LeBron James hails Ja Morant as 'a great one' after Lakers loss
Memphis snap five-game losing streak by beating team they could face in playoffs
Sunday 1 March 2020 09:13, UK
When LeBron James heaps praise on a 20-year-old after losing a battle on the court, you know it's meaningful.
"The kid is super special," said James, after duelling with Ja Morant, the point guard on the Memphis Grizzlies who is the leading Rookie of the Year candidate.
"Like I said when we just played him in LA, Memphis got a great one. So, the sky's the limit for the kid."
James' totals of 19 points and 10 assists were topped by the No 2 pick from Murray State on Saturday. Morant had 27 points and matched his season high with 14 assists, as the Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Lakers 105-88 in Memphis.
Memphis snapped their five-game losing streak by beating the team they could face in the playoffs if they hold on to the last spot in the Western Conference.
"We just locked in, stayed focused, learned from our losses and came out and played a full 48 (minutes)," Morant said. "We were able to come out with a great win."
Dillon Brooks added 24 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 22 points and 20 rebounds as the Grizzlies helped their chances of keeping the eighth spot in the West.
Memphis holds a 2 1/2- game edge on the New Orleans Pelicans, who were idle Saturday night and play the Lakers on Sunday. The San Antonio Spurs, who beat Orlando 114-113 on Saturday night, trail Memphis by three.
"We knew they were going to play with desperation. They are currently the eighth seed in the playoffs and lost five straight," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. "Our guys have done a great job most of the year of playing with energy and matching the home team. We just fell short of that."
The Lakers other superstar Anthony Davis finished with 15 points and nine rebounds as Los Angeles lost for only the second time in February. The 88 points was a season-low for the Lakers, who shot 41% for the game, including only 9 of 36 from 3-point range.
The Lakers, the top team in the West, entered the game on a seven-game winning streak, but trailed by as many as 22 in the third quarter as Memphis continued to get balanced scoring. The Lakers brought James into more of an active role and a couple of 3-pointers started the second half.
But Memphis continued to extend the lead and held an 86-66 advantage entering the fourth.
The Memphis lead dropped to single digits with just under 7 minutes left after a 7-0 Lakers run. But Memphis immediately built the lead back to 18 near the three-minute mark, and Vogel put in his reserves.
"They just played a great game. Shot the ball extremely well from the perimeter," James said. "Ja made four threes. Dillon was really good all game and Valanciunas, I think he had like 50 rebounds the last two games. They just played a really good game and kept us at bay."
The Grizzlies hadn't won since the All-Star break and their hold on the final playoff spot had started to dwindle. But, at least outwardly, the young Grizzlies seem to keep their composure.
"We understand there's going to be adversity," Morant said. "So, there's no reason to panic. We're going to control what we can. That's how we play on the floor."
