Ja Morant has had less than ten dunks this season. Despite being known as one of the best in-game dunkers in the league right now, the Memphis Grizzlies point guard has been trying to stay away from plays that can hurt his health. He already said this season that he has no intention to dunk at all, which sent Ja Morant fans into despair. But it seems like he flipped his no-dunking stance in the game against the Boston Celtics.
Ja Morant is Playing with His Fans
In the third quarter, with Memphis in the lead, Ja took off on a baseline drive that had the crowd at the TD Garden buzzing. He sprinted toward the basket, but then Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White rotated, trying to block his shot, Morant quickly double-clutched mid-air and threw down a filthy reverse dunk. Is he back to dunking? Or was this just a one-time thing? It seems like Ja Morant is toying with his fans. While he might not be doing crazy alley-oops, when the situation calls, he is more than capable of delivering.
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The Grizzlies point guard finished the game with 32 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. also had a good night, finishing with 27 points.
Ja Explains His Dunk
Following the game, Ja talked with a reporter about the game and about his dunk. He said,
“I feel like if I didn’t, Porzingis was going to block it. I really wanted to go to the reverse, but you know, another one.”
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Two games ago, in a loss against the Dallas Mavericks, he had a fast break chance for a dunk, but he only casually put the ball in the basket. After that game, he reinstated his no-dunk policy, saying,
“Sometimes I get knocked out the air and [a foul] don’t get called, and now I’m out longer than what I’m supposed to be. Sometimes, the foul might get called; I still hit the floor, but after the game, you might feel that little fall. So I just pick and choose, man. Hey, two points is two points. I get it done. That’s all that matters. I am not trying to dunk at all. You all think I’m lying. I am dead serious.”
The last time he had a great dunk was against the Portland Trail Blazers six games ago. He came back from an injury in that game and said he doesn’t want to dunk anymore.
Fans might start counting his dunks this season because it looks like there won’t be many of them.
Damian Lillard Reacts to Insane Dunk
It seems like Damian Lillard summed up best what fans think of Ja Morant’s insane reverse dunk. He quickly reacted to the dunk on his Instagram story, saying, “WTF LoL.” This type of reaction is why fans hope that Morant will go back to his flashy dunks. Yes, health is always a priority, but it would be a waste for the league if Ja is not back to his electrifying play. We all want to see it!
