Everything seems to be falling apart for the Los Angeles Lakers after yet another loss, this time against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers are struggling to recapture the high level of play they showcased earlier in the NBA season. However, LeBron James is gradually regaining his form, delivering an outstanding performance alongside Ja Morant, who also shined for the Grizzlies.
With a 17-point margin separating the Grizzlies and the Lakers, it was a night filled with memorable plays, with LeBron leading his team and making significant contributions. Meanwhile, Morant’s impressive performance led Memphis to victory, bringing their season record to 5-4.
Despite the individual highlights,tensions arose between LeBron and Morant during the game. While the exchange wasn’t overly heated, Morant’s post-game comments suggested underlying friction: “I don’t like the Lakers. They knock me off the playoffs and then last year we had a game, and they came in here popped up on our home floor, and I was in street clothes.”
One particular moment stood out when LeBron directed the ‘too small’ gesture toward Morant, which didn’t sit well with the Grizzlies’ star: “I think I did a ‘too small’ to somebody who was too small. He came back and did it disrespectfully, he’s 6’8 whatever. I thought it was a charge, he did it and I don’t back down from nobody, no matter who you are.”
LeBron calls Ja Morant too small. 😤
Morant on the Grizzlies mindset
After discussing his interaction with LeBron, Morant shared his thoughts on the Grizzlies’ performance in Game 9 in the NBA regular season: “My job is just to come back. I got my bucket, I set the tone and my teammates fed off of it, and you see what happens at the end. Top dog on our league. You take out the top dawg, who else you fear? I fear nobody anyway.”
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NBA News: Lakers' LeBron James gives clear response to confrontation with Grizzlies star Ja Morant
Reflecting further, Morant added: “They beat us last time, I didn’t play last year. They came to our home, and they beat us on our floor. They were laughing, playing, looking at me, talking. My message was I was on street clothes, this is my first opportunity to get back on the floor playing against them. I bring whoever, then situation happened which pretty much got me on.“
Morant’s stats against the Lakers
In just 24 minutes on the floor, Morant scored 20 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists. His field goal percentage was .412, hitting 7 of 17 attempts. From beyond the arc, he went 2 for 3, giving him a .667 three-point percentage, and he maintained an .800 free throw rate, making 4 of 5 shots.
For the season, across 8 games, Morant is averaging 27.9 minutes, scoring 20.6 points per game. His free throw accuracy stands at .833, converting 5.6 of 6.8 attempts per game, and he has a .448 field goal percentage, making 7 of 15.6 shots per game.
Morant and the Grizzlies are set to face the Lakers again in six days when they visit Los Angeles for game 12 of the regular season. Until then, fans will have to wait to see what unfolds the next time LeBron and Morant share the court.
