Ja Morant has become in his own right the character of the season in the NBA. The base has left behind the label of being just a spectacular player to become the leader of a team with capital letters such as the Memphis Grizzlies. A set that is already more than a revelation and that has established itself as the Western Conference third strength after imposing on the San Antonio Spurs (118-105) in a game in which Morant confirmed his legitimate candidacy to be among the regular season MVP candidates.
An award for which already has the endorsement of NBA legends such as Allen Iverson, who after the Grizzlies point guard’s great match posted a photo on his Twitter account showing the MVP trophy he won in 2001 with the jersey of the Grizzlies player.
The point guard prolonged his dream moment and, after the 46 points endorsed last Saturday to the Chicago Bullsanot 52 to knock down the San Antonio Spurs, which is the best performance of his career. In fact, Morant became the first player in the last 33 years to surpass his franchise’s scoring record in consecutive games. The last one to do it was Tony Campbell en 1989 for some Minnesota Timberwolves that had just been born and had barely played two games in the NBA.
A ‘spectacular’ record
Morant has made history with the Grizzlies, who have become the last franchise in the NBA to have at least one player capable of scoring 50 points in a game. Tennessee was the only team that hadn’t made it until the NBA’s hottest point guard knocked down the last wall he had left to beat.
And he did it in the way that only he knows how to do: raising the public and his companions from their seats. First with a spectacular play to end the second quarter. Steven Adams draws from the bottom with four tenths to play. The New Zealander dresses as a quarterback and puts the ball on the other side of the court where Morant picks it up in the air and scores without falling to the ground. A basket that was only the appetizer of what was to come. In the third quarter the point guard decided to take his power out for a walk and signed NBA Slam Dunk of the Year by hanging over a 2.13 like Jakob Poeltl in an action that will remain in the retina of all the fans present at the FedEx Forum.
“I am grateful to my teammates, my coaches and everyone in the team. They all believe in me and have all the confidence in the world that I’m going to make the right plays.“, assured Morant after a game in which he also broke the franchise record for field goals scored after closing the game with a spectacular 22 of 30, including four of four from the triple. These are the numbers that certify that we are facing the next great phenomenon of an NBA that already surrenders at his feet.
