Ja Morant scored seven of his game-high 31 points in the final 1:35 to lift the visiting Memphis Grizzlies past the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks 122-111 on Friday night.
The Grizzlies closed the game on a 14-3 run to snap a four-game losing streak. Desmond Bane added 27 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for Memphis, which got 17 points and eight rebounds from Brandon Clarke and 12 rebounds from Zach Edey.
The Mavericks, who lost their fourth straight, were led by Brandon Williams, who scored a career-high 31 points off the bench, and Naji Marshall, who finished with 29 points and a career-best 17 rebounds. Klay Thompson added 15 points.
The Mavericks, who lost nine-time all-star guard Kyrie Irving to a season-ending knee injury in a loss Monday to the Sacramento Kings, led 107-104 with 6:23 to go after two Marshall free throws. They scored only four points the rest of the game as Morant and Bane combined for 16 of the Grizzlies’ final 18 points.
Memphis played without all-star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who has been out since suffering a left ankle injury in Monday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Grizzlies erased a five-point deficit early in the third quarter behind a 9-0 run. Santi Aldama’s fastbreak layup gave Memphis a 59-55 lead.
Dallas battled back behind Marshall, who had 16 points in the quarter. Dante Exum banked a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave the Mavericks a 94-89 lead entering the fourth.
Dallas led 53-50 at the half, despite shooting 36.7 percent.
Before Friday’s game, the Mavericks released a statement on Anthony Davis and his progress from an adductor strain suffered in his first, and only, game with the Mavericks following a trade that sent 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“A recent re-evaluation of Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis, who has missed the last 10 games due to a left adductor strain, indicated that Davis is improving daily and has therefore been cleared for more dynamic on-court movements.”
Also, Caleb Martin made his Dallas debut in the first quarter. He had been sidelined with a hip injury since coming over from Philadelphia in a trade last month.
–Field Level Media
