Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was ejected from their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night after he was seen talking to a fan sitting courtside at the Paycom Center.
In the final minute of the second quarter in Oklahoma City, Morant suddenly received two technicals and was ejected, which sparked quite a confusing sequence on the floor. Grizzlies players and coaches immediately questioned the officials, as it’s not really clear what Morant had done wrong.
Replay showed Morant wasn’t talking to the official behind him, and his conversation with the fan wasn’t extraordinary.
Morant eventually walked off the court, and flashed a heart sign and a thumbs up toward the fan — so clearly, he didn’t take anything personally.
Dillon Brooks received a technical foul during the incident, too.
The fan seemed just as confused as everyone else, too. Lisa, the spectator in question, was wearing a Morant sweatshirt, and is a “Ja Morant superfan” who lives in the area. Morant’s dad actually walked out to find Lisa after with Morant on FaceTime so that he could speak with her, too. Clearly, Morant wasn’t upset with her.
Morant finished the night with six points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.
The Grizzlies, who had won seven straight headed into Saturday night, trailed the Thunder 64-43 at halftime. While they cut the game to single digits late, their comeback fell just short. The Thunder held on to take a 115-109 win behind 24 points and seven rebounds from Luguentz Dort.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.