Late Friday night, inside a cramped Memphis Grizzlies locker room, Ja Morant settled into a chair in the corner. It had been a frustrating night for Memphis, which dropped a 117–106 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. It had been an equally difficult one for Morant, who was held without a field goal in the fourth quarter.
“Obviously,” Morant said. “We didn't get the outcome we wanted.”
O.K. So what? It’s late December. Who cares? Memphis does. It has to. Morant’s 25-game absence put the Grizzlies in a 6–19 hole. They likely have to play .600 basketball to get in the play-in mix. Maybe better.
