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Ja Morant scored 19 points and nine assists on Friday to help the Memphis Grizzlies pick up their first win of the season restart after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-92.
Dillon Brooks scored a team-high 22 points to lead the Grizzlies, who previously lost their first four games in the restart. The team received timely bench contributions from Brandon Clarke and Gorgui Dieng, who each scored 12 points apiece.
The Thunder wanted to help trap Morant as often as possible and forced him to commit a team-high five turnovers. Morant struggled to shoot some from the field, converting on just 5-of-12 shots, but he went a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) August 7, 2020
The victory by the Grizzlies was likely a welcomed sign after dropping their first four games of the restart. The Grizzlies lost Jaren Jackson Jr. to a knee injury and will continue to face a tough challenge by competing without him during the upcoming stretch of games.
Barring something drastic from happening, the Grizzlies will be forced to participate in a play-in tournament with the team that finishes in ninth place. The Grizzlies will hold the advantage in such a scenario, only needing to win one game, but will want to get in a groove beforehand.
The Grizzlies play next on Sunday vs. the Toronto Raptors.
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