Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant didn’t hold back in his assessment of his team’s performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. When asked about how he’d talk to the team after the loss, Morant responded by saying:
“We will never play that bad again.”
"We will never play that bad again" 🗣️
Ja did not mince words after a tough Game 1 loss to OKC pic.twitter.com/MpbdrriG7g
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 20, 2025
Morant’s blunt response regarding the game is justified. The loss to the Thunder in Game 1 is a hard pill to swallow for the Grizzlies. Memphis was effectively out of the running to win the game within the first half itself. By the end of the second, the Thunder had made history by winning Game 1 with the highest point differential in NBA history.
The Grizzlies’ 80-131 loss will be a massive blow to the team’s confidence. Memphis fought its way through the Play-In tournament to secure the eighth seed in the West. However, with effectively no time to rest, Memphis inevitably succumbed to the best team in the West on Sunday.
Morant himself had a rather underwhelming performance. The Grizzlies’ star recorded 17 points, three rebounds, and four assists while shooting 6-17 from the field in the chaotic display.
Morant’s contribution was only matched by Marvin Bagley III, who also notched an equal number of points. This is a fairly accurate summation of how poor Memphis had been on the offensive side of the ball.
The Grizzlies shot 34.4% from the field and an abysmal 17.6% from beyond the three-point line. In comparison, the Thunder shot 35.4% from three-point territory on 14 more shot attempts. Players such as Chet Holmgren, Luguentz Dort, and Aaron Wiggins shot the long ball with tremendous accuracy, effectively neutralizing Memphis’ defensive schemes.
The larger concern for Memphis, however, should be Morant’s physical condition for the postseason. The star guard suffered a minor injury in the Play-In matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Although he had a solid performance against the Dallas Mavericks, the Grizzlies will hope that this drop-off in output from Game 1 was purely due to fatigue or a “bad night”.
Morant’s leadership is one of the primary reasons the Grizzlies have been a fairly competitive side in the last few years. Barring his antics and immature behavior off the court, the 25-year-old is one of the most exciting and versatile performers on the floor.
With a loss in the books, the Grizzlies will be best served by setting their sights on Game 2 to regain their footing. With only one day off, Memphis will need to maximize the time spent on recovery to ensure they are in the best condition heading into Game 2 on Tuesday at 7:30 pm ET.
