Memphis, April 10 (BUS): Ja Morant scored 21 points and nine assists in his return from a sore right knee, Dillon Brooks scored 23 points and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-114 on Saturday evening to equalize the 2012-13 franchise record for victories in One season at 56.
After missing nine matches, Morant played nearly 27 minutes as the second-seeded Grizzlies got the starting line-up back together in preparation for the post-season. They will close out the regular season at home against Boston on Sunday night, according to the Associated Press.
Morant has not played since he suffered a loss in Atlanta on March 18.
“Being with my team is something I’ve been waiting for since March 19,” Morant said, referring to the day after his injury. “I was finally able to do it. Excited to be there. He had a lot of fun. Just preparing for this stretch and we are about to continue with the qualifiers.”
Brandon Clark added 20 points for the Memphis, scoring all 10 field shooters. Zayer Williams scored 19 and Desmond Banny 18 and was among 6 of 7 on the night, including his four 3-point attempts. Grizzlies’ shot is better than 60% over three quarters. They cut a two-game losing streak.
CJ McCollum led New Orleans with 16 points but was 6 of 17 from the field. Willie Hernangomez added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Jackson Hayes added 13 points.
It was a tough night. Tough night for CJ. Tough night for me. “Tough night for our group,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said.
“I felt they were more prepared than used,” Hayes added. “They came out aggressive. He jumped at us and kind of pressured us the whole game. It was hard to get anything.”
In an effort to secure the ninth seed for championship play, the Pelicans played without scoring leader Brandon Ingram. He missed his second game in a row due to a tight hamstring.
Memphis dominated during the middle stages. By the end of the third quarter, the lead was at 39, and Memphis was shooting 64% overall and 60% from a 3-point range, connecting on 15 of 25 from distance. Memphis scored a franchise record 55 points in the third quarter, giving the Grizzlies a 119-80 lead up to fourth.
Memphis had 20 of 26 shots in the third, making 7 of 10 from a 3-point range and providing 16 assists in the period alone. Pelican trainer. Green said the third quarter was a bad sign, but it was more than continuing problems for New Orleans all night.
“We could have been better the whole game,” Green said. “The third quarter was our worst.”
For Memphis, who didn’t play well in last Thursday’s loss to Denver, the performance marked a return to the style the Grizzlies had played before their two-game losing streak. And with a full set of appetizers
“All we need to do is pay attention to detail, know the players, and put in the effort,” Brooks said.
goodness Dillon slit
Brooks, who was notorious for his jaw-dropping with referees and opponents while playing his physical defensive style, seemed to become more resilient on Saturday night and even smiled at times, especially after the Grizzlies took the insurmountable lead. “I try to smile more so I don’t get too upset in there and (the officials) start keeping me,” Brooke said.
Hints
Pelicans: 0 of 7 started from outside the arc. …G Devonte’ Graham didn’t grab the rebound and still needed a one for 600 in his career. … Trey Murphy III, who leads the Novice in a 3-point shooting ratio of 38.4%, was a 1 in 3 out of the arc. … C Jonas Valanciunas, who was in foul trouble most of the match, was limited to six minutes, scored eight points and had only one rebound. … McCollum was 2 for 11 halfway through the third, and he had 10 points in that span.
Grizzlies: He entered the match in second place, scoring 115.4 games. The franchise never finished in the top five in scoring. … Do 30-0 when you reach 120 points. …while setting the franchise point record in the quarter at 55 in the third quarter, Memphis also set franchises for field goals in period (20) and assists (16).
next one
Pelicans: Golden State hosts Sunday night.
Grizzlies: Boston hosts Sunday night.