Grizzlies Ja Morant wins stunning NBA overtime duel over Warriors’ Steph Curry

The Warriors’ Steph Curry has turned it on against the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament but Ja Morant had a different plan to end the Golden State superstar’s incredible season.

Curry had taken his side on his back all season, with arguably the greatest shooter to grace a basketball court doing unbelievable things all season.

But arguably the most unbelievable thing to happen happened against the Grizzlies as Morant inspired his young side to victory in Oakland with a 117-112 win in overtime.

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Morant took the game by the scruff of the neck down the stretch, finishing with 35 points, six rebounds and six assists, nearly matching Curry’s 39 points, four rebounds and five assists.

Morant helped clinched the winner-take-all victory with a spinning floater from 10 feet with four seconds left in overtime as the Grizzlies advanced to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

It leaves the Warriors on the scrap heap, despite a stunning season that saw the side almost make the playoffs, despite losing Klay Thompson in the off-season after Curry was electric all season.

But the respect was clear post game as Curry and Morant embraced.

2 generations.
2 spectacular point guards.
1 great battle.@StephenCurry30 ? @JaMorantpic.twitter.com/ftV5JnvohV

“That’s the shots I want to take,” Morant said, who also had a career high five threes. “I like it when the pressure is on me. I lift my game. I got all the confidence in the world in my game.”

Ja Morant has come of age.Source:Getty Images

The youthful Grizzlies won two straight games in the play-in tournament to earn the eighth seed and will now face the top seeded Utah Jazz in the first game of their series on Sunday in Salt Lake City.

This was the second meeting between the two teams in six days as the 2020 rookie of the year Morant rebounded from a poor performance in a 113-101 loss to the Warriors in the final game of the regular season.

With the 21-year-old Morant leading the way, the Grizzlies are the youngest NBA team in the post-season in a decade.

“We know we are a young team. We have some vets that lead us,” Morant said. “It is my first time making the playoffs, but we got some players who have been in playoffs before. They let us know what to expect.”

Xavier Tillman nailed a go-ahead three pointer with 87 seconds left in overtime to make it 110-109 and then Morant iced it with two short jump shots in the final minute.

The kid went big.Source:Getty Images

The NBA was blown away by the performance from the 21-year-old 2nd overall pick in 2019, behind Zion Williamson.

Steph Curry is one hell of a player. Best shooter in history.

But it’s time for the young guns. Ja Morant is a beast!

Good game ?

Ja Morant, in only the biggest game of his young NBA career:

35, 6, & 6. 5/10 from 3. Big shot after big shot. Ends Steph Curry’s season.

Only the beginning. pic.twitter.com/rA8sTVVsvH

Absolutely incredible performance in overtime by Ja Morant. And off the charts by the entire team. Insane poise from the players. Tillman was so, so good. They did what no one expected them to do and knocked Steph Curry out of the playoffs.

Ja Morant is the truth. Stinks that Curry is not in the playoffs. He's a joy to watch. Bur Morant grabbed game by nape of neck, pouring in 36 points with 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. #Denver7

CONGRATULATIONS, JA MORANT. YOU JUST CAME OF AGE BY OUTDUELING STEPH CURRY IN OVERTIME IN STEPH'S HOUSE IN A WIN-OR-GO-HOME GAME.

Steph earns all the respect

Curry shares a moment with Morant.Source:Getty Images

The Warriors ended the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the league then lost a heartbreaker 103-100 to the Lakers on Wednesday followed by another gut-wrenching loss to the Grizzlies.

“We were two fourth quarters from being the seventh or eight seed,” Curry said, who is in the running for league MVP. “It is frustrating that this is the end and this is how we are going out.

“It is a very tough way to end it, coming down to the wire and us giving everything we had in the tank.”

But while it was clearly a frustrating way to go out, teammate Draymond Green had nothing but respect for Curry, saying the way he lead the team “was the most impressive thing I’ve ever seen from him”.

“He stood out in front of us and gave us all someone to follow,” Green said. “That was the coaching staff, that was everyone. He gave all of us someone to follow. And it was incredible to follow him and because of that, we’re here. We had two cracks at it, we failed but we gave ourselves a chance that that’s all you can ask for.”

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