Ja Morant scored 21 points and dished out 13 assists as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 118-104 Friday night at FedExForum in NBA Cup play. Rookie Cedric Coward matched Morant with 21 points and added nine rebounds to help Memphis snap a four-game losing streak.
Jaren Jackson contributed 17 points, while Santi Aldama added 16 for the Grizzlies. Memphis built a double-digit lead in the first half and opened the third quarter on a 13-5 run, stretching the advantage to as much as 35 points.
Max Christie led Dallas with 18 points, and Naji Marshall scored 16. P.J. Washington had 14 points, all coming in the first quarter, and Cooper Flagg added 12 as the Mavericks struggled without Anthony Davis, sidelined with a left calf strain.
Memphis shot 48.2% overall and connected on 37.1% from three-point range, while Dallas continued to struggle from long distance, hitting just 10 of 39 attempts in the first half. The Grizzlies’ hot shooting helped them maintain control despite the Mavericks’ late push.
The win improves Memphis to 4-6, while Dallas falls to 2-7. The Grizzlies will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, and the Mavericks travel to face the Washington Wizards on Saturday.
