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Grizzlies’ Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. ‘giving up’ on team has world on fire
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- Grizzlies’ Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. ‘giving up’ on team has world on fire
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The post Grizzlies' Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. 'giving up' on team has world on fire appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Social media came hard for the Memphis Grizzlies after a 117–112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers , boiling the night down to a stingy stat: Ja Morant scored zero points after halftime, and Jaren Jackson Jr. had two. Whether you buy the "gave up" framing or not, the frustration matched what happened on the floor, a first-half lead that melted when Los Angeles tightened the screws.
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ESPN's box score shows the swing. Memphis led by 14 at the break after a 42–24 second quarter, then managed only 22 and 21 points in the third and fourth. Luka Doncic returned from a three-game absence and torched the Grizzlies with 44 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, while Austin Reaves added 21. Memphis shot 41-for-93 but couldn't manufacture clean looks late as the Lakers closed it out 28–21 in the fourth. Morant finished with eight points on 3-for-14 shooting; Jackson had 15.
The viral post struck a nerve because it fed an old critique : crunch-time offense. Memphis had balance early with Jock Landale and Jaylen Wells each scoring 16, but the half-court bogged down when the pace slowed. Turnovers and empty trips stacked up, and Doncic controlled tempo with mismatches and late-clock shotmaking.
One frustrated fan expressed the feeling well, "worst f**king grizzlies game i have ever watched. ruined my whole night. i was so excited at halftime. i f**king hate being a fan of this franchise. id rather die."
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Another fan noted , "Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr are intentionally not scoring the basketball. If you're watching this game, you see what I'm seeing."
The fans seem to be clocking in on the same thing as another wrote , "Ja and Jaren look like they do not care at all about this game… What am I even watching?"
It's a fair question to ask and one that even Morant was asked after the matchup. His reaction was very odd; Morant deflected every question to the coaching staff when probed by a reporter. Something seems wrong in the Grizzlies camp, and fans are eager to know what.
"Gave up" is the loudest version of what happened. The cleaner read is that the Grizzlies lost the possession game, and their two best scorers didn't land punches after halftime.
Related: Lakers' Austin Reaves 'vividly remembers' JJ Redick's upset halftime speech vs. Grizzlies
Related: Something's off for the Grizzlies: Ja Morant lashes out after loss
