SAN ANTONIO — Ja Morant shined for the Memphis Grizzlies, contributing 21 points and 12 assists in their 129-115 victory against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
Desmond Bane matched Morant’s scoring with 21 points, while Santi Aldama and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 and 19 points, respectively. This win marked a positive turn for Memphis, who had previously struggled, losing four of their last six games prior to this matchup.
The Grizzlies made a concerted effort to challenge the Spurs’ towering center, Victor Wembanyama, from the start. Morant scored the game’s initial basket with a one-handed, fadeaway floater over the 7-foot-3 rookie. He later attempted an impressive one-handed dunk over Wembanyama, just over two minutes before the end of the game, although the play was ruled dead due to a preceding whistle.
Rookie Zach Edey of the Grizzlies also made his mark against Wembanyama, scoring with a hook shot and later executing a powerful two-handed dunk by muscling past him during the first quarter.
On the other side, Spurs rookie Stephon Castle stood out with a season-high 26 points, while Wembanyama earned 13 points, 12 rebounds, and dominated defensively with eight blocks, all occurring in the first half. However, the second half was controlled by Memphis, who outscored San Antonio 78-52.
In the Grizzlies’ lineup, Edey finished with six points and five rebounds, playing a crucial role as Wembanyama’s primary defender. Meanwhile, Castle significantly contributed for the Spurs, scoring 24 of his points in the latter half on an efficient shooting performance.
A pivotal moment in the game came late in the first quarter when Wembanyama successfully blocked Edey’s dunk attempt, then followed up by rejecting Aldama’s putback attempt. Bane seized the opportunity to grab the loose ball and hit a three-pointer, narrowing San Antonio’s lead to just 30-28 with six seconds left in the quarter. The Grizzlies continued to respond and effectively navigate around Wembanyama’s strong defensive presence in the paint throughout the remainder of the game.
Statistically, Wembanyama now has racked up five games this season with eight or more blocks, showcasing his defensive prowess.
The two teams will meet again on Friday, wrapping up their two-game series in San Antonio.
