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Ja Morant clenched his fist and struck his opposite hand in frustration as he walked off the floor in Paycom Center.
The gesture said what words could not. It served as a silent acknowledgment of a harsh reality settling in.
“We’ve just got to be better,” Morant said. “I’ll be better. We’ll be better.”
The OKC Thunder took a commanding 2-0 lead in its first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, earning a 118-99 win in Game 2. Unlike the blowout in Game 1, Memphis showed more fight, but the result remained the same.
Morant injected energy into the team from the opening tap with his aggressive play.
The two-time All-Star finished with 23 points, six assists and two steals while helping ignite a spark among the Grizzlies’ co-stars. Desmond Bane contributed a double-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. led the team in scoring with 26 points and six boards.
Since the rise of the Morant-Jackson-Bane trio, Memphis has built a reputation as one of the league’s most dangerous transition offenses.
REPORT CARD: How did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC grade out in Game 2 vs Grizzlies
But in this series, that identity has been stripped away. The Thunder has dominated in fastbreak points, outscoring the Grizzlies 48-8 over the first two games.
“They’re putting a lot of pressure on Ja,” Bane said. “We have multiple guys that are willing to push the ball and get us out in transition. We had some great looks. Just continue to play with confidence. Shots are going to fall, and we’ve got trust in everybody to continue to make plays.”
Morant delivered 11 of his 23 points in the second quarter while attempting to will the Grizzlies back into contention. After trailing by 18 at halftime, Memphis mounted a brief comeback, cutting the deficit to seven and outscoring OKC 27-20 in the third quarter.
It was a glimpse of the grit the Grizzlies hoped to lean on. Though the Thunder eventually reasserted control and sealed the win, Morant took solace in how Memphis responded.
“I feel like we had a little more flow and the ball movement was more connected,” Morant said.
“Passes were on time and on target. Guys we're stepping into them and knocking down shots. We were able to build some momentum, some energy and kept it rolling. We started getting stops and rebounding, and that allowed us to get back into it.”
Despite Bane and Jackson stepping up for the Grizzlies, their supporting cast left the team yearning for more help around Morant.
A handful of the same issues from Game 1 reappeared in Game 2.
REQUIRED READING: Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams show OKC Thunder is more than the SGA show in NBA Playoffs
While Morant led the team with 17 points in the opener, Bane and Jackson combined for just 13 points on 5-of-25 shooting. Grizzlies players outside of their trio shot just 12 for 32 from the field Tuesday.
Depth was once a strength for Memphis but has become a glaring weakness. The Grizzlies led the league in bench scoring before the All-Star break but have since plummeted to 20th in that category over the last 15 games.
Memphis has now dropped 18 of its last 21 games against playoff teams in the West.
To flip the script in this series, the Grizzlies will need to rediscover the version of themselves that once had them No. 2 in the West in February. A return to the fast-paced, deep and relentless squad that made life difficult for opponents must materialize in Game 3 on Thursday.
And the players know it.
“You feel better about the stuff you see on film,” Jackson said. “When you see positives on film, you try to replicate those things more and more as the series goes on and learn your opponent. We’ll look at a lot of the things we didn’t do well and things we did do well, and go from there. That’s why it's a series and not just a bunch of regular-season games.”
MUSSATTO: Thunder vs Grizzlies isn't a fair fight in NBA Playoffs, but can series end mercifully?
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ja Morant again vows Grizzlies will 'be better' vs OKC Thunder
Continue reading...
The gesture said what words could not. It served as a silent acknowledgment of a harsh reality settling in.
“We’ve just got to be better,” Morant said. “I’ll be better. We’ll be better.”
The OKC Thunder took a commanding 2-0 lead in its first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, earning a 118-99 win in Game 2. Unlike the blowout in Game 1, Memphis showed more fight, but the result remained the same.
Morant injected energy into the team from the opening tap with his aggressive play.
The two-time All-Star finished with 23 points, six assists and two steals while helping ignite a spark among the Grizzlies’ co-stars. Desmond Bane contributed a double-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. led the team in scoring with 26 points and six boards.
Since the rise of the Morant-Jackson-Bane trio, Memphis has built a reputation as one of the league’s most dangerous transition offenses.
REPORT CARD: How did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC grade out in Game 2 vs Grizzlies
But in this series, that identity has been stripped away. The Thunder has dominated in fastbreak points, outscoring the Grizzlies 48-8 over the first two games.
“They’re putting a lot of pressure on Ja,” Bane said. “We have multiple guys that are willing to push the ball and get us out in transition. We had some great looks. Just continue to play with confidence. Shots are going to fall, and we’ve got trust in everybody to continue to make plays.”
Morant delivered 11 of his 23 points in the second quarter while attempting to will the Grizzlies back into contention. After trailing by 18 at halftime, Memphis mounted a brief comeback, cutting the deficit to seven and outscoring OKC 27-20 in the third quarter.
It was a glimpse of the grit the Grizzlies hoped to lean on. Though the Thunder eventually reasserted control and sealed the win, Morant took solace in how Memphis responded.
“I feel like we had a little more flow and the ball movement was more connected,” Morant said.
“Passes were on time and on target. Guys we're stepping into them and knocking down shots. We were able to build some momentum, some energy and kept it rolling. We started getting stops and rebounding, and that allowed us to get back into it.”
Despite Bane and Jackson stepping up for the Grizzlies, their supporting cast left the team yearning for more help around Morant.
A handful of the same issues from Game 1 reappeared in Game 2.
REQUIRED READING: Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams show OKC Thunder is more than the SGA show in NBA Playoffs
While Morant led the team with 17 points in the opener, Bane and Jackson combined for just 13 points on 5-of-25 shooting. Grizzlies players outside of their trio shot just 12 for 32 from the field Tuesday.
Depth was once a strength for Memphis but has become a glaring weakness. The Grizzlies led the league in bench scoring before the All-Star break but have since plummeted to 20th in that category over the last 15 games.
Memphis has now dropped 18 of its last 21 games against playoff teams in the West.
To flip the script in this series, the Grizzlies will need to rediscover the version of themselves that once had them No. 2 in the West in February. A return to the fast-paced, deep and relentless squad that made life difficult for opponents must materialize in Game 3 on Thursday.
And the players know it.
“You feel better about the stuff you see on film,” Jackson said. “When you see positives on film, you try to replicate those things more and more as the series goes on and learn your opponent. We’ll look at a lot of the things we didn’t do well and things we did do well, and go from there. That’s why it's a series and not just a bunch of regular-season games.”
MUSSATTO: Thunder vs Grizzlies isn't a fair fight in NBA Playoffs, but can series end mercifully?
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ja Morant again vows Grizzlies will 'be better' vs OKC Thunder
Continue reading...
