Ja Morant, with a performance that was reminiscent of the best, notched his 12th career triple-double to power the Memphis Grizzlies to a convincing 122-99 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Morant’s 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists led Memphis’ 70-48 lead early on, with Memphis sustaining pressure which kept Milwaukee at arm’s length throughout. “I just came out being aggressive, took what the defense gave me,” said Morant, who scored 21 points in the first half and received double-digit contributions from all five Grizzlies starters.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo put up a stellar 37 points and 11 rebounds, but without the usual offensive support, including a quiet four-point night from Damian Lillard, the Bucks fell to their fourth straight loss. Aside from Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez was the only other Buck in double figures with 12 points. The struggle for his team was noted by Coach Doc Rivers: “We didn’t make shots…on those nights, we have to find a way to get stops.” The Bucks also really missed the presence of Khris Middleton, who remains out with an ankle injury.
The Houston Rockets finally defeated their Texas rivals in Dallas, topping the Mavericks 108-102. Jalen Green led the Rockets with 23 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, adding 11 in the final quarter to help Houston hold off a late rally from Dallas. Luka Doncic scored 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter but couldn’t close the gap as the Rockets built an early lead by dominating the boards, finishing with a 50-37 rebounding advantage.
Meanwhile, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama chipped in an incredible “5×5” stat line of 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks in a 106-88 win over the Utah Jazz. Wembanyama became the third player – joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Andrei Kirilenko – with multiple “5×5” games as his impact at both ends of the court continues to grow.
Finally, the Phoenix Suns edged the Los Angeles Clippers 125-119 after erasing a 21-point deficit in the third quarter. Devin Booker scored 40 points and Royce O’Neale added 21 off the bench. Even with a triple-double by James Harden and great performances by Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac, the Clips could not hang on as the Suns took their second comeback win against LA this season at the Intuit Dome.
