Miami Heat

Morant, Valanciunas Lead Memphis Grizzlies Past Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler had 25 points and eight assists while Tyler Herro scored 22 points for the Heat, who had four wins in their previous five games.

MEMPHIS, TN – DECEMBER 16: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots the ball against the Miami Heat on December 16, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
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This time, Ja Morant and Memphis landed the final punch against Miami.

Morant had 20 points and 10 assists to lead the Grizzlies to a 118-111 victory over the Heat on Monday night.

Jonas Valanciunas finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds as Memphis won for the fourth time in five games. De’Anthony Melton scored 16 points, and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 15.

The Grizzlies also played Miami in their season opener on Oct. 23, losing 120-101 when the Heat rallied in the fourth quarter. The Heat put together another big finish Monday night, but the Grizzlies responded with their own push.

“We just learned,” Morant said of the difference since the first game of the season. “I feel like we lost a lot of games late in the fourth quarter. A team would go on a run, and we weren’t able to bounce back from it. ... We’re just learning from our mistakes.”

Miami had won four of five, including three overtime victories. Jimmy Butler had 25 points and eight assists, and Tyler Herro scored 22 points.

“Our (man) defense was pretty poor all the way through,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “The zone defense gave us a little bit of life. I don’t know if it was because it got them out of rhythm or because we were just more active.”

The Grizzlies were up by 11 when Butler went on his own 7-0 run in the fourth. Derrick Jones Jr. then scored five points to help Miami take a 107-104 lead with 5:30 left.

Memphis responded with 11 straight points for a 115-107 lead on a Morant drive with 2:31 left.

Jones finished with 15 points for Miami, and Bam Adebayo recorded his sixth straight double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

It was Miami’s first loss of the season to a sub-.500 team.

“Even in the midst of the second half (the Heat) were going on, you wouldn’t believe the communication the guys had,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said, later adding: “No one was overthinking it and putting their heads down, which were some of the moments earlier in the season.”

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