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The Memphis Grizzlies' contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder saw Ja Morant's father Tee Morant get ejected from the game on Saturday night. The officiating crew explained why it happened.
During the fourth quarter, a member of the NBA's officiating crew requested Tee Morant to leave, according to someone who sat courtside.
Lead official Josh Tiven gave an explanation to why they ejected Tee Morant from the game, in an interview with the Daily Memphian's Drew Hill.
“The fan continued to repeat overtly disrespectful statements about the integrity of the officiating crew, so as the Crew Chief I approached security and asked that he be removed,” Tiven said.
“Was there something specific the fan said that warranted action to remove him?” Hill asked.
“Yes. There were very specific, overtly disrespectful comments made about the integrity of the crew,” Tiven replied.
Hill asked if the referee was aware they ejected Ja Morant's father, which Tiven answered yes.
What's next for Ja Morant, Grizzlies
Adding insult to injury following his father's ejection, Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies fell 125-112 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder built a convincing lead over the Grizzlies, having a 21-point advantage to begin the fourth quarter. Even though Memphis tried fighting back, winning the final period 29-21, it wasn't enough to pull off a rally.
Ja Morant finished with 16 points, seven assists and six rebounds on 6-of-19 shooting from the field. Desmond Bane led the team in scoring and rebounding with 20 points and nine rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. put up 19 points, while Santi Aldama provided 18 points and six boards.
Memphis fell to 35-17 on the season but maintains their grasp of the second spot in the Western Conference standings. The loss added distance between them and the top-seeded Thunder, with the gap now being 7.5 games.
The Grizzlies will look to regroup in their next matchup. They go on the road to face the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 11 at 10 p.m. ET.