It only takes a spark to awaken what many consider to be the most spectacular player in the NBA, Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies had not had a good game, but the most spectacular play so far in the playoffs awakened the beast and a colossal fourth period by the Most Improved Player of the regular season led his team to an agonizing 111-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
Grizzlies, one win away from clinching the hard-fought series
The Grizzlies took a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference first-round series at FedEx Forum, thanks to 30 points from Morant, 18 of them in the fourth quarter that included a left-handed layup with one second left on the clock after an acrobatic layup in the air against Jarred Vanderbilt, who simply had to admire the colorful player’s talent.
Memphis was down by as many as 11 points in the fourth period, in which Morant showed a level that had not been seen in the entire postseason, but the All-Star’s motivation came in the last play of the third quarter, a wonderful dunk, which is already considered the best play of the playoffs in the NBA.
Morant, one assist away from a triple-double
In addition to the 30 points, Morant registered 13 rebounds for the double-double and was just one assist away from a memorable triple-double. Desmond Bane added 25 points and a technical foul for pushing opposing coach Chris Finch in the second quarter, while Brandon Clarke added 21 points.
As for Minnesota’s losing cause, the leading scorer was Dominican center Karl-Anthony Towns, who registered 28 points and 12 rebounds, Anthony Edwards generated 22 points.
What’s next in this series?
This competitive series will give the Grizzlies a chance to eliminate the Timberwolves during Game 6 to be played at the Target Center in Minneapolis next Friday, April 29.
Marca
