CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dressed in street clothes, Danny Green approached Steve Clifford at halfcourt midway through the third quarter, raising his right arm to place around the torso of the Charlotte Hornets coach.
Green, a Memphis swingman, struck up a brief conversation with Clifford and probably offered a few words of encouragement given the way the Hornets were being dismantled by the Grizzlies. Memphis toyed with Charlotte, never feeling threatened or losing its firm grip.
When the final horn sounded inside Spectrum Center, signaling a 131-107 defeat for the overmatched Hornets and putting the last touches on a disappointing four-game homestand, the bulk of the sellout crowd seemed indifferent. Any boos were drowned out by the cheers reserved for South Carolina native Ja Morant (23 points, eight assists) as he bounced off the floor after another smooth, seemingly effortless performance.
