The Memphis Grizzlies picked up their first win under the lead of their interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo on Thursday night against the Miami Heat thanks to a game-winning buzzer-beater from star point guard Ja Morant. After the game, Morant made it clear this game was personal because of how the fans at the Kaseya Center treated him throughout the contest.

After a slow start in the first half, Morant eventually found his footing and ended up finishing the game with 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting while also hauling in five rebounds and dishing out three assists. Heat fans were booing Morant frequently throughout the game, and he revealed that he took that personally, making it a goal of his to send them home unhappy.

“The crowd getting to booing me. They just woke me up for the second half. I'm pretty sure they ain't happy going home now,” Morant said immediately after the Grizzlies big win.

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Ja Morant's heroics vs. Heat snaps four-game losing streak for Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts after scoring the game-winning shot against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center.
Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The past couple of weeks have been quite tough for the Grizzlies, as they had lost seven of their past eight games, including four straight, heading into this matchup with the Heat. Furthermore, they fired their head coach Taylor Jenkins with just nine games left until the playoffs, replacing him with Iisalo in a fairly controversial move. After a slow start, Iisalo finally got his first win as a head coach in the NBA.

With this win over Miami, Memphis has held onto the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference for now, but they have the same record as the Minnesota Timberwolves, who currently own the No. 7 seed. There's a big difference here, as the Grizzlies would have to participate in the NBA's play-in tournament if they fell below the No. 6 seed, so there's a sense of urgency surrounding the team right now. They will look to keep up the momentum when they take on the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.