How Ja Morant lit up the Timberwolves in the fourth quarter of Game 5

Momentum shifts in NBA games can be low-key. The turning point in the Memphis Grizzlies’ Game 5 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves was about as subtle as the eruption of a supervolcano.

How Ja Morant lit up the Timberwolves in the fourth quarter of Game 5

Ja Morant’s gravity-defying slam on Malik Beasley near the close of the third quarter Tuesday night resembled just such an explosion, but it also marked the point when everything changed for the Grizzlies’ superstar, and therefore the team itself.

Through the first three quarters, including this dunk, Morant had scored 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He was two-of-seven from the free throw line, and while he had an impressive 13 assists, his usual attacking mindset was absent.

Perhaps it was the absurdity of the highlight or the fact that Memphis entered that final frame trailing by double-digits, but this was the moment when Morant returned to his usual relentlessness. He scored 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Grizzlies made their comeback, committed zero turnovers after giving the ball away five times in the first 36 minutes, and — in case his aggression was in doubt — did not assist on another basket the rest of the game.

Call it ball-hogging if you want; the tape shows a guy who knew his opponent couldn’t stop him from getting any look he wanted at the rim. The Wolves’ defense did little to stop him.

Minnesota kept Morant quiet through three quarters by showing him multiple bodies when he was in position to attack, especially on screens. The idea for much of the series has been to bring the defending big up near the level and create a wall that dissuades Morant from attacking the rim, then recovering when he passes out.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins created space for his guy by adding a few wrinkles.

Going to a horns set in the first play above spread out Minnesota’s defenders to prevent them from packing too many bodies into Morant’s initial driving lane. In the second play, Brandon Clarke clears to the rim after the initial screen, taking Patrick Beverley with him and leaving the preferred matchup, D’Angelo Russell, on an island.

Memphis’ creative usage of Morant even showed up on plays that didn’t result in scores. Running Morant off two screens before having him slip his own pick into a completely open left side of the floor is a fantastic misdirection that should have ended with a made dunk; later, they get him downhill in a similar manner by running him into a handoff from the halfcourt line.

Any analysis of Morant’s Herculean fourth quarter effort must include the free throw line. Morant shot 10 free throws in the final six minutes, an obviously ludicrous pace, and made nine of them. This is where you see Morant’s will to pressure the rim; he puts his head down and decides he’s getting there, whether in transition or because of a poor steal attempt. The Wolves are forced to foul because they let him get too deep instead of meeting him before he becomes a runaway train.

The Wolves allowed 18 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second-chance points. Clarke led the way with nine of each, but here his tap-out turns into points for another as Morant sticks his only three of the night.

As is the case for many players, Morant gets his best outside look of the night stepping in after an offensive board, his body already aligned to the basket. This is a good way to let struggling shooters hit big attempts.

The game-winner is another example where the Wolves shot themselves in the foot. Desmond Bane’s screen bumps Anthony Edwards to the outside a bit, but rather than adjusting his course to keep Morant in front of him, Edwards continues around the outside in a doomed attempt to steal the inbound. From there, the newly-crowned Most Improved Player has a clear path to the hoop, and there is no way Jarred Vanderbilt — or anyone else — is going to stop him.

After blowing another double-digit fourth-quarter lead, the Timberwolves find their backs officially against the wall.

If they can’t defend Morant with a bit more consistency in Game 6 Friday, their season will be finished.