In a night that had fans at the Barclays Center doing double-takes and rewinding their highlight reels, Ja Morant put on an absolute aerial display. The Memphis Grizzlies guard, fully recharged and looking like his usual explosive self, threw down not one but two jaw-dropping 360-degree spins in mid-air against the Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately for Memphis, all of Morant’s wizardry wasn’t enough to secure the win, as the Grizzlies fell in a nail-biter, 106-104.
It was midway through the second quarter when Morant decided he had warmed up enough. Off a slick pass from Santi Aldama, Morant barreled down the court straight into a blockade of Nic Claxton and Keon Johnson. Most players would have maybe attempted a standard layup or, at most, a dunk, but not Ja. Morant opted for the crowd-pleaser and pulled off a 360-degree mid-air spin while floating past both defenders like he was taking a Sunday stroll. And just like that, the Grizzlies led 45-41.
But he wasn’t done. Later, in the third quarter, Morant spun through the air again, leaving the audience and the Nets’ defense momentarily hypnotized. If his nickname isn’t officially “The Tornado” yet, it’s time we made that a thing.
Despite Morant’s theatrics, the Grizzlies came up just shy of the win, in part due to Brooklyn’s balanced offensive performance. Dennis Schroder and Cam Johnson led the Nets with 20 points apiece, while Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Thomas provided solid backup with 17 and 13 points, respectively. It was a team effort that got the job done, even if they had to watch Morant look like an NBA Street character come to life.
Morant ended the night with an impressive 25 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, reminding everyone that the only thing scarier than a Grizzlies team with Morant is… well, Morant himself. Rookie center Zach Edey also stepped up, matching Morant’s 25 points with an added 12 rebounds for good measure. Jaren Jackson Jr. chipped in with 15 points, but the Grizzlies just couldn’t quite close the gap.
The narrow loss drops Memphis to a 4-4 record, putting them in 10th place in the Western Conference. But with Morant back at full throttle and dunking as if gravity were merely a suggestion, Memphis fans have plenty of reasons for optimism. So far, Morant has been averaging 20.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists, shooting a respectable 45.3% from the field across seven games this season. For a player who endured a tumultuous 2023-24 season riddled with injuries and a suspension, this is a comeback that should make the rest of the league a little nervous.
Next up, the Grizzlies head back to Memphis to face the LA Lakers, a team currently struggling to guard anyone with a pulse. If the Lakers’ defensive woes continue, we might see more highlight-reel plays from Morant that leave defenders spinning—literally and figuratively. The Grizzlies play their next two games at home before embarking on a three-game road trip against their Western Conference rivals, with Morant leading the charge and Memphis hoping their mid-air maestro can deliver the goods.
Will we see another gravity-defying dunk? Probably. Will it be enough to edge out the competition this time? Only Ja knows.
