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“We Always Wanna Get Our Lick Back”: Grizzlies Star Ja Morant Has Added Motivation for Christmas Day Game Against Stephen Curry’s Warriors

Published 12/23/2022, 5:10 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

With Christmas right around the corner, many notable NBA matchups will be taking place that night. One of them is the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies were eliminated in last year’s playoffs by the Warriors. Golden State took down Memphis in six games, winning the Western Conference semi-finals 4-2. And it seems as if those wounds are still fresh for Grizzlies star Ja Morant. 

The Golden State Warriors overcame huge hurdles and obstacles last year to win yet another NBA championship. Despite being shorthanded, the Warriors were able to rally to the NBA Finals and win it all against the Boston Celtics. 

Ja Morant is ready to take down the Warriors

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And one of the teams they took down on the way to the Finals was the Memphis Grizzlies. So, with the Grizzlies matching up with the Warriors this Christmas day, fans can be sure that Morant and co. would like to win the game to set the tone.

USA Today via Reuters

In an interview with Malika Andrews, Ja Morant talked about their Christmas day matchup. Andrews asked Morant if this game circles back to their playoff loss to the Warriors last season.

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And to that, Morant said, “Obviously, it’s the team that kicked us out of the playoffs, so you know, we always want to get our lick back. They’re the defending champs. So, regardless of their record, they’re still one of the top teams in this league.”

The Warriors were the third seed in the Western Conference when they managed to defeat the Grizzlies, who were the second seed. This season, however, the Warriors are currently down in 11th place on the Western Conference table with a 15-18 record, while the Grizzlies sit in 2nd place with a 19-11 record so far.

A Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors

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Nobody had expected the Warriors to win last year’s NBA championship. But they defied all odds to add to their list of accolades. 

However, the Christmas day matchup between these two teams would probably fall in the favor of Memphis. Since the Warriors’ leading scorer, Stephen Curry is out with a shoulder injury, the Grizzlies likely have the advantage of having all their starters, completely healthy. 

Watch This Story – Kyrie Irving’s 11 million loss might benefit Ja Morant real soon

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But it would be foolish to write off the Warriors that easily. They still have players like Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole available. 

Who do you think will win between the Warriors and the Grizzlies? Let us know in the comments below. 

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Written by:

Abhishek Dhariwal

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Abhishek Dhariwal is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He earned his bachelor's degree in English Honors from St. Xavier's College and his master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from AAFT School of Mass Communication and Journalism.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani