Ja Morant’s game-winning shot against the Timberwolves has fans buzzing

The Memphis Star I Morant sank the game-winning basket with 18.6 seconds left on Saturday, starting the Memphis Grizzlies to a 125-117 victory Minnesota Timberwolves in a stunning NBA showdown.

Ja Morant saves the Grizzlies from the Timberwolves

In his second game after returning from a shoulder injury, Morant scored 12 points and went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. He was able to come through in the clutch though, getting a layup to make it 125-125 with 54.1 seconds left.

After the Grizzlies had a steal, Morant struck again, hitting Minnesota center Rudy Gobert to prevent a Memphis comeback from a six-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining.

Randle turned the ball over on the next possession and Jackson Jr. grabbed a steal. Morant capitalized quickly, hitting a floater over the outstretched arms of Anthony Edwards to give Memphis a 127-125 lead with 18.1 seconds left.

Fan reaction to Ja Morant’s game winner

Fans turned to social networks to react to Morant’s late game heroics.

“Shoulder game winner’s dinner,” said one user on X (formerly Twitter)

Another user criticized Anthony Edwards’ defense saying: “Through whom? Oh, Anthony “The Next Michael Jordan” Edwards 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 I can’t hang.”

Username @olamijuvon1007 wrote: “Ja Morant really worked for it. A well-deserved win.”

The Grizzlies close out the Timberwolves

Morant struggled with his shooting, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-19 shooting, but came up with a clutch shot to secure a victory for Memphis in the opener of their four-game road trip. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the attack with 33 points and eight rebounds, while Desmond Bane contributed 21 points.

Donte DiVincenzo played well for the Timberwolves with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but their three-game winning streak was snapped. Jaden McDaniels gave 21 points, Naz Reed 19 off the bench, and Julius Randle 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

The Grizzlies faced a 125-121 deficit after Rudy Gobert’s layup for the Timberwolves with 1:41 left, but Minnesota couldn’t score again.

Minnesota fails in the clutch

The Timberwolves had two chances to regain the lead in the final seconds. Anthony Edwards missed a 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left, but Donte DiVincenzo secured an offensive rebound, prompting the team to call a timeout for another attempt to tie or secure the win.

Edwards had one last chance for a 3-pointer, but his shot missed once again at the buzzer, sealing the Grizzlies’ comeback victory.

Rookie Jalen Wells took on the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s star, spending most of the game defending Edwards. Wells gave a solid performance, holding his own on the defensive end while giving up 13 points on offense.

Saturday marked Minnesota’s fourth straight game with a revamped starting lineup, with Donte DiVincenzo in the starting five and veteran Mike Conley moving to the bench. Since coach Chris Finch implemented the change, the Timberwolves have gone 3-1.

Morant and the Grizzlies travel to Houston for Monday’s matchup, while the Timberwolves travel to Washington for Monday’s game.