<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/grizzlies-news-scotty-pippen-jr-drops-star-take-ja-morant-backup');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. drops ‘star’ take on being Ja Morant’s backup');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Scotty-Pippen-Jr.-drops-star-take-on-being-Ja-Morants-backup.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. drops ‘star’ take on being Ja Morant’s backup</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T10:26:59-08:00">December 22nd, 10:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T10:26:59-08:00">December 22nd, 10:26am</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The NBA is a star-driven league, of that there is no doubt. Not since the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons has a team won a title without having multiple All-NBA talents on the roster. However, the road to the NBA Finals requires a proper supporting cast ready to step up when an All-Star is sidelined. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-great-value-trio-nba-sixth-man-of-the-year-candidates-jake-laravia-scotty-pippen-jr-santi-aldama">Memphis Grizzlies have a trio of NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidates</a> but only one, Scotty Pippen Jr., has been directly responsible for picking up the slack when Ja Morant sits.</p><p>Taylor Jenkins and the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-speak-new-minute-allocations-taylor-jenkins-zach-edey"> second-placed Grizzlies (20-9) have been rewarded</a> for trusting the developmental process. Pippen Jr. has been putting the league on notice all season, earning a full four-year, $9.6 million deal along the way. The days of dealing with two-way contract G-League travel commitments are over for one of the best two-way reserves in the NBA.</p><p>Pippen Jr. told ClutchPoints that focusing on how to best contribute to wins with an eye towards the postseason run is now the priority.</p><p>“Coach emphasizes just always being ready,” Pippen Jr. replied. “Sometimes when Ja doesn’t play I might start or it’s me getting less minutes (when Morant does play). Whatever my role is, I’m trying to be a star in my role. I’ll be ready whenever my name is called.”</p><p>Morant (back soreness) watched Pippen Jr. post 22 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and two steals in a 128-112 road win over the Atlanta Hawks. Arguably the most impressive stat was Dyson Daniels (six steals) only caused one turnover from Pippen Jr. directly.</p><h2><b>Grizzlies, Scotty Pippen Jr. pushing the pace</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Scotty-Pippen-Jr-Grizzlies-Dyson-Daniels-Hawks.jpg"><figcaption>Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Scotty Pippen Jr. (11 starts) has been ready all season. The 24-year-old is averaging 10.6 points, 5.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals/blocks per game (22.6 minutes). However, those <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1630590/traditional" rel="noopener">numbers are far better</a> when Pippen Jr. starts in place of Morant. His three-point percentage jumps almost 10 points between starting (40%) and coming off the bench (30.6%), for example. Pippen Jr.’s foul and turnover rate go down when starting games even though steals and blocks go up.</p><p>Finding a way to channel that opening tip aggressiveness even while backing up a healthy Ja Morant is the last step in becoming a truly scary contender. That has not been a problem collectively as Taylor Jenkins has the squad hitting a new gear going into the holiday season. With everyone’s roles well understood, Pippen Jr. and the Grizzlies have been racking up blowout wins over playoff-caliber competition.</p><p>Keeping the ball away from Dyson Daniels came 48 hours after the Grizzlies corralled Stephen Curry (0-7 FGA) and the Golden State Warriors in a 144-93 win. Pippen Jr. believes the Grizzlies have enough talent on the bench to <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1869959617519944073" rel="noopener">keep that revved-up energy</a> going all season long.</p><p>“We’re a super deep team so I feel like anyone on the court should be giving it their all,” stated Pippen Jr. “Even if we have a big lead we should be playing super hard and just keeping our foot on the gas. I feel like even when we are up by 20 (points) guys should be able to come in and keep that energy and build on (the lead).”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Scotty Pippen Jr. on playing Whoop That Trick in the FedEx Forum:</p><p>“Should have played it louder!”<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GrindCity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GrindCity</a> <a href="https://t.co/kCWOrTxt4B">pic.twitter.com/kCWOrTxt4B</a></p><p>— Dodson (@DoingItDodson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1869959617519944073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Road wins over the Hawks are just business trips. As for the fans celebrating to a Whoop That Trick soundtrack after dominating the Warriors?</p><p>“Should have played it a little bit louder,” Pippen Jr. joked.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. drops ‘star’ take on being Ja Morant’s backup

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/paige-bueckers-juju-watkins-ja-morant-approval-usc-uconn');   ga('set', 'title', 'Paige Bueckers-JuJu Watkins gets Ja Morant’s approval after wild USC-UConn game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Paige-and-JuJu.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Paige Bueckers-JuJu Watkins gets Ja Morant’s approval after wild USC-UConn game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T10:19:15-08:00">December 22nd, 10:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T10:19:15-08:00">December 22nd, 10:19am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NCAA Basketball</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Saturday night, one of the titanic clashes of the women’s college basketball season didn’t disappoint. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/uconn-womens-basketball-news-geno-auriemma-difficult-take-huskies-record-3-point-game">No. 4 UConn and No. 7 USC went back and forth</a> all evening in a blockbuster matchup between two Final Four and national title contenders.</p><p>Star guards <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/uconn-womens-basketball-news-paige-bueckers-teammate-reveals-fellow-huskies-helped-end-drought">Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins were the main attraction</a> on Saturday night, and the two stars showed out. Watkins finished the game with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists while Bueckers added 22 points for the Huskies.</p><p>After the game, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was <a href="https://x.com/JaMorant/status/1870671499713229074" rel="noopener">impressed with the show</a> that the two superstars were putting on.</p><p>“🔥,” Morant commented on a post of the two on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>After USC controlled much of the early going, Bueckers led her squad back from an 18-point deficit to tie the game late and give UConn a chance to come away with what once seemed like an improbable victory.</p><p>With just under 90 seconds to go and the game tied at 67, Watkins found center Rayah Marshall under the basket wide open to beat the help and get USC a wide open layup that broke the tie. Watkins then made three free throws in the next two possessions go give USC a 72-69 lead in the final seconds.</p><p>UConn wasn’t just ready to roll over there, however. Star freshman Sarah Strong was fouled on a last-second 3-point attempt and had a chance to tie the game at the line. Unfortunately, she missed the second free throw, and even though Bueckers came up with a huge offensive rebound, Strong’s desperation heave was off the mark and USC came away with a win.</p><p>Watkins and the Trojans had to be happy with this win, as it serves as a bit of revenge for them after UConn eliminated them in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last season. With the way that these two squads are constructed, there’s a decent chance that these two teams will see each other again in March. If they do end up facing off, the fans and the viewers are the real winners no matter who comes out on top.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Paige Bueckers-JuJu Watkins gets Ja Morant’s approval after wild USC-UConn game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-playing-hawks-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Ja Morant out vs. Hawks due to back injury concern');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Grizzlies-news-Is-Ja-Morant-playing-vs.-Hawks-Latest-injury-update.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Ja Morant out vs. Hawks due to back injury concern</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T09:24:03-08:00">December 21st, 9:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T09:39:35-08:00">December 21st, 9:39am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Memphis Grizzlies</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-21_11AM.pdf" rel="noopener">was initially listed on</a> the NBA injury report for the team’s game on Saturday night against the Atlanta Hawks. Morant is dealing with low back soreness as the Grizzlies prepare to play the Hawks in Atlanta. So is Morant playing tonight?</p><p>Morant was listed as doubtful, however, the Grizzlies star has been <a href="https://x.com/GrizzliesPR/status/1870512641786921261" rel="noopener">downgraded to out</a>, the team announced. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-rubs-salt-warriors-wound-savage-admission">Morant has played at an All-Star level</a> this season, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-playing-warriors-injury-update">injuries have been a concern for him</a>. The Grizzlies will attempt to defeat the Hawks despite Morant’s injury absence on Saturday.</p><p>The two-time All-Star is currently averaging 21.2 points per game on 44.9 percent field goal shooting. Morant is recording 8.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per outing as well. He is one of the best guards in the league, and the Grizzlies will certainly miss his presence on the floor during Saturday night’s affair.</p><p>With that being said, Memphis has been able to remain competitive even when their best player is not available. The Grizzlies are 7-4 this season without Ja Morant. They are 12-5 when he is available, however. Nevertheless, the 7-4 record will give Grizzlies fans hope heading into the Hawks clash.</p><p>Overall, Memphis holds a strong 19-9 record, which is good for second place in the Western Conference. Atlanta, meanwhile, is seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 14-14 record. The Hawks are certainly capable of pulling off an upset at home, though.</p><p>The Grizzlies are looking to maintain their momentum following their convincing 144-93 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. It was an offensive explosion to say the least from the Grizzlies, so Memphis should have no shortage of confidence moving forward.</p><p>The Hawks were most recently defeated 133-126 by the San Antonio Spurs. Atlanta is hoping to bounce back as soon as possible.</p><p>Tip-off for the Grizzlies-Hawks game is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST on Saturday night as Memphis looks to earn a victory despite Ja Morant’s absence.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Ja Morant out vs. Hawks due to back injury concern

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-rubs-salt-warriors-wound-savage-admission');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grizzlies’ Ja Morant rubs salt into Warriors’ wound with savage admission');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Ja-Morant-rubs-salt-into-Warriors-wound-with-savage-admission.jpg"></figure><h1>Grizzlies’ Ja Morant rubs salt into Warriors’ wound with savage admission</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T00:10:45-08:00">December 20th, 12:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T00:10:54-08:00">December 20th, 12:10am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Memphis Grizzlies (19-9) continue to demonstrate why the FedExForum is one of the most difficult places for visiting teams to play in, as they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-stephen-curry-makes-striking-admission-after-51-point-embarrassment-vs-grizzlies">dismantled the Golden State Warriors</a> on Thursday, 144-93. Ja Morant exited in the second half after landing hard on his back and played just 17 minutes, but domination ensued anyway.</p><p>Memphis sunk a franchise-record 27 3-pointers and enjoyed a lopsided advantage in fast break points (22-4), rebounds (60-36) and assists (38-20). The Warriors did not belong on the same court as the Grizzlies on this night. Morant relished being part of the shellacking, but he <a href="https://x.com/grindcitymedia/status/1869958470986018897" rel="noopener">also took great pleasure in watching</a> it from the bench.</p><p>“For me, when I was out there, it was very fun,” the star point guard said, via Grind City media. “When I wasn’t, it was even funner.”</p><p>If this team is going to make a deep run, Morant will have to be the catalyst. He is “The Guy” on Memphis and one of the most dynamic players in the game today. Though, it is always encouraging to see what the whole squad can accomplish. The West cannot be won without a balanced roster. The Grizzlies are flashing the necessary star power and depth it takes to complete such a conquest.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"for me, when i was out there, it was very fun. when i wasn't, it was even funner." 🤣</p><p>ja morant speaks on the dominant 48 minutes from the grizzlies over the warriors<a href="https://twitter.com/MyMikeCheck?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MyMikeCheck</a> <a href="https://t.co/st4EDZ3unU">pic.twitter.com/st4EDZ3unU</a></p><p>— Grind City Media (@grindcitymedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/grindcitymedia/status/1869958470986018897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Everybody gets to eat in Grizzlies’ win</b></h2><p>Santi Aldama scored a game-high 21 points off the bench, knocked down five 3-pointers, snagged 14 boards and recorded two steals. Jake LaRavia added 19 points and four triples. When the supporting cast excels, this group looks like a terrifying beast. The Warriors were utterly devoured, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-stephen-curry-career-low-point-stunning-blowout-grizzlies">Stephen Curry failed to make</a> any of his seven shot attempts. Morant left his mark on Golden State as well, even in an abbreviated outing.</p><p>The two-time All-Star collected nine points, three assists, two blocks and two swipes in the blowout win. He was<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-playing-warriors-injury-update"> questionable with low back soreness</a> before the matchup, so his exit could obviously exacerbate his discomfort. It is unclear if Morant would have checked back into the game if the score was closer, but considering he missed more than a handful of games after taking a hard fall earlier in the year, his status is definitely worth monitoring.</p><p>Any pain Ja Morant is feeling should be somewhat alleviated by the drubbing he and his teammates unleashed on the Warriors. The second-place Grizzlies aim to continue their ascent up the Western Conference when they square off with the Atlanta Hawks (14-14) in State Farm Arena on Saturday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grizzlies’ Ja Morant rubs salt into Warriors’ wound with savage admission

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-draymond-green-zach-edey-huge-ja-morant-block');   ga('set', 'title', 'Draymond Green, Zach Edey get into it after huge Ja Morant block');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Draymond-Green-Zach-Edey-gets-into-it-after-huge-Ja-Morant-block.jpg"></figure><h1>Draymond Green, Zach Edey get into it after huge Ja Morant block</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T19:09:27-08:00">December 19th, 7:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T19:09:27-08:00">December 19th, 7:09pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>If there’s an altercation during a Golden State Warriors game, it’s a good bet that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/timberwolves-news-rudy-gobert-trolled-gilbert-arenas-draymond-green-altercation">Draymond Green is somewhere nearby</a>. Sure enough, during the Warriors game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, there was a stoppage in play after Draymond Green went chest to chest with Zach Edey and the pair had to be separated. This was after Green went up for a seemingly uncontested shot only to have Ja Morant <a href="https://x.com/SportsCenter/status/1869930548640006537">come flying in from behind</a> and block his attempt.</p><p>The Ja Morant block occurred after Zach Edey left Draymond Green briefly to help after Jonathan Kuminga spun past Santi Aldama to get to the rim. Kuminga dished a pass to an open Green only to have Morant rotate over and surprise him from behind.</p><p>While running back up court on the break, Green and Edey were fighting for positioning and ultimately got in each other’s face following a bit of elbowing.</p><p>Green has never been one to back down from an altercation, and it appears as if Edey is not either even though he is only a rookie. And there is a little bit of recent history between these two. During the last Warriors game against the Grizzlies, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grizzlies-news-taylor-jenkins-zach-edey-delayed-justice-draymond-green-flagrant-foul-upgrade-nba">Green tripped up Edey and the foul was upgraded to a flagrant</a> foul after the game.</p><p>The initial foul led to Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins making postgame comments about the play, which then led to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-draymond-green-rips-apart-grizzlies-taylor-jenkins-zach-edey">Green criticizing Jenkins on his podcast</a> and insinuating that Edey is soft.</p><p>But the Grizzlies responded in an impressive way. As of publication, the Grizzlies were pummeling the Warriors by 50+ points about midway through the fourth quarter. Green registered only a single steal in a little over 19 minutes while shooting 0-of-4 from the field. Edey on the other hand, had eight points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots in a little over 20 minutes of play.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Draymond Green, Zach Edey get into it after huge Ja Morant block

Klay Thompson

John Wall

Ben Simmons

Kyle Kuzma

Ja Morant

Draymond Green

Jimmy Butler

Trae Young

Donovan Mitchell

D'Angelo Russell

1x All Star

2019-20 All-Rookie

2019-20 ROY

2021-22 Most Improved

2x All Star

2021-22 All-NBA

Memphis Grizzlies

Career

https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1646966557371781138/

https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1645216118334803972/

https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1638266849128316928/

https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1631710945557848087/

SC people. is it a live stream to watch Crestwood play today? 👀

https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1630946958926905345/

I need some more upfront 🗣️ @Powerade_US now with 50% More Electrolytes #MoreElectrolytes #Sponsored 

https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1623184552561676295/

Greatest of All Time 👑
💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1623176621661249539/

https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1623175993308377089/

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
21.3	4.7	7.9	0.4	1.2

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
21.3	4.7	7.9	0.4	1.2

Ja
Morant

Latest Ja Morant News

Grizzlies’ Scotty Pippen Jr. drops ‘star’ take on being Ja Morant’s backup

Paige Bueckers-JuJu Watkins gets Ja Morant’s approval after wild USC-UConn game

Grizzlies’ Ja Morant out vs. Hawks due to back injury concern

Grizzlies’ Ja Morant rubs salt into Warriors’ wound with savage admission

Draymond Green, Zach Edey get into it after huge Ja Morant block

Latest Ja Morant Tweets