Pro Sports

Grizzlies win 2nd straight without Morant, top Raptors 98-91

Posted November 30, 2021 6:00 am

By IAN HARRISON

Toronto Raptors centre Khem Birch (24) drives past Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) - Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 25 points, Desmond Bane had 23 and Dillon Brooks 17 as the Memphis Grizzlies won back-to-back games, beating the struggling Toronto Raptors 98-91 Tuesday night.

Memphis won again without leading scorer Ja Morant, who sat for the second game because of a sprained left knee. Morant is expected to miss at least two weeks. Memphis was coming off a win over Sacramento on Sunday.

Bane made five 3-pointers and Jackson had four for the Grizzlies, who never trailed and led by as many as 17 points.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, Scottie Barnes had 19 and Fred VanVleet 15 as the Raptors lost their third straight. Toronto has lost five straight home games.

Raptors forwards OG Anunoby (left hip) and Khem Birch (right knee) each sat for the seventh straight game, while guard Gary Trent Jr. (right calf) missed his second. Guard Goran Dragic remains away from the team because of a personal matter.

The Raptors had won seven of the past eight meetings, including a Nov. 24 win at Memphis in which the Grizzlies squandered a 12-point halftime lead.

However, Toronto also came in having lost four straight at home, its longest losing streak north of the border since November and December 2013. The Raptors are 2-8 at home this season.

Bane scored 13 in the first as Memphis closed the quarter with a 9-2 run to lead 27-18 after one period.

Toronto had twice as many turnovers (eight) as assists (four) in the first half. Memphis led 50-39 at the break.

Trailing 56-45 at 9:23 of the third, the Raptors used a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to one. That was the first of three times before the end of the quarter that Toronto trailed by a single point, but they were never able to tie or take the lead.

Memphis led 70-67 through three quarters, then scored seven of the first nine points in the fourth.

Barnes hit a 3-pointer with 19.5 seconds left to make it 95-91, but Brooks answered with a pair of free throws to halt the comeback effort.

TIP-INS

Grizzlies: G Ziaire Williams (left knee) and G Sam Merrill (left ankle) were out. '¦ Bane has scored 10 or more in the first quarter of five of his past six games. '¦ De'Anthony Melton had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Raptors: Svi Mykhailiuk made his second straight start in place of Trent. '¦ Yuta Watanabe scored 11 points. '¦ VanVleet led the Raptors with nine rebounds. '¦ Toronto scored a season-low 37 points in the first half of an Oct. 20 home loss to Washington.

DISTANCE DUO

Bane and Jackson combined to shoot 9 for 16 from 3-point range. The rest of the Grizzlies shot 1 for 18 from long range, with Brooks (1 for 5) getting the other make.

UP NEXT

Grizzlies: Host Oklahoma City on Thursday night.

Raptors: Host Milwaukee on Thursday night.

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) passes the ball as Toronto Raptors guard Malachi Flynn (22) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams (4) protects the ball from Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) and forward Yuta Watanabe (18) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Memphis Grizzlies guard De'Anthony Melton (0) drives between Toronto Raptors guard Malachi Flynn (22) and guard Fred VanVleet during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Memphis Grizzlies guard De'Anthony Melton (0) drives between Toronto Raptors guard Malachi Flynn (22) and guard Fred VanVleet (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Toronto Raptors forward Precious Achiuwa (5) drives as Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (15) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones (21) drives past Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones (21) looks up court in front of Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) and Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

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