Grizzlies relish trash talking: 'We ain't ducking no smoke'

The Memphis Grizzlies have quickly gained a reputation for partaking in their fair share of trash talking this season.

The rising Grizzlies were at it again during Wednesday's 120-108 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, with guard Desmond Bane getting into an altercation with Knicks forward Julius Randle that resulted in the latter's ejection late in the fourth quarter.

When asked postgame about the incident that led to Randle receiving two technical fouls, teammates Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. said they welcome any banter that comes their way.

"There ain't no running in the M (Memphis), man," Morant said, courtesy of ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "We climb up the chimney. We ain't ducking no smoke. We're gonna let everybody know we're here. We're gonna play hard, we're trying to get a win, and if you don't like it? Oh well."

Memphis currently sits third in the West with a 36-18 record following Wednesday's victory. The squad has successfully managed to get under opponents' skin along the way, most notably LeBron James, who was caught on camera voicing his displeasure with the Grizzlies' antics during the Lakers' loss last month.

"You know us. You know how we play," Jackson said of Memphis' collective identity. "That brings joy to us. That back-and-forth. That's just what we like. So if you want to play that game, we can play that game."