Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Ja Morant’s 12th career triple-double fired the Memphis Grizzlies to a 122-99 NBA victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday as Houston edged the Dallas Mavericks. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, but teammate Damian Lillard was held to four points on 1-of-12 shooting. Brook Lopez was Milwaukee’s next-highest scorer with 12 points as the Bucks dropped their fourth straight after opening the season with a win over injury-hit Philadelphia.
Morant was the engine for Memphis, scoring 26 points with 10 rebounds and 14 assists. “I just came out being aggressive, took what the defense gave me,” said Morant, who piled up 21 points in the first half to help Memphis build a 70-48 lead. He had plenty of support as seven Grizzlies players, including all five starters, scored in double figures. Milwaukee never got the deficit below 18 points in the second half.
“Everybody was kind of in a good rhythm, we got it going early,” Morant said after Memphis bounced back from a lethargic loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. “We got stops,” he said. “We were boxing out, we were getting out running, playing our game. That’s how we want to play. If we want to do something in this league, that’s what we’ve got to do each and every night.” The Bucks are clearly missing the contribution of injured Khris Middleton, who has yet to play this season as he recovers from an ankle injury.
“I thought we played with the right spirit,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “We didn’t make shots and you’re going to have nights like that. But on those nights we have to find a way to get stops.” In Dallas, the Rockets finally got the better of their Texas rivals, leading by as many as 23 points and hanging on for a 108-102 victory. Jalen Green scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the Rockets, who had lost six of their last seven games against the Mavs. Green scored 11 in the fourth quarter to help the Rockets fend off a late Dallas surge. Dillon Brooks and Alperen Sengun added 17 points apiece for Houston, who out-rebounded Dallas 50-37.
Mavs star Luka Doncic scored 15 of his 29 points in the final period, when the Mavs pulled within three but could get no closer.
– Wembanyama shines – San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama scored 25 points with nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocked shots as the Spurs grabbed their second victory of the season, 106-88 over the winless Utah Jazz. It was the second “5×5” game in Wembanyama’s career — tallying at least five in five statistical categories. The reigning Rookie of the Year joined Hakeem Olajuwon and Andrei Kirilenko as the only players with multiple “5×5” games in their careers since the league started tracking steals and blocks in 1973.
The Phoenix Suns poured it on late, erasing a 21-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Clippers 125-119 in Los Angeles. Devin Booker scored 40 points, Royce O’Neale added 21 off the bench and Kevin Durant chipped in 18 for Phoenix, who took their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter after twice pulling level in the third. The Suns notched their second come-from-behind victory over the Clippers in eight days, winning again at the Intuit Dome after spoiling the Clippers’ first home game in their new arena last week. James Harden posted a triple-double of 25 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists for the Clippers. Norman Powell scored 23 points and Ivica Zubac added 22 and 12 rebounds.
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