Memphis Grizzlies beat Chicago Bulls thanks to a franchise-record 46 points from Ja Morant.
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Ja Morant flipped and spun for an over-the-shoulder layup. He nailed a nasty alley-oop dunk. The Memphis Grizzlies’ All-Star guard put on quite a show for the Chicago fans, and he may have received a little additional boost after watching Michael Jordan clips on the video board.
Morant set a team record with 46 points in the regular season, and the Grizzlies held on to defeat DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls 116-110 on Saturday night.
A special night for @JaMorant ?
? 46 points (franchise record for most points in a regular season game)
? 16th straight 20+ point game (franchise record)
? 15-28 FG. 3-4 from deep. #GrzNxtGen pic.twitter.com/wl6liVoz3a
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) February 27, 2022
Morant eclipsed Mike Miller’s previous record of 45 points, which he achieved in 2007. Morant also established the overall team record for playoff points last season, scoring 47 in a Game 2 defeat to the Utah Jazz.
The Grizzlies squandered a 17-point lead on Saturday before squeezing it out after dropping two in a row. They also brought an end to Chicago’s six-game winning run.
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Morant had 16 points in the first half and 20 points in the third quarter. He hit 15 of 28 shots, including three three-pointers, and went 13-for-15 at the free-throw line.
Adams added 12 points and a season-high 21 rebounds, and the Grizzlies tormented DeRozan despite his 31-point performance, his 10th consecutive 30-point game.
This is the longest such stretch by a Bulls player since Michael Jordan accomplished it in 10 consecutive games from December 25, 1990, to January 14, 1991. However, DeRozan shot just 10-of-29 from the field, breaking his NBA-record streak of eight games of scoring at least 35 points while shooting 50% or higher, and was ejected in the final seconds.
Zach LaVine scored 28 points in his second game back for the Bulls after missing the last three games before the All-Star break due to an injured left knee.
Memphis led by 17 points in the third quarter, with Morant going off. He hit six of seven shots, including a three and a flying alley-oop slam at the conclusion of the quarter.
It was a 16-point game early in the fourth quarter when the Bulls went on a 14-0 run, with DeRozan making two free throws to trim it to 101-99 with 4:38 left.
With around 2:30 left, Chicago’s Coby White sank a 3-pointer to make the score 106-105. Morant then made two free throws before driving for a layup.
Desmond Bane of the Grizzlies sank a three-pointer to extend the Grizzlies’ lead to 111-107. The Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic scored a foul shot, and Bane and Morant missed jumpers before LaVine converted two free throws with 25.5 seconds left to trim the margin to 111-110.
Memphis’ Tyus Jones then sank a pair of free throws with 14.9 seconds remaining to make it a three-point game. With a timeout in hand, the Bulls chose to attack the rim rather than attempt a three-pointer. However, DeRozan missed in the lane, challenged a non-call, and received his second technical foul of the game, earning him an expulsion.
Morant, who was fouled by LaVine in the scramble, then converted the technical free throw and two more foul shots with 5.3 seconds left to seal the game.
