After struggling to find his groove all series long, Ja Morant showed up big in Game 5, delivering a victory to his Grizzlies after knocking in a game-winning layup.
It completed an absolute masterpiece for Ja, who finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists on the night.
GAME WINNER BY JA MORANT! 😤 https://t.co/J0OXOhYIrL
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) April 27, 2022
As expected, social media was buzzing with praise and appreciation for the young stud, who came through for his team in their time of need.
FINALLY: JA MORANT WENT SUPERSTAR IN THE FOURTH QUARTER ON PATBEV AND THE TWOLVES. HUGE FREE THROWS. HUGE THREE. HUGE GAME-WINNER OFF THE GLASS WITH A SECOND LEFT. WAY TO GO, YOUNG MAN. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 27, 2022
JA MORANT IS DIFFERENT DIFFERENT
— Calaen Robinson (@CalaenRobinson) April 27, 2022
Grizzlies: “We need you to hit the game winner!”
Ja Morant: pic.twitter.com/WEyZVCWqOp
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) April 27, 2022
Ever since Pat Bev did this, Ja Morant has had 13 points in 3 minutes and a game winner. @JaMorant pic.twitter.com/mlDrGDW1wc
— Tyler Barberis (@tylerbarberis_) April 27, 2022
Ja morant that guy period. pic.twitter.com/MzHXy95n1F
— EmanTM (@EmanTM3) April 27, 2022
your apologies to ja morant should be as loud as your disrespect
— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) April 27, 2022
Ja Morant is a DAWGGGGGGGGG
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 27, 2022
https://twitter.com/RivendellInonog/status/1519139802129768448https://twitter.com/RivendellInonog/status/1519142592990281728
THAT'S JA MORANT EVERYONE #MVP pic.twitter.com/BqOrqZzlRj
— Santiago Perdiz (@SantiagoPerdizz) April 27, 2022
As the NBA’s Most Improved Player this year, everyone knows how good Morant has become. In just his third season in the NBA, the All-Star averaged 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game on 49.3% shooting as he led Memphis to the 2nd seed in the West.
According to Kevin Durant, the guy is a mix between Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook.
“He’s a combination of players, I feel,” Durant said, via Nick Friedell of ESPN. “I think the greatest players in our game can transform into anybody at any given point. And I think Ja’s on the way to that. When he’s playing, I see like two or three, four different Hall of Famers in his game. From [Allen] Iverson, to he might make a [Michael] Jordan-like layup, or he might run down the court like a [Russell] Westbrook or a [Derrick Rose]. And his float game is up there with some of the best that’s ever played. I don’t want to gas him up too much since we’re playing against him, but I think the sky’s the limit for him. His future is obviously bright. He makes everybody better … even opponents, so it’s about the level you approach that game with and I’m looking forward to it.”
As great as the win must have felt for Memphis, they can’t afford to loosen up now. Against a very passionate Minnesota squad, they need to be at the top of their game if they want to close the series out on Saturday.
Still, this is a great sign for what’s to come. No matter how far the Grizzlies go this season, Morant is proving that he can play when the lights are brightest — and that is nothing to be ignored.
