“The block that he had against the Lakers, talking smack to LeBron, these guys, they're hungry” - Shaquille O’Neal on Morant and the Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies won their 11th game in a row on Thursday after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-108. After the match, NBA on TNT analyst and Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal had nothing but praise for a young Grizzlies team that has taken over the league.
O'Neal, alongside Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, discussed the Grizzlies after the game. O'Neal was really impressed by the young core in Memphis, especially Ja Morant, and praised their hunger for victory.
"They're starting the culture down there. They're young, they play hard, they play energetic, they play believe and this Ja Morant kid, he's in the conversation, but he believes he's the best player in the league. The block that he had the other day against the Lakers, talking smack to LeBron. These guys, they're young, they're hungry and they want it," Shaq said.
They’re hungry, they’re young and they want it” 👏
The Inside Guys discuss the emergence of the young Grizzlies squad
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Charles Barkley went on to compare the Memphis Grizzlies to the San Antonio Spurs because of their next man up mentality. The Grizzlies were missing two starters in Steven Adams and Dillon Brooks, but multiple players stepped up for them.
Meanwhile, Kenny Smith likened the physicality of the young Grizzlies to teams led by Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley such as the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. Memphis might have a young roster, but head coach Taylor Jenkins has instilled some Grit-N-Grind mentality in his players. The Grizzlies look like a dangerous team heading into the playoffs.
JA MORANT 🤯
ONE OF THE MOST ATHLETIC BLOCKS YOU’LL EVER SEE. https://t.co/mSBEajPDtK
Memphis Grizzlies extend winning streak to 11, move up to third in the West
The Memphis Grizzlies are now third in the Western Conference standings after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-108 on Thursday. The Grizzlies have now won 11 games in a row and are looking more like real playoff contenders this season.
Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 16 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, while Desmond Bane scored a game-high 21 points. Morant and Bane are two of the favorites to win the NBA's Most Improved Player award this season. John Konchar and Brandon Clarke also had big games off the bench.
11 of em https://t.co/Hnu2ypPiBu
The Minnesota Timberwolves put up a fight against Memphis with Anthony Edwards scoring 30 points. Karl-Anthony Towns added 25 points and nine rebounds, while D'Angelo Russell had 29 points and six assists. The loss puts the Timberwolves two games under .500 with a 20-22 record.
The Grizzlies have embarked on an amazing run since Morant went down with an injury more than a month ago. The Grizzlies are 20-4 since then, 10-2 without Morant and have had multiple winning streaks. Morant has been netting 24.6 pts per game and 6.8 assists in the 31 games he has played this regular season.
They will be tested in their next few games against the Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.