Photo credit: @GrizNationCP
By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, December 9, 2019
Ja Morant celebrated his return to the Memphis lineup Monday by scoring 26 points while dishing out seven assists, as the Grizzlies handed Golden State its 20th loss of the season with a 110-102 decision at Chase Center.
Morant, the second overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, also had two rebounds and a steal after missing the last four games with a sore back. It was the Grizzlies’ second win in their last 11 games.
Dillon Brooks was next on the Grizzlies scoring list with 17 points, followed by Jaren Jackson with 16, Grayson Allen scored 15 off the bench, and Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
D’Angelo Russell and reserve Alec Burks each scored 18 points to lead the Warriors (5-20), followed by Willie Cauley-Stein with 17. Draymond Green scored16 points and Omari Spellman added 10. Russell also struggled from the field, hitting 6 of 22 shots.
Cauley-Stein and Glenn Robinson III each grabbed eight rebounds and Burks had seven, as Golden State held a 46-42 rebounding edge. However, the Warriors also shot 38 percent for the game.
Memphis (7-16) led 54-47 at halftime, but the Warriors stayed close throughout the second half. The Warriors had pulled to within 106-100 with just over a minute to play, but Morant finished a drive through the lane with a dunk that silenced the crowd.
Some good news for the Warriors: Jacob Evans III, who has been on the shelf since Oct. 28 with a strained left hip, played nine minutes against the Grizzlies.
On Wednesday, Golden State hosts the New York Knicks in a matchup of two of the NBA’s charter members. The Knicks, who fired coach David Fizdale and assistant Keith Smart last Friday, are the only team with a worse record than the Warriors.
Sports Radio Service 