Ben Simmons was left fuming after Ja Morant baited him into fouling out as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.
During the critical final four minutes of the contest, Morant was able to get Simmons to foul out on a naive attempt to win possession of the ball. He was subsequently ejected as the Nets slipped to a 134-124 loss on the road.
With four minutes remaining, Morant let the ball roll up the court before picking it up and waiting for Simmons to make an attempt to steal. When the 26-year-old lunged at Morant and made contact, the whistle was blown and the Nets ace was sent packing.
Simmons declared he had watched the play back after the game and insisted he did not understand how he had been called for a foul. The Australian - who missed the entirety of the 2021/22 NBA season due to a back injury as well as mental health issues - claimed the referee offered no explanation for the decision.
“I just saw the play,” Simmons said. “It wasn’t a foul. [The referee] called it a foul, made a mistake, it is what it is... it’s really frustrating... it’s not a foul, but it was bulls***.
“It’s frustrating because it’s late game, fourth quarter, it’s a physical, close game. It’s the NBA. It’s not college. It’s not high school. Some people are going to get hit, some people bleed; it’s basketball.”
The former No 1 overall pick has struggled to make a mark on games as he fights to achieve match sharpness, and he recorded seven points, eight assists, three rebounds, a steal and five turnovers in 28 minutes in the loss in Memphis. It is the second time in three matches Simmons has been fouled out - but the play was masterminded by Morant from the beginning.
The Grizzlies superstar claimed Simmons had got the better of him in the exact situation three seasons ago, so he calculated the former 76ers star would attempt to make a similar play. Morant said: “If y’all want to go dig up a play, I think my rookie year I was in Philly – and the same situation happened like that versus Ben in the first half.
“I went to look at Coach to get the play, and [Simmons] ran through the ball, got the steal and went to dunk ... I knew it at that moment. Once I seen him and I was rolling the ball and I was at half [court], I looked at Coach and I see him try to like, ‘Oh yeah.’ So I knew I had him.
“He was going to press up, and I was just going to force the ref to make the call.”
Fans often celebrate icons like LeBron James for their notable memory on specific situational moments, and it appears Morant is combining electric athleticism with a fine basketball IQ. He, along with teammate Desmond Bane, scored 38 points and the duo’s 76 points combined was the most by a two-player tandem in franchise history.
Morant and Bane also nailed 12 three-point shots as the Grizzlies made 16 to see of the Nets. Brooklyn struggled from the perimeter, shooting 9-for-29 from outside while Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving scored 37 points each in the loss.
The Nets are now 1-2 and face Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. The 3-1 Grizzlies travel to California to take on the winless Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
