Ja Morant Show finally returns for Warriors vs. Grizzlies spectacle

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Ja Morant Show finally returns for Warriors vs. Grizzlies spectacle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – One of the better parts of witnessing the Warriors’ 2022 championship run was the view at two away arenas: Memphis and Dallas. The Grizzlies and Mavericks turn back the clock and sit media members courtside for a completely different experience than usual.

As seen Sunday night at Chase Center, Mavs superstar Luka Doncic operates and dominates at his own speed. If the speed limit is 65 miles per hour, he’ll go 40 and still get to the destination first, picking up a 45-point triple-double along the way. Watching Ja Morant speed up and down the floor is a much different viewing experience.

He zooms. He races. His only gear is go, especially a few years ago. Morant is Sonic the Hedgehog, using all 94 feet in length and 50 feet in width to collect his gold rings before finding his real prize, clearing for takeoff on a poster dunk.

The Warriors have seen plenty of Doncic the past few years since beating him in the 2022 Western Conference Finals, facing him seven times since. Doncic missed one regular-season game against the Warriors in each of the past two seasons, but he has played them in both of his chances this season.

The Ja Morant Show has been few and far between since the Warriors and Grizzlies’ rivalry ramped up in the second round of those playoffs. The spectacle finally returns for a Warriors vs. Grizzlies showdown Thursday night at FedExForum.

“He’s healthy. That’s pretty much it. When he’s healthy, he’s Ja,” Gary Payton II said Tuesday after Warriors practice. “That’s all I can give you. When he’s healthy, he’s unpredictable. You just gotta hit first, I guess.”

Despite the Grizzlies dropping two of their first three games against the Warriors in the 2022 playoffs, Morant, quite literally, did all he could. Still only 22 years old at the time, Morant had a 34-point, 10-assist double-double in Game 1, followed by 47 points in Game 2 and another 34 in Game 3. Through three games, Morant was averaging 38.3 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting from the field and 43.3…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ja-morant-show-finally-returns-175026402.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-12-19 17:52:00

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