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Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies frustrated after home loss to Nets

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Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies frustrated after home loss to Nets

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant went to the bench when he was substituted with 9:20 left in the fourth quarter.

The Grizzlies trailed by five against the Brooklyn Nets. Jaren Jackson Jr. was already sidelined and injuries meant Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane were unavailable at the time.

Scotty Pippen Jr., Jake LaRavia, John Konchar, Santi Aldama and Jay Huff competed in Memphis. These five were tasked with keeping the game close until Jackson and Morant returned.

The Grizzlies were down 10 points when Jackson checked back in with 5:58 left. The next time Morant grabbed the ball, they were down 13 with four minutes left.

It was too little, too late for the Grizzlies' stars as they lost 119-106 to the Nets at FedExForum on Wednesday.

Morant and Jackson both played less than 30 minutes – in fact, neither has reached that total in a game this season.

This was Jackson's third game since returning from a hamstring injury. Morant missed Monday's game against the Bulls because of hamstring soreness.

Jackson admitted Monday that limited minutes are difficult as a competitor. As for Morant, after Wednesday's loss he had three words regarding the 29 minutes of play.

“Live with it,” Morant said.

This wasn't just any loss. It was against a Nets team that had traveled to Memphis the night before after an overtime game in New York. That loss came after the Grizzlies completed a practice a day earlier aimed at fixing the defensive issues that dogged them in Monday's 126-123 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Nets point guard Dennis Schroder shot six 3-pointers and taunted the Grizzlies' bench as he finished with 33 points. Former Grizzlies winger Ziaire Williams scored 17 points off the bench and added a game-high four steals.

“It’s disappointing,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “ . . . The hitting, the cutting, the movement off the ball – we didn't implement what we talked about yesterday. It's a disappointing thing. I need to prepare these guys better.”

Frustration in the locker room

Injuries to Bane and Smart had an impact. Jenkins probably would have had Bane in the game in the fourth quarter when neither Morant nor Jackson were on the floor.

After the game, Morant said it was “difficult” to create chemistry between players in the lineup and out of the lineup, before appearing to express the displeasure of fans who label players soft for missing games.

“There’s people out here fighting, man,” Morant said. “This is what we get for it. Do you want me to play every game? In order. See you in the morning.”

What's next for Bane and Smart?

Bane left the game early in the third quarter with an oblique injury and Smart was out in the first quarter after twisting his right ankle.

A quick turnaround with a home game on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks doesn't bode well for their chances of playing.

For now, the Grizzlies can only wait until more is known about the severity of each injury.

“I just feel for them,” Jackson said. “You don’t want people to go under, and personally I just think that sucks. So I feel bad and just hope they are in good spirits and do well in whatever they have to figure out. And you’ll find out more tomorrow, that’s all you can do.”

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

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