Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant continued his tremendous start to the season in Sunday's 121-118 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, pouring in 40 points and 10 assists.
For all Morant's brilliance, though, the 22-year-old failed to sink a free throw that would've tied the contest at 119 in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter.
Ja Morant had a chance to tie the game but missed the free throw and the Lakers got the win π§ pic.twitter.com/Uw2tOtExbR
β SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 25, 2021
Rather than dwell on his crucial miss, Morant posted two tweets following the game suggesting he was focused on learning from the moment.
failure builds character.
β Ja Morant (@JaMorant) October 25, 2021
how will you respond 12.... β³
β Ja Morant (@JaMorant) October 25, 2021
Morant's performance was the latest in a growing list of eye-popping statistical outings from the Murray State product. He became the first player in Grizzlies history to record 40 points and 10 assists in a game, according to ESPN.
Morant is averaging 35 points, eight assists, 3.6 rebounds, and two steals while shooting 57.9% from the field and 38% on 3-pointers through three games. He's helped the Grizzlies get out to a 2-1 start.
Meanwhile, the Lakers recorded their first win of the season after an 0-2 start at Staples Center. Carmelo Anthony provided a huge boost with 28 points and six treys off the bench on a night where he passed Moses Malone to move into ninth on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
