The Memphis Grizzlies rallied from a late four-point deficit with 16 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to defeat the Phoenix Suns in overtime. Ja Morant, who finished the game shooting 1-12 from three, connected from three with nine seconds remaining before connecting on a 17-foot floater to tie the game with one second remaining.
Despite ending the game shooting 7-25 from the field, Morant finished with 29 points and eight assists playing through his struggles by getting to the free throw line, where he shot 14-14. After beginning the game missing his first eight shot attempts, Morant finally made his first field goal on a fast break dunk early in the third quarter.
His second made field goal attempt came on an alley-oop dunk attempt that delivered the quote of the year.
"My nose was bleeding. My Wi-Fi went out" - Ja Morant
Midway through the third quarter, with the Grizzlies trailing by five points, Jaylen Wells made a drive toward the free throw line before tossing a pass for an alley-oop dunk to Ja Morant. At that point of the game, Morant was shooting 1-13 and needed a spark for not only the team but also himself to retain the player who eventually returned to form by the end of the fourth quarter.
What was different between this dunk attempt versus his first made attempt earlier in that same quarter? Outside of it being a dunk off of a pass versus a fast break attempt Morant jumped so high on the alley-oop pass that his head was above the rim, and it nearly led to him hitting his head on the rim.
His high-flying dunk attempt led to one of the best quotes heard around the NBA in a season where the league is getting a lot of turmoil for its play and coverage. However, his quote brought relation back to the fans that sit in the upper level of arenas, also considered the "nosebleed seats."
Ja Morant on the alley oop dunk:
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) February 26, 2025
“My nose was bleeding. My WiFi went out. They told me I had to wait 15 minutes. I tried to come down as soon as possible.” https://t.co/qtp0AjxPe6
Also, the Wi-Fi on technology devices drops the higher that you are in the air, as is the case on airplane flights. That play was much needed for Morant to gain his mojo, as he finished the game shooting 5-11 after that attempt.
Ja Morant has struggled with his shot and not getting foul calls throughout this season but fought through the struggles when the team needed it the most last night. He had a similar shooting game against the Minnesota Timberwolves last month but made the game-tying and game-winning shots with the game on the line.
Ja Morant got his swagger back against the Suns, and that is what this team needs going forward if they want to become true contenders in the Western Conference.