Celtics

Ja Morant said he’s ‘fine’ in the West, but the Celtics are on his mind

The Memphis Grizzlies star gave the Celtics some respect in a recent interview with ESPN.

By Khari Thompson

December 22, 2022

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When asked about which teams he’s studying and knows he’ll have to “run through” at some point, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant didn’t mention any teams in the Western Conference.

He told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he has his eye on the Celtics.

“No one in the West?” Andrews asked

“Nah, I’m fine in the West,” Morant said.

On the surface, Memphis’ record would seem to back up Morant’s confidence. At 19-11, the Grizzlies and Nuggets are atop the Western Conference. But, the Grizzlies are 8-8 in conference play. They’ve gone a scorching hot 13-2 at home, but they’re 6-9 on the road.

Not to mention the fact that the Warriors dispatched the Grizzlies in six games en route to beating the Celtics in the Finals. The Warriors and Grizzlies will battle again on Christmas Day.

The timing is also interesting. The Celtics have dropped three in a row and five out of their last six games following Wednesday night’s loss to Indiana. Boston, which is second in the East behind Milwaukee, will host the Bucks on Christmas Day.

The Celtics beat the Grizzlies 109-106 in Memphis on Nov. 7 behind a 39-point performance from Jayson Tatum. Morant finished just shy of a triple-double with 30 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. The Grizzlies will visit the Celtics at TD Garden on Feb. 12.