Ja Morant

Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane paid teammate Ja Morant a huge compliment Tuesday following the Grizzlies' 118-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Morant was central to the victory with 36 points, eight assists and six rebounds, leading Bane to make the following comment:

"He's special. I mean, people debate whether or not he should be an All-Star, but I mean I think we should be debating whether or not he's the best point guard in the league. I mean, I don't think that, you know, it's any question that he's an All-Star. I think that, you know, the real conversation is, 'Is he the best point guard in the league?'"

With Morant leading the way, the Grizzlies are on a Western Conference-best five-game winning streak, and they find themselves in fourth place in the conference at 24-14.

The 22-year-old Morant showed flashes of brilliance in his first two seasons after going No. 2 in the 2019 draft, including winning the 2019-20 Rookie of the Year award, and he has truly come into his own this season.

Through 26 games, he is averaging a career-high 25.1 points per contest, crushing his previous mark of 19.1 set last season. He is also putting up 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 three-pointers made and 1.4 steals per game.

Perhaps most impressively, he has immensely improved his scoring efficiency, shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from beyond the arc after shooting 44.9 percent and 30.3 percent, respectively, last season.

When Morant arrived in Memphis, the Grizzlies had missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and were coming off a 33-49 campaign. After improving to 34-39 in his rookie season, the Grizzlies took another step forward last season by going 38-34 and reaching the playoffs.

They entered play Tuesday as one of only four teams in the Western Conference with at least 20 wins, so barring an unforeseen collapse, the Grizz will be back in the playoffs again this season.

Morant also feels like a virtual lock to earn his first All-Star nod given his statistical output and his team's record.

While it would be difficult to put Morant ahead of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks when ranking point guards, he may belong in the conversation with Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns.

That is a highly impressive distinction for a player in his third season, and if he continues to progress at his current rate, he may find himself at or near the top in the not-too-distant future.

Ja Morant posted 41 points and 10 rebounds en route to leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 104-99 comeback win over the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Wednesday.

After the game, Lakers forward LeBron James called Morant "spectacular."

The four-time NBA MVP was excellent in his own right with 37 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. James and Morant each had two blocks and two steals as well.

The duo also joined an exclusive list along the way:

But Morant was sensational down the stretch, scoring 11 points in the final 7:16 of regulation. That scoring spurt included this putback layup off his own miss to increase Memphis' lead to 102-97 with 1:13 remaining:

He also hit a three with time winding down in the third quarter to give himself 14 points for the frame and 30 up until that juncture:

Morant made his first six three-point attempts en route to shooting 6-of-7 from beyond the arc on the night.

The former Murray State star appears well on his way to his first-ever All-Star Game appearance.

Not only is he averaging career-highs with 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, but the 22-14 Grizzlies are safely in the top four of the Western Conference after an excellent start.

Morant and Memphis will look to extend their three-game win streak when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday evening.

Ja Morant didn't have much sympathy for Los Angeles Lakers fans who traveled to attend Wednesday's game after leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 104-99 victory at home.

Morant told reporters the win felt even better because the Grizzlies "got to send those people wearing purple and yellow home sad. Go back to L.A."

The Memphis guard was dominant with 41 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, two assists and two blocks while also connecting on six of his seven three-point attempts. It wasn't a one-man effort, as Desmond Bane tallied 20 points, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 15 points.

It appeared as if the Lakers were going to give their fans a win to cheer for when they jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and had a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

However, the Grizzlies won that final quarter by 10 and held Los Angeles to a mere 16 points over those final 12 minutes. LeBron James had a particularly poor turnover down three in the final seconds, and Bane iced the win on the free-throw line on the other end.

Despite the turnover, James finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two steals while carrying much of the offensive responsibilities on his shoulders. Russell Westbrook also posted a triple-double of 16 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds as the two All-Stars continue to be in primary roles as they look to make up for the absence of Anthony Davis.

The formula isn't turning into wins, though, as the Lakers are 1-6 in their last seven games and have tumbled to 17-19 overall.

They are sitting in the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference standings after the latest defeat and will be in the play-in tournament if they are unable to climb up to the top six spots.

To hear Morant tell it, the Grizzlies won't be too upset if Los Angeles is eliminated from the playoffs in the early going.           

The Memphis Grizzlies earned their third straight win by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 104-99 at home on Wednesday. Ja Morant led the way with a season-high 41 points with a career-high six three-pointers as Memphis improved to 22-14.

The Grizzlies have now won the past two meetings against the Lakers and lead the regular-season series 2-1. The two teams will face each other again next month in their final matchup of the year.

Los Angeles fell to 17-19 after its sixth loss in its last seven games. LeBron James had a team-high 37 points and tied a career-high with eight three-pointers.

Notable Stats

G Ja Morant, MEM: 41 points (6-of-7 3PT FG), 10 rebounds

G Desmond Bane, MEM: 20 points

F LeBron James, LAL: 37 points (8-of-14 3PT FG), 13 rebounds, 7 assists

G Russell Westbrook, LAL: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists

Morant Carries Grizzlies to Comeback Win

Throughout most of the game, Memphis struggled on offense but still managed to keep the game close. The Grizzlies shot 2-of-14 from beyond the arc in the first half but hit 12-of-13 free throws to get within six at halftime.

Morant was the lone bright spot for Memphis through the first 24 minutes, scoring 16 points. Coming out of the break, Morant turned up his energy and spearheaded a furious comeback to erase a 14-point deficit.

Morant scored 25 of his 41 points in the second half. He's the first Grizzlies player to have three career 40-point games. With Morant leading the charge, Memphis outscored Los Angeles 26-16 in the fourth quarter.

Morant has proven himself to be one of the brightest young stars in the NBA. If he keeps this up, the Grizzlies could fight for a top-three seed in the Western Conference this season.

Lakers Waste Another Strong Performance by James

Despite the Lakers' collective struggles this season, James clearly has not lost a step and is playing some of the most efficient basketball of his career.

The 19-year veteran opened the game with 15 points in the first half, including 11 on 4-of-4 shooting in the first quarter. With James leading the way, Los Angeles led by as many as 13 before Memphis cut the lead to six heading into the break.

After hitting three of his four three-point attempts in the first half, James came out of the locker room feeling it from beyond the arc. He hit five more triples to end the game, going 8-of-14, tying his career-high for three-pointers made.

It was James' sixth straight game with at least 30 points and at least 50-percent shooting from the field.

But the rest of the Lakers struggled to get much going. Russell Westbrook (16 points) and Malik Monk (15) were the only other players to score in double figures for Los Angeles.

The Lakers can't keep wasting these standout performances by James. Los Angeles is now 1-5 during his hot streak. It's been a disappointing season for a team that entered the year considered to be among the favorites to compete for an NBA title.

What's Next?

The Grizzlies will go for their fourth straight victory Friday against the San Antonio Spurs at FedEx Forum. The Lakers will return home to host the Portland Trail Blazers that same day.

Ja Morant had a relatively quiet return from his left knee injury in the Memphis Grizzlies' 102-99 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, but he was especially upset by some of the hometown fans in the game.

"I was running down the court, and I heard some of my fans courtside tell me I need to sit back out," Morant said after the game. "So, I just don't understand what they wanted to get out of that. I feel like that just makes it worse."

The Grizzlies went 10-2 with a league-best plus-16.5 net rating while Morant was out with a sprained knee, but they couldn't beat 10-19 Oklahoma City in his return as he finished with 16 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals on 6-of-12 shotting.

"I’m just frustrated," he told reporters. "Normally—y'all have seen it—when anybody says something negative about me, it fuels me. But, tonight, the remarks from the fans actually hurt."

The 22-year-old noted the fans were chanting "M-V-P" a few weeks earlier. He wrote on Twitter that he will take a break from social media, although he did have a positive message for those supporting him:

The third-year guard is still in the midst of his best season, averaging 23.7 points, 6.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals while improving his outside shooting (36.4 percent from three).

The Memphis Grizzlies announced Wednesday that Ja Morant has entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.

The 2019-20 Rookie of the Year missed the team's last five games because of a left knee sprain. He has made 19 appearances this season and is averaging 24.1 points, 6.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds.

Nobody questions Morant's importance to the Grizzlies, but the team hasn't fallen off in his absence. Memphis is riding a five-game winning streak that includes a record-setting 73-point win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 2.

Nobody has stepped up more than Desmond Bane to fill the scoring void left by Morant's injury. The second-year wing averaged 18.6 points on 50.7 percent shooting (50.0 percent from beyond the arc) in Memphis' last five contests.

Bane dropped a career-high 29 points and nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds to help the Grizzlies secure a 97-90 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 4.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is delivering as well. He's putting up 19.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game since Morant's knee injury.

The Grizzlies sit fourth in the Western Conference at 14-10, 2.5 games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for the play-in cutoff. There's no question having a healthy Morant will boost their odds of securing a top-four seed.

For the time being, Taylor Jenkins' squad has shown it can find a winning formula when the 22-year-old is sidelined.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant avoided a serious knee injury in Friday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks, head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters Sunday. However, the budding star is expected to miss at least a "couple of weeks" with a left knee sprain.

"We're so thankful we avoided a significant injury," Jenkins said. "We expect a full recovery, and this is nothing long term that we're worried about."

Morant exited in the first quarter of Friday's game while dribbling the ball toward the paint. He began limping and passed the ball before walking off the court in the middle of play.

Morant has been one of the best young players in the NBA since the Grizzlies selected him with the second overall pick in the 2019 draft. He won the Rookie of the Year award during the 2019-20 campaign and built upon that last season, when he averaged 19.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game.

The 22-year-old is averaging 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists through 19 games this season, helping lead the Grizzlies to a 9-10 record, ninth place in the Western Conference.

Morant has been quite durable through his first three NBA seasons. However, he missed time during his rookie and sophomore campaigns with back and ankle injuries.

The Murray State product's injury is certainly concerning given his impact on the Grizzlies lineup. Memphis will have to fill the void with a combination of Tyus Jones and Ziaire Williams until he's ready to return to the court.

The Memphis Grizzlies announced that point guard Ja Morant will not return to his team's home game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday after suffering a left knee injury.

The team later announced Morant has been diagnosed with a sprained knee, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Morant appeared to suffer the injury on a non-contact play with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter:

Morant was then helped back to the locker room as he avoided putting pressure on his left leg.

The 22-year-old South Carolina native quickly established himself among the NBA's next wave of superstars by winning 2019-20 Rookie of the Year honors after the Grizzlies selected him with the second overall pick in the 2019 draft. He built off that success by averaging 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds last season.

Morant entered Friday with 25.3 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game so far during the 2021-22 campaign.

The Murray State product remained mostly durable throughout his first two NBA seasons, though he missed a bit of time both years with minor back and ankle injuries.

While a potential Morant absence is obviously a concern for Memphis, the team does feature some depth in the backcourt. Tyus Jones and Ziaire Williams should both get some extra minutes until the franchise cornerstone returns to the lineup.

Jones substituted in for Morant on Friday.

That said, even though the Grizzlies have the talent to overcome a short-term injury for Morant, any type of extended absence would be a significant blow to the team's playoff aspirations.