Ja Morant recorded 28 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies won their fourth consecutive game, defeating the Brooklyn Nets 135-119 on Friday.
Desmond Bane contributed 21 points and eight assists, while Santi Aldama came off the bench to score 20 points, including five 3-pointers. The Grizzlies, who have won 10 of their last 11 games, also saw Jaren Jackson Jr. add 20 points, Brandon Clarke score 14, and Jaylen Wells finish with 12 points.
Memphis took the lead at 21-18 midway through the first quarter and never trailed after that. They shot 52.5 percent from the field and 47.2 percent from beyond the arc, making 17 of 36 three-point attempts. This victory helped them avenge two early-season losses to Brooklyn.
Jackson also contributed seven rebounds and five steals, while the Grizzlies extended their streak of scoring at least 115 points to 11 games.
Dorian Finney-Smith led the Nets with 19 points. Dennis Schroder and Jalen Wilson both scored 15 points, and Noah Clowney, Shake Milton, Day’Ron Sharpe, Cameron Johnson, and Keon Johnson each had 12 points. However, Brooklyn committed 18 turnovers and has now lost five of its last six games.
Memphis entered the game as the league’s highest-scoring team, averaging 122.1 points per game. They led 39-36 at the end of the fast-paced first quarter, with both teams combining for 13 made three-pointers. Morant scored 16 points in the second quarter, helping Memphis extend their lead to 69-56 by halftime.
Brooklyn briefly closed the gap to 74-72 in the third quarter with back-to-back three-pointers from Johnson, Finney-Smith, and Schroder, but Memphis responded with a 13-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Jaylen Wells.
The Grizzlies led 107-95 at the start of the fourth quarter and extended their lead to 121-106 after a layup from Clarke. Ben Simmons cut the deficit to 123-113 with 5:38 left, but Memphis answered with a 10-0 run to seal the win.
