Ja Morant and rookie Cedric Coward each scored 21 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 17 points as the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a four-game losing streak Friday with a 118-104 NBA Cup victory over the visiting Dallas Mavericks.
Morant added 13 assists and Coward grabbed nine boards.
Max Christie led the Mavericks with 18 points, Naji Marshall added 16 and P.J. Washington scored 14. The Mavericks dropped their fourth straight.
The Grizzlies used an overpowering opening two quarters to take a 23-point advantage at the half. They built the lead to 35 points in the second half and withstood a late Dallas rally in the closing minutes.
Coming off the losing streak, the Grizzlies established control early grabbing a double-digit lead midway through the opening quarter and maintaining it throughout the second. Morant had 12 points in the first quarter, his best opening-quarter of the season.
Memphis extended its advantage to 26 points (72-46) shortly before the half on a corner three by Jackson. Morant had a double-double (12 points, 10 assists) in the first half.
The Grizzlies continued the onslaught in the third quarter and were up by 35 (97-62), their largest lead of the season, with 5:01 to go in the period following a Jackson layup.
Jackson made six of his nine field goal attempts. He attempted only six shots in Wednesday’s home loss to the Houston Rockets, his fewest attempts of the season. Jackson entered the game averaging only 11.7 field-goal attempts.
Memphis was playing its second of four NBA Cup group play games. The Grizzlies are 1-1 in NBA Cup action this season
Memphis lost the first two games of its four-game homestand, The Grizzlies play nine of their next 11 on the road after Sunday’s home game against Oklahoma City.
Morant, suspended for Sunday’s game at Toronto for postgame comments directed at the Memphis coaching staff, had experienced a difficult start to the season in coach Tuomas Iisalo’s offense.
–Field Level Media
