On a night it was equally as difficult to get to the arena as it was to get to the basket, Ja Morant still found a way to leave a winning impact. 

The Grizzlies defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 122-113, Wednesday night at FedExForum. 

Grizzlies rotation questions are snow joke

Jonas Valanciunas and Grayson Allen led the team with 22 points each. But it was still Morant with the eye-popping line in the box score. 

The second-year point guard had 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for his third career triple-double and his first of the 2020-21 season. 

The performance comes a day after a 28-point, eight-assist game in a loss to New Orleans. That game featured just one blemish — six turnovers — and it was an area he cleaned up on (three).

It was a shame Grizzlies fans weren’t there to see it. 

One strange night

It wasn’t until 10:30 a.m. Wednesday that the Grizzlies released the news. 

Memphis was to play without fans against the Thunder, a development during the COVID-19 pandemic that is far from unfamiliar. 

Box score: Grizzlies 122, Thunder 113

But this was different. It was not the invisible enemy that kept spectators out of the seats, but instead a fluffy white one. After close to four inches of snow hit downtown Memphis on Monday, another round of heavy snowfall moved into the area Wednesday evening. 

“I didn’t see snow until my freshman or sophomore year at Duke,” Allen said. “You don’t really get a ton of snow there. My rookie year in Utah we got a ton of snow, but they expect it and know it’s coming so roads are fine and roads are clear. It’s almost nothing there. 

“Here, I actually had a little fun with the snow. I went outside to get up and get moving. I went on a walk with my girlfriend and my dog just to have some type of fun in it. I’m enjoying it, even though it’s a bit rough.”

Oklahoma City wasn’t able to fly to the Memphis area until the early afternoon, and went straight to the arena without a shootaround. The Grizzlies and their limited game-day crew had to brave the elements and snow-covered streets in cars. 

The stands were nearly empty — only 28 people sat in the lower bowl — and even the arena security (minus a handful of folks) had the night off.

This was not a night without roars from the crowd because of coronavirus. It was even quieter than that. 

Poster dunks went without applause and the sound bounced off the walls and back. 

“The acoustics in here with no fans, it’s crazy,” said DJ Mic Tee, who was responsible for the arena’s only raucous sound. 

“I just imagine a dad and his kid sitting in his man cave watching the game on NBA League Pass,” he said. “I try to get into my own little zone, even if I’m performing for no one. I try to play what the people would want to hear.”

To top it all, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins was hit with his second technical foul with 25 seconds remaining and the Grizzlies up eight. He was ejected — the first of his career for a usually level-headed coach. 

“I wish I could have been there to celebrate,” Jenkins said. “That’s all I’ll say.”

Kyle’s big night

On the court, Kyle Anderson continued to impress in his most productive season as a pro. 

The Memphis forward scored 20 points and added five rebounds and five assists. He also made two shots from beyond the arc, which reinforces his positive shooting trends during his seventh season.

“(Anderson) is playing great and has found a lot of consistency this season,” Jenkins said. “What an unbelievable job — 20 points and five assists with versatility on the defensive end. We want to put in that effort every single night.”

Calkins: Don’t blame Ja, but Zion’s Pelicans ‘own’ Ja’s Grizz

Anderson, who entered this season as a career 31% 3-point shooter, is shooting 38% from deep while launching more than three times the number of 3-pointers he did per game last season. 

“It’s just me being healthy and a lot of confidence,” he said. “These last 18 to 24 months I’ve put a lot of tedious and hard work into shooting the ball. I remember long days in the gym not even shooting past 15 feet for two hours. It’s paying off, finally.”

He didn’t stop there. 

Anderson also snatched five steals and helped Memphis force 18 turnovers that translated to 23 points. 

“I think my defense had been horrendous these last few games, dating back to the Lakers (game),” Anderson said. “I’ve been doing a bad job of keeping people in front. My long arms and deflections are saving me and making me look good. I got to lock in and get better defensively.”

Still no stat chaser

Morant, who noted earlier this week that he is not a stat chaser, proved that was the case against the Thunder. 

He started slow on the scoreboard and made only three of his first 11 shot attempts for six points midway through the third quarter. 

But he turned it on from there. 

“I’m always looking to share the ball,” Morant said. “I was missing some bunnies, but I just kept playing. As far as the rebounds go, I was just able to help our guys. . . . I felt like it made us faster. (The Thunder) have guys who crash the boards, and I felt like most of the time it was my man crashing, so it was getting a box and getting rebounds so we can get in transition.”

Morant’s passing and drives to the paint helped Memphis gain an eight-point advantage late in the third quarter, but the Thunder countered with offensive rebounds and timely 3-point makes to send the game to the fourth as a one-point contest. 

He continued his strong play in the final quarter and the Grizzlies used a 19-3 run to take 14-point lead that they held through the final whistle. 

Morant not only set a season high in rebounds, but also set his high in assists with 12. 

“Ja is an incredible point for our team, even on a night tonight, where a bunch of guys are scoring, for him to have that quiet triple-double,” Allen said. “ . . . We needed guards to help out (with rebounding) and he did a great job with that. He does a lot of stuff to help the team win, it’s not just scoring off the pick and roll.”

The young star needs only two more triple-doubles to tie Marc Gasol for the most in franchise history. 

Up next

The Grizzlies stay home to take on the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. Friday.