Morant dominating in win
Ja Morant had 27 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 28 points and the host Memphis Grizzlies overcame a lackluster first half to defeat the Indiana Pacers 112100 on Sunday.
Brandon Clarke had 13 points, hitting all five of his shots as Memphis snapped a five-game losing streak and ran its home record to 21-3.
It was Morant's fifth triple-double of the season and second in a row.
Bennedict Mathurin, the sixth pick in the 2022 draft, led the Pacers with 27 points and eight rebounds. Aaron Nesmith had 16 points and Myles Turner added 15 points.
The Pacers dominated the first half, leading by as many as 19. First-half shooting, which hovered at 60% at the midway point of the second quarter, helped Indiana to a 62-50 lead at the break.
But 14 straight points brought Memphis back into the game early in the third quarter, and the Grizzlies outscored Indiana 30-17 in the third to retake the lead.
Memphis' 13-2 run to open the fourth opened the game up.
Both teams entered the game reeling from losing skids. Memphis was returning home after a winless five-game trip West, while the Pacers had lost nine of their last 10. Cavaliers 122, Clippers 99: Cedi Osman tied his career high with 29 points while making all seven of his shots from behind the arc and Cleveland built a 40-point lead on its way to a rout of Los Angeles.
All-Star starter Donovan Mitchell had 11 points in his return for Cleveland after missing three games with a strained groin. The Cavaliers never trailed and took their largest lead of the season at 82-42 on Jarrett Allen's first 3pointer since Nov. 5, 2021.
Hornets 122, Heat 117: Terry Rozier scored 31 points, P.J. Washington had 27 and host Charlotte stopped Miami's threegame win streak.
Bucks 135, Pelicans 110: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points and added 13 rebounds and four assists as host Milwaukee stopped New Orleans. The Bucks took a 37-19 lead after one quarter and never looked back.
Briefly: The NBA said Sunday that LeBron James was fouled on the last play of regulation in the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Boston Celtics on Saturday. The NBA also confirmed for the second time that a foul should have been called. The Celtics wound up winning in overtime, 125-121. “Like everyone else, referees make mistakes,” the referees union wrote in its tweet. “We made one at the end of last night's game and that is gut-wrenching for us. This play will weigh heavily and cause sleepless nights as we strive to be the best referees we can be.” ... Myles Turner is staying with the Pacers a while longer. The twotime NBA blocks champion agreed to a two-year contract extension, keeping Indiana's starting five intact through next season. The Athletic and espn.com reported the deal is for $60 million.