Clippers' Marcus Morris Thrown out of Game After Hitting Ja Morant in the Face in Loss to Memphis Grizzlies
Clippers' Marcus Morris Sr. was ejected in the Los Angeles game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night after hitting Ja Morant in the face.
Morris has been ejected following a flagrant foul 2 on Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant. Morant was reportedly speeding toward the rim when Morris took him down hard.
As Morant tilted the ball back on his way to the rim, Morris moved up to defend the dunk but ended up smacking the point guard's face with his open hand, causing Morant to fall backward onto the floor.
After officials reviewed the play, the foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul 2, and Morris was dismissed with 4 minutes, 22 seconds left in the third quarter. The Clippers forward finished the night with three points and four rebounds while shooting 1-of-6 from the field.
After the hard fall, Morant lay in pain on the ground. Morris appeared to try to keep Morant from falling on the back of his head after striking him in the face.
The optics of the situation do not look good for Morris as the Clippers were trailing by 22 points late in the third when the incident occurred.
Morris has seen his fair share of on-court drama. He has been having an on-and-off spat with Nikola Jokic. In November, the Denver Nuggets star shoved his brother, Markieff Morris, to the ground during a game, sparking a Twitter feud between the two families.
'Cool' With Marcus Morris, Ja Morant Says
Fortunately, Ja Morant was able to get up after the play with no injuries. Morant had no ill feelings towards Marcus Morris despite the hard foul. He even said he was "cool" with both of the Morris brothers, and he got up and "played on concrete all my life."
Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. said in reaction to the foul: "I wasn't worried about his fall either," as he believed that his teammate is a "sturdy guy."
Morant, who is heading to his first All-Star game, finished with 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while shooting 12-of-19 from the field.
Coach Taylor Jenkins of Grizzlies said he thought Morris made "a dangerous play." Jenkins added that the tape "speaks for itself," as Morant was vulnerable in the air, and said referees "made the correct call."
Morant scored 30 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists in just 26 minutes.
Memphis Grizzlies Sweep Season Series Against Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers trailed for nearly all of the contest Tuesday night, with the exception of a brief lead in the opening minutes before the Memphis Grizzlies coasted to a 135-109 win.
Ja Morant led the team while Jaren Jackson dropped 26 points with 11 rebounds. The Grizzlies, whose six of the last seven games have ended in victories, shot over 51 percent from the field as a team, and the Los Angeles Clippers were held to 19 points in the third period.
Norman Powell led the Clippers who scored 16 points, and Reggie Jackson added 12. They were the only two starters to reach double figures in scoring.
Isaiah Hartenstein led the squad with 19 points and seven rebounds while shooting 7-of-11 from the field off the bench. Unfortunately for the Clippers, the Memphis Grizzlies have swept them 4-0 this season, with almost every game being a massive blowout.
The Grizzlies are one squad that the Clippers have difficulty matching up with. The Clippers' road trip isn't getting any easier, as the team will face the Dallas Mavericks twice and then have the Golden State Warriors waiting for them at home.
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Written by: Jess Smith
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