Playing without three of their top four scorers, the Memphis Grizzlies still easily beat the Toronto Raptors 108-100 on Monday.
Ja Morant (shoulder), Desmond Bane (ankle) and Marcus Smart (hand) were missing.
Jaren Jackson responded with 27 points and Luke Kennard added 19, including 11 in the second quarter.
Jackson also had six steals and a block.
Ontario’s RJ Barrett provided 29 points for the Raptors (16-28), who have won just once in their last eight games.
Scottie Barnes collected 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Toronto team.
Memphis had a 30-25 lead after one quarter and only wavered briefly early in the second quarter.
Toronto created a 32-32 deadlock with a 7-2 surge: five points from Dennis Schroder, then a hook from Barnes.
The visitors regained control for good with eight unanswered points, including two long shots from Kennard.
At the half, the Grizzlies’ lead was 53-46 and after three quarters, their cushion was 85-71.
A sequence in the last quarter symbolized the Raptors’ setbacks: they missed five opportunities in a row near the basket, then Jackson added more with a three-point shot. This gave the Tennessee club a 102-86 lead with 5:04 on the clock.
Jakob Poeltl of the Raptors missed an eighth straight game with a sprained left ankle.
The Raptors will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. Their record was 27-14 before a game against the Lakers on Tuesday.
2024-01-23 05:05:53
#NBA #Jaren #Jackson #Luke #Kennard #lead #charge #expense #Raptors
