NBA Game Summary - Phoenix at Memphis

Memphis, TN (Basketball News) - Joe Johnson had 28 points and eight rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns past the Memphis Grizzlies, 97-91, at FedExForum. Shawn Marion added 14 points and 16 boards for the Suns, who won their second game in three tries and their sixth in their last eight.

Shane Battier had 20 points and Lorenzen Wright chipped in 19 with eight rebounds for Memphis, which had a three-game winning streak stopped and lost for just the third time in its last 11 contests.

Prior to the game, the Grizzlies activated star forward Pau Gasol from the injured list. Gasol, who totaled four points in 12 minutes, had missed 26 games with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Leading by six after three quarters, Phoenix scored five of the first seven points of the fourth to open a nine-point lead. Memphis eventually whittled the deficit to as little as three with under a minute to play, but Phoenix hit its free throws down the stretch and the Suns rolled to the six-point win.

Quentin Richardson finished with 18 points for Phoenix, which opened a five- game road trip this afternoon, improved to 26-7 away from home this season.

The teams played a tightly contested opening 12 minutes. Phoenix managed to grab a 26-22 lead late in the quarter, but Earl Watson’s layup pulled the Grizzlies within two heading into the second quarter.

Memphis opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run to take a seven-point lead. Phoenix, though, responded by scoring 10 of the next 12 points to regain the advantage.

Neither team was able to seize control the rest of the half, as Richardson’s free throws with a tick remaining gave the Suns a 51-49 edge heading into the locker room.

Johnson had 14 points to lead the Suns, while Wright’s 12 paced Memphis.

Phoenix continued to carry the momentum out of the break and Amare Stoudemire’s putback off of a Richardson miss at the buzzer staked it to a 79-73 lead heading into the final 12 minutes.