Grizzlies Overcome 26-point Deficit To Claw Past Timberwolves

Desmond Bane buried seven 3-pointers on his way to 26 points, and the visiting Grizzlies overcame a 26-point deficit to stun the Timberwolves, 104-95, in Game 3 of their first-round series on Thursday.

The Grizzlies took a 2-1 lead in the series and reclaimed home-court advantage. Game 4 is Saturday in Minneapolis (10 p.m. EST).

Brandon Clarke added 20 points for Memphis, including 16 in the second half, and All-Star point guard Ja Morant tacked on a casual triple-double, with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

“There’s probably gonna be a lot of (Minnesota) fans drinking tonight with that L,” Morant said. 

His taunting words, he added, were the result of Timberwolves fans taking verbal shots at him throughout the course of the night.

“I’m going to disrespect them like they disrespect me,” he said. “That’s why I asked for the ball at the end and threw it in the air.”

D’Angelo Russell led the Timberwolves with 22 points, but managed to get just four in the fourth, when the Grizzlies took over the game. Meanwhile, Timberwolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns was limited to just eight points, the second time he’s struggled in the series.

Overall, the Grizzlies closed the game on a 50-13 run. It marked the largest comeback in the franchise’s playoff history.