The Grizzlies reversed the Pelicans on the road, and Morant's return to the NBA regular season continued, with the Grizzlies facing the Pelicans on the road, an important matchup for a playoff spot in the West. The Grizzlies had previously suffered a five-game losing streakThe Pelicans, on the other hand, are on a two-game winning streak.
There is a clear gap in the form of the two teams, but the Grizzlies have a strong **, and that is their star Morant. Morant was suspended for 25 games for violating the league's drug policyThis is also the main reason for the decline in the Grizzlies' record.
But today, Morant finally returned from the ban, and he proved his superstar status with a stunning performance, leading the Grizzlies to complete a shocking comeback, defeating the Pelicans 115-113 and ending the losing streak. Morant's season debut can be described in four wordsThat is "invincible".
He played 38 minutes, shooting 12-of-24, including 3-of-6 three-pointers and 10-of-12 free throws, and scored 34 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals, of which 34 points were a game-high and his personal highest score this season. What's more, he showed extraordinary leadership qualities in key moments, scoring consecutive points in the last minute, breaking through and turning for a layup in the last minute to 0The time difference of 3 seconds completed the whistle loreLet the pelicans be powerless.
It was a solo show for Morant and a team win for the Grizzlies, who used their performance to declare to the league that they had not given up hope of making the playoffs. In this game, the Grizzlies did not start well, they were attacked by the Pelicans in the first half, especially in the second quarter, the Pelicans' two leading scorers, McCollum and Ingram, combined to score 20 points, helping the Pelicans play a wave of 31-13 offensive to stretch the score to 62-38A 24-point lead.
The Grizzlies' defense seemed disorganized, and the offense was also chaotic, only Morant was still holding on, he had 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in the first half, which was the only bright spot for the Grizzlies. But even so, the Grizzlies trailed by 20 points at 46-66Entered the second half.
In the second half, the Grizzlies' comeback began, and they went on a 24-10 spurt in the third quarter to narrow the deficit to 10 points. The Grizzlies' ** mainly relies on their interior advantage, Biyombo eats cakes one after another under the basket, Morant also uses his speed and explosiveness to score fast break and 2+1 many times, and Awei Bane also shot a few three-pointers from the outsideFire support was given.
The Pelicans' defense was slackened, and they were beaten by the Grizzlies on the inside, and only Ingram scored back-to-back points in key moments to stabilize the situation and give the Pelicans a 14-point lead at 80-66 going into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies fought back more violently, and they went on a 14-4 run in the first three minutesThe difference was reduced to just 4 points.
The Grizzlies' comeback was largely based on their backup youngster Jalen Jr., who scored 12 points in the quarter, seven of which came in a 7-0 spurt that gave the Grizzlies hope of victory. Bane also hit another three-pointer from the outsideAt one point, the Grizzlies chased the difference to just one point.
The Pelicans relied on the interior cooperation of Zion and Wallan, as well as McCollum's steady play, to maintain a slight lead. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle in the final minutes, and the difference between 3-4 points has been hoveringThe outcome of the game is unpredictable.
Morant, on the other hand, was the final referee of the game, and his performance in the final three minutes was unstoppable, first causing McCollum to foul on the fast break, and hitting both free throws to close the gap to one point. Subsequently, he shook off his opponent in one step and hit a mid-range shot in the case of a single JonesHelped the Grizzlies overtake by 1 point.
The Pelicans relied on Ingram's two free throws to tie the score. On the final offense, the Grizzlies gave the ball to Morant, who broke through on the left side, turned and made a layup, and the ball drew a beautiful arc in the air to 03 seconds of time difference, fell into the basket,Completed the Whistle Kill.
The Pelicans didn't have time to react anymore and could only watch as the Grizzlies celebrated their victory. Morant scored six points in the final minute, and he used his performance to decide the trend of the gameIt has also proven its worth.
In this game, the other players of the Grizzlies also had a good performance, Bane scored 21 points, including 4 of 6 three-point shots, and Jaren Jackson Jr. got 24 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks, and was the second scorer of the Grizzlies. For the Pelicans, Ingram had 34 points, 6 assists and 2 steals, and was the Pelicans' best player, Zion also contributed 13 points and 4 assists, and Varland had a double-double of 22 points and 14 reboundsMcCollum also had 18 points on the books.
The Pelicans' four main players all played well, but they couldn't stop the Grizzlies' comeback, nor could they prevent Morant's stunner, so they could only accept a painful loss. This game gave us a glimpse of Morant's superstar demeanorIt also gave us a glimpse of the team spirit of the Grizzlies.
Trailing by 24 points, the Grizzlies didn't give up and fought back, and they went on a 69-47 lead in the second half to complete a shocking comeback. The performance of the grizzly bears is reminiscent of their predecessorsThat was Celtic in 2008.
That year, the Celtics faced the James-led Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and they also trailed by 24 points in the first half, but they played a 58-35 score in the second half to complete an epic comeback, and finally defeated the Cavaliers 97-92 to take a 3-1 lead. In that game, Pierce, the star of the Celtics, had 41 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, and he scored consecutive points in the final momentsLead the Celtics to victory.
Pierce's performance is strikingly similar to Morant's performance, they both showed extraordinary leadership temperament at critical moments, they both used their own scores to determine the trend of the game, and they both used their own stunners to make the opponent powerless. They are all real superstarsThey are all real waist kings.