Kevin Durant used every trick in the book to beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. The two-time NBA champion went after Ja Morant’s dad, Tee Morant, during his team’s 124-109 win over the Grizzlies.
After losing the first two games of the 2025-26 NBA season against two of the best young teams in the league (125-124 against the Oklahoma City Thunder and 115-111 against the Detroit Pistons), the Houston Rockets arrived in FedEx Forum on a four-game winning streak.
Advertisement
MORE: NBA legend shares insight on the difficulty of defending Spurs star Victor Wembanyama
The weakened Grizzlies, reportedly in the middle of issues involving their star player and the head coach, wanted to snap the Rockets’ streak.
At some point in the game, Durant engaged in a back-and-forth with Ja Morant’s dad, joking about the point guard’s reported unhappiness with the team and the new coaching staff.
Advertisement
“Your son don’t wanna be here,” Durant is heard telling Morant, while other fans sitting courtside burst into laughter. “We know it’s your last weekend. Enjoy your time.”
Durant had an off night against the Grizzlies, scoring just 11 points for the Rockets. Amen Thompson led the way for the Texan franchise with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Alperen Sengun contributed 20 points and 16 rebounds, while Jabari Smith and Tari Eason scored 16 points each.
Advertisement
Morant finished with 17 points and eight assists, going 6 of 19 from the field. Cam Spencer led the Grizzlies with 19 points. This result marked Memphis’ sixth loss and the fourth consecutive.
The situation doesn’t seem to be that good between Morant and the team. He was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team, following a heated exchange with first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo.
The former No. 2 overall pick starred in a tense moment with reporters on Monday, giving cloudy answers when asked if the issues with the coaching staff were solved.
“Yeah, they told y’all that, right? There you go,” Morant said. “Obviously, they can’t go and tell y’all something I ain’t say.”
The Grizzlies are no longer the exciting team that appeared ready to take over the Western Conference. They are now in a significantly different position, and things could worsen significantly for Memphis fans if the situation continues.
—Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead—
THURSDAY ROUNDUP:Alex Ovechkin’s historic night, Arizona Cardinals lose Murray, and more
NFL POWER RANKINGS:All 32 teams ranked worst to first entering Week 10
NFL:Updated Super Bowl 60 betting odds following NFL trade deadline
MLB:MLB announces international World Series viewership; Japan, Canada set record
SPORTS MEDIA:Fox Sports has reportedly chosen Mark Sanchez’s replacement
VIRAL:CBS Sports crew pranks NFL analyst for his birthday with a ‘football cake’