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WATCH: Atlanta Hawks bomb Grizzlies as Ja Morant goes down

Nov 26, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) works around Memphis Grizzlies guard Tyus Jones (21) in the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Ja Morant left in the first quarter with an apparent knee injury, and the Memphis Grizzlies never recovered as the Atlanta Hawks cruised to a 132-100 win Friday in Memphis.

Morant came up hobbled after dribbling out of a double-team. The Grizzlies star avoided putting weight on his left leg after the non-contact play, and he returned to the bench wearing street clothes during the third quarter.

With its leader in both scoring and assists this season out, Memphis fell into a deep hole. Atlanta built a 14-point lead by halftime, then blew the game open with a 43-18 third quarter.

Trae Young paced Atlanta to its seventh consecutive win with 31 points and 10 assists. Young shot 12-of-16 from the floor and was one of four Hawks starters to make at least 72.7 percent of their field-goal attempts.

Clint Capela went 11-of-14 for 23 points, John Collins shot 8-of-11 for 21 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic connected on 3-of-4 en route to eight points. Capela added 17 rebounds.

The Hawks shot a blistering 13-of-27 from 3-point range as a team, part of their 52-of-89 overall night, on their way to a season-high in scoring. Their field-goal percentage lingered around 60 percent until the game’s final minutes.

With its shots falling, Atlanta held Memphis to 37-of-91 shooting from the floor and ballooned the lead to as many as 39 points at the end of the third quarter.

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John Konchar came off the bench to lead Memphis with 17 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 14 points, and Dillon Brooks chipped in 12 points but shot just 4-of-15 from the floor.

Tyus Jones added 10 points off the bench.

Friday’s loss was Memphis’ third in its last four games, and second since Nov. 20 by a margin of at least 32 points. The Grizzlies dropped a 138-95 decision at Minnesota last Saturday.

–Field Level Media

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