Memphis Grizzlies

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdVbrv5l50w

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1S76MrMXJE

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.

The Oklahoma City Thunder etched their name into the record books on Thursday night but not in a good way. 

Mark Daigneault's squad was blown out by the Memphis Grizzlies 152-79, losing by a whopping 73 points. It marks the largest margin of victory in NBA history. 

It's also worth noting the Grizzlies' bench (93 points) scored more than the Thunder as a whole. In addition, they accomplished the feat without star point guard Ja Morant, who is sidelined with a left knee sprain.

The Grizzlies finished with 82 paint points and allowed 79 points. They are the 4th team over the last 25 years to score more paint points in a game than points they allowed. It is the first time this has happened since 2000. @ESPNStatsInfo

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) December 3, 2021

Morant acknowledged his team's well-deserved victory via Twitter, adding that he can't wait to return to the court. 

damn i can't wait to get back out there 😭 .. great team win tho gang 🐻 #GrzNxtGen

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) December 3, 2021

Oklahoma City's best player on Thursday night was Lugentz Dort, who finished with a team-high 15 points, along with one rebound and two assists. Tre Mann, Ty Jerome and Mike Muscala also had 12 points each, while Isaiah Roby finished with 11. 

It was a particularly rough night for Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, as Justin Kubatko notes:

https://twitter.com/jkubatko/status/1466607919240261635

Jaren Jackson Jr. shined for the Grizzles, finishing with 27 points, three rebounds and one assist. It was his best game of the 2021-22 campaign thus far and his second consecutive game with at least 25 points. 

De'Anthony Melton, John Konchar and Santi Aldama were also impressive for Memphis, combining for 54 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists. 

Prior to Thursday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers held the NBA record for the largest margin of victory, having beaten the Miami Heat 148-80 nearly three decades ago. 

https://twitter.com/jkubatko/status/1466605483834359809

Several NBA players also weighed in on Oklahoma City's loss, including Trae Young, Draymond Green and Josh Hart.

DAMN. 😳 https://t.co/BOUa2kRPgZ

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) December 3, 2021

73 points?!?! That’s a fine

— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) December 3, 2021

73?!

— Josh Hart (@joshhart) December 3, 2021

Granted, the Thunder were without arguably their best player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 23-year-old guard was placed in concussion protocol, and it's unclear when he might return. 

Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder in scoring, averaging 21.2 points per game this season, in addition to 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists. 

Oklahoma City is in a major rebuild, and Thursday's loss dropped the team to 6-16 on the season. With general manager Sam Presti hoarding first-round draft picks, the Thunder could easily turn things around over the next several years. 

For now, though, it seems like fans will certainly be in for another disappointing season after a 22-50 finish last year.   

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:

Ja Morant exited the game after an apparent leg injury

Hope he's OK 🙏 https://t.co/M8Za8KST9x

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 27, 2021

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.

Gasol will return home to play for Girona of LEB Oro, which is the second division of Spanish basketball. The big man is the team's owner and founder.

Gasol made the announcement Thursday, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net.

This comes after the Memphis Grizzlies announced on Sept. 15 they waived the veteran after acquiring him from the Los Angeles Lakers via trade. NBA reporter Marc Stein noted at the time that the move was done so Gasol could play in Spain.

Prior to the move being made official, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Grizzlies planned on working with Gasol to formulate a plan that allowed him to remain in Spain with his family for the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

Gasol began playing professionally in Spain in 2003 before he started his NBA career on the Grizzlies in 2008-09. He came to Memphis as part of a trade that sent his brother Pau to the Lakers.

Going back to the Grizzlies and then being waived looked like a potential full-circle moment for Gasol considering that is where he started his NBA career, but he did tell reporters in August he planned on coming back for a 13th season and finishing his contract with the Lakers.

He played his first 10 full seasons in Memphis and was traded to the Toronto Raptors in his 11th in 2018-19. He helped lead the Raptors to the championship that year as a veteran presence and then played for Toronto again in 2019-20 before suiting up for the Lakers in 2020-21.

Gasol is a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection and two-time Olympic silver medalist who won the 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year.

He is also a Grizzlies legend who ranks first in rebounds, first in blocks, second in points, second in games played, second in assists and third in steals on the franchise's all-time list.

However, he assumed more of a secondary role for the 2020-21 Lakers and averaged 5.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. The totals were well below his career averages of 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 blocks a night.

While his prime is in the rearview mirror at this point, he still joins Girona as someone who can extend his game beyond the arc to open up the paint, facilitate from the high elbow and help control the boards.

The Memphis Grizzlies held a team meeting following Saturday's 138-95 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"We have to be real with each other," Grizzlies star Ja Morant told reporters. "We know what kind of team we can be."

Ja Morant said the Grizzlies' meeting yesterday lasted an hour and a half. There was honesty about what kind of team they want to be/are going to be/not going to be.

He added the Grizzlies are good at holding each other accountable so the meeting was very productive. https://t.co/qzvzyjY7kt

— Evan Barnes (@evan_b) November 23, 2021

The meeting may have had its intended effect, as Memphis edged out the Utah Jazz 119-118 Monday night. Morant and Co. scored the final seven points, including a Jaren Jackson Jr. three-pointer with 6.7 seconds left.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXwS-GLjlt0

The Grizzlies exceeded expectations in 2020-21, going 38-34 and claiming the final playoff seed in the Western Conference. With Monday's result, they sit sixth in the conference at 9-8.

But hovering at or around .500 isn't good enough following last season's success. Nor is losing by 43 to Minnesota.

Looking ahead, Memphis closes out November with two games against the Toronto Raptors and meetings with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings—not exactly a murderers' row of opponents.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant got off to a hot start this season, averaging 35 points through three games, and the third-year point guard thinks it's helping him get the respect he always deserved.

"I feel like it took me averaging 35 points a game to finally get some All-Star recognition," Morant told Yahoo Sports. "But I really can’t speak too much on that. I feel like my chip will never leave."

Morant said he was disappointed he wasn't selected to the All-Star Game in his first two seasons, but it forced him to focus less on individual recognition and concentrate on his team's success.

"I was in position to be an All-Star my first two years and didn't make it. That bothered me a lot," Morant continued. "So I just stopped focusing on that and just focusing on my play. I'm a winner, and that's the main goal. If I do that, everything else will take care of itself. I just got to control what I can control, and that's my play on the floor."

The Grizzlies are 2-2 and coming off a 116-96 blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Memphis wraps up a four-game road trip Thursday against the Golden State Warriors.

Morant had 17 points in Wednesday's loss, dropping his average to 30.5 points. He added 10 assists for his second double-double of the year, but he also had a season-high nine turnovers.

Led by Morant, the Grizzlies have a young core that gained valuable experience in last year's postseason run. Memphis fell to the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs after defeating the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State in the play-in tournament.

If Morant can continue to play at a high level, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Grizzlies make a second straight trip to the postseason.     

PORTLAND—Ja Morant is making the superstar leap in front of the world.

Every six months or so, Morant sends a reminder that he should be getting anointed as one of the next faces of the NBA. Drafted No. 2 overall in 2019 behind the much more hyped Zion Williamson, Morant won Rookie of the Year and drew comparisons to MVP-era Derrick Rose for his explosive, can't-take-your-eyes-off-him play style.

Last spring, Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies upset the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament, then won the first game of their first-round series against the top-seeded Utah Jazz. They put up a fight during the rest of the series, well ahead of when most people thought they'd be a playoff team.

A week into his third season, Morant has been the story. He scored 37 points in Memphis' season-opening win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, then put up 40 points and 10 assists in a close loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. 

Morant had a case to be an All-Star in his second season. With the cred that comes from having led the Grizzlies to the playoffs and some big performances against marquee teams early in the year, it feels inevitable that he'll make that jump this season.

On the surface, Morant appears unaffected by all of this newfound attention and doesn't seem to have much interest in feeding the hype machine. He's been vocal about his dislike for social media, even though he's one of the most engaged young stars on it.

i hate social media. if everything wasn't ran thru it, i would delete all mine .

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 15, 2021

Morant's less-is-more approach to NBA stardom suits a Grizzlies team that's progressing much faster than anyone anticipated. He let his play speak for itself at Murray State, a mid-major, and he's doing the same in Memphis.

Bleacher Report caught up with Morant at the Grizzlies' shootaround on Wednesday morning, ahead of their 116-96 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers, to discuss his hot start to the year, his dislike of social media and his expectations for a young team that may be ahead of schedule.

Bleacher Report: What has this week been like for you? Going off against the Lakers and then being a guest on ESPN's NBA Today, it feels like you're the talk of the entire league right now.

Ja Morant: Me personally, I don't really pay too much mind to it. I'm locked in on what I have to do with my team. Next game, next practice, whatever it is. To be prepared to go get a win.

 

B/R: You don't feel any of that attention when you're the guy everyone is focusing on?

Morant: I mean, I see it, but I don't really pay too much mind to it. I should have been getting that recognition already. But the way I'm playing right now is the reason I'm getting it.

 

B/R: You obviously work on everything, but is the shooting something you're focusing on this year? You hit five three-pointers in the Lakers game. Is that going to be a more regular part of your game now?

Morant: I just take what the defense was giving me. In the Laker game, they were sagging off me, and I was shooting the ball with confidence.

B/R: Something else I wanted to ask you about—you're really good at social media, but you tweeted in July that if you didn't have to be on there, you'd get rid of it. Is that still how you feel?

Morant: That's still my attitude. I just do stuff on there to engage with my fans on Twitter, Instagram, whatever it is. That's pretty much what I do. I don't really care for it too much.

 

B/R: You're really savvy on it, though. I remember when you got in a little back-and-forth with Stephen Curry and people tried to make it into a big thing, and you pulled up screenshots of your own tweets from when you were a kid about what a big fan of his you were, having fun with it.

Morant: It's not real life. People just hide behind keyboards and say whatever they want. I just do it because that's what the world runs through right now.

 

B/R: What are your overall expectations for this team this year and how good do you think you can be?

Morant: Championship. That's our main goal.

 

B/R: I look at a team like last year's Hawks, who were a young team that people thought could maybe make the playoffs, and out of nowhere they made the conference finals. Is that the kind of team you look to and say, 'Why can't that be us?'

Morant: Nah. I just focus on us. I don't base our expectations off other teams. We've just got to focus on us. I feel like that's what got us to the point we got to last year. We were able to get some experience against a good Utah team in the playoffs. We've just got to take that into this season and play together.

B/R: What's the biggest difference between last year's team and this year's team?

Morant: Chemistry and experience. That's probably the biggest thing.

 

B/R: How has Steven Adams fit in?

Morant: You see it on the floor. He's scoring for us inside and rebounding, and also his passing ability is big-time. He's averaging four or five assists for us right now. You don't really see that from a center.

 

B/R: Having Jaren Jackson Jr. back is also going to be huge for you guys. He played in only 11 games last year. How much better can you be if he stays healthy all year?

Morant: He just makes us better. All the stuff he's able to do—he can space the floor, score inside, post up smaller bigs, attack the bigger bigs, block shots, rebound. He does a lot of stuff on the floor. He makes us a better team overall.

 

B/R: Finally, are there any guys around the league, maybe in your age group, that you measure yourself against when you look at where you are and how good you want to be?

Morant: Ja Morant.

 

B/R: That's it? Nobody else?

Morant: That's my answer. That's the only one. I don't compare myself to nobody else in this league. I just focus on me. You see where that's gotten me?

 

Sean Highkin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and lives in Portland. His work has been honored by the Pro Basketball Writers' Association. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and in the B/R App.

The Portland Trail Blazers bounced back from Monday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with a 116-96 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. CJ McCollum led the way with 25 points as Portland improved to 2-2.

CJ McCollum is TOO smooth 🤩 pic.twitter.com/UDY6SHKCYI

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 28, 2021

The Blazers outscored the Grizzlies 36-20 in the third quarter and opened the fourth with a 20-4 run to put the game out of reach.

Desmond Bane had 19 points for the Grizzlies, who fell to 2-2 this season.

---

Notable Player Stats

G CJ McCollum, POR: 25 points

G Damian Lillard, POR: 20 points, 10 assists

G Desmond Bane, MEM: 19 points

G Ja Morant, MEM: 17 points, 10 assists, nine turnovers

---

Blazers Come Alive in Second Half

The Blazers started off slow as McCollum and Lillard struggled early. If it weren't for Anfernee Simons' 14 first-half points, Portland would've fallen behind in a big way.

Memphis leads Blazers 57-51 and lead could (should?) be bigger. Blazers’ effort better than at Clippers, but everything seems like grind. Dame (2-for-11) and CJ (4-of-12) are off and not sure Nurk received memo regular season is here. Simons (14) continues to look much improved.

— Jason Quick (@jwquick) October 28, 2021

Thankfully for the Blazers, everyone woke up after halftime. Jusuf Nurkic got more active, diving to the basket on pick-and-rolls and finishing at the rim.

Feed. The. Beast.@Bosnianbeast27 | #RipCity pic.twitter.com/Etrs5wI8lk

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 28, 2021

Lillard finally got his shot going and did a great job as a playmaker. He scored 11 points and added five assists in the third quarter.

That's an 18-3 run for Portland in the last 4 minutes, giving the home team a 76-68 lead with 4:28 to play in the third quarter

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) October 28, 2021

Damian Lillard drills a tough triple in the 3rd 🔥

Dame's got a game-high 20 points and 10 assists through 3 quarters!pic.twitter.com/habuWGDW3m

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 28, 2021

.@Dame_Lillard 🤝 @Larrydn22

End of the 3rd:
POR 87 | MEM 77@trailblazers | #RipCity pic.twitter.com/IR7YvH7aOz

— ROOT SPORTS™ | NW (@ROOTSPORTS_NW) October 28, 2021

In addition to their offensive explosion, the Blazers also locked in on the defensive end. They did a great job of getting back in transition to limit the easy opportunities for the Grizzlies.

Memphis was forced to take contested shots and also struggled with Portland's activity in the passing lanes. In all, the Blazers forced the Grizzlies to commit 22 turnovers.

Starting games with the same aggression they came out of halftime with will be key to the Blazers' success going forward this season.

---

Grizzlies' Supporting Cast Struggles on Morant's Off Night

After his hot start to the season with an average of 35 points in three games, Ja Morant slowed down considerably on Wednesday night. He started off being less aggressive in looking for his shot, instead getting his teammates involved.

so surgical. always under control 🥽

5 assists early for @JaMorant pic.twitter.com/D5hT9DfGua

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) October 28, 2021

With Morant in pass-first mode, Bane took over the offense early. He had ten points in his first 10 minutes and finished with 15 points in the first half.

you fly by? @DBane0625 will cash in ✅ pic.twitter.com/Adgfxj4WBz

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) October 28, 2021

10 points in 10 minutes. 3/4 from deep. pic.twitter.com/s9opb05nYg

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) October 28, 2021

Grizzlies lead Blazers 57-51 at half! Bane is putting on a show. What a steal.

Listen: https://t.co/rud4cLKyDEpic.twitter.com/LS4vCwAfYZ

— 929ESPN (@929espn) October 28, 2021

But besides Bane, the Memphis supporting cast was mostly quiet. Bane and Morant were the only players to score in double-figures.

Fourth-year power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who signed a four-year extension worth $105 million earlier this month, was held to just seven points on 3-of-13 shooting in 18 minutes. Jackson struggled with foul trouble all night.

The Grizzlies will have to get more production from players besides Morant if they hope to succeed this season. Morant is one of the brightest young stars in the NBA, but he can't do everything himself. Memphis' supporting cast will have to step up if it hopes to make another run to the postseason.

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What's Next?

The Blazers will remain home for a rematch against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. The Grizzlies will look to bounce back on Thursday in the final matchup of their four-game road trip against the Golden State Warriors.

NBA players often remember their best dunks, but a missed attempt is what still sticks in Ja Morant's mind.

The Memphis Grizzlies star point guard discussed his 2019 attempt over Kevin Love on Tuesday's episode of NBA Today:

Ja Morant will never forget his missed dunk against Kevin Love 😂 (via NBA Today)

"Probably would’ve been the best dunk ever. Definitely for me and definitely could have been one of the top dunks in the league." pic.twitter.com/XGIrVyJvc2

— ESPN (@espn) October 26, 2021

The play came in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers only two months into Morant's NBA career:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJvHeuCLJAs

The announcers compared it to Vince Carter's famous dunk over Frederic Weis in the 2000 Olympics, but Morant just didn't get high enough.

Though the play resulted in zero points for Memphis, the close call helped Morant announce himself as one of the most exciting young players in the league.

The 2019 No. 2 overall draft pick went on to win the Rookie of the Year award, and he continues to thrive in his third season.