Brooks dominates in return to Toronto to lead Grizzlies past Raptors

Head coach Nick Nurse didn’t mince words after his Toronto Raptors were run out of their own building by the Memphis Grizzlies.

All-star point guard Ja Morant had a double-double to lead Memphis past the Raptors 119-106 on Thursday. Morant finished with 19 points, 17 assists and four rebounds as the Grizzlies dominated in all facets of the game, but especially in transition.

“I don’t know if that play tonight gives me much optimism at all,” said Nurse. “That’s pretty unacceptable.

Defensive stalwart O.G. Anunonby had 16 points, three rebounds, and two steals for Toronto (15-20). He had the same pessimistic view as his coach on the Raptors’ performance.

“Tonight’s effort wasn’t up to standard,” said Anunoby, who leads the NBA with 2.2 steals per game. “[Nurse is] definitely right about the effort. We haven’t been getting back.”

WATCH l Grizzlies’ Ja Morant posts career-high 17 assists in victory over Raptors:

Raptors fall to Grizzlies as Morant, Brooks lead the way

Memphis beats Toronto 119-106. Ja Morant records 19 points and a career-high 17 assists while Dillon Brooks of Mississauga, Ont., scores a team-high 25 points.

Pascal Siakam had 25 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for Toronto, Scottie Barnes had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Gary Trent Jr. scored 20 off the bench.

Dillon Brooks, from nearby Mississauga, Ont., added 25 points, six assists and four rebounds for Memphis (21-13). Steven Adams scored 14 points and pulled down 17 rebounds.

Brooks said that head coach Taylor Jenkins has been on him about being more of a playmaker.

Star point guard Fred VanVleet missed the game with ongoing back issues. Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said forward Precious Achiuwa could return on Friday.

Siakam made two free throws, his fourth and fifth of the game, to cut the Grizzlies’ lead to 57-43 at the half. He led the Raptors with 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists to that point.

Brooks led all scorers at the break with 15 points. The Canadian also had four assists and two rebounds through two quarters.

Barnes walked off the court, through the crowd, and straight to Toronto’s locker room at the 8:30 mark of the third as play continued without him. After the game, a Raptors spokesperson confirmed that he had been poked in his left eye but he returned to the court less than three minutes later.

Morant shone in the third, scoring 13 points in the quarter alone to extend Memphis’s lead to 93-75. Siakam had 10 points in the period as the Raptors continued to fall behind the Grizzlies.

Toronto showed some life in the fourth quarter, going on a run to come within nine of Memphis. That forced the Grizzlies to put their starting five back out on the floor to reassert their lead.

Reserve forward Justin Champagnie waived

The Raptors have waived reserve forward Justin Champagnie, the team announced Thursday night.

In three games this season, the 21-year-old averaged 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in 3.7 minutes per game.

Champagnie had been with the team since 2021-22, when he signed a two-way contract after going undrafted in 2021.

He appeared in 36 games for Toronto as a rookie last season.