The Memphis Grizzlies received 60 points from their bench and overcame the ejection of star Ja Morant late in the game to beat the Sacramento Kings 115-110 on Thursday night.
Marcus Smart came off the bench to score 18 points, while Desmond Bane, a starter, also had 18 points, leading the Grizzlies to their sixth straight home win.
Santi Aldama recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Jake LaRavia, another reserve, finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
The Kings were led by DeMar DeRozan, who scored a game-high 26 points, and Malik Monk, who added 23 points. De’Aaron Fox contributed 18 points and six steals, while Domantas Sabonis posted 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Morant was ejected after picking up his second technical foul in just 82 seconds in the fourth quarter. The second technical came after a controversial shooting foul on DeRozan with 6:45 remaining, when the Grizzlies were leading 98-97.
Morant had a rough night, making only 2 of 13 shots, including missing all six of his 3-point attempts, and finishing with just eight points in 28 minutes.
The Kings led early in the fourth quarter, but Memphis rallied behind Bane and the bench. Bane hit a pull-up jumper to give Memphis a 112-108 lead with 1:33 left, and Smart added three free throws in the final 1:18.
Sacramento had a strong third quarter, pushing ahead 78-71 with six minutes left. But Memphis, led by their bench, responded with a 15-0 run to take an 86-78 lead. Bane and Aldama each hit a 3-pointer during the run.
The Kings finished the quarter with an 8-0 run to tie the game at 86 heading into the fourth.
The first half was equally close. The Grizzlies trailed by 12 points midway through the second quarter after Monk hit a 3-pointer to give Sacramento a 56-44 lead.
Smart helped Memphis close the half with a 16-4 run, and the Grizzlies took a 63-62 lead into halftime. Smart contributed 11 of the bench’s 34 first-half points, along with four assists.
The Grizzlies were also without Luke Kennard (illness) and had hoped to get 7-4 rookie center Zach Edey back soon. However, after working with the G-League team, the Grizzlies determined that Edey would need more time to heal from his ankle injury.
