A physical and chippy game between the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies led to an intense postgame interaction between Klay Thompson and Ja Morant, who needed to be separated shortly after the final buzzer sounded.
Morant, dressed in a gray Nike tech sweatsuit, did not play in Saturday’s loss to the Grizzlies because of a right calf strain, but he became the primary topic of discussion when he pointed his right index finger inches away from Thompson’s face. The veteran sharpshooter pushed Morant’s hand away before team security guards de-escalated the verbal altercation before it could become physical.
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It was one of three occasions in which Thompson was involved in a shouting match with another member of the Grizzlies, with his previous two occurring during the game with Santi Aldama and Vince Williams Jr.
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After the game, Thompson spoke from his locker about each moment of tension, including his spat with Morant.
“He’s a funny guy,” Thompson said. “He has a lot to say all the time, especially for a guy that rarely takes accountability, but that’s for another day.”
Thompson, who led the Mavericks with 22 points, didn’t reveal what Morant specifically said that caused tensions to flare, citing his words as “nothing of intelligent depth.” Shortly after the altercation, Morant crashed his teammate Cam Spencer’s postgame interview and delivered another verbal jab about Thompson.
“Tell ‘em who the best shooter in the house was, it wasn’t bruh from Golden State,” Morant said, referring to Spencer’s team-high three 3-pointers — which were only half of Thompson’s season-high six triples.
“He’s been running his mouth for a long time,” Thompson said. “It’s funny to run your mouth when you’re on the bench. It’s the story of his career so far, just leaving us wanting more.
“We all want to see him out there and do his best, but he’s just been letting a lot of other stuff get in the way of that, and we need that in the NBA. We need our best players out there and when you’re a star, it comes with a great responsibility. I hate to see that go to waste.”
Morant has appeared in just 71 regular season games since the 2023-24 season because of a significant amount of injuries and self-inflicted incidents away from the court that led to team and league-based suspensions. He’s averaging 17.9 points this season, his lowest since his rookie season, and a career-worst 16.7% from 3.
Thompson has a storied rivalry with the Grizzlies dating back to his time with the Warriors, which included two six-game playoff series in 2015 and 2022. The Grizzlies, once defined by their “Grit and Grind” identity, were once headlined by Mike Conley Jr., Mark Gasol, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen.
“I actually have a lot of respect for the Grindhouse,” Thompson said. “That was a hard team to beat in Memphis. Oh my goodness. This new team, though? I don’t know. They just talk a lot.”
Thompson, 35, used his veteran leadership to defend Cooper Flagg late in the third quarter when Aldama grabbed Flagg’s leg, causing the rookie to trip. The 18-year-old rookie attempted to confront Aldama, but was held back by Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. Thompson then confronted Aldama and the two needed to be separated.
The officials deemed Aldama’s action worthy of a flagrant foul and Thompson recalled a moment in 2022 when former Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks received a flagrant foul two that left Gary Payton Jr. with a broken elbow.
“With the tall guy, I thought that’s not cool,” Thompson said. “I’ve seen [the Grizzlies] do dirty stuff before. I remember in the playoffs in 2022, they broke my teammate’s elbow on a dirty hit. That made me think of that and I don’t like seeing that done to a rookie. That’s not cool. I’ll compete with you all day on the basketball court, but don’t be dirty. That’s not it.”
In the fourth quarter, Thompson and Williams were tied up and officials broke up a verbal interaction that led to technical fouls for both players.
“They’ve always talked a lot and never really backed it up, either,” Thompson said. “I don’t really respect that. I respect guys who back up the talk with play, because talk is cheap. Trust me, I know better than anybody. I’ve been in this league a long time.”
The Mavericks have lost the first two games of the season series to the Grizzlies. Thompson will have to wait a few months until he has a chance for a rematch, with possibly Morant in the lineup, since they won’t meet again until Memphis returns to American Airlines Center on Feb. 27.
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