Grizzlies beat Pelicans 120-109 for first NBA Cup win in franchise history

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Ja Morant had 27 points and seven assists as the Memphis Grizzlies held a double-digit lead through most of the second half to beat the injury-riddled New Orleans Pelicans 120-109 in an NBA Cup game on Friday.

Jaren Jackson Jr. had 23 points and eight rebounds for Memphis, while Santi Aldama added 20 points and went 8 of 9 from the field.

CJ McCollum led the Pelicans with 30 points, and Dejounte Murray and Trey Murphy added 21 points apiece.

The win was Memphis’ fifth straight, while the Pelicans have lost seven straight and 12 of 13.

New Orleans was playing without key players like Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans top-two scorers, along with Herbert Jones and Jose Alvarado.

Pelicans: With major players out with injuries, the Pelicans relied on their backcourt duo. Murray, who called the 26-point loss to Toronto on Wednesday an embarrassment, held up his end with help from McCollum and Murphy, but rookie Yves Missi was the only other player in double figures with 16.

Grizzlies: Memphis racked up 72 bench points in its previous win over Detroit on Wednesday and was already halfway to that total at the midway break. While the Pelicans were dealing with absences, Memphis had 11 players with significant minutes.

The Pelicans had cut into the double-digit deficit in the third quarter. But a pair of baskets by Jackson and a 3-pointer by Jake LaRavia put Memphis up 15.

Memphis, which leads the league averaging 30 assists a game, handed out 36 assists on its 47 baskets. The combination allowed the Grizzlies to win their first ever NBA Cup game after going 0-4 in 2023’s inaugural tournament.

Pelicans travel to New York and play the Knicks on Sunday, the same day Memphis ends a four-game homestand against Indiana.