 points late in the third quarter, but the Grizzlies put together a 20-6 run that cut their lead to 82-77 early in the fourth quarter. Suddenly, their recent struggles holding late leads came to the fore again. But they regained a 93-82 cushion with an 11-5 burst, including nine points from Trevor Booker.
The Nets (7-12) snapped a three-game losing streak at the expense of the Grizzlies (7-12), who lose their eighth straight. DeMarre Carroll topped the Nets with 24 points, Booker had 16 plus 11 rebounds, and Joe Harris scored 13. The Grizzlies were led by Marc Gasol and Tyreke Evans with 18 points each.
Asked before the game about his team's resilience, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said, "The last two seasons I love (it). That's what I like about these guys. They don't hang their heads; they bounce back, they fight, they compete."
Both teams came into the game beset by injuries that fed into a losing streak. Grizzlies star Mike Conley is out indefinitely, missing six of the seven losses they had entering the game. The Nets had lost three straight and four of five since D'Angelo Russell suffered a knee injury that led to arthroscopic surgery. Russell traveled with the Nets on their three-game road trip for the first time since undergoing surgery.
"We're both scrambling for a win," Atkinson said before the game. "That's what it comes down to."
The Nets' task grew more difficult when Crabbe was scratched from the starting lineup with a sore lower back. Then, starting center Tyler Zeller picked up three fouls in less than four minutes and sat for the remainder of the first half. The Grizzlies jumped out to an early eight-point lead, but the Nets battled back despite losing Hollis-Jefferson, who landed awkwardly on a drive to the basket but was able to walk slowly off the court with 8:16 left in the second period
The Nets trailed 35-29 at that point but finished the half on an 18-12 run to tie the game at 47. Carroll and LeVert each scored seven points in that span. But the best was yet to come in an explosive third quarter as the Nets opened it on a 20-4 run, including seven points from Dinwiddie for a 67-51 lead.
That margin extended as high as 19 points before the Grizzlies cut their deficit to 79-65 at the end of the third quarter. But the Nets made 12 of 22 shots, including a 5-for-8 effort from 3-point range in the period, outscoring the Grizzlies, 32-18.
