"As sure as it is January, heavy snow fell outside The Palace of Auburn Hills.

As sure as the Detroit Pistons are in a painful rebuilding phase and average a league-low 85 points, they exhibited little firepower.

And as sure as the Grizzlies are on a roll, they stayed true to form.

Memphis got off to another fast start, took off one quarter Friday night and then methodically put away Detroit to earn a 98-81 victory -- its fifth straight after losing three in a row.

The Grizzlies' winning streak ties their season-high from last season. They'll try for six consecutive wins tonight when the Sacramento Kings visit FedExForum. Memphis hasn't won six or more in a row since it captured seven straight from March 14-26, 2006.

One sign that the Kings might be in trouble is how forward Rudy Gay described the team's approach during its streak. The Griz have moved on from every victory no sooner than they've accomplished it.

"It has to be a game-by-game mentality," Gay said after leading the Griz with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting. "We have to have short-term memory. And that's what we have right now."

It didn't take long to discern that the Griz (8-6) were intent on backing up Gay's assertion. Memphis went on a 15-2 run to take a 22-12 lead after the first quarter. The Grizzlies, who shot 60 percent in the first half, took a 49-30 advantage into intermission.

"We came out and executed," Griz coach Lionel Hollins said. "And we really executed down the stretch." "