Dillon Brooks scored 26 points and the host Memphis Grizzlies recorded their season-best seventh straight victory on Friday with a 113-109 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Brooks made 9 of 16 shots from the field, and rookie Ja Morant added 16 points for the Grizzlies, who outscored Cleveland 38-20 in the third quarter.

Memphis extended its string of consecutive games with at least 110 points to 13 on Friday. The last time the Grizzlies failed to reach that mark was a 114-107 setback in Cleveland on Dec. 20.

Collin Sexton scored 28 points and Kevin Love added 19 for the Cavaliers, who have lost eight of their last 10 games.

Tristan Thompson was ejected late in the third quarter after he followed another Cleveland athlete's lead this week and patted Memphis' Jae Crowder on the backside, ala Odell Beckham Jr. after LSU's win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff championship game.

The technical was the second of the game for Thompson, who took issue with Crowder in the first quarter after the latter stepped over him following a layup.

Memphis saw its 21-point lead trimmed to four at 113-109 following three free throws from Love with 52.3 seconds remaining. The Cavaliers were unable to inch closer as Love's 3-point attempt caromed off the rim, although Jonas Valanciunas misfired on both free-throw attempts at the other end.

Sexton was unable to make a desperation 3-pointer and time ran out on Cleveland.

Memphis initially took control of the contest in the third quarter as Morant made a heads-up play on an off-target alley-oop attempt by finding a cutting Jaren Jackson Jr. for the conversion. Morant added an emphatic dunk two possessions later as the Grizzlies rode an 11-0 surge to claim a 72-62 lead.

After Brooks recorded 10 points to pace Memphis to a 27-25 lead after one quarter, Cleveland erupted by scoring 13 of the first 15 points in the second. Sexton led the charge by capping a personal six-point surge with a step-back 3-pointer to stake the Cavaliers to a 38-29 advantage.

The Grizzlies were able to trim their deficit to 56-54 at halftime despite shooting just 3 of 17 from 3-point range.

--Field Level Media