PHILADELPHIA — Rudy Gay to Toronto. Rudy Gay to Boston. It might be easier to count the teams who don’t covet Gay.
But as long as he’s still with Memphis, Gay is doing what he can to help the Grizzlies win.
Gay scored 26 points, including the winning basket off a rebound with 13.3 seconds left to lead Memphis to a 103-100 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
Gay’s name is one of the hottest around in NBA trade rumors. The Grizzlies, who rallied from 17 points down to beat the Sixers, are fourth in the Western Conference and listening to offers for their leading scorer.
He showed his value down the stretch, hitting the go ahead basket, then making two free throws to seal the victory.
“Whether I’m here or not, it shouldn’t affect this team,” Gay said. “I’m going to bea professional about it and make sure that it doesn’t.”
He added: “Wherever I go, I’m going to be me.”
Marc Gasol scored a season-high 27 points and Jerryd Bayless had a season-high 21 to help the Grizzlies win without point guard Mike Conley. Conley sat out with a sprained left ankle suffered in Sunday’s loss to New Orleans.
The Grizzlies rallied to take control late in the fourth. Bayless missed a jumper, Gay grabbed the rebound and put Memphis up 101-100 on a basket with 13.3 seconds left.
“When the ball’s up, you’ve got to go it,” Gay said. “I just went to go get it.”
Philadelphia’s Thaddeus Young missed a short attempt in front of the basket and the Grizzlies grabbed the rebound. Gay hit both attempts from the free-throw line for the three-point cushion.
Nick Young couldn’t get the tying shot off at the buzzer for the Sixers.
Tied at 79-79 to start the fourth, neither team could break free the rest of the quarter.
Sports, Pages 20 on 01/29/2013