Grizzlies 128-112 Hawks (December 21, 2024) Game Recap

Grizzlies 128-112 Hawks (December 21, 2024) Game Recap

ATLANTA – Desmond Bane scored 23 points and the Memphis Grizzlies, without star player Ja Morant, defeated the reeling Atlanta Hawks 128-112 on Saturday night.

Scotty Pippen Jr. added 22 points and nine assists. Morant, who injured his back in the Grizzlies’ Dec. 19 win over Golden State, was ruled out before Saturday night’s game because of back pain.

De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta with 26 points and Jalen Johnson added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Hawks also didn’t have their own star in Trae Young, who was out before the game with a bruised right heel. After winning its first three games in December, Atlanta has now lost four of its last five games.

Takeaways

Grizzlies: Memphis maintained its offensive dominance thanks to seven Grizzlies players finishing with double-digit point totals. Memphis was also hot behind the arc, shooting 43.9% from long range.

Hawks: Hunter continued to be a key contributor off the Atlanta bench, scoring 26 points in 24 minutes of play. Offensively, Atlanta performed fairly well without Young, but it wasn’t enough to defeat a Grizzlies team that shot 51% from the field.

Key moment

With 30 seconds left in the third quarter, Memphis forward Jake LaRavia drilled a pull-up 3-pointer after a fast break, giving the Grizzlies a 100-74 lead and sending Hawks fans heading for the exits.

Key statistics

Memphis has now won 12 of its last 14 games and the NBA’s best offensive team put in another convincing performance. The Grizzlies have outscored their last two opponents by a total of 67 points.

Next

Atlanta hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis travels home to host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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