JAE CROWDER scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and the visiting Memphis Grizzlies coasted past the Los Angeles Clippers, 140-114, on Saturday.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 points and four blocks, while Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks added 22 points apiece. Jonas Valanciunas had 12 rebounds and nine points, all in the second half.
It was the most points the Clippers have given up to an opponent this season. Los Angeles played without star forward Paul George.
Montrezl Harrell had 28 points on 11-for-16 shooting and nine rebounds for the Clippers. Lou Williams and Kawhi Leonard had 24 points apiece. Leonard, though, misfired on 16 of 24 attempts from the floor.
George left Thursday’s 126-112 win over the Detroit Pistons with left hamstring tightness. He is listed as day-to-day. Derrick Walton Jr. replaced him in the starting lineup in his first NBA start but managed just three points in 23 minutes.
The Grizzlies used their 3-point shooting to snap a three-game losing streak to the Clippers. They connected on 18 of 39 three-pointers (46.2%), compared with 7 of 30 (23.3%) by the Clippers.
Overall, Memphis hit 51% of its shots, compared with 44.6% for LA.
A 7-0 run to open the third allowed Memphis to push the lead to 72-57 after a basket by Morant. The Grizzlies continued to pour it on, outscoring the Clippers 39-23 in the third for a 104-80 advantage heading into the final quarter. Crowder had 14 points in the third.
Los Angeles got no closer than 16 the rest of the way.
The Grizzlies started strong, leading by as much as 18 in the first quarter. They produced more points in the first than any Clippers opponent this season by taking a 40-27 edge.
Memphis led 65-57 at the break.
Clippers guard Patrick Beverley missed his third straight game with a sprained wrist.
WINS FOR JAZZ, HAWKS
In Orlando, Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points as the visiting Utah Jazz used a 22-8 run over the first half of the fourth quarter to beat the Magic, 109-96.
Mitchell’s effort, which included 14-for-21 shooting from the floor and six assists, paced the Utah offense. He made the first of four straight Jazz three-pointers in a stretch to open the final quarter, with Georges Niang knocking down each of the next three and Joe Ingles adding a fifth after a Niang miss. That expanded a one-point Jazz lead to 11.
Niang and Ingles were among the five Jazz scoring in double figures. Ingles finished with 11 points, and Niang scored 15 points off the bench.
Terrence Ross scored 24 for Orlando to lead the Magic in scoring for the second consecutive night on their back-to-back,
In Atlanta, Trae Young had 41 points, the fifth time he’s scored 40 or more this season, and the Hawks hung on to beat the visiting Indiana Pacers, 116-111.
Young scored 30 in the first half, and his basket with 1:22 left gave the Hawks a 113-109 lead it never relinquished. Young made 3 of 4 free throws, sandwiched around a steal, in the final 4.5 seconds to seal the win.
Atlanta has won two of its last three games and broke a seven-game losing streak against the Pacers. Indiana has lost four of its last five games.
Indiana was led by Domantas Sabonis with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Justin Holiday added 18 points. — Reuters
