Ja Morant scored 27 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 23, and Santi Aldama came off the bench to score 20 points, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to their first NBA Cup victory, 120-109, over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
The Pelicans, missing Zion Williamson (hamstring) and Brandon Ingram (calf soreness), lost their seventh straight game. Memphis, on the other hand, extended their winning streak to five games and has won nine out of their last 12.
CJ McCollum led the Pelicans with a season-high 30 points. Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy III each scored 21 points, while Yves Missi added 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Memphis had been winless in NBA Cup play, with an 0-6 record across two seasons, but they led for most of the game against the short-handed Pelicans. The Grizzlies extended their lead to 17 points late in the third quarter after Jackson made two free throws.
Marcus Smart played a key role in the fourth quarter, helping Memphis maintain their lead. When New Orleans cut the lead to nine points with 5:18 remaining, Smart responded with a left-handed hook shot in the paint and then hit a 3-pointer.
Morant, who had missed the previous game against Detroit due to a left knee injury, returned on Friday after being sidelined for nine of the past 10 games. He also recorded seven assists and three steals.
The Grizzlies led for most of the first half, reaching their largest lead of 11 points late in the second quarter. They went into halftime with a 67-56 lead, shooting 53.8 percent and getting strong contributions from their bench, including Aldama’s 16 points.
Aldama helped close out the first half with a 16-4 run, hitting two 3-pointers and finishing with a reverse layup. The Grizzlies, who are the top team in the NBA for assists per game, had 22 assists on 28 field goals by halftime and finished with 36 assists on 47 made shots.
Murray, who had missed 17 games with a fractured hand, led the Pelicans in the first half with 17 points.
