Morant tallies triple-double as Grizzlies maul Bucks

MANILA, Philippines -- Ja Morant’s triple--double paced the Memphis Grizzlies in a huge home win over the Milwaukee Bucks, 122-99, at the FedEx Forum in Memphis Friday morning (Manila time).

Morant finished with 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds at home to arrest their two-game slide while dealing the Bucks their fourth consecutive defeat.

Santi Aldama backstopped Morant’s performance with 19 points, nine rebounds and two assists, while Jaylen Wells had 16 markers and seven boards.

The Grizzlies started the game hot, unleashing a 21-8 run to finish the first quarter and turn an early 19-16 lead to a 40-24 advantage.

While the Bucks were able to cut the deficit to seven, 44-51, after a Giannis Antetokounmpo hook, Memphis pulled off another furious 19-4 blitz to end the first half comfortably ahead, 70-48.

The lead grew to as much as 31 points, 101-70, after a pair of free throws by Jaren Jackson Jr.

Scotty Pippen Jr. also had a career-high 16 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal in 27 minutes off the bench for the Grizzlies.

He scored 13 in the first quarter alone.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 37 points, 11 rebounds and four assists on 17-of-22 shooting. Bobby Portis added 11.

Damian Lillard struggled mightily for Milwaukee, finishing with just four points, six assist and two rebounds on a 1-of-12 clip from the field in 33 minutes.

Memphis rose to 3-3 in the season, while the Bucks – playing four of their first five games on the road – dropped to 1-4.

Over in Dallas, the Houston Rockets survived explosions from both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to keep the Mavericks at bay, 108-102.

Doncic and Irving led the comeback effort of the Mavericks and combined for 57 points, but it just came a bit short.

Jalen Green spearheaded the Rockets with 23 points and 12 rebounds, including a dagger triple with a minute and 12 remaining. Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun added 17 markers apiece.

Houston led by as much as 23 points, but Dallas cut it to just three, 97-100, after a Doncic triple.

Green then hit a stepback trey of his own to make it a 103-97 Rockets lead.

Doncic answered back with a triple of his own, but an Amen Thompson jumper iced the game for Houston, 105-100, with 43 ticks remaining.

Klay Thompson also had 12 points for the Mavericks, as he also reached the 2,500 career 3-pointer mark.

Both teams are now holding 3-2 win-loss records.

The San Antonio Spurs also drubbed the Utah Jazz, 106-88, in Salt Lake City behind a 5x5 statline from Victor Wembanyama. 

Wemby finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, five steals and five blocks.