Field Level Media
Feb 5, 2020
Ja Morant scored 21 points while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Tyus Jones added 19 each as the Memphis Grizzlies capped a busy Wednesday with a 121-107 road victory against the Dallas Mavericks.
Brandon Clarke had 18 points as the Grizzlies won the game shortly after the team reportedly agreed to trade Andre Iguodala to the Miami Heat. Iguodala was acquired from the Golden State Warriors in the offseason but declined to report to Memphis.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points for the Mavericks, who were playing without leading scorer, rebounder and assist man Luka Doncic for the fourth consecutive game because of a sprained right ankle.
Memphis won for the sixth time in its past seven games and now has 12 victories over its past 15 contests. The Grizzlies have moved their way into eighth place in the Western Conference with the All-Star Game approaching.
The Mavericks' two-game winning streak without Doncic came to an end as Dallas has now lost three of its past five games.
The Mavericks led by as many as seven points early before the Grizzlies moved out in front by 11 points in the second quarter and led 59-56 at halftime.
Memphis went on a 12-0 run in the third quarter to take an 83-71 lead with Porzingis leaving the game briefly with 4:06 remaining in the period after taking an inadvertent elbow to the nose from the Grizzlies' Josh Jackson.
The Mavericks missed nine consecutive shots from the field in the third quarter as Memphis extended its overall run to 24-3. The Grizzlies led by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter.
Dillon Brooks had 13 points and De'Anthony Melton added 10 for the Grizzlies while Jonas Valanciunas had 10 rebounds. Jones' point total was a season high.
Jalen Brunson had 20 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 14 for the Mavericks. Porzingis added 12 rebounds for his 16th double-double of the season. Dallas also was playing without J.J. Barea (ankle) and Seth Curry (knee).
The Grizzlies played without Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill, who were with the team before the game but were rumored to be involved in a trade, with an inclusion in the Iguodala deal possible.
--Field Level Media