Jackson scores 28 as Grizzlies rally late to defeat Mavs
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points, including a key layup with 17 seconds left as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 112-108 on Monday night in Ja Morant’s first game back with the team after an eight-game league suspension.
Santi Aldama added 22 for Memphis and Desmond Bane finished with 17 as Memphis won its sixth in the last seven.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 28 points, but missed all eight of his shots in the fourth quarter as Memphis outscored Dallas 29-12 in the period.
Morant did not dress for the game but was on the Memphis bench, coming out to a hearty ovation from the fans just before tipoff. The NBA assessed the suspension after a video from a Denverarea strip club earlier this month showed Morant brandishing a gun.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks were again without leadingscorer Luka Doncic, who missed his fifth game with left thigh soreness.
That left the Dallas offensive surge to Irving, picked up in a trade deadline deal, along with Christian Wood, who scored 20.
Dallas built its lead to 16 points in the third quarter, but Memphis crafted a 24-7 run in the fourth, and the game settled into an exchange of leads for both teams.
HORNETS 115, PACERS 109
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 28 points, and the Charlotte Hornets erased a 21-point first-half deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 115-109 on Monday night behind a strong finish to snap a sixgame home losing streak.
Terry Rozier added 23 points and Gordon Hayward had 22 for the Hornets, who outscored the Pacers 19-4 over the final six minutes to deal the Pacers’ postseason hopes a big blow.
Myles Turner and Buddy Hield each had 20 points for the Pacers, who fell 2 1/2 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
T’WOLVES 140, KNICKS 134
NEW YORK — Julius Randle scored 57 points to tie the third-highest game in Knicks history, but the Minnesota Timberwolves rode a sizzling start and a steady finish to beat New York 140-134 on Monday night.
Taurean Prince scored a season-high 35 points and went 8 for 8 from 3-point range for the Timberwolves, while Mike Conley added 24 points and 11 assists. His three free throws gave Minnesota the lead for good with 2:17 remaining.
Randle’s final basket, a three-point play with 42 seconds remaining, cut it to 137-134, but he was beaten to a rebound by Kyle Anderson on Minnesota’s next possession, and a cutting Prince scored inside with 10.1 seconds left before Conley made a free throw after Randle was called for a technical foul.
In a spectacular display of shooting and scoring, the Timberwolves made more than 70% of their shots in the first half and led by 17, before Randle carried the Knicks back with a franchise-record 26 points in the third quarter.
BULLS 109, 76ERS 105, 2OT
PHILADELPHIA — Zach LaVine scored 26 points, DeMar DeRozan had 25 and the Chicago Bulls defeated Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers 109-105 in double overtime Monday night to snap their eightgame winning streak.
Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, who have won three games in a row and five of six. Chicago is fighting for the final playoff spot in the East.
Embiid had 37 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out with 3:54 left in the second overtime. It was the 10th straight game in which he has scored at least 30 points.
The teams meet again in the second game of a homeand-home on Wednesday night in Chicago.