"The guy's got rockets in his calf muscles" - LeBron James lauds Ja Morant's incredible block during the Memphis Grizzlies-LA Lakers game
LA Lakers star LeBron James heaped praise on Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant's athleticism following their epic clash on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. Memphis claimed a 127-119 win over LeBron and the crew.
The Lakers contained Morant well, limiting him to just 16 points on four of 10 shooting. Nevertheless, he managed to impact the game with his defense and playmaking.
Morant dished out seven assists and also recorded a steal and an unreal block that was the highlight of the match. Ja Morant tracked LA Lakers guard Avery Bradley to make a chase-down block as the latter went up for a layup attempt midway through the first quarter.
Morant's athleticism helped him pull off the highlight play. He elevated high enough to end up catching the ball and not just swatting it away. Here's the clip:
ARE YOU KIDDING ME JA MORANT?! 🤯
@JaMorant | #NBAAllStar https://t.co/naMJocd3Pj
Lakers leader LeBron James, who is known to be a chase-down block specialist himself, had interesting comments to make regarding this play by Ja Morant. Here's what he said in the post-game press conference (via Cooper Harlpen):
"It starts with timing, and stalking your prey...that guy's got rockets in his calf muscles."
Morant's athleticism for someone who plays at the one has always been amazing to watch. It's one of the Grizzlies star's best traits and has allowed him to excel in scoring so many points inside the paint.
He seems to be making the best use of it on defense as well. If he continues to develop in that direction, Morant could become one of the best two-way players in the league over the next few years.
LeBron James drops 35 points in LA Lakers first loss in five games
The LA Lakers dropped to 21-20 for the season following their latest loss to Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. LeBron James was the only player who got going for the Lakeshow as he tallied 35 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 73.7% shooting from the floor.
The remaining LA Lakers starters, comprising Russell Westbrook, Stanley Johnson, Malik Monk and Avery Bradley, accounted for only 22 points combined. LA had a 21-0 run to end the match, but the Grizzlies built a 28-point lead with six minutes left on the game-clock as the Lakers eventually fell short and lost by eight.
LeBron tonight:
35 PTS
9 RBS
7 AST
Russ/Monk/Melo combined:
20 PTS
7-33 FG
Yikes. 🤯 https://t.co/GZhBAAD9hy
This was LeBron James' 18th 30-point game of the campaign. The Lakers have lost eight times during that stretch. The LA Lakers will need the rest of their players like Russell Westbrook, Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony to play more consistently if they are to achieve positive results going forward.