The New Orleans Pelicans were trying to extend their season-best, four-game winning streak when they took a 24-point lead in the second quarter against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
However, Ja Morant took over in his season debut and led a Memphis comeback that produced a 115-113 victory, ending the Pelicans’ run.
New Orleans will try to bounce back from the squandered opportunity when it visits the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have won three games in a row, on Thursday night.
New Orleans seemed to take command with a 60-36 lead, but Memphis scored the final five points of the first half and began the second half with a 21-9 run that changed the direction of the game.
The Grizzlies finished the game on a 13-5 run that was punctuated by Morant’s game-winning basket from the lane as time expired.
Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 34 points, but Zion Williamson scored just 13 while being limited to 25 minutes due to foul trouble.
New Orleans is 7-7 on the road after sweeping a recent three-game road trip.
Cleveland is 9-6 at home after winning its past four home games, including a 124-116 victory against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
Sam Merrill, who had career highs of 19 points and five 3-pointers in a 135-130 overtime home victory against the Houston Rockets on Monday, surpassed those milestones with 27 points and eight 3-pointers against the Jazz.
Two Cavaliers starters — point guard Darius Garland (jaw) and forward Evan Mobley (knee) — are out for an extended period, and leading scorer Donovan Mitchell missed the Wednesday game because of an illness.
Max Strus made six 3-pointers to score 18 points and Jarrett Allen had 17 points and eight rebounds for Cleveland, which made 23 3-pointers on a franchise-record 51 long-distance attempts.
Georges Niang scored 15 points as the Cavaliers’ reserves outscored their Utah counterparts 75-32.
