JA MORANT delivered a strong return from injury as Memphis Grizzlies pulled away for a 126-109 win over Orlando Magic in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season on Sunday night (Monday in the Philippines) at the 02 Arena in London.
Morant finished with a double-double 24 points and 13 assists in his first game back after missing six contests due to a right calf injury to secure Memphis win in the league’s first regular-season game in London since 2019.
Despite being placed on a minutes restriction, the two-time All-Star provided an early lift for Memphis, posting 20 points and 10 assists in the opening half and helping the Grizzlies build a commanding lead.
Jock Landale supported Morant with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Jaren Jackson Jr. added 17 points as Memphis bounced back from a 118-111 loss to Orlando in Berlin last Thursday.
The Grizzlies dominated early, stretching their advantage to as many as 33 points in the first half. Orlando made a brief push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 17, but Memphis quickly reasserted control to secure the win.
Anthony Black led the Magic with 19 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. recorded 18 points and seven rebounds. Paolo Banchero ended with 16 points, along with nine assists and eight rebounds and Franz Wagner chipped in 14 points.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant tallied 18 points and passed Dirk Nowitzki for sixth on the NBA’s career scoring list as Houston Rockets scored a 119-110 win over New Orleans Pelicans.
Durant, who needed 17 markers to move up in the list, converted two free throws with 15.2 seconds to eclipse Nowitzki’s 31,560 career total. Michael Jordan is fifth on the career list with 32,292 points.
Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 32 points, including seven triples, Alperen Sengun added 21 and eight boards, while Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard had 20 and 11, respectively.
Coby White recorded 24 points, including seven outside conversions, while Nikola Vucevic added 17 points and 11 rebounds as Chicago Bulls scored a 124-102 victory over the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets./PN
