WATCH: Ja Morant’s ejection that has fans cursing out NBA referees
Ja Morant was ejected from the Memphis Grizzlies' fourth quarter victory against the Sacramento Kings drawing the ire of fans.
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Ja Morant was ejected from Thursday's game against the Sacramento Kings
The Memphis Grizzlies celebrated their 15th win of the 2024-25 NBA season with a 115-110 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. However, the win was overshadowed by Ja Morant’s controversial ejection in the fourth quarter after receiving two technical fouls within 82 seconds.
Ja Morant’s ejection began brewing with 8:07 left in the game when he missed a three-point shot and expressed his frustration toward the referee. The official assessed Morant a technical foul, marking the first warning. The tension escalated just over a minute later when Morant fouled Kings’ guard DeMar DeRozan during a jump shot at the 6:45 mark.
Frustrated with the call, Ja Morant reacted by slamming his fists together in anger. As he headed to the bench, he pointed at the official multiple times while exchanging words, earning a second technical foul and an automatic ejection.
Ja got ejected after receiving his second tech ? pic.twitter.com/JL5VhmJmzv
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 6, 2024
On his way out, Morant mocked the referee with an ejection gesture, leaving fans and analysts alike questioning the referees’ handling of the situation, who have already been facing backlash for their officiating towards one of the most athletically gifted stars in the league.
The Grizzlies star, playing in only his fifth game back from a hip injury, was far from his best. Before being ejected, Morant posted a season-low eight points on 2-of-13 shooting, alongside three rebounds and seven assists. The team, however, managed to rally behind Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart, who each contributed 18 points to seal the victory.
Referees admit to messing up Ja Morant’s ejection
In a Pool Report conducted by Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, officiating crew chief Pat Fraher addressed the ejection and the controversial foul call on Morant. According to Fraher, the initial foul call, which led to Morant’s second technical, was incorrect.
Pat Fraher explained
In live play, the official thought that Morant bumped DeRozan on his jump shot. However, after postgame review, Morant was in legal guarding position and should not have been called for a foul.
The Pool Report following the Sacramento at Memphis game tonight. pic.twitter.com/lMOZVrb9g9
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 6, 2024
The technical fouls issued to Ja Morant, however, were upheld, particularly the first one, as it stemmed from his use of profanity towards the officials. While the referees acknowledged their mistake regarding the foul, the NBA is unlikely to rescind the technicals or ejection as the conduct during the sequence remained in violation of league rules.
Thankfully for Memphis, the team’s depth proved vital in securing the win. Had the Grizzlies lost, the backlash from fans and the media could have been far more severe. With a tight Western Conference race, every game carries significant weight, and losing a key player down the stretch of games to questionable officiating decisions remains a point of concern for teams across the league.
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Armaan Gupta
(324 Articles Published)