Social media came down hard on the Memphis Grizzlies following their 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, with a glaring stat highlighting the frustration: Ja Morant scored zero points after halftime, and Jaren Jackson Jr. managed just two.
Whether or not you buy into the narrative that the team “gave up,” the frustration echoed what unfolded on the floor. Memphis held a first-half lead that dissolved as Los Angeles tightened their grip. According to ESPN’s box score, Memphis led by 14 at halftime, thanks in large part to a dominant 42-24 second quarter. However, they could only muster 22 and 21 points in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
Adding to Memphis’ woes was Luka Doncic’s return from a three-game absence. He torched the Grizzlies with 44 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, while teammate Austin Reaves contributed 21 points. Despite Memphis shooting 41-for-93 overall, they struggled to create clean looks late in the game, allowing the Lakers to close out the contest with a 28-21 fourth quarter.
Individually, Morant finished with eight points on 3-for-14 shooting, and Jackson had 15 points. The viral nature of the post struck a nerve because it fed into a long-standing critique of the Grizzlies’ crunch-time offense.
Early in the game, Memphis showed balance with Jock Landale and Jaylen Wells each scoring 16 points. But as the pace slowed in the half-court, the offense bogged down. Turnovers and empty trips piled up, while Doncic controlled the tempo with mismatches and late-clock shotmaking.
Fan reactions captured the collective frustration. One expressed, “worst f**king Grizzlies game I have ever watched. Ruined my whole night. I was so excited at halftime. I f**king hate being a fan of this franchise. I’d rather die.” Another wrote, “Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr are intentionally not scoring the basketball. If you’re watching this game, you see what I’m seeing.” Yet another added, “Ja and Jaren look like they do not care at all about this game. What am I even watching?”
It’s a fair question — one that even Morant was asked after the game. His reaction was notably odd, as he deflected every question to the coaching staff when probed by reporters.
Clearly, something seems off in the Grizzlies’ camp, and fans are eager for answers. While “gave up” is the loudest interpretation, the cleaner take is that Memphis lost the possession battle, with their two best scorers failing to find their rhythm after halftime.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/memphis-grizzlies/grizzlies-news-ja-morant-jaren-jackson-jr-giving-up-team-world-on-fire
