Sharon Brown is a University of Memphis graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies with a concentration in Legal Studies. Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Sharon is one of the Memphis Grizzlies beat writers for the Memphis Flyer. She has created a niche in the industry by co-founding All Heart in Hoop City — a unique community of women sportswriters.
It was Dillon Brooks’ first appearance on the court after being sidelined with an ankle injury against the Los Angeles Clippers on January 8th.
After a brief delay, the Thunder and Grizzlies’ final matchup of the season got underway. It was immediately apparent that both teams wore white uniforms when the players removed their warmups after the lineups were announced. To get things back on track, Memphis went back to their locker room to change and returned to the court wearing blue uniforms. The ultimate wardrobe malfunction.
Taylor Jenkins had high praise for Brooks after the game. “Just really impressed with DB [Dillon Brooks],” Jenkins said. “His first game back, I thought he settled in great, just played really good basketball on both sides of the floor [and] exerted a lot of his force and energy out there. He never backs down, he plays super aggressive. I think as the game went on to start finding really nice rhythm out there and really good playmaking.”
Jenkins added, “The first half, he had four assists and got his spots on the floor shot with confidence. Just that level of physicality is something we’re excited to have back with us.”
Brooks was pleased to finally be back on the floor with his teammates. After the game Brooks said, “Coach [Jenkins] tried to tell me, share the basketball, get your teammates involved — be aggressive and humble at same time. And that’s what I try to do. I try to drive and make the defense collapse and get my teammates the ball in the right spots and pick and choose where I can you drive and be aggressive. It was a great game and I love [that] my teammates kept trying to give me the ball and make plays, so it was a great win.”
— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) March 14, 2022
Jaren Jackson Jr. shared his thoughts on Brooks’ return. He said, “He left the game as one of the, if not the best wing defenders in the game — so you know what he can do. He takes on that challenge every night. So just adding a piece like that always helps take pride in our defense. DB, man, back in this thing, being who he is. That’s all I told him to do, man, ‘Do you, bruh.’ Ain’t no advice. ‘Do you; you know what to do.’”
Jackson ended the game with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block in 29 minutes to help lift the Grizzlies to 47-22 on the season.
To round it out, Memphis had seven players in double figures including Brooks and Jackson Jr. Desmond Bane led the way for the Grizzlies with 21 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. Ja Morant ended with a double-double, 17 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds. Tyus Jones and Brandon Clarke had 12 points apiece, while Ziaire Williams had 11 as Memphis’ bench squad outscored the Thunder second unit, 45-28.
Who Got Next
The Grizzlies take on the Pacers on Tuesday night for the first time this season in Indiana and look to extend their winning streak to four games.
Ja Morant against the San Antonio Spurs (Photo credit: Memphis Grizzlies Twitter)
On the last day of Black History Month in the Grizzlies home game against the San Antonio Spurs, we saw so many “WTF” moments from Ja Morant, we had a hard time keeping track of them all.
A logo three-pointer ☑
A poster dunk over a 7-footer☑
An insane buzzer beater ☑
A 50-piece☑
Broke his own franchise record he set on Saturday ☑
Every quarter, he scored in the double digits: 14, 15, 10, and 13 points. ☑
Yes, all of this in a single game!! The Grindhouse, aka Ja’s House, was still buzzing from Morant’s poster dunk on 7-footer Jakob Poeltl when Steven Adams threw a full-court pass to Morant, who caught it midair and sank an acrobatic buzzer-beater from the left baseline to end the first half.
The Murray State standout tallied a career-high 52 points — a Grizzlies franchise record. In making 22 of 30 field goals, Morant set a new team record for field goal makes, and made all four of his three-point shots.
Tonight @JaMorant scored a career-high and franchise-record 52 points, the first 50-point game in franchise history.
Morant also set the @memgrizz franchise record for field goals made (22).
Morant had set the previous regular season team scoring record (46) Saturday. pic.twitter.com/fm3VMI4Als
For Morant the most memorable part of the night was scoring a 50 piece. “Got to be the 50-ball, first in history,” said Morant. “I am not going to lie, I don’t know if I can talk about that right now. My head is all over the place. Thankful for my teammates, my coaches, they believe in me, have all the confidence in the world that I can go make the right play, and tonight they were looking for me. As I got close, they told me to go ahead and go get it. That is why you all saw, every time they got the ball, they were looking for 12. Credit goes to them, without them I would not be in the position I was in, they allow me to get to my spots with how well they can score the ball.”
“I was talking to Xavier Tillman, and he said that I had 39 at the time,” Morant added about going for the franchise record. “We had a decent lead, and I trust the guys on my team that when I am off the floor they keep us with the lead and boost it. Honestly, I did not know how it would play out, if I would come back in the game. Coach sent me back, and I had like 44, and Tyus Jones came and told me, ‘Go ahead and go get three layups.’ I said I was shooting the ball well right now,, what about two threes. ‘Everybody was like just run’, we’re gonna look for you and I listened. I scored the ball.”
“That dunk was crazy,” said De’Anthony Melton. “The way he rose, stared at him, then dunked it. That dunk was crazy for sure.”
Afterward the contest, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich gave his assessment of Morant’s game: “I’m a little angry,” he joked. “I feel like if we held him in the 40s, we would’ve been okay. But no, he’s a beautiful player; what else can you say about him? It’s not just that he’s athletic. Some say it’s because he’s athletic or a freak of nature because he’s so fast — he’s got a lot of athletic ability, but so do a lot of those guys. He makes decisions, he knows what’s going on the court, he passes the basketball and he inherently understands space. He knows where he is on the court and where everybody else is, and when he has a lane he knows what to do. You combine that cerebral part of his game with the athleticism and you have a special kid.”
Popovich added, “I wish I had a camera so I could get a few pictures of it. It’s pretty special. He was pretty special, no doubt about that.”
“That’s a great player right there – he knows his strengths and he plays to them,” Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV said of Morant’s performance. “His teammates fully trust and have his back behind that. They’re ready whenever he needs them. They’re pretty much ready whenever he’s passing the ball. It’s hard when in the first quarter they score 42 points — just attacking us going downhill and we were not ready to be in the paint and do what we do. He played fantastic. He was 22 for 30 which is insanely efficient.”
This Ja Morant ish is just flat out stupid. I just keep thinking what’s next. 🤦🏾♂️ All I can say is I love my job.
Ja Morant goes up for a slam against the Chicago Bulls. (Photo Credit: Memphis Grizzlies Twitter)
The adage goes, “It’s Memphis vs. Errrbody,” but the Memphis Grizzlies are slowly changing that narrative, thanks in part to the ascension of Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant.
The Grizzlies have moved up a notch this season thanks in part to Morant’s all-around game, which is sometimes overshadowed by his flash and flare. As Grizzlies color analyst for Bally Sports Brevin Knight put it on Bleav in Grizzlies podcast, “Morant makes solid plays but has flair on how it happens.”
Here is a replay with a little bit of flair, as Knight put it.
In spite of his numerous WTF-inducing plays, Morant’s basketball acumen and overall understanding of the game go largely unnoticed. During a recent appearance on JJ Redick’s Old Man and the Three podcast, Draymond Green revealed the names of the NBA’s most intelligent players and Morant’s name was mentioned.
Green said, “The smartest players I’ve played against are by far LeBron, Rajon Rondo, and Chris Paul. Who’s creeping up into that category, is Ja Morant. Everybody is excited about how Ja Morant flies around, everyone is excited about the passes he may throw. … All of those things are very exciting, don’t get me wrong, they’re exciting. But the thing that excites me most about Ja Morant, is that when we’re playing against the Memphis Grizzlies — and not quite to the level of LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, or Chris Paul — but when we’re playing against [Memphis], I can feel the chess match.”
Grizzlies play-by-play announcer Pete Pranica recently told The Undefeated that Morant had the best basketball IQ of any Memphis player he had ever been around in his 18 years with the team.
Pranica recalled, “Ja’s rookie year, we’re in Cleveland and I’m sitting on the team bus getting ready to go to the game … And I can hear him talking to a teammate recounting a particular play run at a particular time. And what impressed me about Ja is the recall of a particular play. It’s very LeBron-like that he can recount what he did, what the other nine guys were doing. What the first action was, what the second action was, how it was defended, and what the counter to the defense was.”
Saturday night, the third-year guard scored 46 points in a 116-111 win over the Chicago Bulls, setting a new regular season record for the team.
It was his fifth 40-point game of the season; no other Grizzlies player has ever had more than one in a season. Last season, Morant set a franchise record with 47 points against the Utah Jazz in the playoffs.
After the game, Morant also credited Michael Jordan as inspiration.
After being bounced from the playoffs last season against the Jazz, Morant had a message for his team. His words were, “We will be back.” He also said, “We all have that never-satisfied mentality -— we all want to work, to be better, for it to be everybody is a big plus. We just got to continue to do what we’ve been doing. Lock in this offseason and just be prepared for next season.”
And that’s what the team did. Memphis is currently 42-20 on the season, third in the Western Conference, and almost certain to make the playoffs with 20 games left in the regular season. The young Grizzlies are poised to win the Southwest Division for the first time in team history.
Despite the absence of one of the team’s best perimeter defenders, Dillon Books, who has missed 21 games due to injury, the Grizzlies still lead the league in rebounds (49.2), steals (10.2), and blocks (6.4).
On Media Day before the season began, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said emphatically that the 22-year-old Morant would be an NBA All-Star. Furthermore, Kleiman was accurate as Morant was selected a starter for the NBA 2022 All-Star Game.
While playing just 18 minutes, Morant was one of the All-Star Game’s biggest winners with two highlight dunks that made NBA legends blush.
NBA Hall of Famer and TNT announcer Reggie Miller wants Morant to compete in the Slam Dunk contest next season.
After the All-Star Game, Morant said he was excited to be chosen as an All-Star; it was something he put in the work to accomplish. He said, “Definitely blessed to even be a part of this weekend, let alone being able to be an All-Star starter, being able to participate and celebrate the greatest people to play the game. Definitely an honor — I loved it!”
That said, the accolades mean nothing to the young star if he doesn’t win games. Morant added, “I just try to do whatever I can do to help my team win basketball games. If you ask my coach, he will tell you that the main focus is winning. When you will, all the other stuff comes with it, which is why I’m here in this seat right now.”
This season Morant is averaging 27.7 points on 49 percent from the field, 6.7 assists, and 5.9 rebounds. He’s also the NBA’s top scorer in the paint, averaging 16.5 points per game at 6’3”.
Morant’s ultimate goal is to win a championship. He said, “Our goal is to win the championship, and I feel like as long as we stay locked in, continue to grow together, play together, that goal can be achieved. We just got to stay the course, take it day by day, and let it play out.”
Last year’s Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo said that Morant and the Grizzlies are another small market team that can challenge for the championship. Antetokounmpo shared his thoughts on Morant and the Grizzlies during All-Star weekend, “He has improved every single year — he is having an unbelievable year this year … crazy.” Antetokounmpo continued, “I know that he is a very humble kid. I know he works extremely hard, and why not?”
Antetokounmpo added, “Why can’t he win a championship in Memphis? A lot of people think that it cannot be done, and that’s something that he should literally consider. A lot of people think that he cannot do it. For me that motivates me even more, you know, when people think you got to go to a big market to win a championship, you have to join this guy to win a championship, you have to do that, that, this, this to be able to be in the top, but it’s not necessarily true. You just have to do what makes you happy. And I think he is happy where he is right now. He has an unbelievable team. They have a great culture, a great coach. The sky is the limit for them.”
It’s going to be a grueling final stretch for the Grizzlies and Morant, with just 20 games remaining in the regular season. Despite his youth, the point guard is already showing signs of experience and poise under pressure and knows he belongs in the conversation as one of the top players in the league. Morant has rightfully earned his place as one of the league’s most promising young players and one of the future faces of the league in his third season. And he is ready to lead his team to the playoffs and beyond.
With a record of 38-18, the Grizzlies are 20 games above .500 for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
It was the first time Memphis had swept the Clippers in a season series since the 2003-04 campaign (4-0). The Grizzlies are perfect (16-0) this season when scoring at least 120 points, which includes their four victories against the Clippers.
The unicorn and the ninja were the two best players on the court last night. The twosome of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant combined to outscore all of the Clippers starters 56-40.
Jackson, Jr. came out aggressive from the start and finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. One could speculate he was upset by his All-Star snub. An aggressive unicorn will be scary for the Grizzlies’ future opponents.
Taylor Jenkins was proud of Jackson, Jr.’s aggressive play. He said, “I thought he played with great force, great activity. It’s something that we challenge in him, to continue to be aggressive on the boards, offensively and defensively. I thought he just was relentless – getting 50/50 balls. There were a couple sequences there, and-one, transition, we play with great pace, we miss a wide open three, he goes in and collects a big rebound, he’s swooping in from the corner to tip a ball out. I think we ended up with 21 offensive rebounds and he was a huge piece of that. So, when he plays with that aggressiveness and accepts that challenge, it pays off substantially for us and for him.”
Morant finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists. In the third quarter, he scored 14 of his 30 points. The 22-year-old now has at least 30 points in 19 games this season and averages more points per quarter than any other NBA player in the third period (9.2 points).
For the second straight game, the Grizzlies held a 30-point lead and Morant did not play in the fourth quarter.
After the game Clippers guard Reggie Jackson described how difficult it is playing this current Grizzlies team. He said, “Taking care of the ball and keeping them out of transition. They dominate the paint every game we’ve played them and getting downhill attacking, not just Ja [Morant]. He’s been extremely aggressive all year and he knows what he’s doing. We gave them easy ones with crucial turnovers so that’s tough. This is a team that lives off pace and getting down the court and they really live off your mistakes.”
“We are reactionary when we play this team and we just have to hit first,” Jackson added. “We know their motto and it’s something they’re going to embrace: grit and grind. We understand what Memphis is about. They are a tough, blue collar team so the way they play and come out and compete it’s really indicative of who they are. We understand that we have to come out with a better mentality and be more physical and don’t worry about the refs.”
Jackson concluded, “They move at a high pace, they get up and down, and they really use their legs. It’s not even just their pace but how well they’re spaced within their pace. You can tell they work on it and they’re great at using all their weapons and their ability to make the right reads. They have a lot of talent but their continuity is what makes them a tough team right now.”
Tidbits
Zach Randolph was in the building to watch the Grizzlies demolish the Clippers. He had some words of wisdom for Morant and Jackson, Jr. after the game.
Desmond Bane lines up a shot against the Sixers.
(Photo via @memgrizz)
The Memphis Grizzlies second-year guard Desmond Bane will be joining his teammate Ja Morant in Cleveland during the 2022 NBA All-Star weekend.
The NBA All-Star 2022 Rising Stars will take place on Friday, February 18th, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, with Bane selected to take part.
Averaging 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.10 steals in 30.2 minutes per game this season, the 23-year-old has started all 49 of his appearances so far this season.
The TCU alum also is in the conversation for the Most Improved Player honors after nearly doubling his scoring average (9.2) from his rookie campaign
According to the Grizzlies, “For the first time, Rising Stars will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games. The pool of 28 players will consist of 12 first-year NBA players, 12 second-year NBA players, and four players from NBA G League Ignite. The competition will consist of a ‘race to 75’ points in honor of the NBA’s landmark 75th Anniversary Season. The semifinal games will be played to a final target score of 50 and the final game will be played to a final target score of 25. Rising Stars will air live at 8 p.m. CT on TNT.”
Bane will be the 19th Grizzlies player to represent Memphis in the Rising Stars game. Recent players selected as Rising Stars in past seasons were Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Brandon Clarke.
Morant and Jackson Jr. took to Twitter to celebrate their teammate.
Ja Morant after a windmill dunk against the Washington Wizards (Photo credit: Memphis Grizzlies)
Recently, Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane told BasketballNews.com, “I think [why it clicks] has to do with our culture, with our locker room. We don’t have any egos. I mean, I think it starts at the top with Ja Morant, Jaren [Jackson Jr.], Dillon Brooks, myself — we’re all on one agenda, and that’s winning basketball games. Nothing really gets in the way of that mentality and that mindset. It’s always about winning.”
That culture is a big reason why the Memphis Grizzlies currently sit third in the Western conference with a record of 35-17. The second youngest team in the league has put the rest of the NBA on notice.
Ja Morant has been on a tear this season and was selected as starter for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, which was announced last Thursday. Morant is the the first Grizzlies guard to appear in the game, and the youngest Grizzlies player to compete in the event at 22 years old. He will become the second Grizzlies player to start an NBA All-Star Game, joining Marc Gasol (2015) and fourth All-Star in franchise history (Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph).
Currently, the Murray State alum has a franchise record of six consecutive games of 30 point-performances. On Friday night in a win 119-109 against the Utah Jazz, Morant secured his first triple-double of the season with 30 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds that marked the highest-scoring triple-double in franchise history. It was his fourth career triple-double.
After the win against the Jazz, Morant was thankful for the All-Star nod and was happy about being able to see his family, especially his grandmother who is battling illness. He said, “It has been big time — it was much needed getting to see my family during this time. Getting the All-Star starting nod and being with them when my name was called, obviously was something I wanted to do, to be able to do, and I was able to do that. Thankful for the organization letting me be able to go spend time with my grandma. Coming back, I was the same Ja as before the announcement was made, go out and prove myself to try to win the game.”
Morant was more happy about the win than he was about the triple-double.
The Grizzlies strive with the next-man-up mentality. Players and coaches have been out due to injury and the NBA’s health and safety protocols (Covid-19). And the team has kept winning through it all.
After the 115-95 victory against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, Taylor Jenkins with emphasis said, “Great effort by our guys. We don’t care about the schedule, we just come out and play.”
No matter who the opponent is, the Grizzlies always try to give maximum effort in win or losses.
Last November in their first meeting, the Wizards routed the Grizzlies 115-87. And the players remembered to return the favor. Bane said after the game, “Most definitely, we are a much different team now than what we were then. We were trying to find our identity earlier in the year.They smacked us pretty good at their place, so we definitely wanted to come out and set the tone tonight. Even just coming off of a game last night.”
Let’s not forget the sequence of the year! The block-to-dunk might go down as the highlight of the NBA season.
Jenkins described it as “Incredible. He was actually joking with the bench,” he said. “We call them ‘cycles,’ defense to offense. Multiple possessions together. Desmond [Bane] has the incredible block. That was, on top of what Ja did earlier in the year, one of the best blocks I’ve probably ever seen, especially in transition. Des going up there and meeting the guy up at the rim and it turns into that highlight reel on the other end. What a sequence there. Incredible on both ends.”
He added, “I, internally, was celebrating big time because I recognized the sequence that had just happened. I think I was sitting down on the bench when Des [Desmond Bane] goes up neck and neck to block that shot. That got me out of my chair. Then I see the quick outlet. Then I see Jaren [Jackson Jr.] making a selfless play for his teammate. The highlight was just a stamp on it. In a way, it was like an awe and pause. I had to catch myself there. What an unbelievable sequence.”
"Once i saw him takeoff, oh i'm finna meet him upstairs."
When the Grizzlies are having fun on the court, they are hard to beat. “It’s the ultimate fun,” said Jenkins. “I love this group, love what they stand for. They stand for having fun with each other and competing with each other. That’s what I tell myself before every game. We’ve got to go out there and do that. Luckily, we don’t have to repeat that to the group that much because they own it. It’s a credit to them.”
Grizzlies players pose after their 11th straight victory (Photo credit: Memphis Grizzlies Twitter)
With little more than five minutes left on the clock, the game was tied 98-98. Ja Morant put up a wide-open three-pointer that hit off the rim twice, then out of nowhere, John Konchar went up for the putback slam to put the Grizzlies up 100-98.
This game wasn’t pretty but it sure was Jitty. That’s because Konchar, also known as Jitty, was a big reason for the Grizzlies’ 11th straight win, a 116-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night. With the win, the Grizzlies improve to 30-14 on the season and third in the Western Conference.
Konchar gave Memphis a huge lift off the bench with 15 points (6-7 FG, 3-4 3P) and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds. For one night, he was “Jitty for Da City” in honor of the man himself, Zach Randolph.
Konchar was one rebound shy of matching Randolph’s franchise record for rebounds coming off the bench (18). (Montrezl Harrell of the Washington Wizards had the most rebounds by a bench player this season with 18 against the Charlotte Hornets back in November.)
The Illinois native described his rebounding knack after the game: “I don’t know, sometimes they just come to me. I don’t know how to describe that, I guess. I just know where the ball is going to go. If it’s short, or whoever is shooting it, you just have tendencies for that guy — if he’s been shooting it long, short, or whatever. You just build off that.”
He continued, “I always stay in the work room. I’ve been trying to do lower body a lot. Just trying to get stronger so that I can box out and get the rebound instead of trying to jump over somebody. Just try to stay in the weight room year round.”
Grizzlies acting head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Konchar: “He’s just fearless, he’s willing to go after every rebound. He’s always in a good spot and has been working a lot with his body. Athletically, he’s been improving over the course of the year.”
“He’s just always in the right spot — it’s crazy,” Desmond Bane said of Konchar’s rebounding performance. “Both offensively and defensively, he happens to be in the right spot. He’s around the ball. Obviously, 17 rebounds, but getting deflections and being in the mix. He’s a glue guy. Someone that brings the team together. I think that he’s been huge for us since we’ve really been winning games.”
The undrafted guard out of Purdue Fort Wayne was congratulated by all of his teammates during his walk-off interview with Fox Sports Southeast sideline reporter, Rob Fischer.
“It’s awesome,” Konchar said of his teammates’ gesture. “We’re a close-knit group. It’s really fun playing with everybody. We just get along very well on and off the court. It’s a great time.”
Ja Morant was also proud of his teammate. “Man, he just does a lot on the floor for us,” Morant said. “Seventeen boards at the guard position is pretty tough to do. I looked up and saw he had 15. And then shotmaking … you really can’t leave him open. He’s knocking down shots — he does the hustle plays for us, gets all the 50/50 balls. He’s able to defend. He’s just a spark for us. Coming off the bench, he never complained. With his role, he does it at a very high level and tonight helped us get a win. With that big shot late and putbacks, it’s bigtime. He’s a special player for us who helps us get wins.”
The Grizzlies are hoping to extend their winning streak to 12 games against the Dallas Mavericks Friday night. In November, the Mavericks ended the Grizzlies’ 5-game winning streak when Morant was sidelined with a knee injury. Bally Sports Southeast and ESPN will broadcast the game live beginning at 9 p.m. CT.
Ja Morant auditions to be the new Superman. (Credit Grizzlies Twitter)
The Memphis Grizzlies set a franchise record with nine straight wins after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, 127-119 on Sunday night.
Acting head coach Brad Jones is 3-0 this season. Jones took the reins as Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is out due to health and safety protocols.
After the win, Jones talked about the winning streak. He said, “I don’t think we’ve talked to the guys about that at all, but then they told us right before we went into the locker room. We told them we made history tonight, so they were pretty excited about that. The streak has been fabulous just because of all the variables that’s been into it.”
“With the Covid, we’ve had injuries, guys in and out of the lineup, it’s a whole group effort from the top all the way down to the bottom. We’ve just stayed consistent, and we play basketball no matter who’s out there. It’s been fun, it’s been real fun. Congratulations, and then one other big monument tonight is Taylor Jenkins’ 100th win. He’s in his room at the Ritz over there in quarantine, but we also had him on Zoom to celebrate with him over there. It’s exciting for him in what he’s been able to accomplish in a short two and a half years here.”
Steven Adams is also out due to health and safety protocols and a lot has been put on Jaren Jackson Jr.’s shoulders. JJJ was up for the challenge against both the Clippers and the Lakers.
“I think our commitment to our defensive end,” Jackson Jr. said. “Our commitment to each other, how we’ve grown together for a longtime actually. It’s been a long time coming. We did a lot of work to get to this point where we just have cohesion. We’re all on the same page; we know what’s expected of us out there. Every single one of each other’s goals is our own so we just strive for that. We strive for everybody’s success.”
Jackson Jr. continued, “We wanted to make sure we focus on the key guys that are out there who are going to score the ball. [AnthonyDavis] hasn’t been back for a while so obviously that helps; he’s a great player but we know where the ball is going to at times. We know who is going to look to be more aggressive. They’re playing [LeBron James] at the five some so it just changes how we play, but we play with the same effort. It helps.”
The Michigan State alum arguably had his best game of the season on both ends of the floor with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and six block shots. Since Pau Gasol in 2007, Jackson Jr. became the only player in team history to have five or more blocks in a row.
“Well, I want to credit Memphis first, they played great,” said Lakers head coach Frank Vogel after the game. “They’ve been playing great. One of the hottest teams in the league. Not having [Steven] Adams out there, obviously he’s a big part of what they do but they get a little faster and a little more spread out. A little more difficult to guard in some ways. We had trouble getting back from transition and I thought this was one of those games where we let a lot of misses of the basket affect our defensive focus. We weren’t scoring. We lost focus of what we were supposed to be doing on the defensive side. That can’t happen. Obviously, that was the big reason they built a big lead.”
He added, “and credit Memphis’ defense; they’re a good defensive team, they forced a lot of turnovers. We were just a little out of sync.”
The Block
There are Ja Morant highlights and then there are Ja Morant “WTF and do you believe what we just witnessed moments.”
LeBron James was amazed by the block. “It starts with timing — just stalking your prey and that’s exactly what Ja was doing that whole play and I saw it happening,” James said. “I didn’t know he was going to do it in that fashion, but he has rockets in his calf muscles. It was a spectacular play. It was a great play. Salute.”
That is surely one way to describe it, rockets in his calf muscles for sure.
His teammate was in awe as well. “That was probably the best block I’ve ever seen live,” Jackson Jr. said. “Probably the best I’ve ever seen, period. But definitely the best block I’ve ever seen live; that was crazy. I knew he was going to do it too because he always loads up before; I just saw him before load up, I knew he was going to get it I just didn’t know how high he was going to have to jump. It was crazy. I think he jumped higher than he did on the lob. His head was at the top of the square.”
Morant recounted his awesome play after the game. “First start with the turnover,” Morant recalled. “It was a bad mistake on my part. Obviously, the game had been going on for a while, so I should’ve recognized they were doubling and blitzing me to get out of the ball quicker. I just got careless with the ball. Avery Bradley got a deflection and went on the break. I just got back and made an incredible play, but I was just trying to gather the ball. Most times on a break like that, if you block it, they might have a player trailing to get the ball and lay it up. I was trying to block the shot, stop him from scoring and secure the ball at the same time and it worked out for me. Now I’m probably all over the Internet for it.”
Yep, that block is still being talked about and it probably will help Morant to become a starter in the NBA All-Star game.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies look for their 10th straight victory on Tuesday, January 11th as they host Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors inside the FedExForum at 7 p.m. CT.
Screen grab from video of Ja Morant’s vicious dunk over Nets forward James Johnson
As Monday came to an end, one can only imagine that Ja Morant said, in the words of Ice Cube, “Today was a good day.”
First, on Monday afternoon, the league announced that Grizzlies guard had been named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Week. This is Morant’s first time being honored as player of the week, and the 11th overall for the team.
The Murray State standout tallied 34.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.33 steals during three straight victories from December 27 to January 2, 2022, while shooting 55.7 percent from the field (39-70 FG) and 80.0 percent from 3-point range (12-15 3P).
Then on Monday night, Morant solidified himself as one of the NBA’s superstars as he put on a masterclass against Brooklyn with 36 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. He messed around and almost got a triple-double as I can hear him say, “Today was a good day.” It was the fourth time in as many games that Morant had scored 30 or more points, which set a new team record.
The 22-year-old even received MVP chants in Barclays Center as he was at the line shooting free throws. Morant led Memphis to their fifth straight victory, knocking off the Nets 118-104 as the Grizzlies moved to 24-14 on the season.
.@JaMorant scored 36 points (14-22 FG, 2-4 3P) Monday at Brooklyn, his franchise-record fourth consecutive game scoring 30+ points.
Morant has averaged 35.0 points (.576 FG, .737 3P), 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists during this four-game span (4-0 record).#NBAAllStarpic.twitter.com/Or7tCcyLya
After the game, Kevin Durant had nice words to say about Morant. “He’s just controlling the game. Always been an efficient player who can run the point guard spot,” Durant said.
“He’s developed into a major scorer as well,” Durant added. “He just plays at a great pace out there — plays with joy and enthusiasm. You see him blossom in front of our eyes. Since college he’s been on this trajectory. As a basketball fan you can’t wait to see what it’s like years going forward.”
“He’s special,” Desmond Bane said about Morant. “People are debating whether or not he should be an All-Star. I think we should be debating whether he’s the best point guard in the league. I don’t think it’s any question if he’s an All-Star. The real conversation is, ‘Is he the best point guard in the league?’” Bane finished the night with 29 points, eight rebounds, and two steals.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins wholeheartedly believes Morant is an All-Star. “I have come out and said he’s absolutely an All-Star,” Jenkins said. “But I think the follow-up to that is that he should be because he impacts winning with his style of play. It’s whatever his teammates need, it’s multiple assists, the rebounding and taking on defensive assignments. Then, obviously, there’s the scoring ability. It comes in the paint, from the free-throw line and the 3-point line. His decision making is just constantly getting better game after game.”
“With a performance like that, like I’ve said before, all he cares about is winning, let’s keep winning. Obviously, he’s a huge piece to us winning. He empowers his teammates.”
When asked about the All-Star talk, Morant said, “I really don’t focus on it too much, honestly. Everybody who knows me, including my teammates, people throughout the organization know I’m a very humble guy, but I’m also confident.
“So I’m gonna let my teammates continue to talk for me,” he added. I’m gonna just go out there and do what I can on the floor to help prove their case right even more.”
As for the MVP chants inside the Barclays Center, Morant was appreciative. He said, “It was surreal, obviously something I’ve been working for and to prove that I’m one of the top players in this league and my play as of late helping me with that and obviously giving me a lot more recognition from our fans to away fans.” He has heard multiple MVP chants at the FedExForum.
Morant continued, “But to hear MVP chants on the road is different. It’s probably people who are rooting for the home team at a time, but still showing me love and respect — it’s big time; obviously, something I work for though. I just have to continue to work, go out there and play my game on the floor and do whatever I can to help my team win. That’s pretty much my main goal.”
For Morant, statistics, honors, and recognition mean nothing until they lead to wins for his team.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Morant should be heading to Cleveland for his first career NBA All-Star selection next month.
Zach Randolph holding up Grizzlies' growl towel (Photo courtesy of Ron Tillery)
It was an unforgettable night for Grizzlies fans and the city of Memphis on Saturday night at the FedExForum.
Despite the Grizzlies’ 113-106 victory over the Houston Rockets, the night belonged to Zachary McKenley Randolph, better known as Z-Bo. Randolph’s number 50 was the first jersey retired in franchise history.
Randolph shed light on his feelings after being traded to Memphis in 2009. “I didn’t feel appreciated. I felt given away,” Randolph said during his media availability before the game. “But I was going to go in there with the right attitude and try to change the narrative.”
Zach Randolph during media availability (Credit: Sharon Brown)
And he did change that narrative.
Randolph led the Grizzlies to seven straight playoff appearances (2009-17), including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2013. He was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2011 and appeared in two All-Star Games (2010 and 2013).
The Michigan State alum is the Grizzlies all-time leader in offensive rebounds. Z-Bo also ranks second in both defensive and total rebounds. For Memphis, he had the most double-doubles of any player ever, and he ranks third in the categories of points, field goals, made and minutes played.
What a special night for a special player and a special person, said Grizzlies head Coach Taylor Jenkins. “To be out there as a team — some of the guys were saying it on the way back — it’s inspirational, it’s motivational. Just understanding the impact you can make as a player in this city, as a member of this community.”
Jenkins continued: “I’m just glad we were able to get a win to tee it up for Z-Bo so that it could be even more of a special night for him. I saw him on the way out and I said, ‘You’re a legend, man. This is a night to always remember.’ So I know he will soak it in, but this is really special to know that he is the first, and hopefully the first of many.”
Randolph’s front court mate and brother from another mother, Marc Gasol flew all the way from Spain to surprise him.
“Seeing Big Spain [Gasol], I don’t remember the last time I saw him,” Randolph said with a big smile. “Just seeing my big little brother brought back memories. I am thankful he graced his time with me, coming all the way from Spain. He could be anywhere. I didn’t expect him to come.”
Gasol wasn’t the only special guest in attendance. Former GM Chris Wallace, former Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins, former Grizzlies player Bonzi Wells (who was Randolph’s mentor and Portland Trail Blazers teammate) were also in attendance.
Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, JaMychal Green, Matt Barnes, Tom Izzo, Yo Gotti, Peyton Manning, Nate McMillan, Moneybagg Yo, and Chris Paul all sent well wishes and congratulations to Randolph via video messages on the Jumbotron.
Hilariously and in Grizzlies fan fashion, Paul was booed while the video played.
And it was a special presentation narrated by Ice Cube:
Connie Kirby, a longtime season ticket holder and the number one Z-Bo fan, was in attendance to witness history. Kirby said, “I think that the Grizzlies provided Z-Bo an opportunity to change his image and show his more human side. He was able to display his likability and that he is a humanitarian. I think it helped solidify his name in the NBA Hall of Fame. The passion that he brought to the game. His workhorse ability to go to the next level when needed. We could always depend on him to do his part. He made you love him with his great, affable personality.”
Kirby continued: “He meant everything to the city of Memphis, because of the things that he brought to the table and the way he handled himself while doing it. He really became an ambassador for Memphis. He embodies the Memphis mentality of ‘if you work hard, you can achieve on many levels.’”
Zach Randolph and fan Connie Kirby at the premiere of the 50 for Da City documentary (photo courtesy of Connie Kirby)
“Z-Bo will always be my favorite Grizzly hands down,” Kirby said. “It’s very fitting that 50 is the first jersey that the Memphis Grizzlies have retired.”
Former Commercial Appeal beat writer Ron Tillery weighed in on Randolph. He told the Flyer, “Zach is the most authentic person/player I’ve covered regularly next to the likes of Gary Payton, Horace Grant, and Steve Kerr. What you see is what you get and I’ve always respected that. Plus, Zach came to Memphis and was determined to turn around this city from Day 1.”
“The first time I interviewed him I asked him a lot of questions about his so-called checkered past. He stopped me and said ‘Why are you asking me these questions?’ I said I was told to and this is the only time I’ll do this. Zach was respectful and professional and then he proceeded to go kick ass for Memphis and change the minds of naysayers who didn’t know his game and didn’t know his heart. Because the Memphis media did what they often do and judged the man without even getting to know him.”
Tillery added, “Zach was different by how he became the franchise player in Memphis. I covered Michael Jordan during the Bulls’ second three-peat. I covered Gary Payton in his prime with Seattle. They were players who dominated on the perimeter. Zach was just a beast on the block and on the boards. He was a good teammate and never shied away from big moments just like the all-time greats, Zach got the party started in Memphis by being the best player on the floor and he did it on the low block. Jordan and Payton had enforcers. Zach was everything for the Grizzlies, including the enforcer. He gave the team toughness and an identity. That’s the difference.”
He went on to say, “The best era of Grizzlies basketball doesn’t happen without Zach Randolph. Don’t believe the hype about other players. Zach elevated the franchise with his elite play. Marc Gasol needed Zach to reach his level. He helped make Lionel Hollins a viable NBA head coach and kept Chris Wallace employed as a GM. He meant everything to the franchise.”
“As for the city, Zach came up poor in a small town near Indianapolis. He knew what it was like to be Black and poor. Zach has a big heart and everything he did for Memphians — paying bills, giving his shirt off his back, etc. — came from love. He wanted to love the city all the time because the city loved him. The franchise committed to Zach and he appreciated that because it was the first time in his career that he was treated like the man. He realized that was a big responsibility, I can say the same about the city. Once fans got past the false narratives and embraced Zach, this man poured himself into this town. And I’ll always remember how much he made “regular people” feel like family every time he was in public. Zach was never above his following.”
Grizzlies TV analyst Brevin Knight shared his memories of Randolph as well. Knight told the Flyer, “The things that were most memorable were the battles with the Clippers and how Z-Bo in an age of athleticism he was still able to dominate never relying on it. He always stayed true to his game.”
“Z-Bo had the most synergetic relationship with this city. I don’t know how many players’ games exemplified the city in which they played as much as Z-Bo. His blue collar hard-working style of play is what the city is known for. The city opened their arms up and he became a fabric of the community with all of his philanthropic work. He embodies Memphis vs. Errrbody.”
Knight concluded “I’d like to say I enjoyed every night knowing we weren’t the flashiest team but we had a chance because of the big fella. He brought a sense of belief with the other three cornerstones. No matter how big of a star he was on the court, he was just Zach off and that’s how he made everyone feel comfortable and important. Thanks big fella!”
“It was amazing — it was motivational and I am happy for Z-Bo,” said Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks of the retirement ceremony. “It was a special thing to see. I did not get to see him; I was there the year he left, when he played for Sacramento. I know his story. I know his legacy he left in this city. I hear it — when I go to the gas station, I always hear his name. Does not matter if it is the person working there or a guy that is outside. Z-Bo left his mark on the city, and it is a special thing to see. It was motivational for me because I want to be the same way, I want to get my number in the rafters. It was just special to see.”
Grizzlies players Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. also paid tributes to Randolph.
My favorite memory of him is when he ran off the court after being ejected from the game and Tony Allen popped his collar in Game 6 against Clippers in 2013. One of the greatest moments in Grizzly history was witnessed.
Z-Bo will always hold the title of King of Memphis, to me. Off the court, he was a beloved figure in the community. He has a sincere concern for the welfare of others. It’s not just a photo op when he gives back. A lot of people knew that it was genuine. You’d hear about him doing nice things for people when they weren’t expecting it even when the cameras weren’t rolling.
“I’m going to be part of this city forever,” Randolph said. “I wouldn’t trade it for nothing in the world.”
Yes, Z-Bo and Memphis wouldn’t trade you for nothing in the world, either. Congratulations, 50 for da City, you made us proud and it has been an honor.
