Ja Morant made the shots when it mattered for the Grizzlies.
Memphis star Ja Morant made the game-winning shot with 18.6 seconds left on Saturday, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 125-117 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in a thrilling NBA matchup.
Ja Morant saving the Grizzlies from the Timberwolves
In his second game back from a shoulder injury, Morant scored 12 points and missed all four of his three-point attempts. However, he delivered in the final moments, driving for a layup to equalize the score at 125-125 with 54.1 seconds to go.
After a steal by the Grizzlies, Morant made another aggressive move, sinking a floater over Minnesota center Rudy Gobert to complete Memphis’ comeback from being six points down with less than five minutes remaining.
On the next possession, Randle committed a turnover, and Jackson Jr. seized the opportunity to steal the ball. Morant swiftly took advantage, hitting a floating jump shot over Anthony Edwards to put Memphis ahead 127-125 with just 18.1 seconds left.
Fan reaction to Ja Morant’s game-winner
Fans took to social media to share their thoughts on Morant’s clutch performance.
“Game winner, chicken dinner!” commented one user on X (formerly Twitter).
Another user took a jab at Anthony Edwards’ defense, stating: “Against who? Oh, Anthony ‘Next Michael Jordan’ Edwards 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 Can’t keep up.”
User @olamijuwon1007 remarked, “Ja Morant truly earned that. Well-deserved victory.”
The Grizzlies closing out the Timberwolves
Morant had a challenging night shooting, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-19 from the field, but he came through in the clutch to help secure Memphis’ victory in the first game of their four-game road trip. Jaren Jackson Jr. was the standout performer with 33 points and eight rebounds, while Desmond Bane added 21 points.
For the Timberwolves, Donte DiVincenzo had a strong performance with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but their three-game winning streak was halted. Jaden McDaniels contributed 21 points, Naz Reid scored 19 points off the bench, and Julius Randle posted 18 points, along with eight rebounds and eight assists.
The Grizzlies were trailing 125-121 after Rudy Gobert’s layup for the Timberwolves with 1:41 left in the game, but Minnesota couldn’t score again.
Minnesota failing in the clutch
In the final seconds, the Timberwolves had two chances to regain the lead. Anthony Edwards missed a three-point shot with 7.1 seconds remaining, but Donte DiVincenzo grabbed the offensive rebound, leading the team to call a timeout for one last attempt to tie or win the game.
Edwards had one final chance to make a three-pointer, but his shot missed again as the buzzer went off, confirming the Grizzlies’ comeback victory.
Rookie Jaylen Wells stepped up to guard the opposing team’s star, spending a significant portion of the game defending Edwards. Wells had a strong performance, effectively holding his ground defensively while also scoring 13 points.
Saturday marked the fourth straight game with Minnesota’s new starting lineup, which includes Donte DiVincenzo and veteran Mike Conley moving to a bench role. Since coach Chris Finch made this change, the Timberwolves have achieved a 3-1 record.
Morant and the Grizzlies will face off against Houston on Monday, while the Timberwolves are set to travel to Washington for their game that day.
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