Ja Morant sent Miami Heat fans home disappointed Thursday night after he made a step-back shot in the lane as time expired to give his Memphis Grizzlies a 110–108 victory. The shot capped a 30-point night for Morant and snapped a four-game losing streak for Memphis.
In the final seconds, he got the switch he wanted and went to work on Miami rookie big man Kel'el Ware. Morant drove into the lane and created separation on Ware to elevate for a smooth step-back jumper that rattled around the rim and in. Ballgame.
After the win, Morant gave a confident, mildly spicy quote when asked about what he saw on the final possession.
"A pigeon guarding me, go get a bucket and win the game," Morant said on the TNT broadcast.
The response seemed a bit personal, leaving TNT's Taylor Rooks to follow up and see what Miami did to strike a chord with Morant. "The crowd get to booing me. They just woke me up for the second half and I'm pretty sure they ain't happy going home now," he responded.
"A pigeon guarding me, go get a bucket win the game. ... The crowd get to booing me. They just woke me up for the second half."
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 4, 2025
Ja had feeling himself after the game-winner 🔥 pic.twitter.com/D3XL4qahKd
Ware wasn't impressed, though, as he said postgame that he thought Morant "got the lucky shot."
Morant's dad Tee was sitting court side for his son's game-winner and strong performance. Ja went straight toward Tee after the buzzer sounded and the two shared a special moment:
THIS MOMENT FROM JA AND TEE MORANT AFTER JA’S GAME WINNER >>>
— Grizz Lead (@Grizz_Lead) April 4, 2025
pic.twitter.com/5ZPkQC3SvA
Ja received press for the wrong reasons this week following an alleged finger-gun gesture toward the Golden State Warriors' bench during a game Tuesday night in response to Buddy Hield making the same gesture. The NBA investigated the situation and reportedly decided to issue warnings and no further penalties for both Morant and Hield.
Now, Morant puts all that behind him with a defining game-winner.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ja Morant Gave a Spicy Quote After Game-Winning Step-Back Over Kel'el Ware.