Ja Morant and rival coach bump heads over ‘trolling’ during game
Ja Morant and the Nets' head coach addressed their fiery exchange following the Grizzlies' 135-119 victory over Brooklyn.
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Ja Morant and Jordi Fernandez go off on each other after tussle
Tempers ran high during Friday night’s matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets. Ja Morant’s antics on the court, including a mid-game stare-down and exchanges with Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, set the tone for a tense contest at FedEx Forum. The Grizzlies ultimately secured a convincing 135-119 victory, but the game was overshadowed by the simmering tension.
The tension began late in the first half when Ja Morant knocked down a jumper and proceeded to stare Fernandez down as he made his way back up the court.
The situation escalated in the fourth quarter when a verbal exchange between Morant and Fernandez drew Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins and Brooklyn guard Dennis Schroder into the fray. Fernandez spoke on the incident after the game.
I will never speak to other [teams’] players, and I don’t want other [teams’] players to speak to me. If they want to be nice, obviously it’s part of the game to interact. If not, I don’t want any interaction. I think it’s disrespectful. That’s what we are projecting to everybody else, playing with respect for the game, whether you’re a superstar or whoever you are.
Jordi Fernandez told reporters postgame
Fernandez’s remarks were a clear rebuke of Morant’s on-court behavior, suggesting the Grizzlies star crossed a line by engaging in what Fernandez viewed as unsportsmanlike conduct. The Grizzlies and their HC Taylor Jenkins themselves have been very vocal about the ‘code’ maintained between players in the league.
Surely it will be interesting to see if Ja Morant’s action adhere to Jenkins described ‘code’. While Friday’s game marked the final regular-season meeting between the Grizzlies and Nets, the tension is unlikely to fade before their next encounter.
Ja Morant responds as Grizzlies extend winning streak
One thing is for certain about Ja Morant. No matter what happens, he does not back down from his word. Despite the drama, Morant maintained his position after the game, explaining that his actions were meant to be provocative trash talk at worst and fiery banter at best.
On my end, I was trolling, just to get them riled up. And they did. It ain’t too much on my side. I even told the coach that, that I was trolling, so he was good. I don’t know what was said on their end to have coach [Jenkins] like that, but at the end, I just went to make sure coach was good.
Ja Morant explained
Morant’s performance on the court backed up his bravado. The Grizzlies star finished with 28 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, leading Memphis to its fourth consecutive win. Supporting contributions from Desmond Bane (21 points), Santi Aldama (20 points), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (20 points) highlighted a dominant team effort.
The Grizzlies boast the league’s top offense, with an offensive rating exceeding 122 over their recent stretch. With Ja Morant playing at a near MVP-caliber level and strong contributions from the supporting cast, Memphis has elevated itself to the 2nd seed in the West after going 9-1 in their last 10 games. The Grizzlies have definitely established themselves as a serious contender in the West.
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Armaan Gupta
(327 Articles Published)