The under-construction Memphis Grizzlies were getting tested by Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns once again in the FedEx Forum’s first post-NBA All-Star break game. Ja Morant was 0-8 from the field in the first half yet still found a way to force overtime before sealing a 151-148 home win. Morant’s ability to bounce back and deliver in clutch moments left the Grizzlies in awe. As Jaren Jackson Jr. humorously noted, there was no need for a halftime pep talk. It was not exactly a cold shoulder approach but just leaving a teammate to enjoy a peaceful moment alone is still an effective tactic.
“I did not give him a message (at halftime),” Jackson Jr. laughed. “I ran out there and shot threes at halftime. That’s all. We play a lot of games, bro.”
The currently-second placed Grizzlies (38-20) needed every bit of energy they could spare to earn the overtime victory though. To his credit, Morant made the performance sound a bit easier than it looked.
“Just staying locked in. I know every shot I take won’t go in, but that doesn’t mean once you miss one, stop taking them. Just continuing to shoot the ball,” Morant said. “I pretty much just stayed with (the gameplan). Teammates kept encouraging me to continue being aggressive and shoot my shots…When the shots weren’t falling, I was just trying to pick things up on the defensive end and all the little things that helped us win.”
Jaren Jackson Jr., who fouled out against the Suns, was all compliments when asked about watching Morant’s magic.
“That was resilience yo,” Jackson Jr. boasted. “I mean, it was beautiful to watch. The pendulum was swinging and you didn’t really know or understand what was going to happen, but a win is a win.”
Not that the two-time All-Star was surprised or anything. Jackson Jr. has seen Morant pull off these kinds of win-stealing tricks before.
“It was very familiar,” Jackson Jr. admitted. “It was something I’ve seen for a long time. I’m glad we got the proper spacing around him at the end to kind of help so he is not just running into traffic. It’s hard to stop him in those situations. (Closing games) is exactly what he does.”
It’s been tough to string more than five games together but the current homestand is very manageable. The New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, and Atlanta Hawks are up next. Then it’s an ESPN boosted rematch against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Morant’s ability to stay aggressive and confident sets the tone for the Grizzlies. Even when shots were not falling and whistles were going unblown, the All-World wonder cannot let the wheels fall off mentally.
Thankfully for the FedEx Forum’s loyal fans, it sounds like that’s the least of the locker room’s worries going into the last few weeks of the regular season. For all the talk about Ja Morant’s body language, the Grizzlies see it as a non-issue. It’s not about hiding frustration; it’s about what happens next.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and the rest of the Grizzlies trust that Morant’s competitive edge will always outweigh any temporary setbacks. His teammates, meanwhile, know that a fired-up Ja Morant is still their best weapon regardless of how the refs call the game.
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