MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. had 25 factors, 12 rebounds and three blocks and Memphis beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-110 on Friday evening in a recreation the place Grizzlies star Ja Morant left late with an ankle injury.
Morant and John Konchar added 19 every for Memphis, with Morant ending with 11 assists and Konchar grabbing 10 rebounds. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins stated after the sport that Morant “tweaked” his ankle, but there was no additional phrase on Morant’s injury. He added that the staff would additional consider the state of affairs on Saturday.
For Jackson, who missed the primary 14 video games of the season, Friday’s efficiency was significantly better than his debut in Tuesday’s loss at New Orleans. In that one, Jackson had seven factors, hitting solely 3 of 14 pictures and lacking all seven of his 3-point makes an attempt.
Against Oklahoma City, Jackson scored first on a dunk then on a 3-pointer to get untracked. Jackson stated the distinction was most likely a mix of shaking off the rust from the debut to getting two baskets early.
“You can’t really predict all of that,” Jackson stated of his begin, “but it just looked a lot better than before rhythm-wise. I felt a lot better out there. I was able to get my feet under me and my legs.”
Josh Giddey led Oklahoma City with 20 factors and 11 assists. Jalen Williams had 16 factors, six rebounds and 7 assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his lowest scoring recreation of the season with 15 factors, going 6 of 18 from the sphere.
Jenkins credited not solely the protection of Dillon Brooks on Gilgeous-Alexander, but Memphis’ skill to modify defenders and throw a number of appears on the Thunder’s main scorer.
“We were just trying to keep him off balance,” Jenkins stated.
Memphis carried a nine-point lead into the fourth interval and rapidly prolonged it to 12. But the Thunder acquired to 106-102 with 2:38 left. The Grizzlies then scored 9 straight factors after Morant went out with the ankle injury to seal it.
“I mean we gave ourselves a chance. We climbed back in it multiple times,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated, later including: “Made some runs, but we were a couple of execution things away. Credit (the Grizzlies). They were better.”
Jackson’s early offense helped Memphis construct a number of double-digit leads. But every time, the Thunder battled again. Memphis held a 63-59 lead on the break, but the showdown between the Gilgeous-Alexander and Morant, two of the league’s most dynamic younger guards, hadn’t actually materialized.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Morant each continued to shoot inaccurately by three quarters, consultant of each groups connecting on lower than 45% of their pictures at that time.
“Basketball is a game of runs. It’s about how well you can weather storms and how you can extend margins,” Giddey stated. “We’ve gotten better at that as the season wore on. We haven’t let too many games get out of hand.”
TIP-INS:
Thunder: C Aleksej Pokusevski injured his left ankle close to the top of the primary half and went straight to the locker room. He didn’t return within the recreation. Mike Muscala began the second half. … Rookie Jalen Williams, the twelfth total pick of Santa Clara, began his third recreation of the season at ahead. … F Darius Bazley missed his fifth recreation with a proper ankle sprain.
Grizzlies: Memphis averted its first three-game shedding streak of the season and is now 6-1 at house. … Tyus Jones reached 1,750 profession assists with a dime within the second quarter. …Konchar set a profession excessive with 5 3-pointers.
UP NEXT:
Thunder: Host New York on Monday evening.
Grizzlies: At Brooklyn on Sunday evening.
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