Ja Morant made two key baskets in the final minute to help the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-125 on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
Morant finished with 12 points on 5-for-19 shooting but stepped up when it mattered most for Memphis, which won the first game of a four-game road trip. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 33 points and eight rebounds, while Desmond Bane scored 21 points.
Donte DiVincenzo led the Timberwolves with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but their three-game winning streak was snapped. Jaden McDaniels had 21 points, Naz Reid scored 19 off the bench, and Julius Randle contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
The Grizzlies were down 125-121 after Rudy Gobert made a layup for the Timberwolves with 1:41 left. That was Minnesota’s final score of the game.
Heat 119, Trail Blazers 98
Tyler Herro made seven 3-pointers and scored 32 points with five rebounds and five assists to lead the Miami Heat to a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nikola Jovic added a season-high 21 points and eight rebounds. Miami won its third straight game, all on the road. Haywood Highsmith scored 14 points and matched his career-high with five steals. Bam Adebayo contributed 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, and both Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 11 points.
Anfernee Simons had 28 points, including seven 3-pointers, and Shaedon Sharpe added 22 points for Portland, which lost its fifth game in seven. Deni Avdija chipped in 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Suns 114, Jazz 106
Devin Booker tied his season-high with six 3-pointers, scoring 34 points, and Kevin Durant added 25 points to help the Phoenix Suns beat the Utah Jazz.
Utah came back from a 16-point deficit in the second quarter and trailed by just three, 91-88, with 8:36 left. Phoenix then went on an 11-0 run to take control.
Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 24 points, Collin Sexton scored 20, and Walker Kessler added 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Pistons 123, Raptors 114
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored a season-high 27 points, and the Detroit Pistons held off the Toronto Raptors.
Hardaway made seven of his eight 3-point attempts. Cade Cunningham posted a triple-double with 22 points, 17 assists, and 10 rebounds, helping Detroit win for the sixth time in seven games. Malik Beasley added 18 points off the bench, while Tobias Harris contributed 17 points and seven rebounds.
Immanuel Quickley led the Raptors with 25 points, while Scottie Barnes had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Bruce Brown and Chris Boucher each scored 14 points off the bench. Toronto has now lost five straight games.
