MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 points, Ja Morant had 17 points and 10 assists in his return from a four-game absence and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Milwaukee Bucks 125-104 on Friday night.
Cam Spencer finished with 19 points for Memphis. Jackson added nine rebounds and five blocks as Memphis beat Milwaukee for the eighth straight time, all of them by double digits. Morant had been out with a left ankle sprain.
AJ Green matched his season high for Milwaukee with 20 points, connecting on 7 of 13 overall and 6 of 11 from 3-point range. Kevin Porter Jr. finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Bobby Portis Jr, Kyle Kuzma and Ryan Rollins scored 15 points apiece as Milwaukee lost for the fourth time in five games.
Milwaukee continues to play without leading scorer Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has missed the last eight games with a right calf strain. That’s 28.9 points and 10 rebounds out of the lineup.
Milwaukee chipped into the Memphis double-digit lead to get within 92-85 early in the fourth, but Memphis scored the next seven points to take it back to a 14-point margin.
Both teams held 10-point leads in the first half before Memphis used 17 points from Jackson for a 60-50 lead at the break. Morant’s 10 points in the second helped the Grizzlies outscore Milwaukee 35-15 in the period.
Green had 11 for the Bucks at halftime.
Memphis stretched the lead to 15 midway through the third, but the Bucks whittled it back to a 92-83 deficit before the final frame. At that point, Memphis was still shooting above 50%.
Up next
Bucks: Travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Saturday.
Grizzlies: At Washington on Sunday.
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