Ja Morant tells Grizzlies to ‘keep grinding’ in his absence

DALLAS — Injured superstar Ja Morant spoke at the Memphis Grizzlies' emotional team meeting Tuesday morning following the news that he needed season-ending surgery on his right shoulder .

The gist of Morant's message to his Memphis teammates?

“Stay locked in and keep working,” Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane told ESPN before Tuesday night's road game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The undermanned Grizzlies responded with a 120-103 victory over the Mavs, which coach Taylor Jenkins called “one of the most impressive team wins of the season.” Memphis put the finishing touches on a 3-0 road trip despite missing All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (right knee bruise) and losing starting guard Marcus Smart to a dislocated right knee. right ring finger in the third quarter, an injury that will be evaluated when the Grizzlies return home Wednesday.

“We have nothing to lose,” said Smart, who scored 23 points before his early departure. “Especially without Ja, everyone shuts us out. Everyone expects us to stop and give up, and that's not what this team is about and it's not in our hearts.”

Morant attended the game at the American Airlines Center, sitting on the Grizzlies bench with his right arm in a sling, but did not speak to the media. He cheered animatedly, barked coaching points and celebrated with his teammates throughout the victory.

“Ja will always be positive,” Bane said after leading the Grizzlies with 32 points. “He's one of our brothers and we love him to death. He's a big part of this, whether he plays or not.”

Before the game, Jenkins described the Grizzlies as “gutted” and “devastated” for Morant, who played in just nine games this season after being suspended for the first 25 games. The Grizzlies learned shortly after their flight landed in Dallas Monday night that an MRI on Morant's shoulder revealed an underlying labral tear that would require surgery.

Morant, in consultation with the Grizzlies medical staff, is in the process of selecting the surgeon who will perform the operation.

Morant traveled and trained with the team while serving his suspension, which was handed down by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after the two-time All-Star brandished a gun during a video Instagram Live for the second time in two months. Although Morant will not be able to participate in basketball activities for the remainder of the season, Jenkins said he hopes he will continue to travel with the team once medically cleared to do so following a operation.

“Everybody feels for Ja,” Jenkins said. “I mean, they know how much work he's done this season, obviously what he's done since he came back the last couple of weeks. But these guys really care about each other and they really care about Ja, and obviously they I know how much he cares about them and how he showed them so much support even when he was out for the first 25 games. But we kept saying, “Hey , we will be there for you. You have to be there during us.'”

Morant's teammates and Memphis staff members have pledged to support Morant throughout his recovery from surgery.

“Just be his brother,” Jackson told ESPN. “There's no science to it. Just be there for him. He's got a great support system around him. His circle is small, so he's going to be great.”

Bane added, “We put our arms around him. We're here for him.”

The Grizzlies got off to a 6-19 start during Morant's suspension. He returned with a spectacular 34-point performance to lead a road victory against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 19, capping the rally with the first game-winning buzzer-beater of his career, and a 25.1 scoring average. points and 8.1 assists in the game. nine games he played. Memphis went 6-3 with Morant in the lineup.

Morant suffered a shoulder subluxation during a Saturday practice and missed Sunday's road win against the Phoenix Suns. Following persistent pain and instability, Morant underwent an MRI that revealed a labral tear, a major blow to Memphis' hopes of saving the season.

“We're going to fight. That's all we can do,” Smart said. “That's what we know. We're going to fight until we can't fight anymore. And that's all you can ask for – to fight until the end, because we understood that as the season approaches, the odds against us and everything in between “We understood that this may not be a year where everything is expected of us, but it is also a year for us to prepare well next year. “