Morant hurts his shoulder but Jackson scores 33 as the Grizzlies top the Pelicans 132-124

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 33 points, Ja Morant scored 25 before leaving with what appeared to be a minor right shoulder injury, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the slumping New Orleans Pelicans 132-124 on Friday night.

Morant was knocked from the game when he was flattened by Pelicans center Daniel Theis' hard but legal screen.

The Grizzlies never ruled Morant out of the game, classifying him as doubtful after he went to the locker room to be examined. He returned to the bench and cheered on his team from there.

Jackson held the Pelicans at bay, with help from Desmond Bane, who finished with 18 points, and Scottie Pippen Jr., who scored 13 points. Zach Edey added 14 points.

Trey Murphy III scored 35 points and CJ McCollum 32 for the Pelicans, who've lost nine straight and 18 of 19. Theis had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Grizzlies: One night after scoring a franchise record 155 points in a victory over Toronto, Memphis eclipsed the 130-point mark despite Morant scoring just a single point in the second half.

Pelicans: After being run off their own court in a 128-111 loss to Houston a night earlier, New Orleans looked more feisty and competitive, but lacked the firepower to keep pace, falling to 0-14 in games missed by injured wing Brandon Ingram and 3-23 in games without injured power forward Zion Williamson.

The Pelicans were threatening to cut what had been a 22-point deficit to six in the third quarter when Jackson intercepted Murphy's pass. That sparked an 8-0 Grizzlies run, highlighted by Jackson’s driving floater and Luke Kennard’s 3.

The Grizzlies went 17 of 41 (41.5%) from 3-point range, while New Orleans was 11 of 38 (28.9%).

The Grizzlies visit Oklahoma City on Sunday night. The Pelicans host the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

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