Friday night's victory over the Brooklyn Nets not only helped the Memphis Grizzlies avoid a 3-0 season sweep at the hands of the under .500 Nets, but it extended the Grizzlies' win streak to four games, including winning 10 out of their last 11 games.
The game included fireworks as the tension rose throughout from both teams resulting in eight technical fouls called, a normally chill Santi Aldama getting fired up, and Nets head coach Jordy Fernandez calling the Grizzlies "disrespectful" for trash-talking him.
Stakes were high for the Grizzlies not to lose three times to an inferior foe and Ja Morant let that be known with an 18-point first half, including a buzzer-beating step-back jumper to give the Grizzlies a 13-point halftime lead and him yelling out "yeah" while walking near the Nets head coach.
JA MORANT AT THE BUZZER pic.twitter.com/noEIIWYTnQ
— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) December 14, 2024
The Grizzlies' young nucleus has been known as a trash-talking team dating back to the 2021-22 season that ended with losing to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games in the second round of the playoffs. Their first-round series that year against the Minnesota Timberwolves provided a high level of back and forth before their second-round battle with the Warriors.
Earlier in that same season LeBron James took exception to Desmond Bane trash-talking in a Grizzlies-Lakers matchup that began the heel turn for the Grizzlies transitioning from NBA darlings to the villains. The next season the Grizzlies played the Lakers in the first round of the NBA playoffs and after former forward Dillon Brooks called LeBron James "old," the Lakers defeated the Grizzlies three of the next four games of a 1-1 series to end the Grizzlies season.
The Memphis Grizzlies aren't as young as they were in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, and this season they have appeared to be a more focused team. However, their battle against the Nets on Friday night brought the intensity back to the team after the Nets assistant coaches appeared to begin the back-and-forth.
Ja Morant on the back and forth with the Nets throughout the game that led to techs in the final moments:
— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) December 14, 2024
"Nothing for real on my end, I was trolling just to get them riled up, and they did."
Said he "didn't say nothing crazy" to Jordi Fernandez at the end of the first half. pic.twitter.com/b01aDWD39i
The polarizing nature of the Grizzlies' trash talk gets under the skin of the rest of the league when they are winning and that has been the case as of late. The Grizzlies have returned to the NBA's elite after a down season and the league has been put on notice.
The Brooklyn Nets secured two victories over the Grizzlies early this season in games the Grizzlies were working through roster development with early-season injuries. Friday night, the close-to-full-health Grizzlies delivered the first blow and the Nets' retaliation attempt led to them faltering and crying wolf at the game's end.
Trash-talking has been around the game for years and the Grizzlies have taken on the assignment of being a trash-talking team. The rest of the league had a season off from the Grizzlies being that team but they have returned and are here to stay.