Grizzlies halt skid with rout of Rockets / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports Credit Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Ja Morant scored 22 points while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks combined for 34 as the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a three-game skid with a 136-102 dismantling of the visiting Houston Rockets on Monday.

Morant added six rebounds and six assists to his ledger while making 4 of 6 3-point attempts to pace an efficient and unselfish offensive attack.

The Grizzlies shot 54.2 percent overall, made 16 of 41 from 3-point range and scored 70 points in the paint while recording 33 assists on 52 field goals. Memphis added 30 fastbreak points and capitalized on 18 Houston turnovers, converting them into 33 points.

The Rockets, who lead the league in turnovers, dropped their 12th consecutive game. They shot 37.9 percent from the floor and missed 27 of 38 3-point tries while trailing by as many as 40 points.

Memphis wrestled control with a 12-0 run in the first quarter and claimed its first double-digit lead at 21-11 on a Desmond Bane layup. Morant followed with a 3 that pushed the lead to 13 points, an advantage the Grizzlies carried into the second period at 33-20. Houston had more turnovers (nine) than field goals (eight) in the first period while Memphis hit 4 of 8 from deep.

The Grizzlies opened the second with a 15-5 run that included a Brooks 3-pointer and a bevy of points in the paint that forced a Rockets timeout. Memphis pushed its lead to 60-35 in the period before a Jalen Green four-point play at the 3:39 mark provided a glimpse of hope for Houston.

The Rockets cut the deficit to 17 points at the half but their turnovers continued to fuel the Grizzlies' offense, with Memphis scoring 20 points off 17 Houston turnovers in the first half. Memphis shot a robust 56.2 percent at the break and received 26 points from its bench, with Kyle Anderson scoring 11 points while hitting three 3s. Green sank a 3 early in the third quarter that sliced the Memphis lead to 74-59, but then the bottom fell out from beneath the Rockets.

Memphis responded with a 20-0 run that featured eight points from Morant and seven from Jackson. An Anderson dunk with 4:50 left in the period pushed the Grizzlies lead to 94-59.

Green led the Rockets with 15 points while Jae'Sean Tate added 14 points and nine boards.

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