The Memphis Grizzlies got 60 points from their reserves and survived losing star Ja Morant to a late-game ejection in defeating the visiting Sacramento Kings 115-110 on Thursday night.
Marcus Smart had 18 points off the bench and starter Desmond Bane also scored 18 to lead the Grizzlies, who won their sixth consecutive home game.
Santi Aldama contributed a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, and fellow reserve Jake LaRavia finished with 12 points and eight boards.
Sacramento was led by DeMar DeRozan, who had a game-high 26 points, and Malik Monk, who scored 23. De’Aaron Fox had 18 points and six steals, and Domantas Sabonis added 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Morant was ejected from the game after his second technical during a span of 82 seconds in the fourth quarter. His second technical came after a questionable Morant shooting foul guarding DeRozan with 6:45 remaining and the Grizzlies leading 98-97.
The ejection ended a difficult night for Morant, who went 2-of-13 shooting, including 0 of 6 from beyond the arc, and scored only eight points in 28 minutes.
The Kings led early in the fourth quarter, but Memphis rallied late behind Bane and the reserves. Bane hit a pullup jumper for a 112-108 lead with 1:33 to go, and Smart added three free throws in the final 1:18.
Sacramento had its moments earlier in the game. The Kings pushed ahead 78-71, with six minutes to go in the third. The Grizzlies — powered by their reserves – then put together a 15-0 run, matching their longest of the season, to go up 86-78. Three-pointers by Bane and Aldama helped power the run.
But the Kings closed the quarter strong, reeling off the final eight points to tie the game at 86 entering the final period.
The first half was just as close between the two teams.
The Grizzlies trailed by 12 midway through the second quarter after Monk drained a 3-pointer for the Kings for a 56-44 lead.
But Smart helped the Grizzlies close the half on a 16-4 run to give Memphis a 63-62 advantage at the break. Smart had 11 of the bench’s 34 first-half points and four assists.
The Grizzlies, who didn’t have the services of Luke Kennard (illness), were hoping to get 7-4 rookie center Zach Edey back by next week. But after a workout with the franchise’s G-League team, the Grizzlies determined Edey’s ankle would require additional time to heal.
–Field Level Media