MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Point guard Mario Chalmers scored a game-high 25 points with eight assists and hit the game-winning basket as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Detroit Pistons 103-101 Thursday night at FedExForum.
Down 101-96 after Detroit rookie forward Stanley Johnson (19 points) hit his fifth 3-pointer of the night with 3:07 to play, Chalmers scored the Grizzlies’ last seven points for the victory. His game-winning shot came when he picked up a loose ball and fired off-balance with 00.8 left on the clock.
Chalmers had nine points and two assists in the fourth quarter and also finished with four steals. Center Marc Gasol scored 19 points, had five rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. Forward Matt Barnes went 6-for-6 from 3-point range and scored 18 points off the bench. Forward Jeff Green had 16 bench points and power forward Zach Randolph chipped in 13 points.
Memphis (22-19) shot 48.7 percent from the floor and, though 28th in the NBA in 3-point shooting, went 9 of 16 for 56.3 percent from long range. Detroit (21-18) shot 51.4 percent from the field and hit 15 of 32 shots from distance for 46.9 percent.
Johnson scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter and knocked down three of his five 3s in the last quarter. Forward Ersan Ilyasova scored 17 points with nine rebounds, forward Marcus Morris finished with 12 points, five assists and four rebounds but made six turnovers. Center Andre Drummond had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Memphis achieved its game-high 13-point lead at the 10:26 mark in the fourth quarter as Green hit a pair of free throws. But the Pistons then went on a 23-2 run and took a 96-88 lead with 5:42 to go. Detroit hit five treys during the run. The Grizzlies led 79-71 going into the fourth quarter.
At halftime, Memphis led 48-43 and had scored 12 points off 12 Detroit turnovers. Green led Memphis with 12 points and Ilyasova had 12 points for the Pistons.
NOTES: Memphis F Jeff Green did not a play a minute in the second half of Tuesday’s loss to Houston. Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger appeared exasperated with Green’s lack of defense during the game and Green has been less productive as a starter than PF Zach Randolph has been playing off the bench. Randolph replaced Green in the starting lineup Thursday. Asked before the game about plans for Green, Joerger said. “He’ll still play his minutes. Sometimes as a coach, you try to jolt somebody.” … Detroit has two of the top six players in the NBA in minutes per game this season: G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is third at 37.7 and F Marcus Morris is sixth at 36.3. … San Antonio beat Detroit on Tuesday, snapping the Pistons’ three-game winning streak. Detroit has had three or more consecutive wins four times this season. … Grizzlies PG Mike Conley sat out with a sore left Achilles.