All-Star Game: Ja Morant says he's gunning for MVP

Mark Giannotto: Ja Morant says he’s gunning for the All-Star game MVP. Desmond Bane makes it clear “I’m going to save my juice for Saturday” in hopes of winning the 3-point contest. Rising Stars MVP takes a backseat. Bane said he practiced before Hornets game with 3-point racks around the arc.
Source: Twitter @mgiannotto

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Chris Herrington @ChrisHerrington
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane offered an All-Star weekend preview of coming attractions on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t quite enough to secure a win.
dailymemphian.com//section/sport… – 12:17 AM Eric Walden @tribjazz
That was a Ja Morant-level almost-finish by Trent Forrest – 11:53 PM Mark Giannotto @mgiannotto
Ja Morant says he’s gunning for the All-Star game MVP. Desmond Bane makes it clear “I’m going to save my juice for Saturday” in hopes of winning the 3-point contest. Rising Stars MVP takes a backseat. Bane said he practiced before Hornets game with 3-point racks around the arc. – 11:18 PM Meghan Triplett @Meghan_Triplett
On All-Star weekend, Ja Morant said he just wants to put on for his teammates, coaching staff, the whole city of Memphis, his family, Georgia and South Carolina.
He then added that he wants that All-Star MVP trophy too! – 11:17 PM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Ja Morant said he wants the All-Star game MVP on Sunday.
You had to know that lol. – 11:09 PM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Final: Blazers 123 Grizzlies 119
Blazers played like a team that came in winning three in a row. Not much to be ashamed of in that loss from the Grizzlies. Ja Morant tied a career high 44 points and Desmond Bane dropped 30. Six-game win streak over, but All-Star break is here – 10:59 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Ja Morant tonight:
44 PTS
11 AST
11-20 FG
21-25 FT (franchise record)
He and Trae Young are the only players with multiple 40p/10a games this season. pic.twitter.com/cudBtefXNs – 10:45 PM Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Ja Morant scores 44, Bane scores 30 and the Grizzlies lose a foul fest to the hot-shooting Blazers.
That’s not the way you wanted to go into the All-Star break. – 10:43 PM Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
The Trail Blazers win 123-119 at Memphis, which had won 9 of 10 and got 44 from Ja Morant.
Bring back Damian Lillard and make a run.
The tank is dead. – 10:43 PM Jay Allen @PDXjay
Ja Morant is 21-25 at the FT line tonight. The last #NBA player to attempt 25+ FTs in a game was Anthony Davis (27, 10/29/19). – 10:39 PM Quinton Mayo @RealQuintonMayo
Anfernee Simons and Ja Morant are going AT IT! – 10:34 PM Joe Mullinax @sbnGrizzlies
Ja Morant has set the single-game franchise record for free throw attempts, as he’s now at 21 and counting – 10:25 PM Chris Vernon @ChrisVernonShow
Ja Morant. light work. sheeesh. pic.twitter.com/qppbUZ2CMt – 10:20 PM Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
Ja Morant is so good man
His change of direction is just insane – 10:18 PM Joe Mullinax @sbnGrizzlies
Ja Morant is the greatest showman in the association – 10:17 PM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Ja Morant with the buzzer beater but he got T’d up for letting Portland know about it. 94-90 Blazers lead after three. – 9:59 PM Meghan Triplett @Meghan_Triplett
Ja Morant doing it all tonight!! – 9:58 PM Joe Mullinax @sbnGrizzlies
Jaren Jackson with the big swat that leads to the Ja Morant fast break 😎 – 9:28 PM Meghan Triplett @Meghan_Triplett
27pts for Ja Morant in the 1st half but the Grizzlies down 68-57. – 9:11 PM Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Grizzlies defense about as strong as the Detroit airport wifi that half. But they have a chance with Ja Morant going bonkers through two quarters. – 9:10 PM Meghan Triplett @Meghan_Triplett
Portland has no answer for Ja Morant! Now we just need to some other guys to get some good looks and defensively, get some stops on the other end!! – 9:07 PM Joe Mullinax @sbnGrizzlies
Just a heads up: the franchise record for free throw attempts in a game is 20 (Pau Gasol, 01/2006), per @stathead. It’s not even halftime, and Ja Morant will shoot his 14th free throw after the timeout – 9:02 PM Jay Allen @PDXjay
That first quarter was the highest-scoring quarter of Ja Morant’s career. He finished with 20 in the first, scoring the Grizzlies’ final 9 points of the period. – 8:42 PM Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Ja Morant All-Star jerseys gonna be sold out on the online NBA Shop by halftime – 8:41 PM Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
Blazers up 36-32 on Memphis at the end of the first quarter. Portland is shooting 56% and is 7 of 11 on threes. Ja Morant is attacking relentlessly and has 20 points. He is 9 of 10 at the FT line and 5 of 5 from the field. Simons has 11 points for the Blazers. – 8:40 PM Chris Herrington @ChrisHerrington
Ja Morant had 20 points in the first quarter. 5-5 from the floor. 9-10 from the line. Grizzlies down four, but still. – 8:39 PM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Good: Grizzlies got over 30 points in the first quarter for the 11th consecutive game and Ja Morant has 20(!) after missing last night’s game.
Bad: Portland leads 36-32 after shooting 56% from the field and 64% on seven made 3-pointers. – 8:38 PM Meghan Triplett @Meghan_Triplett
M-V-P chants for Ja Morant in the 1st qtr. – 8:37 PM Meghan Triplett @Meghan_Triplett
Ja Morant hasn’t played in 4 days. He comes back tonight and has 11pts in the first 7 minutes of the game. – 8:28 PM Joe Mullinax @sbnGrizzlies
Dr. J … I mean, Ziaire Williams … finishes the backdoor alley oop from Ja Morant – 8:16 PM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Led by Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies players mobbed Ja Morant during his tribute for being an NBA All-Star starter. pic.twitter.com/aKj7IWKChA – 8:05 PM Clay Bailey @claybailey9
Your starters for Grizz vs. Blazers:
Portland: CJ Elleby, Justise Winslow, Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Hart and Anfernee Simons.
Grizz starte: Ziaire Williams, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steven Adams, Desmond Bane and Ja Morant. – 7:50 PM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Ja Morant is officially back pic.twitter.com/hseXFp35zv – 7:33 PM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Smart decision by Grizzlies to rest Ja Morant on the first night of a back to back with a sore ankle. He looks like his explosive self today heading into this game and All-Star Weekend. – 7:32 PM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Ja Morant is looking pretty good to me. Going through his full pregame workout. pic.twitter.com/lnNdL16005 – 7:28 PM Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said he and his family will go to Cleveland on Friday to support Desmond Bane in the Rising Stars game and Ja Morant in Sunday’s All-Star game. – 6:21 PM Jay Allen @PDXjay
Memphis’ Ja Morant (sore left ankle) is still questionable for tonight’s game against the #Blazers. He’ll warm-up and be a game-time decision. – 6:20 PM Meghan Triplett @Meghan_Triplett
Coach Jenkins said Ja Morant is still questionable. He got treatment this morning and will be a game-time decision tonight vs Portland. – 6:20 PM Ja Morant @JaMorant
last home game before the break, PULL UP 🐻
#GrzNxtGen – 3:34 PM Aaron J. Fentress @AaronJFentress
I did not come to Memphis to not see Ja Morant play. pic.twitter.com/D1FbJ36zpE – 2:26 PM Peter Edmiston @peteredmiston
Consider this: on 11/27, the day after Ja Morant injured his ankle vs ATL, the Grizzlies were 9-10 and dead last in Defensive rating by a mile. From that day since, the Grizzlies have gone 32-8 and have been 2nd in Def rtg. That level of improvement is hard to believe. – 1:28 PM

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