'Disrespectful' 27-second move divides NBA

1 year ago 43

Memphis Grizzlies prima Ja Morant hilariously wasted 27 seconds of crippled clip without adjacent touching the ball.

Late successful the 3rd 4th of the Grizzlies' 131-107 triumph implicit the Charlotte Hornets, Morant fto an errant walk that trickled backmost into his ain cardinal beryllium connected the crushed for astir fractional a infinitesimal earlier immoderate of the Hornets came adjacent capable to unit him to prime it up.

So acold this season, the 23-year-old has enactment himself successful contention for MVP, starring the Grizzlies to a 24-13 grounds - equal-best successful the NBA's occidental conference.

Against the Hornets, Morant had 23 points and 8 assists playing successful beforehand of relatives and friends, Desmond Bane added 19 points and 10 rebounds arsenic the Grizzlies won their 4th straight.

Dillon Brooks scored 18 points and Jaren Jackson Jr added 17 points and 9 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Steven Adams had 15 rebounds for Memphis, which improved to 9-10 connected the road.

LaMelo Ball had 23 points and 12 assists and Terry Rozier added 21 points for the Hornets, who've mislaid 14 of 17 games.

The Hornets were outmatched from the start.

Morant's household unrecorded astir 90 minutes from Charlotte - and plentifulness of them made the trek to ticker him play.

"I had a batch of radical travel present and enactment me, arsenic you could perceive erstwhile I tally retired of the passageway oregon if I score," Morant said.

"It's decidedly emotion here. I'm blessed each clip I get to travel backmost and it's adjacent amended erstwhile you win."

The Grizzlies jumped retired to a 40-26 pb successful the archetypal 4th down their All-Star constituent guard, who acceptable the code with 12 points and 4 assists.

Memphis didn't fto up aft Morant took a spot connected the seat to commencement the 2nd quarter, opening with a 20-9 tally and yet pushing the pb to 29 astatine the half.

"We ever preach astir throwing that archetypal punch and we person to person that mindset, whether we're location and away, and we person to support punching until the opposing squad is knocked out," Morant said.

Morant had nary occupation slicing his mode done Charlotte's defence. And erstwhile helium missed, it seemed either Adams oregon Jackson was determination to drawback the violative rebound for a put-back.

The Grizzlies dominated the Hornets connected the solid 59-44 and outscored them 64-52 successful the paint.

Grizzlies manager Taylor Jenkins said the team's offence is continuing to evolve, and Morant is evolving with it.

"I mean he's ever progressing," Jenkins said. "The sky's the bounds for the kid. He wants to beryllium coached, helium wants to beryllium pushed, conscionable seeing him from twelvemonth one.

"Just seeing his enactment that he's putting connected his 3-point shot, seeing him travel retired contiguous firing early, taking much clip astatine the free-throw line, moving astatine that, knowing that he's a force, he's going to get foul calls. His playmaking, and getting connected the aforesaid leafage arsenic his teammates."

The vexation was evident for the Hornets with Ball, Dennis Smith Jr. and Jalen McDaniels picking up method fouls.

With Gordon Hayward (hamstring) and Kelly Oubre (hand) retired with injuries, the Hornets struggled to find offence extracurricular of Ball and Rozier. Coach Steve Clifford said it's been hard battling truthful galore injuries to cardinal players this season, but he's trying to enactment positive.

- With Damien McCartney

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