Ja Morant Stats Tonight: Breaking down Grizzlies superstar's performance against Rockets (Oct. 25)
Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies played their second game of the season against the Houston Rockets on the road on Friday. It was a rough night for Memphis, who blew a 12-point lead and lost 128-108 after an underwhelming second-half performance. Morant was the only major contributor, but even he had his lowlights. Here are his stats from tonight:
Morant had 24 points, two assists and six turnovers with one foul on 8-17 from the field, 2-4 from 3-point range and 6 of 9 from the free throw line.
Breaking down Ja Morant's performance vs Rockets
In search of a 2-0 start to the year, Ja Morant and Co. were quick out of the gates on offense, dropping 38 points in the first quarter. However, they conceded just as many.
The Grizzlies gained some separation in the second quarter thanks to Morant's burst. He scored seven quick points in less than a minute to give Memphis a 46-40 lead. Morant was subbed out with nine minutes left but he had provided enough of a spark to give his team a game-high 12-point lead.
He re-entered the game with two minutes left in the half. However, he missed three shots as the Grizzlies entered the locker room with a 65-59 lead.
Ja Morant and Memphis didn't have the best third quarter as the game swung in the Rockets' favor. Morant could only add six more points to his tally in that stretch, shooting 2 of 5. He had one assist. His turnover issues continued as he took his tally to five, with the Grizzlies trailing 98-83.
The game looked out of reach from that point on despite Memphis' best efforts to make a comeback. Morant added only three points to his tally and another turnover in the clutch. The Rockets' ball pressure on defense made it difficult for the All-Star to find his spots as the game progressed.
The Rockets also did an excellent job of cutting down his passing lanes, restricting him to two assists and forcing six turnovers. With others failing to knock down shots consistently, Houston's defense was able to focus on guarding Morant.