The Memphis Grizzlies had a lot of question marks around them entering the season, from the departure of Desmond Bane to the handful of injuries to key players. Even though the Grizzlies were the second seed in the Western Conference at the All-Star break last year, they’ve seemingly been written off and have had no choice but to prove it on the court.
On Wednesday night, the Grizzlies headed to Phoenix to face the Suns, looking to improve upon their 2-2 record after a loss to the Golden State Warriors. With the Suns holding the lead with under a minute left in the game, Ja Morant caught the ball and the three-point line, and the rest was exactly what Grizzlies fans were hoping for.
JA MORANT GAME WINNER pic.twitter.com/Xma9kTdEyE
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 30, 2025
Shooting a floater over Phoenix’s Grayson Allen, Morant nailed the shot to give the Grizzlies a 114-113 lead, which ended up being the game-winner after Devin Booker missed the game-winning three-pointer on the next possession. Yet another clutch play from the Grizzlies’ star, fans took to social media to share their reactions.
Ja 🤝 Reaves. They play each other Friday 👀
— Hoops Realm (@TheHoopsRealm) October 30, 2025
“Ja 🤝 Reaves. They play each other Friday 👀,” one user wrote, alluding to LA Lakers star Austin Reaves’ game-winner against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Grizzlies will return to Memphis and see the visiting Lakers on Friday evening.
Top 3 clutchest PG in the West
— HoodiiOtterman (@NormanOtterman) October 30, 2025
“Top 3 clutchest PG in the West,” another user added. While Steph Curry surely deserves his spot on that list, Morant is very well in the mix for one of those two other spots. Morant made a game-winner against the Miami Heat last season, making a stepback fadeaway shot over then-rookie center Kel’el Ware.
one thing Ja will do is clutch up in the less 15 sec ong
— Jordan House (@JordanHouse222) October 30, 2025
“one thing Ja will do is clutch up in the less 15 sec ong,” a user shared. Of course, the Grizzlies want Morant to be contributing throughout the game, but if he shows up when it matters most, sometimes that’s all you can ask for.
Most go-ahead shots in the final 10 seconds of a game since 2019:
9 — Jayson Tatum (27.3% FG)
8 — Ja Morant (50.0% FG) pic.twitter.com/yH7Odc4K5X
— Real Sports (@realapp) October 30, 2025
Real Sports on X went on to emphasize just how clutch Morant has been since entering the league, with eight go-ahead shots made in the final 10 seconds of a game. While Jayson Tatum has one more make than Morant, he edges him with a 50% field goal percentage compared to a 27.3% rate.
Ja Morant is the most clutch player of the 20s and nobody wanna talk about it
— zinzy°🐻 (@playoffzinzy) October 30, 2025
Morant went on to finish the game with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists to go with his game-winner. While Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points himself, it was a heavy-lifting performance from Morant in the win.
Most clutch player in the league by far
— Tim #HeitingaOut (@Tim_GrizzAFCA) October 30, 2025
Even if Morant is the clutchest player in the league, the reality is the Grizzlies have to put themselves in situations to win games first. So far this year, Memphis’ two losses were by 32 and 13 points, with the 13-point loss to the Warriors looking closer than it really was.
JA MORANT IN THE GRIZZLIES WIN AGAINST THE SUNS :
– 28 Points
– 8 Rebounds
– 7 Assists
– 10/19 FG | 3/8 3PT | 5/5 FT
– +13 +/-
– 32 Minutes
– 1 GAME WINNER
12 CALLED GAME ONCE AGAIN. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/rRYXkjiUQl
— Grizz Lead (@Grizz_Lead) October 30, 2025
On the season, Morant is averaging 23.4 points and 6.6 assists per game. Both his assist and points averages will need to bump up if he wants to firmly position himself for an All-Star position in the loaded Western Conference, but he’s already looking closer to the All-NBA version of himself.
Ja Morant need to get back into that MVP convo, Wemby prolly gone win but you never know man.
— Big Merk (@merkcitygod) October 30, 2025
However, if Morant truly wants to get back into the All-NBA conversations, he’ll have to perform against the top teams in the league, or just on the biggest stages. While the Lakers aren’t exactly at the top of their game, they’ll draw a lot of attention when they face the Grizzlies on Friday. With Reaves on a hot streak offensively, Morant may have to match him to stay competitive.
JA MORANT SAYS GOOD NIGHT. 😴
(🎥: @SportsCenter)pic.twitter.com/9MVC1mDpL3
— theScore (@theScore) October 30, 2025
Tip-off on Friday is set for 9:30 p.m. EST, with the game being shown on Prime Video.