Ja Morant scored 32 points, Desmond Bane had 30 to go with nine rebounds and eight assists, and the visiting Memphis Grizzlies held on to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 107-104 Sunday night.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 12 points for the Grizzlies, who played without leading scorer Jaren Jackson Jr. (ankle) for the third consecutive game.
Trey Murphy III scored 27 points, Karlo Matkovic had 13 points and 11 rebounds, Jordan Hawkins and Kelly Olynyk scored 12 points each, Jose Alvarado had 11 points and 11 assists, Antonio Reeves scored 11 points and Yves Missi had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Pelicans, who played without leading scorer Zion Williamson (reconditioning) and fourth-leading scorer CJ McCollum (rest).
The Grizzlies started the third quarter with a 14-2 run and took a 71-66 lead. Murphy scored the Pelicans’ next 12 points, but Memphis extended the lead to 89-79 at the end of the period.
New Orleans scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and extended it to a 17-2 run that produced a 96-91 lead. Memphis made just four free throws until its first field goal of the fourth came with 4:04 remained when Morant’s 3-pointer started an 8-2 run that gave the Grizzlies a six-point lead with 1:57 left.
The Pelicans crept within two points with 10 seconds left before Morant made one of two free throws. Alvarado and Olynyk each missed a 3-pointer on the final possession.
Hawkins scored seven points and Missi added five as the Pelicans took an 18-11 lead. Bane scored three times on drives to the basket and Jaylen Wells and Pippen each made a 3-pointer to help the Grizzlies get within 27-26 at the end of the first quarter.
Morant’s floater started the second-quarter scoring and gave Memphis the lead briefly before New Orleans made a push. Reeves made three 3-pointers, Matkovic and Jamal Cain made one each and Bruce Brown converted a three-point play as the Pelicans took a 47-33 lead.
Morant had a 3-pointer and a three-point play, Jay Huff made two 3-pointers and Pippen made one to help the Grizzlies climb within 64-57 at halftime.
