Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies earned their 10th straight win with a 116-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night at FedEx Forum. Ja Morant led the way with 29 points and eight assists as Memphis improved to 29-14.

Need a bucket?

📱1️⃣2️⃣@JaMorant | #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/8TzXXTYtSE

— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) January 12, 2022

It's the first time in franchise history that the Grizzlies have won 10 consecutive games.

The Warriors fell to 30-10 after their third loss in their last four games. Stephen Curry had his second triple-double of the year with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

In his second game of the season, Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson had 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting in 19 minutes. Golden State was playing without power forward Draymond Green, who sat out to rest his sore calf.

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Notable Stats

G Ja Morant, MEM: 29 points, 8 assists

G Stephen Curry, GSW: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists

G Klay Thompson, GSW: 14 points

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Grizzlies Prove They Can Compete with Western Conference's Elite

Throughout Monday's game, the Grizzlies stood toe-to-toe with the Warriors and had them on their heels. Memphis showed no intimidation despite playing against a team that entered Tuesday tied for the best record in the NBA.

The Grizzlies were in attack mode right from the start, pushing the pace on offense and playing with great energy and activity on defense. Memphis led by as many as 18 in the first half and took a 59-51 lead into halftime.

Ja up, Ziaire Williams down!@memgrizz rolling on @NBATV pic.twitter.com/ovqliYHWSA

— NBA (@NBA) January 12, 2022

Memphis is long and athletic and overplays the passing lanes. This has to be like four games of the same approach. Warriors offense hasn’t made the adjustment

— Marcus Thompson II (@ThompsonScribe) January 12, 2022

Even when the Warriors opened the second half with one of their trademark scoring runs, the Grizzlies didn't panic. Memphis withstood the avalanche and kept the deficit to just three points heading into the fourth quarter.

In the final frame, the Grizzlies got contributions from multiple players to put themselves in position to win the game. Ziaire Williams scored a career-high 17 points. Tyus Jones added 17 off the bench on 5-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Despite having an off-night offensively, Jaren Jackson Jr. played some very strong interior defense.

Ja Morant lobs it up...Ziaire Williams throws it down for a career-high 17 points!@memgrizz 101@warriors 98

6 minutes left: https://t.co/rTTQ9EtLON pic.twitter.com/fZJJNDTTd6

— NBA (@NBA) January 12, 2022

TYUS JONES IS ON 🔥

5-5 FROM DEEP #CenterCourt https://t.co/HD1A5gl4aN

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 12, 2022

JAREN JACKSON JR. WITH A MASSIVE BLOCK

— Bluff City Media Grizzlies (@bcmGrizzlies) January 12, 2022

The Grizzlies showed that they are a team that can compete against the elite teams in the West. They now have an 8-2 record against the top six teams in the conference.

Memphis plays with a ferociousness that not many teams can match. There's a youthful exuberance surrounding the team as Morant and company always look like they're having fun playing together.

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Warriors Missed Draymond Green on Both Ends

It felt like the Warriors were out of sorts for most of Monday's game as the Grizzlies blitzed them from the start. Without Green, Golden State was missing its organizer on both offense and defense.

The Warriors did a nice job of clawing back from an 18-point first-half deficit. Golden State outscored Memphis 39-28 in the third quarter.

But in the fourth, the Warriors were held to just 18 points compared to 29 by the Grizzlies. Golden State seemed like it couldn't figure out the best way to attack Memphis on either end of the floor, and much of that had to do with Green's absence. The Warriors finished with 16 turnovers and were outrebounded 49-45.

Green has established himself as one of the frontrunners for Defensive Player of the Year this season. It's no small task for the Warriors to replace his production, and they weren't able to do it on Tuesday. Green's absence is coming at an inopportune time for Golden State with a tough stretch of games coming up.

Warriors have lost three of four, all three Ls on road: Dallas, New Orleans (rest night) and now Memphis. They've had trouble scoring lately. Draymond Green's status for rest of road trip unknown. Milwaukee, Chicago road b2b up next. No Klay in one of them. Challenging stretch.

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 12, 2022

When the Warriors are at full strength, they can be the best team in the league. But if the team doesn't learn how to clean up its mistakes while Green is sidelined, opponents will continue to take advantage of Golden State's disorganization on both ends of the floor.

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What's Next?

The Grizzlies will go for their 11th straight win on Thursday at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors will look to bounce back that same day in a road matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will not play Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers due to left thigh soreness, the team announced.

The game will be the 13th contest Morant has missed this season.

The 22-year-old suffered a left knee sprain on Nov. 26 against the Atlanta Hawks. Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant avoided any serious injury but was expected to be out for at least two weeks.

He later entered the league's health and safety protocols on Dec. 8.

Morant is one of the best young talents in the NBA. In 28 games played, he leads Memphis with 25.0 points per game to go along with 6.6 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 three-pointers made and 1.4 steals per contest. Despite his obvious importance to the team, the Grizzlies are 10-2 without him in the lineup this year.

The second overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Morant made an immediate impact for the Grizzlies with 17.8 points and 7.3 assists per game on his way to being named Rookie of the Year in 2019-20.

He followed that up last season by leading Memphis to its first playoff appearance since 2016-17 after defeating the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament. But the Grizzlies lost in the first round to the Utah Jazz in five games.

In addition to Morant, the Grizzlies will be without guard John Konchar, forward Kyle Anderson and centers Xavier Tillman and Steven Adams on Saturday. Meanwhile, guard Desmond Bane is questionable.

De'Anthony Melton and Tyus Jones figure to see the biggest uptick in playing time for the 26-14 Grizzlies against the Clippers.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane paid teammate Ja Morant a huge compliment Tuesday following the Grizzlies' 118-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Morant was central to the victory with 36 points, eight assists and six rebounds, leading Bane to make the following comment:

"He's special. I mean, people debate whether or not he should be an All-Star, but I mean I think we should be debating whether or not he's the best point guard in the league. I mean, I don't think that, you know, it's any question that he's an All-Star. I think that, you know, the real conversation is, 'Is he the best point guard in the league?'"

With Morant leading the way, the Grizzlies are on a Western Conference-best five-game winning streak, and they find themselves in fourth place in the conference at 24-14.

The 22-year-old Morant showed flashes of brilliance in his first two seasons after going No. 2 in the 2019 draft, including winning the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year award, and he has truly come into his own this season.

Through 26 games, he is averaging a career-high 25.1 points per contest, crushing his previous mark of 19.1 set last season. He is also putting up 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 three-pointers made and 1.4 steals per game.

Perhaps most impressively, he has immensely improved his scoring efficiency, shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from beyond the arc after shooting 44.9 percent and 30.3 percent, respectively, last season.

When Morant arrived in Memphis, the Grizzlies had missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and were coming off a 33-49 campaign. After improving to 34-39 in his rookie season, the Grizzlies took another step forward last season by going 38-34 and reaching the playoffs.

They entered play Tuesday as one of only four teams in the Western Conference with at least 20 wins, so barring an unforeseen collapse, the Grizz will be back in the playoffs again this season.

Morant also feels like a virtual lock to earn his first All-Star nod given his statistical output and his team's record.

While it would be difficult to put Morant ahead of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks when ranking point guards, he may belong in the conversation with Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns.

That is a highly impressive distinction for a player in his third season, and if he continues to progress at his current rate, he may find himself at or near the top in the not-too-distant future.

Ja Morant didn't have much sympathy for Los Angeles Lakers fans who traveled to attend Wednesday's game after leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 104-99 victory at home.

Morant told reporters the win felt even better because the Grizzlies "got to send those people wearing purple and yellow home sad. Go back to L.A."

The Memphis guard was dominant with 41 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, two assists and two blocks while also connecting on six of his seven three-point attempts. It wasn't a one-man effort, as Desmond Bane tallied 20 points, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 15 points.

It appeared as if the Lakers were going to give their fans a win to cheer for when they jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and had a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

However, the Grizzlies won that final quarter by 10 and held Los Angeles to a mere 16 points over those final 12 minutes. LeBron James had a particularly poor turnover down three in the final seconds, and Bane iced the win on the free-throw line on the other end.

Despite the turnover, James finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two steals while carrying much of the offensive responsibilities on his shoulders. Russell Westbrook also posted a triple-double of 16 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds as the two All-Stars continue to be in primary roles as they look to make up for the absence of Anthony Davis.

The formula isn't turning into wins, though, as the Lakers are 1-6 in their last seven games and have tumbled to 17-19 overall.

They are sitting in the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference standings after the latest defeat and will be in the play-in tournament if they are unable to climb up to the top six spots.

To hear Morant tell it, the Grizzlies won't be too upset if Los Angeles is eliminated from the playoffs in the early going.           

The Memphis Grizzlies earned their third straight win by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 104-99 at home on Wednesday. Ja Morant led the way with a season-high 41 points with a career-high six three-pointers as Memphis improved to 22-14.

🤯 @JaMorant pic.twitter.com/7C00CviBTV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 30, 2021

The Grizzlies have now won the past two meetings against the Lakers and lead the regular-season series 2-1. The two teams will face each other again next month in their final matchup of the year.

Los Angeles fell to 17-19 after its sixth loss in its last seven games. LeBron James had a team-high 37 points and tied a career-high with eight three-pointers.

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Notable Stats

G Ja Morant, MEM: 41 points (6-of-7 3PT FG), 10 rebounds

G Desmond Bane, MEM: 20 points

F LeBron James, LAL: 37 points (8-of-14 3PT FG), 13 rebounds, 7 assists

G Russell Westbrook, LAL: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists

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Morant Carries Grizzlies to Comeback Win

Throughout most of the game, Memphis struggled on offense but still managed to keep the game close. The Grizzlies shot 2-of-14 from beyond the arc in the first half but hit 12-of-13 free throws to get within six at halftime.

Morant was the lone bright spot for Memphis through the first 24 minutes, scoring 16 points. Coming out of the break, Morant turned up his energy and spearheaded a furious comeback to erase a 14-point deficit.

https://twitter.com/GrizzOnBally/status/1476387141760524288

BIG 12 IS FEELIN IT 🔥

5 Triples for @JaMorant #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/rwrbwqh2GJ

— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) December 30, 2021

TURN US UP 12.

38 POINTS. 6/6 from long range. @JaMorant x #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/1E1NbgfqPY

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) December 30, 2021

Morant scored 25 of his 41 points in the second half. He's the first Grizzlies player to have three career 40-point games. With Morant leading the charge, Memphis outscored Los Angeles 26-16 in the fourth quarter.

Morant has proven himself to be one of the brightest young stars in the NBA. If he keeps this up, the Grizzlies could fight for a top-three seed in the Western Conference this season.

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Lakers Waste Another Strong Performance by James

Despite the Lakers' collective struggles this season, James clearly has not lost a step and is playing some of the most efficient basketball of his career.

The 19-year veteran opened the game with 15 points in the first half, including 11 on 4-of-4 shooting in the first quarter. With James leading the way, Los Angeles led by as many as 13 before Memphis cut the lead to six heading into the break.

Make that 3/3. https://t.co/rbVV4er3Ku

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 30, 2021

LeBron says NOT TODAY! 🚫 pic.twitter.com/vunkI5cF5t

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 30, 2021

After hitting three of his four three-point attempts in the first half, James came out of the locker room feeling it from beyond the arc. He hit five more triples to end the game, going 8-of-14, tying his career-high for three-pointers made.

6-for-7 from deep..

Get to @NBATV to watch a locked-in LeBron! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lh4R5rTf32

— NBA (@NBA) December 30, 2021

It was James' sixth straight game with at least 30 points and at least 50-percent shooting from the field.

But the rest of the Lakers struggled to get much going. Russell Westbrook (16 points) and Malik Monk (15) were the only other players to score in double figures for Los Angeles.

The Lakers can't keep wasting these standout performances by James. Los Angeles is now 1-5 during his hot streak. It's been a disappointing season for a team that entered the year considered to be among the favorites to compete for an NBA title.

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What's Next?

The Grizzlies will go for their fourth straight victory Friday against the San Antonio Spurs at FedEx Forum. The Lakers will return home to host the Portland Trail Blazers that same day.

Ja Morant had a relatively quiet return from his left knee injury in the Memphis Grizzlies' 102-99 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, but he was especially upset by some of the hometown fans in the game.

"I was running down the court, and I heard some of my fans courtside tell me I need to sit back out," Morant said after the game. "So, I just don't understand what they wanted to get out of that. I feel like that just makes it worse."

The Grizzlies went 10-2 with a league-best plus-16.5 net rating while Morant was out with a sprained knee, but they couldn't beat 10-19 Oklahoma City in his return as he finished with 16 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals on 6-of-12 shotting.

"I’m just frustrated," he told reporters. "Normally—y'all have seen it—when anybody says something negative about me, it fuels me. But, tonight, the remarks from the fans actually hurt."

The 22-year-old noted the fans were chanting "M-V-P" a few weeks earlier. He wrote on Twitter that he will take a break from social media, although he did have a positive message for those supporting him:

appreciate da real ones 🖤

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) December 21, 2021

The third-year guard is still in the midst of his best season, averaging 23.7 points, 6.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals while improving his outside shooting (36.4 percent from three).

The NBA fined Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks $25,000 on Friday for his actions after being ejected from Wednesday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Brooks was fined for "aggressively confronting a game official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner" following his ejection with 27.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The announcement made no reference to his postgame comments about the officials, which could also be subject to a fine:

As you saw in the game, we've been playing physical basketball for about a week now. And all of a sudden, new officials come in here and they call an inconsistent game. They want to call ticky-tack in the first half and then in the second half they want to call nothing. And then you got guys getting undercut, getting hit on the floor, no call. There's a lack of protection of the players and that's the main thing, I felt like this crew came out there and just made it about them and that's bull.

Obviously I can't put it all on them. We got to get the 50/50 balls, you got to be able to rebound the basketball, you got to be able to hit shots in timely ways. But this crew did not protect the players. They just wanted to get the game over with and that's (expletive). That's (expletive) from the very beginning. That's bull.

Friday's fine was the highest of the 25-year-old Canadian's five-year NBA career. He was previously fined a total of $72,000, mostly in $2,000 increments for technical fouls, per Spotrac. His only prior ejection came in 2018 against the Utah Jazz.

The foul numbers from a 104-96 Mavs win don't jump off the page. Memphis was called for two more fouls (23-21) but also shot a couple more free throws (25-23).

Brooks seemed more irked about inconsistency within the game, however, not that Dallas may have gained an edge through the referees' calls. He was whistled for five fouls, along with the two technicals.

The University of Oregon product had a solid outing before the ejection, tallying 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins opted against commenting on Brooks' ejection or the officiating when asked after the game, replying: "Dillon got ejected."

Brooks was placed in the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols Thursday and missed Memphis' win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The forward will need to isolate for 10 days or produce two negative tests over 24 hours if his placement in the protocols was because of a positive test. Jenkins didn't provide any further information.

Memphis (15-11) returns to action Saturday when it hosts the Houston Rockets (8-16) at the FedEx Forum.

The Los Angeles Lakers turned the ball over 22 times in a 108-95 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night, a result that dropped the team to 13-13 on the year. 

And superstar LeBron James was not happy about it.

"Tonight turnovers killed us," he told reporters after the contest. "... That's been our Achilles' heel before the last seven games."

Head coach Frank Vogel agreed:

"We're going to continue to have disappointing losses as long as we turn the ball over like that." Frank Vogel on the #LakeShow's 22 turnovers vs. Memphis. @LakersReporter pic.twitter.com/R0qnYH5Wdz

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 10, 2021

James was responsible for five of those turnovers, though he'll be forgiven after posting a 20-point, 11-assist, 10-rebound triple-double. 

Very little beyond that went well for the Lakers on Thursday.

Russell Westbrook continued to look like a poor fit next to James and Davis, posting just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting with six turnovers and seven assists. They gave up 14 offensive rebounds. The bench was outscored 32-24, and three players—Carmelo Anthony (-16), Malik Monk (-16) and Wayne Ellington (-14)—got hammered in their minutes. 

Frank Vogel said there was too much “casualness” to the Lakers’ approach tonight.

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 10, 2021

One probable contributing factor to Los Angeles' struggles is simply that the roster construction is poor. The Lakers don't have great shooting next to James and Davis. Westbrook never made any sense alongside James as a ball-dominant lead guard who offers no perimeter threat. Players like Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan aren't the sort of floor-stretching centers that the modern game favors. 

That roster construction may cost Vogel his job, with rumblings that Vogel might find himself on the hot seat this season. Don't expect Lakers governor Jeanie Buss to make any decisions in that regard any time soon, however.

"We're as connected as any organization can be," she said Tuesday during halftime of the team's matchup with the Boston Celtics. "I really don't know what you're looking for me to say. I would say until we're 100 percent healthy, I won't make any judgments about anything."

The rest of Los Angeles won't promise the same. 

The Memphis Grizzlies bounced back from Wednesday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks with a 108-95 win at home over the Los Angeles Lakers. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 25 points as Memphis improved to 15-11.

The Grizzlies have now won six out of their last seven games after having their five-game winning streak snapped Wednesday. Memphis was playing without its starting backcourt of Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks.

The Lakers fell back to .500 at 13-13. Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 22 points. LeBron James recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to become the fifth player in NBA history with 100 career triple-doubles.

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Notable Player Stats

F Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM: 25 points

G Desmond Bane, MEM: 23 points

F Anthony Davis, LAL: 22 points, 8 rebounds

F LeBron James, LAL: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals

G Russell Westbrook, LAL: 9 points

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Undermanned Grizzlies Hustle Way to Victory

Memphis won with effort on Thursday, out-hustling Los Angeles to earn the win. The Grizzlies grabbed 14 offensive rebounds for 17 second-chance points. Veteran center Steven Adams was a force down low, pulling down 13 rebounds by himself.

Steven Adams grabs his EIGHTH offensive board, and kicks it to Desmond Bane for his FIFTH triple late in the @memgrizz win! pic.twitter.com/gh9u1Yo68Y

— NBA (@NBA) December 10, 2021

Jackson was outstanding on both ends of the floor with one of his best games of the season. He and Xavier Tillman were menaces in the frontcourt and combined for seven steals. 

Have yourself a night @jarenjacksonjr! pic.twitter.com/uWIljcS3TA

— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) December 10, 2021

Memphis finished with 46 points in the paint and 19 fast-break points. It was a strong performance for a team playing without two of its best players.

Thursday's win was a return to the grit-and-grind heyday for the Grizzlies. While the team is not at full strength, Memphis will have to continue outworking teams on both ends to earn its wins.

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Lakers Doomed by Mistakes and Turnovers

It was a sloppy game for the Lakers, which allowed a short-handed Memphis squad to take an upset victory on Thursday.

Los Angeles had 14 turnovers in the first half, with eight coming in the second quarter alone.

A rough 2nd Q from LAL saw them get outscored by the shorthanded Grizz, 34-24, and LAL trail 59-53 at the half as a result.

They turned it over 8 times in the 2nd Q alone, and 14 times in the half, while allowing 7 Grizzlies offensive boards, 4 to Adams. MEM took 13 more FG’s.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 10, 2021

The Lakers looked like they were turning things around in the third quarter, erasing a six-point halftime deficit and eventually going up 72-68. But Memphis ended the quarter on a 17-6 run to take a comfortable lead heading into the fourth.

Los Angeles fell behind by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter. The team finished the game with 22 turnovers.

A veteran team like the Lakers should not struggle to play a clean game, but that's exactly what happened Thursday. Los Angeles has had ugly performances like this throughout the season, and it's the reason the team can't find any consistency. The Lakers have just one three-game winning streak this season, and it occurred eight games into the year.

Los Angeles will need to clean up its play going forward. James and company need to realize they can't afford to play with a lack of focus.

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What's Next?

The Grizzlies will welcome the Houston Rockets to Memphis on Saturday. The Lakers will look to bounce back Friday in a road matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks criticized how the referees handled Wednesday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Brooks was ejected with under 30 seconds remaining in the 104-96 loss after being called for his second technical foul. He told reporters the lack of consistency from the officials was an issue:

As you saw in the game, we've been playing physical basketball for about a week now. And all of a sudden, new officials come in here and they call an inconsistent game. They want to call ticky-tack in the first half and then in the second half they want to call nothing. And then you got guys getting undercut, getting hit on the floor, no call. There's a lack of protection of the players and that's the main thing. I felt like this crew came out there and just made it about them and that's bull.

Obviously I can't put it all on them. We got to get the 50-50 balls, you got to be able to rebound the basketball, you got to be able to hit shots in timely ways. But this crew did not protect the players. They just wanted to get the game over with and that's [expletive]. That's [expletive] from the very beginning. That's bull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXAWEB3X_CQ

Brooks could be subject to a fine from the NBA for public criticism of officiating for the remarks.

The game's overall foul numbers were relatively even, with the Grizzlies called for two more fouls. The fifth-year forward seemed more frustrated with how the game was called rather than suggesting it favored the Mavs, though.

It's worth noting Brooks was called for five fouls, including the technicals, and only drew one foul in the contest, which likely furthered his exasperation.

The 25-year-old University of Oregon product finished with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 33 minutes before the ejection.

Memphis dropped to 14-11 with the loss, while Dallas improved to 12-12 as part of a congested middle portion of the Western Conference standings.

Brooks and the Grizzlies are back in action Thursday night when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at FedEx Forum.