Watch Ja Morant fool the defense with a dizzying behind-the-back
The Memphis Grizzlies took a commanding lead in a series that everybody expected them to lose in. After stealing the first game though, they would drop the next three, finding themselves in a 3-1 hole.
That said, the Grizzlies have been extremely competitive throughout the entire series. In fact, it has been one of the better 1st seed vs. 8th seed matchups in recent memory, with the Grizzlies giving the Jazz a run for their money in each game.
And even though the scoreboard hasn’t reflected the Grizzlies’ hard work and energy on the court, Memphis has kept things exciting, with competitive basketball and a handful of flashy plays from Ja Morant.
Memphis Grizzlies PG Ja Morant dazzled the crowd with a nifty behind-the-back on Monday
On Monday, Morant gave us another game full of flashy plays that resulted in easy buckets for the second-year star. At this point, it’s hard to act surprised, as he does this nearly every game, but the excitement is still there.
It started with a move that nobody saw coming. Morant dribbled downcourt in transition but was heavily outnumbered by members of the Utah Jazz. At three against one, it looked like he’d simply slow down and wait for his teammates. Ja Morant had different plans.
The Grizzlies star pulled a classic move out of his arsenal — a backwards behind-the-back reverse that was reminiscent of a prime Tracy McGrady. The move freed him up down low, where he would get a rare easy layup against Utah. The entire sequence can be seen in a tweet by the Memphis Grizzlies official Twitter account below.
12's PLAYGROUND. @JaMorant | #NxtUpMemphis pic.twitter.com/8iAPXnKDu8
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) June 1, 2021
The best part? Morant wasn’t done there. Shortly after this play, he would pull another trick out of the bag, putting the Jazz defense in a spin cycle, opening himself up for an easy floater. He did this despite the presence of Royce O’Neale and Derrick Favors, two much taller defenders, standing between him and the hoop.
The two Utah Jazz big men didn’t know where to look. The sequence can be seen on the Memphis Grizzlies official Twitter account as well.
dark. Next. The Grizzlies created a player who will cause their demise
Ja has been nothing short of stellar in his first appearance in the NBA Playoffs. Hopefully, the rest of the team can step up to help the Grizzlies avoid elimination