Morant’s special night, and the tweet that inspired it
Morant sends message with victory over Lakers, near-dunk over Davis
A 35-year-old Drury Hotels salesman was sitting on a friend's couch in Memphis Saturday when he realized he was the unlikely inspiration behind the most important performance of Ja Morant's rookie season.
Daniel Greer was watching Morant on the screen of his cell phone, as Morant finished a postgame interview with Fox Sports Southeast sideline reporter Rob Fischer, when Morant called out a stranger he had never met before.
“I'm thankful for this guy who tweeted and said I don't have that fire in my eye no more,” Morant said. “That game right there for him. That's what I do. I prove people wrong each and every night, and that's for him.”
“This guy” is Greer. He was stunned. Initially, he didn't know whether to tell his friends in the room who had changed the channel on the television to the Memphis Tigers' overtime win at Tulane.
“Am I dreaming this? Is this real?” Greer described his reaction in a telephone interview late Saturday night. “There is no way this is happening.” It happened.
And it suddenly made Greer just as much a part of the Grizzlies' captivating, slump-busting, season-saving 105-88 win over the Los Angeles Lakers as Dil
Ja Morant drove down the lane and Anthony Davis, one of the NBA'S best shot blockers, waited for him. Of course, Morant had to try him, right?
Of course he did. The Grizzlies' rookie leaped to dunk on Davis and missed while getting called for an offensive foul. As Morant scowled walking down the court, Fedexforum erupted seeing him show no fear in trying to posterize another NBA center.
It was reminiscent of his near-dunk on Cavaliers center Kevin Love in December. It was also part of a brilliant second half in the Grizzlies' 105-88 win over the Lakers to snap the team's five-game losing streak.
Morant had 11 points and 10 assists after halftime as the Grizzlies (29-31) topped the Lakers for the first time this season. He had 27 points and tied his career-high with 14 assists for his 11th double-double. He was 4-for-6 on 3-pointers, setting a career high on makes from long range.
"I was very proud of him because he was also being super aggressive earlier in the game, which I think he's starting to recognize more and more," Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. "He's a special individual. He's got a great mind for the game and his leadership continues to elevate."
For Morant, the attempt highlighted not just his fearlessness but also the Grizzlies punching back against the Lakers, who own the best record in the Western Conference at 45-13. A week ago, the Lakers were in control during a commanding 117-105 win over the Grizzlies at Staples Center.
Davis had seven blocks that game but Morant wasn't afraid to challenge him again Saturday.
"If I went for a lay-up, it would've been a charge. But if I go up and try to dunk, it's 50-50. My mindset is just going to finish the play, no matter who's down there. It was just one of those plays," Morant said.
He even gave credit to a fan on Twitter who questioned his fire and missed when he had it in previous games. Morant took the spark and heated up Fedexforum a day after the Sacramento Kings dampened their spirits with a 104-101 win.
His performance came in front of an announced sellout crowd that included former NFL MVP Cam Newton and Grizzlies legends Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. He became only the third rookie since 2011-12 to record at least 20 points and 10 assists in consecutive games, joining Luka Doncic and Trae Young.
For the second time this season, Morant, Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valanciunas had at least 20 points in the same game. Valanciunas added 20 rebounds along with 22 points.
It earned Morant more praise from Lebron James, who he swapped jerseys with after the game.
"Like I said when we just played him in LA, Memphis got a great one," James told reporters postgame. "They got a great one. The sky's the limit for the kid."
With the Grizzlies set to begin a three-game road trip Monday in Atlanta, they'll need Morant to be just as aggressive as they continue to fight for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. As the team prepares for at least another week without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke due to injuries, Morant has to be as much a scorer and shooter as he is a table-setter.
But as Saturday night showed, the Grizzlies' 20-year-old point guard is showing he's capable of taking over games and taking names one defender at a time.
"That just shows who he is. He don't care who's down there," forward Kyle Anderson said of the near-dunk. "He's a dog. He's trying to go get that two points for our team. He's trying to win the game. He's trying to destroy whoever's in front of him."
You can reach Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_b) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com