"You’re a 3X champion; one of the greatest ever... you’ll put up 25 in your sleep" - Stephen A. Smith calls out 5x All-Star for poor outing against Memphis Grizzlies, asks him to "stop pressing"
Stephen A. Smith called out Klay Thompson after he struggled with his shooting in Game 2 against the Memphis Grizzlies in their Western Conference semifinals matchup.
Thompson, a three-time NBA champion, went 5-of-19 (26.3%) from the field, including 2-of-12 (16.7%) from downtown, recording just 12 points. It provided a helping hand to the Grizzlies, who evened the seven-game series 1-1 with a 106-101 win against the Golden State Warriors.
1-1. https://t.co/6HHBYLOqYy
Smith took to Twitter to express his disappointment with Thompson after the Warriors' loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He wrote:
"He needs to be reminded: you’re a 3X champion. One of the greatest ever. Just play your game. You’ll put up 25 in your sleep. Stop pressing. I still believe in the @warriors. But @JaMorant? Good Lord Have Mercy!"
Correction. I did not mean Wiggins. Just @KlayThompson. He needs to be reminded: you’re a 3X champion. One of the greatest ever. Just play your game. You’ll put up 25 in your sleep. Stop pressing. I still believe in the @warriors. But @JaMorant? Good Lord Have Mercy!
Smith's criticism of Thompson was on point. It was the Warriors' shooting-guard's ninth-worst shooting game from the field in his 130-game playoff career. It was also only the fourth time the five-time All Star was unable to hit more than two triples while attempting double-digit shots from beyond the arc in the playoffs.
Ja Morant gives Memphis Grizzlies thrilling win as Klay Thompson struggles with his shooting
With Klay Thompson struggling with his shooting on Tuesday night at FedExForum, it was Ja Morant who dazzled the crowd with his heroics.
Morant tied his playoff career-high of 47 points as he helped deliver a crucial victory for the Memphis Grizzlies. The 22-year-old scored the last 15 points for the Grizzlies as they outscored the Dubs 15-6 in the final 4:40 minutes of the game to level the conference semifinals.
Ja Morant WENT OFF for 47 points, scoring the final 15 points for the @memgrizz to lead them to the Game 2 victory and tie the series at 1-1! #GrindCity
Ja Morant: 47 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL, 5 3PM
Jaren Jackson Jr: 12 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK
Game 3: Sat. 8:30pm/et on ABC https://t.co/HJvCAc0HL1
Teammate Xavier Tillman, who finished with seven points and six rebounds for the Grizzlies, said of Morant's incredible clutch play at the end of the game:
"I feel like I just watched him transform into a true closer...now he's like nah I got it, last 3 minutes I got it don't even worry about it."
"I feel like I just watched him transform into a true closer...now he's like nah I got it, last 3 minutes I got it don't even worry about it"
Xavier Tillman on the growth of Ja Morant in clutch situations. https://t.co/Lgl7UmuL2q
According to ESPN stats, Ja Morant is the third player in NBA history to have multiple 45-point games in the playoffs before turning 23, joining LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. He also had eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
Morant's performance came two nights after Klay Thompson played some incredible help defense on him to deny him the game-winning layup in Game 1. Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins summed up Morant's performance the best with these words:
"I though he was actually significantly better at the ends... Super impressed by what Ja did tonight on both ends."
"Super impressed by what Ja did tonight on both ends"
@memgrizz Head Coach Taylor Jenkins on @JaMorant's play late in Game 2. https://t.co/wijIeRuKhW
Memphis will look to Morant once again when they head to the Chase Center for Games 3 and 4 of the series.