MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 32 points and 15 rebounds and a key basket in the closing minute as the Atlanta Hawks used a fourth-quarter burst and held on to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 124-122 on Wednesday night.
Luke Kennard and Onyeka Okongwu added 18 each for the Hawks, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Ja Morant led Memphis with 23 points and 12 assists. His 3-point attempt at the horn was off the mark. Jaylen Wells finished with 18 points, while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Cedric Coward scored 17 points apiece.
Memphis held a 110-108 lead with 5:39 left, but the Hawks scored eight straight points, capped by a pair of free throws from Johnson. Memphis never overtook the Hawks the rest of the way, but were within 122-121 on a Coward 3-pointer with 1:09 left.
Johnson's basket from the lane with 40 seconds left kept the Grizzlies at bay.
There were 21 lead changes and 14 ties in the game.
The game was tight through the first three quarters with 16 lead changes and 10 ties before the Grizzlies held a 95-94 lead entering the final frame. The game remained close through the fourth, as the margin never got to more than six points.
Kennard, a former Grizzlies sharpshooter over three seasons, made his first six shots in the game, including four from beyond the arc to provid a burst for Atlanta. His 16 points in the half helped the Hawks lead 66-59 at intermission as the Hawks reached double-digit 3-pointers for the 37th straight game. Johnson also had 16 for Atlanta.
Morant led Memphis with 14 points in the half.
Up next
Hawks: Host the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Grizzlies: Host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
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