Ja Morant dropped career-high 47 points and had 8 rebounds and 8 assists as he led the Grizzlies to a Game 2 win against the Warriors to tie the second round series.
The 22-year-old point guard was a huge part of Memphis offense. Rookie Ziaire Williams was the closest to him in scoring on with 14 points.
Morant’s performance received praise from NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal who broke down the game on TNT. “I don’t want to take away from what Memphis did tonight. Ja had a hell of a game,” he said. “That’s what superstars do. That’s how you become a superstar, especially in this moment, he had a great game.
“But the fact that they can’t put them away and keep them away kind of scares me,” the four-time NBA champion expressed concern about the Grizzlies’ chances to win the series. “It started off great, Golden State came back. Golden State took the lead there at the end and then Ja really had to take over the game.
“Klay didn’t play well, Golden State didn’t play well, yet they still had opportunities to win. So my question to Memphis is are you going to need Ja to get another 40, and another 40, and another 40 — get four 40’s to beat them on four games in a row. I don’t think Golden State gonna let that happen because if you want to beat them, you can’t let this guy get 47.”
