Morant, Bane star as Grizzlies beat Nets

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Ja Morant had 28 points and 10 assists, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Brooklyn Nets 135-119 on Friday night for their fourth consecutive win.

Desmond Bane added 21 points as Memphis improved to 10-1 in its last 11 games overall. Santi Aldama and Jaren Jackson Jr. each had 20 points.

Memphis lost its first two games against Brooklyn this season.

Dorian Finney-Smith led the Nets with 19 points, while Dennis Schroder and Jalen Wilson each finished with 15. The Nets lost for the fifth time in six games.

The Grizzlies led 69-56 at halftime. Morant scored 18 in the first half.

Takeaways

Nets: Brooklyn played physical on defense and the game got chippy in the second half. The Nets ended up shooting 46% from the field.

Grizzlies: The Grizzlies were able to play the game at more of their pace, scoring more points than their league-leading average of 122. They also managed 22 fast-break points.

Key moment

The Nets put together an 11-0 run early in the third quarter to erase a double-digit deficit, but the Grizzlies answered with an 18-3 burst that took the lead back to 17 points.

Key stat

Memphis averages 122.1 points a game. The Nets had held the Grizzlies under 107 in the two previous wins this season. Memphis was already at 107 entering the fourth quarter.

Up next

Brooklyn hosts Cleveland on Monday. Memphis travels to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Sunday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba