Skip Bayless straightforwardly warns Ja Morant: “Laughing now, won’t be Sunday”
Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies are in high spirits after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in their play-in tournament matchup on Friday. By clinching the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, the Grizzlies have earned themselves a best-of-seven series against the top seed OKC Thunder.
If veteran analyst Skip Bayless had to make a guess, the upbeat vibes of Morant and his teammates won't last for long. After Memphis' 120-106 victory over Dallas at FedEx Forum, Bayless posted a curt tweet:
"Ja is laughing now. He won’t be Sunday," Bayless posted on X.
To Bayless' point, the Grizzlies went 0-4 in their season series with the Thunder. OKC, the best defensive team in the league in addition to being a top-3 offense, has defeated Memphis by an average margin of 18.8 points.
The Thunder's most lopsided victory over the Grizzlies came all the way back on Dec. 29, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 35 points, six rebounds, and seven assists to lead OKC to a 130-106 win.
More recently, the Thunder handed the Grizzlies a 125-104 beating on Mar. 27. This was thanks to the stellar play of SGA (37 points, 7-for-9 from the free throw line), Jalen Williams (20 points on 50% shooting), and Isaiah Hartenstein (18 points, 11 rebounds).
Still, the Grizzlies are ready to put up a fight as they bank on the playoff experience of veterans Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis is also equipped with youth, size, and athleticism — which is what Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey, and Scotty Pippen Jr. bring to the table.
Video clip of Ja Morant's trash talk with Mavs big man goes viral
Of the course, the heart and soul of the Grizzlies remains Morant. If anything, his fearless attitude rubs off on the rest of his team.
This attitude was on full blast in a video clip posted by ESPN during the Mavericks-Grizzlies game. In this clip, the All-Star guard is exchanging trash talk with Dallas big man Anthony Davis:
"I'll guard you, though," Davis warns Morant. To this, Morant says, "Come on. Come on!"
While Morant and the Grizzlies overcame the challenge posed by Davis, defeating the Thunder in a best-of-seven series is another story.