CNN
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Ja Morant led the way in which on Wednesday for the Memphis Grizzlies with 38 factors, eight rebounds and 7 assists in a 134-124 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Even his opponents praised the Memphis guard’s efficiency after the sport with Nets star ahead Kevin Durant saying that Morant is “performing some stuff that we’ve by no means seen earlier than.”
“He’s a singular participant,” Durant added, based on ESPN. “Quite a lot of athleticism and creativity on the market. Physique kind reminds you of someone like – effectively he’s taller than A.I. [Allen Iverson], however a wiry, robust participant … He’s an unimaginable participant, man.”
Desmond Bane matched Morant’s game-high of 38 – marking a profession excessive – whereas the pair’s mixed whole of 76 set the report for highest from a Grizzlies duo within the franchise’s historical past.
Though Durant and Kyrie Irving every scored 37 factors for the Nets and Brooklyn shot 54% from the sphere, the Grizzlies outscored the guests 48-27 from three-point vary.
Morant, beforehand identified for his aerial sport, has added a constant three-point shot to his more and more formidable armory this season and made 4 of his six triples towards the Nets.
“The three-point line killed us,” Durant mentioned. “The truth that they knocked down extra threes than us, that’s the secret now. Even in the event you’re not taking part in effectively or as much as par together with your opponent, in the event you’re making threes, you give your self an opportunity.”
Within the first half, the Nets stored tempo with the Grizzlies and even led heading into the break, however Memphis launched into a 21-9 run within the third – outscoring the Nets by 17 within the quarter – to construct a commanding lead that ballooned to as a lot as 15 factors.
Although Brooklyn rebounded barely within the fourth quarter, the injury had already been performed.
The Nets launched a mini-comeback to return inside seven of Memphis, however an enormous 33-foot triple from Morant with 51 seconds remaining took the Grizzlies result in 10 and locked up the win.
Morant praised his fellow guard Bane after the sport, saying that his skill to attain in addition to dish out assists “is an enormous key to our success this 12 months, having one other man on the market on the ground who can create for everyone. Tonight, I assumed was his finest sport at doing each at a excessive degree.”
The win takes the Grizzlies to 3-1 on the season, whereas the Nets fall to 1-2.
Elsewhere within the NBA, Damian Lillard continued his sizzling begin to the 12 months, racking up 31 factors, eight assists and 6 rebounds whereas Anfernee Simons scored 22 of his 29 factors within the third because the Portland Path Blazers rallied for a stable 135-110 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets and two-time defending league MVP Nikola Jokić on Monday evening.
In the meantime, James Harden had a close to triple-double with 29 factors, 11 assists and 9 rebounds and Joel Embiid had 26 factors, 5 rebounds and three blocks to raise the Philadelphia 76ers to their first win of the season, 120-106, towards the Indiana Pacers.
