Despite having his vision affected after he was poked in the eye in the third quarter, star guard Ja Morant had one of the most impressive performances of his career on Tuesday, scoring 47 points – including the Grizzlies‘ final 15 points – to lead the team to a Game 2 victory over Golden State. Morant told reporters after the game that he was having trouble seeing out of his left eye in the fourth quarter, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
“I can see on the middle. I can’t see on the outside. I got punched trying to get the rebound,” Morant said. “I got another good eye over here (on the right side) — 20-20 vision right here. Thank God for my right eye.”
As Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer details, the Warriors had no answer for Morant after Gary Payton II left Tuesday’s game due to a fractured elbow, and will have to reassess their game plan for defending the electric 22-year-old prior to Game 3 on Saturday.
When asked after Tuesday’s game about the Warriors’ plan for Morant, head coach Steve Kerr said the club hopes Andre Iguodala (neck) will be available for Game 3, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. However, Iguodala is 38 years old and has battled injuries for much of the season, so Golden State can’t realistically expect him to shut down one of the league’s top scorers.
Here’s more on the Grizzlies/Warriors series:
- Kerr was upset by the flagrant foul that injured Payton and earned Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks an ejection, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN writes. “I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was dirty,” Kerr said. “There is a code. This code that players follow where you never put a guy’s season [or] career in jeopardy by taking somebody out in midair and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary’s elbow … He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code.”
- The NBA is expected to further evaluate Brooks’ foul to see if it warrants a suspension, Andrews writes. Since there will be three off days before Game 3 tips off on Saturday, an announcement from the league shouldn’t necessarily be expected today.
- Draymond Green, who briefly returned to the locker room after taking a hit to the right eye, had no regrets about flipping his middle fingers to the crowd on his way off the court, Andrews notes. “You gonna boo someone who was elbowed in the eye and face is running with blood, you should get flipped off,” Green said. “I’ll take the fine. I’ll do an appearance and make up the money. It felt really good to flip them off. … If they are going to be that nasty, I will be nasty too. I’m assuming the cheers were because they know I’ll be fined. Great — I make $25 million a year. I should be just fine.” Green got back in the game after receiving stitches for a right eye laceration, but Kerr said the former Defensive Player of the Year “was struggling” with the injury.
Can we all agree that Klay Thompson is horse s? He’s killing the team with his play and attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I like him as a third scoring option as he can get hot at times and score in bunches, but he consistently takes the most shots. On the team which means he sees himself as a 1st option not a 3rd.
The whole team had a off night shooting wide open 3s. That is why its no big deal when they barely lose and played very poorly.
Completely agree.
Your team the Kings haven’t made the playoffs in 47 years and you’re calling another player on a playoff team that kind of name? That’s really not cool.
Critique his game but don’t label him with excrement or feces. Horrible take revealing bitterness to the nth degree.
Never been a Kings fan.
You’re were a Kings fan two years ago. Nice Allegiance.
Gary Radnich, I think you have me confused with someone else. I joined this site 6 months ago.
@Jess
I think your the only one that thinks players on the court are thinking about I’m a #1, #2 or #3 and adjust their shooting accordingly. They take what the defense gives them. If Klay finds himself open then he should take the shot. The GSW are great at moving the ball around and having the open guy take the shot.
also, in the 2 games, Curry took the most shots with Klay and Poole each shooting the second most.
“They take what the defense gives them”? Have you seen a GSW game? None of Curry, Poole or Klay take what the defense gives them. They all take horrible shots, but are great at making them. But if your shooting 25% like Klay why keep taking bad shots and then pouting on the court like a child?
Aside from last night, Klay has been money in the postseason. He has been superb overall and I believe Playoff Klay is back! Go Warriors!!
Yes the missed free throws in game 1 at the end were money. He’s shooting 25%! Shaq would be a better 3’point shooter than “Give the game away Klay” right now.
Speak for yourself..we don’t all agree.
The smart ones agree.
Counterpoint: Klay is awesome and managed to score over 20 ppg this season in under 30 minutes per game despite missing two straight seasons due to major injuries.
The only real problem is when he is off he gets into chuck mode, and took some dumb shots last night. Mostly on contested 2s where that fade away jumper hasnt been on point really since he returned, but also a few well contested early clock 3s. I would rather he stop trying to chuck his way out of slumps in the playoffs, since he took by far the most shots last night, and was the coldest.
Could not agree more.
Someone read the internet today…yes based on that tweet it’s great that he’s playing…that being said he didn’t lose an arm. Why are people acting like after two years he would forget how to shoot? He’s been able to shoot for a long time, he just couldn’t run
Payton who shuts down JaMorant is out which GSW did not expect because their defense plan involved Payton guarding JaMorant. So now they have 3 off days to adjust the defense against him and have home court fouls go their way for the next 2 games. Playoffs is all about adjustments. memphis barely won a home game on a poorly shooting and turn over game by GSW. So watch how they adjust to win game 3.
They also only lost one game by one point and won the next game without one of their best players. You can look at it however you want this is a surprisingly even match up.
Are you kidding if Brooks stays in his chucking taking shots away from guys that made buckets prolly costs them the game. It would have especially been bad if GPII had played. Brooks is an ok defender who plays overly aggressive and gets away with a ton of body fouls off ball, but dude is a disaster on offense.
I agree the way he has played this entire year, his offense has been off. He has also had a few injuries too, but it looks like he changed his shot, or in the middle of a shot change because I don’t remember his 3pt shot looking anything like that. Maybe he is taking less reps shooting and focusing on defense, idk. But the way he has played lately, if he was playing last night they may have lost, solely because Ziaire probably doesn’t play as much and he FINALLY started making some shots. I know in college Brooks was pretty good offensively, and I remember liking them drafting him in the 2nd because MEM had no offense off the bench. Also at times late in the season last year, and definitely in the playoff matchup against Jazz he would take over games with his driving ability and was knocking down mid-range & 3pt shots.
No wasn’t kidding. Wasn’t even commenting on the series, just pointing out how your using “facts” like they are toy soldiers and your an 8 year old.
1st game Memphis had a Memphis Ref on the court in James Williams who of course was the one that called the most fouls on GSW than the other refs. He also missed the out of bounds call with 4 second left that was obviously off a grizzly player. With fair calls GSW win easily.
Awe sounds like your upset that they won by 1 and you thought it should be maybe 4, but then they lost the next one by 5, so maybe we should do that math. Or maybe stop being such a fan boy, it’s an even match either could win, guess that’s why it’s tied right? GSW fans are the worst, y’all made enjoying that team impossible. Have a good cry with Draymond about how he earned a reputation that he is proud of but also thinks isn’t wait or someting or whatever.
Fair enough! Lol. Weenie was pretty generic and mild….but since you asked politely….
Translation please?♂️
Gary Payton’s landing was awful to watch. His elbow was locked back to stop the fall when his hand hit the floor. He was having a terrific season and playoffs and will be missed on the floor. Wishing him the best in his surgery and recovery.
@Ted
Yeah, difficulty to watch. He could’ve given up his body to land but who knows what he would’ve hurt then.
Kuminga or Moody should defend Morant. Both are young and athletic, they can keep up with Morant.
I think Warriors are going to adjust. Expect a physical game by the Dubs.
JTA is also a potential defense standout.
“HE CAN’T GUARD ME!!!”
-Morant about Kuminga to his face in game 1 lol
Dont know how to react to Draymond’s comments. He’s really turning into polarizing figure like Dennis Rodman. Incredible defense, high basketball IQ, but love/hate relationship with fans. Detroit and Chicago fans adored Rodman but all other fans opposite.
I wouldn’t pay him for an appearance even if it wasn’t my money
This series is getting pretty chippy so perhaps a suspension is warranted to rein in the players and get control of the series, However if they suspend Brooks for his foul on Payton they need suspend Draymond for his foul on Clarke.
Wait Clarke got injured? did I miss that. The entire NBA world including most stars from other teams says its a BS F2, but for sure a foul where you go out of your way to prevent injury is the same as when you blindside a guy your looking right at who is aerial and you should never touch at that point. Brooks swipe at the ball missed by 4 feet, but he sure got GPII head he was looking right at as he did it!
Go out his way to prevent injury? Clarke could’ve as easily been injured on Green’s foul. You don’t slap a guy upside the head then drag him to the ground by his jersey. Brooks swipe at the ball was a whole lot closer than Green’s. The problems with Brook’s foul was his follow through and Payton’s landing. I don’t know that anyone should get suspended that’s why I typed “perhaps” but what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
@Tacocat1331
I largely agree with your assessment, although I personally wouldn’t suspend either since you cannot prove each particular act was intentional. I am getting a bit tired of those who are outraged at the Brooks swipe simultaneously acting as though Draymond’s flagrant was some innocent play. Both were reckless and warranted an ejection
Tacocat, your words are inconsistent with reality. You need to describe things more accurately. He did not “drag him to the ground.”
Draymond Green pulled on Clarke’s Jersey while he was in the air and as he was falling, Green made a half effort break his fall so the impact with the ground was not as severe as it could have been.
Again he did not “drag him to the ground.” Accuracy matters in things like this.
“Drag him to the ground” is more accurate than chapman’s “Clarke… missed by four feet”. It was inches.
Anyway both got f2s.
What is Kerr talking about, a code?— it’s everyday, even before playoffs.
You just gotta love the spirit & attitude of Dray, guy is just great!
Now Kerr comes across as his usual whiney, crybaby… man what a lil man that he is, crying “he broke the code”… well codes are there to be broken, no one cares about them, just stop crying like a woman & stand up & be counted like a man, dude… so pathetic!
“Well codes are there to be broken?” Second worst take of the day. Makes no sense at all.
Is not an accurate statement in basketball nor life. Horrendous logic and no applicable relevance to any phase of Life whatsoever. Thus the moniker, El Don Always Wrong.
Codes have to be made rules to inform replay revies, then enforced. That means ejections.
What does Kerr’s talk of codes mean?
“taking somebody out in midair and clubbing him across the head”.
Kerr might say Morant was not jumping at the time he was punched in the eye, so code not broken. Too sketchy.
Translation please?♂️