Jones' jumper, blocked shot help Grizz top Bobcats

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Memphis Grizzlies expected Eddie Jones to make big plays both offensively and defensively when they acquired him.

Against the Charlotte Bobcats, he did both.

Jones hit a 16-foot jumper that barely beat the shot clock with 41 seconds to play, sealing Memphis' 96-88 victory over the Bobcats on Wednesday night. Seconds later, he blocked Matt Carroll's 3-point attempt to get the ball back for the Grizzlies.

"I was watching the clock, I knew we had only like four seconds, you keep that clock running in your head anyway," Jones said. "I just wanted to hit the rim so we wouldn't get a violation, but then it went in.

"On the defensive end, I just continued to trail Carroll, who is a great shooter. I just happened to get my hand on it."

Although the Grizzlies were in control for most of the second half, they never could put Charlotte away and clung to an 89-88 lead with 1:37 to play.

But Chucky Atkins made a pair of free throws for Memphis to make it 91-88, then Jones hit his long jumper to make it a five-point game. He then blocked Carroll's shot, Pau Gasol was fouled in the battle for the rebound, went to the line and made one free throw for a 94-88 lead.

Raymond Felton missed a 3 for Charlotte, Mike Miller got the rebound and made both free throws to make it 96-88.

Jones led six players in double figures with 16 points for the Grizzlies, who remained in line for the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

They started the night with a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Clippers, and perhaps should think about losing a few to slide back to the sixth seed. The fifth seed will face either the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs or the Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis is a combined 1-7 against the Texas teams.

"You try to mess with the basketball Gods, they punish you in the end," Shane Battier said about intentionally avoiding the fifth seed. "All the talk of massaging and losing games, that's not in our minds right now. We're trying to win every single game every time we step on the court.

"Wherever you are at the end of the year, hopefully we will have some momentum and play well in the playoffs."

Atkins, Gasol and Miller each scored 15 points, Lorenzen Wright had 12 and Battier scored 10.

Gerald Wallace led the Bobcats with 17 points. Felton had 14 points and 13 assists, Carroll scored 14 off the bench and Primoz Brezec scored 13.

The Bobcats complained about what they thought was uneven officiating the entire game. They may have had a point: Memphis went to the free throw line 38 times compared to just 16 for the Bobcats. And after Jones' big basket, Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff was convinced that Jones fouled Carroll on his block.

"I thought our guys played hard and played terrific," Bickerstaff said. "They did everything that they could to win the basketball game. The one concern I have is with Gerald and Raymond, is that I don't want them to get discouraged. I want them to keep taking that basketball to the hole, but they get discouraged when they don't get rewarded."

Charlotte led by six with 6:19 to play in the third quarter, but the Grizzlies outscored them 19-8 the rest of the way and did it from long range. The run was marked with four 3-pointers -- all by different Memphis players -- and put the Grizzlies on top 72-67 at the start of the fourth.

Miller then opened the fourth with another 3 to push the lead to 75-67 and the Grizzlies never looked back.

Game notes
Charlotte guard Brevin Knight did not play because of a strained right groin. Alan Anderson started in his place and finished with four points and one assist. ... The Bobcats started their 27th different lineup, ranked second in the NBA to New York's 42. ... The Grizzlies are one of just six NBA teams that have yet to lose to the Bobcats since they entered the NBA last season. ... This was Memphis' first visit to Charlotte's new arena, making them the last team to play here. ... David "Oggie" Ogron of the Miracle Golf Tour set a world record at halftime by hitting 155 golf balls into a net in two minutes.