If you’re going to end a five-game losing streak amid a tightening playoff race, why not do it in style?

Why not do it with your looming Rookie of the Year in full flight, attacking the opposition – and internet doubters – without fear or favor? With your biggest guy dominating the glass and your nerviest guy irritating the opposition? With a two-way small-college rookie joining the ranks of FedExForum folk heroes? With a guy dubbed “Slo-Mo” making perhaps the most unlikely “Whoomp! There It Is!” request the building has ever seen?

Why not do it against the best and most glamorous team in the conference, whose fans flocked for a party and went home unhappy? Why not do it taking a punch and punching back?

Still down two starters and two other rotation players, the Grizzlies ended their five-game losing streak with a 105-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. If this ends up having been a first-round playoff preview, then this was more like it.

Ja Morant tied his career-high with 14 assists on a night when his “court-vision” goggles were the pregame giveaway and he set a new career high with four made 3s. A fifth would have given him the second 30-point game of his career, but 27 will do, kid, it will do. 

Morant even added his third “Not-Quite Highlight” of the season with an attempted detonation dunk on Defensive Player of the Year contender Anthony Davis. It didn’t quite land, but Morant gave a Jordan shrug – “why not?” – on his way back down the floor. 

On a night when the biggest basketball star in the world (LeBron James, natch) was in town, the rookie was the best player on the floor. He got the win and, afterward, literally the jersey off James’ back. (Signed, of course.) He even had the nerve to give James a Grizzlies #12 to take with him as well. 

The Lakers cut the Grizzlies’ lead from 20 down to nine in the first half of the fourth quarter, with James leading the charge via deep 3s and a chase-down block. The Lakers swarmed Morant – assault as respect – and the short-handed Grizzlies needed to find other answers. 

The Heavy and the Hype Man: Zach Randolph and Tony Allen return

Enter Kyle Anderson, who guided the ball into the basket three times from short-mid-range in the fourth quarter, his third knuckleball – the scoring sheet calls it a “cutting layup shot”; Anderson’s unorthodox game demands linguistic invention – making it an 18-point game with 3:04 to play and igniting the “Whoomp!”.

Enter Jonas Valanciunas, who packaged four rebounds around a tip-in during a 39-second stretch late, following his 25-rebound Friday night with a 22-point, 20-rebound Saturday. 

Photo Gallery: Grizzlies vs. Lakers

View Gallery

Enter Dillon Brooks, who needed 24 shots for his 24 points, but who hit a big 3 as the Lakers were charging and who did his finest work as a pest, playing physical defense on James from buzzer-to-buzzer and going chest-to-chest with forward Markieff Morris. (Yes, the Grizzlies have now had near-fights this season with each Morris twin.) 

And then there was John Konchar. 

The rookie two-way player from Purdue-Ft. Wayne played 12 minutes, but his seven-minute first-half run was a folkloric flourish.

He blocked Dwight Howard. He stole a rebound from Howard and slipped it to Valanciunas for a dunk. He led the break and dropped a pass to the trailing Brooks for a 3. He picked point guard Rajon Rondo’s pocket and kept the ball alive while sprawled on the floor. In the middle of this stretch, Konchar knocked the ball away from Howard, stepped back and made a 3 of his own. When the Lakers called a timeout, Anderson ran over and gave Konchar a noogie. 

This seven-minute stretch included three points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, a block and even more Little Things that Don’t Show Up in the Box Score. 

The night before, against Sacramento, the Grizzlies played good basketball again after a demoralizing stretch of road-trip blowouts, but they couldn’t complete a fourth-quarter comeback.

On Saturday night, they held one off. And while the playoff race has miles and obstacles plenty to go, on this night the Grizzlies perhaps steadied themselves for it. 

Clips of the Night

Morant trying to end Anthony Davis:

Ja really tried this on Anthony Davis. ?? pic.twitter.com/9h2jKOqlYy
— FOX Sports Grizzlies (@GrizzliesOnFSSE) March 1, 2020
 

Come for the bench celebration, stay for the noogie:

The @memgrizz bench just went CRAZY on this John Konchar 3-pointer.@brevinknight22 with the MVP chant. ?? pic.twitter.com/FciEvQjNxD
— FOX Sports Grizzlies (@GrizzliesOnFSSE) March 1, 2020
 

Box Score Bits

You could argue that this was the most productive game of Morant’s season. His combined 47 points/rebounds/assists ties a season high with his 27-10-10 triple-double at Washington on February 9th.

Jonas Valanciunas’ 45 rebounds on the weekend is the most ever for a Grizzlies’ player in consecutive games, topping Zach Randolph’s 42 from December of 2009.

With back-to-back 20-point/10-rebound games, Morant joined Trae Young and Luka Donic as the only rookies to do that over the past nine seasons. 

The Lakers’ 88 points were a season low. 

Morant finished the month of February with averages of 19 points, seven assists and three rebounds, but his streak of Rookie of the Month awards is likely to end given what Zion Williamson has done in New Orleans. 

LeBron James finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. Anthony Davis had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers. 

Elements of Style

Dillon Brooks fears no man. In addition to going chest-to-chest with one of the Morrii, he was a constant LeBron James irritant. The art of on-court annoyance:

LeBron annoyed with Dillon Brooks, who {gasps} WINKS at him ???? pic.twitter.com/7ZQtJ8SDOx
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) March 1, 2020

The Tweets Were Watching

I cringed when I saw people getting excited about Morant citing a fan’s social-media criticism – you would think a losing streak was sufficient motivation – but this turned out cordial enough. 

Much love my guy. You got the fire and I believe in you! ??
— Daniel Greer (@DanielGreer) March 1, 2020

Scoreboard Watching

The most important game on Saturday night to the Grizzlies’ playoff chances was their own. Beyond that it was a split decision, with Portland losing at Atlanta but San Antonio winning at home against Orlando.

The state of the 8th seed race in the West going into Sunday:

Coming into the game:

• Memphis: 29-31
• New Orleans: 26-33 (2.5 back)
• San Antonio: 25-33 (3)
• Portland: 26-35 (3.5)
• Sacramento: 25-34 (3.5)

Games that matter on Sunday: Detroit at Sacramento and Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans.

Arena Action

I wonder how long the meeting was where the Grizzlies decided to call these “Ja-oggles” and why they didn’t CC the memo to their television partners, who went with Ja-ggles? 

Neither of those were options in the Grizzlies Glossary poll we put up a few weeks ago. (JAggles won). 

Whatever, the pronunciation is the same and these are definitely goggles. (RIP “Janoculars.”)

Ja-ggles for everyone!@memgrizz // #GrindCity pic.twitter.com/A53piJ5SJO
— FOX Sports Grizzlies (@GrizzliesOnFSSE) March 1, 2020

Three thousand went out to fans as a pregame giveaway, a swift in-season audible from the Grizzlies’ promotions department. Our bit of help to match the item with the nifty-passing concept: You’ve heard of “night-vision” goggles? Consider these “court-vision” goggles. Wearing them in the post-game locker room: Tyus Jones. 

Last time the Lakers were in town, before Thanksgiving, baseball star Mookie Betts was on the front row. This time the “random major athlete from another sport” award goes to … Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. 

Zach Randolph made the second half of the back-to-back, sitting on the baseline alongside Stax Records songwriting great David Porter. They were later joined by Tony Allen.

Deflections

Before the game, Ja Morant received his Western Conference Rookie of the Month for January.