Jackson scores 24 points and Morant adds 17 in his return as the Grizzlies beat the Bucks 125-104

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 points, Ja Morant had 17 points and 10 assists in his return from a four-game absence and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Milwaukee Bucks 125-104 on Friday night.

Cam Spencer finished with 19 points for Memphis. Jackson added nine rebounds and five blocks as Memphis beat Milwaukee for the eighth straight time, all of them by double digits. Morant had been out with a left ankle sprain.

AJ Green matched his season high for Milwaukee with 20 points, connecting on 7 of 13 overall and 6 of 11 from 3-point range. Kevin Porter Jr. finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Bobby Portis Jr, Kyle Kuzma and Ryan Rollins scored 15 points apiece as Milwaukee lost for the fourth time in five games.

Milwaukee continues to play without leading scorer Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has missed the last eight games with a right calf strain. That’s 28.9 points and 10 rebounds out of the lineup.

Milwaukee chipped into the Memphis double-digit lead to get within 92-85 early in the fourth, but Memphis scored the next seven points to take it back to a 14-point margin.

Both teams held 10-point leads in the first half before Memphis used 17 points from Jackson for a 60-50 lead at the break. Morant's 10 points in the second helped the Grizzlies outscore Milwaukee 35-15 in the period.

Green had 11 for the Bucks at halftime.

Memphis stretched the lead to 15 midway through the third, but the Bucks whittled it back to a 92-83 deficit before the final frame. At that point, Memphis was still shooting above 50%.

Bucks: Travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Saturday.

Grizzlies: At Washington on Sunday.

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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) drives against Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) handles the ball between Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green, left, and forward Bobby Portis (9) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. handles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) shoots against Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) drives against Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. (7) as Bucks center Myles Turner (3) and Grizzlies center Christian Koloko, back right, move for position in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

BANGKOK (AP) — Cambodia reported that Thailand hit a site in the country's northwest with an airstrike on Saturday, even as the two countries held talks to try to put an end to renewed combat that erupted in early December just months after a ceasefire ended a previous round of border fighting.

Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said that Thailand deployed F-16 fighter jets to drop four bombs on Saturday morning on a target in Serei Saophoan in the northwestern province of Banteay Meanchey.

On Friday, Cambodia said that a similar airstrike dropped 40 bombs on a target in Chok Chey village in the same province. There were no reports of casualties from that raid, but the ministry said that houses and infrastructure in the Chok Chey target area were destroyed.

Thailand’s military confirmed the Friday attack, saying that a joint army-air force operation was conducted to protect Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, which borders Banteay Meanchey and where the two nations have overlapping territorial claims.

Air Marshal Jackkrit Thammavichai, a spokesperson for Thailand’s air force, said at a press briefing on Friday that the operation took place after days of monitoring by the Thai military determined that civilians had been evacuated from the target area.

Long-standing competing claims of territory along the border are the root of tensions that broke into open combat in late July. Mediation by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, backed up by pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, led the two sides to agree to a shaky ceasefire after five days of fighting.

Each side describes its current military actions as being taken in self-defense, and blames the other for breaching the ceasefire.

“If Cambodia is not sincere about a ceasefire, peace will not be possible, and Thailand will have no choice but to proceed with full-scale military operations to defend its sovereignty,” said the air force's Jackkrit.

Meanwhile on Friday, military officials from both nations held a third day of working-level talks of their already established General Border Committee at a checkpoint between Cambodia’s Pailin province and Thailand’s Chanthaburi province.

The committee meeting is expected to conclude later Saturday, when Thai and Cambodian defense ministers are anticipated to join and formalize an agreement.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday that Thailand expected Cambodia to agree to a 72-hour ceasefire, and if it was successfully implemented, Thailand would consider repatriating Cambodian prisoners of war, a major demand.

Thailand has lost 26 soldiers and one civilian as a direct result of the combat since Dec. 7, according to officials. Thailand has also reported 44 civilian deaths from collateral effects of the situation. Cambodia hasn't issued an official figure on military casualties, but says that 30 civilians have been killed and 90 injured.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from affected areas on both sides of the border.

Trump spoke by phone with the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers on Dec. 12 and claimed on social media that they had agreed to revive their ceasefire. Anutin denied such an agreement and fighting continued.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed in a call this week to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet that Washington is prepared “to facilitate discussions to ensure peace and stability” between Cambodia and Thailand, the U.S. State Department said.

Amid the fighting, Thai media this week have highlighted the rescue of five malnourished wild animals — a male lion, a lioness, a sun bear and two Asiatic black bears — from a casino allegedly serving as a Cambodian military stronghold that was captured on Sunday by Thai marines.

The animals were sedated and transported to wildlife breeding centers in Thailand, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation told The Associated Press on Friday. Arriving at their new homes by Christmas, the lioness was named “Merry” and the lion “Christmas” to celebrate their rescue.

AP writer Sopheng Cheang contributed to this report from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

This handout photo provided by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand shows a lioness found in Trat Province in eastern Thailand, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand via AP)

This handout photo provided by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand shows a rescued lion in a wildlife breeding center in Ratchaburi, Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand via AP)

This handout photo provided by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand shows a sedated bear found in Trat Province in eastern Thailand, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2025.(Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand via AP)

This handout photo provided by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand shows a rescued lioness in a wildlife breeding center in Ratchaburi, Thailand, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand via AP)

ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting convenes Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to resume ceasefire talks after deadly border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. (Thai MFA via AP)