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Luke Kennard scores season-high 25 points, Grizzlies beat Nets 106-102 to end 5-game skid

Mon, Mar 4, 2024
NBA News (AP)

NEW YORK (AP) - Luke Kennard scored a season-high 25 points and the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Brooklyn Nets 106-102 on Monday night.

Jake LaRavia added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who outrebounded the Nets 51-33 and piled up 25 second-chance points to make up for all the offense they are missing because of injuries. Lamar Stevens chipped in 13 points.

The Nets had won 111-86 in Memphis on Feb. 26, allowing their fewest points this season for their first victory under interim coach Kevin Ollie. They weren't quite as good defensively and were much worse offensively, adding to their woes with a dismal 17-for-30 (56.7%) showing on free throws.

Nic Claxton had 21 points for the Nets, who were coming off consecutive victories over Atlanta that had allowed them to pull within two games of the Hawks for 10th place in the Eastern Conference and the final spot in the play-in tournament. But leading scorer Mikal Bridges, who had 38 points in Saturday's victory, was 4 for 14 Monday and had just 14 points.

The game was tied at 88 before Stevens had the next two baskets, and a basket by Kennard made it 94-88. Claxton ended Brooklyn's drought, but Vince Williams Jr. scored and Kennard had his sixth 3-pointer for a 99-90 lead with three minutes to play.

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Kennard finished 8 for 11 overall and 6 for 9 behind the arc.

The Nets played without Cam Thomas because of foot and ankle injuries, and Ben Simmons, who was sidelined because of a pinched nerve in his lower back, the same injury that sidelined him for 35 games earlier this season.

That's nothing compared to the Grizzlies' injury woes, with Memphis missing the likes of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart on Monday.

But they led 53-52 at halftime and extended that to 71-63 on Kennard's 3-pointer midway through the third. Brooklyn used a 9-0 run to turn a seven-point deficit into a 77-75 edge, but Memphis got the final five points of the period to lead 80-77 going to the fourth.

UP NEXT

Grizzlies: Visit Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Nets: Host Philadelphia on Tuesday.

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BRIAN MAHONEY Mahoney is an editor on the AP Sports desk. He also is a pro basketball writer, primarily covering the two NBA teams in New York. twitter mailto "

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