NEW ORLEANS, April 1 (UPI) -- Zach Randolph helped boost Memphis to a quick start Friday and the Grizzlies maintained a solid lead the rest of the way to defeat New Orleans 93-81.
Randolph scored 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had seven assists. The win lifted Memphis into a seventh-place tie with New Orleans in the race for the final playoff positions in the Western Conference.
Memphis held New Orleans to 12 points in the first quarter and built an 11-point lead in the period. The Hornets came no closer than six for the remainder of the game and Memphis led by as many as 16 in the fourth period.
Tony Allen had 17 points for the Grizzlies while both O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol had 13. Carl Landry led New Orleans with 19 points.
Memphis made 50 percent of its field goal attempts and outrebounded the Hornets by 14.
