AFTER many years of waiting:The Memphis Grizzlies has officially announced the coming of an all time player.
New York – Kevin Durant was having difficulty navigating the Memphis Grizzlies’ aggressive defense. James Harden was unable to hit his target in the third quarter. Patty Mills was held scoreless. Despite the shooting struggles of its key players, the Brooklyn Nets remained in the game, within striking distance of the young but bold Grizzlies. After Durant missed a 3-pointer and Harden missed a floater, Grizzlies big Steven Adams grabbed the rebound and immediately looked for his point guard, Ja Morant.
Morant moved quickly, like a grizzly bear, to find his shot. He could smell blood from a distance. Morant outperformed Durant. Then, in one swift motion, Morant flipped the ball from his left to right and put down a ferocious dunk that shook the Barclays Center to its foundation. The Memphis bench and several of the 17,089 supporters in attendance yelled their approval. That slam marked Morant’s debut as an NBA star.
Morant, who had just been named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week, scored half of his 36 points during Memphis’ massive third-quarter run, during which the team opened up a 28-point lead. Morant led the Grizzlies’ offense, hitting 14 of 22 shots, grabbing six rebounds, eight assists, and finishing with a game-high plus-24 as the Grizzlies defeated the struggling Nets 118-104 on Monday night. A week after Morant scored 33 points against Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns and 41 points against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, Durant and the Nets were crushed by the Grizzlies’ freight train.
“Those guys are among the best [players] to ever play the game. It’s quite unique to be able to compete with men of that caliber. “I just try to be myself and go out there and do what I have to do on the court to put my team in a position to win,” Morant said following his outstanding effort in Brooklyn. Durant became a fan when asked about Morant. “He’s just controlling the game,” Durant said of Morant. “He’s always been a capable point guard. He’s also grown into a major scorer. He just plays at a fast speed, with love and excitement, and you
see him bloom in front of our eyes.”
