MEMPHIS, Tenn., Nov. 3, 2025 — Back on the floor after a team-issued one-game ban, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant scored 18 points and handed out 10 assists in Monday’s 114-106 home loss to the Detroit Pistons, yet declined to clarify the tension that led to his brief absence.
The suspension stemmed from Morant’s behavior during Friday’s defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, a night when he finished with just eight points and appeared disengaged in the second half. Asked postgame about the team’s struggles, he repeatedly told reporters to “go ask the coaching staff,” later remarking, “According to them, probably don’t play me, honestly … It’s cool.”
Memphis sat the 26-year-old All-Star for one contest, citing actions detrimental to the club. After serving the ban, Morant rejoined the starting lineup against Detroit but offered mostly terse replies afterward, often pointing reporters to the organization’s earlier statement.
“Y’all asked that question of them, huh? … So, y’all know the answer to that,” he said when pressed about the suspension. Asked whether he felt his usual enjoyment on the court, Morant simply responded, “No.”
The guard avoided the media before tipoff, walking past reporters in the locker room without comment. Following the game, he reiterated that any details about his relationship with management should come from the team. “Obviously, they can’t go and tell y’all something I ain’t said,” Morant noted, adding, “If I didn’t have a good relationship with [them], I wouldn’t talk to them at all.”
Morant logged 37 minutes against the Pistons, shooting 7-for-17 from the field. Detroit’s backcourt tandem capitalized on Memphis miscues to secure the eight-point victory, dropping the Grizzlies to 2-4 on the season.
Source: ESPN
