National Basketball Association
Memphis 132, Charlotte 120
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Officials: #58 Josh Tiven, #70 Phenizee Ransom, #85 Robert Hussey
Attendance: 15971

Desmond Bane scored 24 points to extend his streak of 20-point games to six, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 132-120 wire-to-wire win over the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

Reserve Luke Kennard contributed a season-high 23 points -- including 18 in the first half -- and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 22 points to help the Grizzlies win their fourth game in a row. Memphis' Ja Morant finished with 16 points and 13 assists.

Charlotte, which saw its three-game win streak end, got a career-high 38 points from Mark Williams. The center made 14 of 18 field-goal attempts and 10 of 13 free throws in addition to grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out five assists. LaMelo Ball had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Miles Bridges had 17 points and six assists.

The Hornets trailed by 35 in the third quarter, but rallied to cut the deficit to 14 late in the fourth before losing by 12.

Kennard made six of his eight first-half 3-point attempts as the Grizzlies built a 78-48 advantage. The 78 points matched the most in a half by the Grizzlies this season.

Memphis extended its lead to 101-66 midway through the third quarter following behind reserve center Jay Huff, who hit back-to-back 3-pointers and added a reverse slam during a 10-2 run. The Grizzlies sank five 3-pointers during a three-plus-minute stretch in the third quarter to create the huge cushion.

Charlotte recovered, slightly, by closing the quarter on a 12-0 run to trim the Grizzlies' advantage to 106-84. Isaiah Wong scored four points and contributed an assist in the surge.

Williams' 15-point fourth quarter wasn't nearly enough for the Hornets.

The Grizzlies built a 13-point lead in the first quarter as they shot 59.3 percent and scored 20 paint points. Their advantage swelled to 32 points late in the second quarter (73-41) after a mid-range jumper by Brandon Clarke. Kennard's corner 3-pointer with 5.4 seconds remaining gave the Grizzlies their 30-point halftime lead.

For the game, Memphis hit 21 of 47 3-point attempts (44.7 percent) to Charlotte's 11 of 31 (35.5 percent) from long range.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Charlotte   Memphis
Mark Williams 38 Scoring Desmond Bane 24
LaMelo Ball 6 Assists Ja Morant 13
Mark Williams 9 Rebounds Zach Edey 6
Mark Williams 10 Free Throws Made Ja Morant 4
Josh Okogie 3 Steals Ja Morant 3
Moussa Diabate 2 Blocks Santi Aldama 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Charlotte 120 47.7 11-31 27-32 27 33 4 9 16
Memphis 132 50.0 21-47 13-14 36 40 6 9 16
Upcoming Games
  • Memphis will play their next game at home against New Orleans. The Grizzlies have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .812 after a loss.
  • Charlotte will play their next game at home against Portland. The Hornets have a W/L % of .273 after a win and .276 after a loss.