Morant takes control, scores 47 for Grizzlies
Ja Morant scored 47 points to match his postseason high and carry the Memphis Grizzlies into a tie in the Western Conference semifinals with a 106-101 home win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.
Morant scored the last 15 points for Memphis, starting with 4:16 left. He drove and turned around a defender before hitting a seven-foot jumper with 1:42 left to put the Grizzlies ahead to stay at 100-99. He added four free throws and a nine-footer, finishing with 18 in the quarter.
The NBA’s most improved player, who also had 47 in Game 2 against Utah last year, became only the third player to have multiple 45-point games in the postseason before turning 23. The other two? LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
Stephen Curry finished with 27 points on three-for-11 shooting outside the arc. Jordan Poole added 20 off the bench but was one for six from three. Andrew Wiggins had 16, going one for seven from three. Klay Thompson had 12 points and was two for 12 from three. The Warriors shot just seven for 38 from three-point range.
Memphis’ Dillon Brooks was ejected for a hard foul on Gary Payton II that left the guard with a broken elbow.
at Boston 109, Milwaukee 86: Jaylen Brown scored 25 of his 30 points in the first half, and the Celtics evened their Eastern Conference semifinal with a Game 2 win.
“It’s the playoffs. That’s it,” Brown said. “We can’t let one game kind of dictate how this series goes.”
Brown shook off a dismal shooting night in Game 1, going nine for 10 in the first half, including five for five on threes. Grant Williams finished with 21 points, and Jayson Tatum added 19 points and eight assists.
Boston finished 20 for 43 from beyond the arc.
The Celtics played without Marcus Smart, the defensive player of the year, after he was ruled out with a bruised right thigh.