Ja Morant’s Dunk of the Year, 18-Point 4th Quarter & Acrobatic Game-Winner Steals Game 5 for Grizzlies (111-109); MEM Leads Series (3-2)
Memphis star Ja Morant won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award on Monday. Twenty-four hours later, he stamped his young playoff resume with a signature moment. The 2-seed Grizzlies entered the fourth quarter of Game 5 in a double-digit hole to the 7-seeded Timberwolves. The Grizz could’ve seen the series slip away. Instead, Morant’s heroics flipped the switch. He ended the third quarter with the dunk of the year — a demoralizing poster of Malik Beasley that will live in playoff infamy — then scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and capped the night with a sky-walking, game-winning layup in the final second. The league’s Most Improved Player might be proving he’s the most clutch, too.
Morant’s Stat Line: 30 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists
Watch: Grizzlies Rally to Beat T-Wolves (111-109) Behind Ja Morant’s Heroic Night
Other NBA Highlights
Gm 5: Suns def. Pelicans (112-97)
The Pelicans put the NBA’s top overall seed on the ropes after four games in the opening series, but the Suns are back in control. The injury to Devin Booker spelled trouble for Phoenix, but Mikal Bridges’ big night (31 points) lifted them in Game 5. Chris Paul added 22 points and 11 assists, and Phoenix can take a deep breath after an early-round scare. The series is far from over as it heads back to New Orleans for Game 6. The Pelicans have built a fierce underdog mentality that won’t go quietly, and NOLA will be anything but quiet on Thursday. PHX Leads Series (3-2)
Gm 5: Heat def. Hawks (97-94)
Moving on in Miami! The Heat slammed the door on the Hawks Tuesday night with a Game 5 win in South Beach. Atlanta clawed back in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. The story of the series was the Heat defense that held Trae Young to another ice-cold shooting night with 11 points (2-for-12, FG / 0-for-5, 3PT). Young averaged just 15.4 points in the series, including three losses with 8, 9 and 11. Miami’s team effort was on display once again as Bam Adebayo — the defensive anchor — had a 20-point, 11-rebound night before securing the series-clinching steal. The Heat await the winner of the 76ers-Raptors series. MIA Wins Series (4-1)
Tonight’s Schedule
Gm 5: Bulls at Bucks (7:30 pm ET)
Gm 5: Nuggets at Warriors (10:00 pm ET)
Additional Storylines
B/R: Ja Morant Makes Case as NBA’s Most Exciting Star in Grizzlies’ Game 5 Comeback
Clutch Points: Crazy Trae Young Stat Explains Hawks’ 4-1 Disaster vs. Heat
NBC Sports: Bulls’ Zach LaVine Enters COVID-19 Protocol Before Game 5
