Wall scores 47 as Wizards beat Grizzlies 107-94

Washington (AP) -- John Wall scored a career-high 47 points and added eight assists, Emeka Okafor had 21 points and nine rebounds, and the undermanned Washington Wizards beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 107-94 Monday night.

Wall shot 13 of 22 from the field and made a career-high 19 free throws on 24 attempts.

Mike Conley led Memphis with 23 points.

It was Washington's sixth straight home win, while Memphis dropped its fourth straight road game.

Already without guard Bradley Beal (sprained left ankle), guard A.J. Price (groin) and forward Trevor Ariza (flu), Wizards coach Randy Wittman announced before the game that forwards Nene (sore right knee) and Martell Webster (abdomen strain) were also out.

Memphis center Marc Gasol missed his second straight game after aggravating an abdominal tear Friday at New Orleans.

Washington led 76-74 to start the fourth quarter and went up six after Cartier Martin hit a 3-pointer and Wall made one of two free throws.

After Tony Allen's free throw cut it to five, Wall hit two free throws and then, after a miss by Allen, Chris Singleton's 3-pointer gave Washington a 91-81 lead with six minutes left.

With just over four minutes to go, Wall hit a jumper as the shot clock expired to make it 94-83. The lead grew to 13, but Memphis rallied and twice got within four in the final minutes before the Wizards scored the final nine points.

Wall scored eight straight to give the Wizards an early 12-4 lead.

Down by two after a quarter, Memphis, keyed by 3-pointers from Austin Daye and Quincy Pondexter, opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 32-26 lead.

Memphis built the lead to nine before Wall scored six straight to make it 39-36. His driving scoop shot put the Wizards up three late in the half before Conley's 3-pointer made it 55-all at the break.

Wall finished the first half with 26 points, a career high for a half, on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 7 of 8 from the free throw line.

Notes: Beal has missed nine of 12 games since injuring his ankle March 3. . Price missed his eighth straight game and Ariza his second. . After returning home from a four-game West Coast string for Monday night's game, the Wizards go right back on the road for games at Oklahoma City (Wednesday) and Orlando (Friday). . Zach Randolph was back in the Memphis starting lineup. He didn't start for disciplinary reasons against Saturday against Boston after arriving late for the shootaround.

 

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