Ja Morant

By all accounts, the Golden State Warriors should’ve been well-rested, having entered December 19, 2024’s trip to Tennessee with only one game played over the last week. Through pesky, 94-feet defense from Ja Morant, and trickle-down hustle that forced them to work overtime throughout, the scoreboard told stories of anything but. In what ultimately became a masterful two-steals-in-nine-seconds sequence, Morant tests his hand quickness, introducing the newly-acquired Dennis Schröder to the rivalry built on physicality by forcing a takeaway on his behind-the-back dribble. No stranger to delivering memorable dimes — even from the ground — Morant collects a “hockey assist,” positioning his teammate to set up another for a fastbreak jam. Morant, both literally and figuratively, had the best seat in the house during the Memphis Grizzlies’ 51-point demolition of the Warriors on multiple occasions, as they sustained well-documented winning ways. Requiring only nine shot attempts to leave his impact, the All-Star guard tallied a nine-point, three-rebound, three-assist, two-steal-two-block, one-trifecta finish, alongside a +24 plus-minus.