Eight days ago, Ja Morant conditioned the Target Center by offering a stunning victory to the Grizzlies (125-127) thanks to two “clutch” baskets from elsewhere, against Rudy Gobert then by taking a floater out of space after having rotated Anthony Edwards in a drunken way. Monday, the two players who already embody the present but also the future of the league met in Memphis, a place steeped in history under the backdrop of MLK Day, for a new epic match which once again turned in favor of the Grizzlies.
As in the previous match, Minnesota ended up cracking in the last act and Memphis managed to catch up in time to win on the wire (107-105). As Morant did eight days earlier, Anthony Edwards tried to snatch the victory at the last second on a 3-point shot which ultimately did not find its target.
Since the start of their respective careers, Ja Morant has become “the man to take down” for Anthony Edwards. The two had already had the opportunity to face each other during the first round of the 2022 playoffs, and Ja Morant's Grizzlies emerged victorious (4-2), offering an epic first duel between two superstars in the making. And yesterday again, it was “Antman” who left with defeat. But don't count on him to give up, on the contrary, the rear is asking for more.
“He’s my guy.”, he declared. “It’s always exciting to face him (…). It's hard to defend on him, because you never know which way he's going to go. A lot of people think he always goes to his left, but he also has that spin move in his arsenal as well. So I'm always hesitant to try to cut it with his left hand while anticipating the spin. It's super hard. He loves to compete and is super athletic. I also have to try not to get dunked on it! “.
Four Wolves to try to stop him
When it wasn't Anthony Edwards who got on his back, Ja Morant had to contend with Jaden McDaniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and veteran Mike Conley. For the 37-year-old leader, it is also quite a challenge to be able to deal with such a physical phenomenon.
“I love it. I am 37 years old. Sometimes he scores on me, he counters me, or I go looking for a foul. I just like the challenge, and coming home thinking I'm in my 18th year in the NBA trying to defend on a guy who is more or less indefensible.” he admitted. “He really lets the game come to him. He can be aggressive early in the match, or be calmer and let others gain confidence. Then, when the moment arrives, in the second half, he becomes more aggressive, he will sneak into the paint more, go for points on the line…”.
A real headache that Minnesota is clearly still struggling to contain. There will be one last regular season match to be played between the two teams on April 10 in Memphis. Before a potential reunion in the playoffs?
| Ja Morant | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | M.E.M. | 67 | 31 | 47.7 | 33.5 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 7.3 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 17.8 |
| 2020-21 | M.E.M. | 63 | 33 | 44.9 | 30.3 | 72.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 7.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 19.1 |
| 2021-22 | M.E.M. | 57 | 33 | 49.3 | 34.4 | 76.1 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 27.4 |
| 2022-23 | M.E.M. | 61 | 32 | 46.6 | 30.7 | 74.8 | 1.0 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 26.2 |
| 2023-24 | M.E.M. | 9 | 35 | 47.1 | 27.5 | 81.3 | 0.7 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 8.1 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 25.1 |
| 2024-25 | M.E.M. | 24 | 28 | 45.0 | 31.4 | 82.1 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 7.5 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 3.9 | 0.3 | 21.4 |
| Total | 281 | 32 | 47.0 | 31.8 | 76.0 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 7.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 22.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
