Ja Morant is on a roll. The rookie of the year for 2020 made his first All-Star team this season, has one of the best assists in the league, while reducing his turnover from the previous two years and scored the highest in his career and franchise 46 points in victory over the Bulls on Saturday.
He did even better last night: Morant scored 52 points, beating his old mark when the Grizzlies beat the Spurs 118-105. But it wasn’t just a night when Morant shot cool 22/30 from the pitch. He scored 52 while having two of the biggest roller games of the year.
At the end of the second quarter, Morant got involved in what was actually 1-on-3. No matter. Morant collided with Joshua Primo, then entered the fight, where the 6-foot Morant sank over the 7-foot Jacob Poeltl. He was 26 at the time in the first half. He was not ready.
With 0.4 seconds left after a free throw from the Spurs, Stephen Adams threw a full pass to Morant in the corner. He jumped up, grabbed him, shot him without touching the floor … and he came in. The team was furious. The crowd too. “I’m just a man in the red zone,” Morant said after the game. “The route is fading. Jumping ball. “
In the end, Morant will receive a bunch of passes from teammates to reach 50 points. The other Memphis starters scored just 18. The Grizzlies, like Morant, are on the move: 40-23, finishing third in the West. Be careful.