Ja Morant

Memphis is terrifying. This was a complete bloodbath from the jump, one in which Ja Morant recorded yet another triple-double (going for 25 points, 10 rebounds, ...

In case dropping a career-high 41 points wasn’t enough, Tyler Herro went ahead and became the fourth Heat player to hit 10 threes in a game. But Mikal Bridges (27 points) and Chris Paul (15 points, 13 assists, and seven rebounds) were outstanding on both ends, as the Clippers were held under 100 points for the ninth time this season. He scored 35 points, drained nine of 17 triples, and hit the game-winner in Miami’s tight win over the Thunder on Wednesday. 11 of L.A.’s 17 wins this season have come by fewer than 10 points (living); the same goes for six of its 14 losses (dying). [Tuesday’s 121-100 blowout](https://www.slcdunk.com/2022/12/13/23508616/with-lauri-markkanen-back-utah-jazz-dominate-zion-williamson-new-orleans-pelicans), it still shows that the Jazz can, in fact, hang when the opposition has all its ducks in a row on both ends. Regardless, the Pelicans are still more of a contender than most of the wild, chaotic Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Pelicans lost their second straight game — both against the Jazz — after previously winning seven in a row. They make you wonder about the long-term impact of load management on a team — can they ever truly gel to the point of becoming a bona fide contender? The Grizzlies have won seven in a row and sit atop the West at 19-9. They make you ponder what it really means for a team to have an off night — is it a fluke, or a representation of that team’s weaknesses on display? The Bucks didn’t look to be up to the task tonight, for whatever reason. But they also compress their schedules on these nights because it would simply be impossible for every night to feature eight to 10 games on its docket.