Ja Morant and Desmond Bane led the Memphis Grizzlies to a 107-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.
Morant finished with 32 points, six assists, and three steals, while Bane added 30 points and eight assists to help Memphis improve to 40-24.
The Pelicans, now 17-48, were led by Trey Murphy III, who scored 27 points. Karlo Matkovic contributed a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Memphis trailed 64-57 at halftime but surged back with a strong third quarter, outscoring New Orleans 32-15.
The game remained close in the fourth quarter, with Morant putting the Grizzlies ahead for good on a jumper with 3:37 left, making it 98-97.
Memphis extended the lead to 106-101 before Jose Alvarado hit a three-pointer to cut it to two. Morant then split a pair of free throws with 6.2 seconds left, giving the Pelicans one last chance.
New Orleans attempted two three-pointers in the final seconds, but Alvarado and Kelly Olynyk both missed, sealing the win for Memphis.
The Grizzlies dominated the rebounding battle 57-39, with Zach Edey grabbing 12 boards and Bane securing nine.
Scotty Pippen Jr. provided key production off the bench for Memphis, scoring 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including two three-pointers.
Murphy carried the scoring load for the Pelicans, but they struggled in the second half, shooting 41.2% overall and just 38.2% from deep.
Jose Alvarado had 11 points and 11 assists, while Antonio Reeves added 11 points off the bench for New Orleans.
The Grizzlies shot 41.4% from the field and struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 13 of 49 attempts (26.5%).
Despite their shooting struggles, Memphis made key defensive plays down the stretch, forcing 14 Pelicans turnovers.
Bane received a flagrant foul in the second half, but the Grizzlies maintained their composure to secure the win.
With the victory, Memphis remains in fourth place in the Western Conference as they push toward the playoffs.
New Orleans, dealing with injuries and lineup changes, continues to struggle near the bottom of the standings.
