MIAMI – Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant hit a game-winning shot to snap the Miami Heat’s six-game winning streak as the team lost 110-108 in a heartbreaking finish. As the Heat was amid a turnaround coming off a 10-game skid and into the aforementioned winning streak, the team was competitive against the Grizzlies Thursday night as it all culminated in an ending that went against the system as explained by head coach Erik Spoelstra.
With under 14 seconds left, Memphis inbounded the ball to Morant and initiated a screen that got off Davion Mitchell and instead was covered by the rookie center Kel’el Ware. Morant drove on him but found the space for separation and hit a turnaround jumper to win the game.
Ja Morant wins it at the buzzer for Memphis against Miami, 110-108. Heat’s six-game winning streak is snapped. They next host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/iertXo76LQ
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 4, 2025
Morant would finish the game with 30 points while the rookie in Ware would have 13 points to go along with 15 rebounds and three blocks as he had another standout outing, though people will look solely on the final play. Still, Spoelstra would say how the 20-year-old is “making big-time strides” and doesn’t regret that Ware was guarding Morant, but didn’t approve of leaving anybody “on an island.”
“He’s making big-time strides,” Spoelstra said. “Probably people will say ‘Hey, why would you switch? Look, I don’t have to explain it, but he’s been doing that and guarding some pretty good guys, but never on an island. We don’t want that. That’s not our system. Yeah, it is a good thing he was this close to getting a big-time offensive rebound there down the stretch. He got his hands on it, and that could have been a big extra couple points for us.”
Spo on Kel’el Ware’s progression.
“Making big-time strides…probably people will say “Why would you switch?’ I don’t have to explain it. But he’s been doing that and guarding some pretty good guys, but never on an island. We don’t want that, that’s not our system.” #HEATNation pic.twitter.com/BqiE6B75KA
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 4, 2025
Heat’s Tyler Herro on Ja Morant’s “tough” game-winner
Even after the gut-punching loss, the Heat still believe they’re trending in the right direction which has some validity to it since adversity was present, and fought it hard, but to no avail thanks to Morant. Tyler Herro would lead Miami with 35 points on 12 for 23 shooting from the field with nine rebounds and four assists as most of the production came in the third period where he had 19 points.
He would say to ClutchPoints how Morant “made a tough shot” and even with the defeat, the team is “further along than we were two or three weeks ago.”
“We obviously competed really hard,” Herro said. “It was a back-and-forth game all night. You know, we went down eight, I like how we answered the run. And we went on the run of our own. Ja made a tough shot at the end. I thought we could have been a little bit more disruptive, you know, with shrinks and like, stabbing at the ball and different things like that, he was able to get get a tough shot off, and he ended up making it. It’s obviously a tough loss, but I think we’re further along than we were two or three weeks ago.”
Asked Tyler Herro about the swings in the game and about Ja Morant’s game-winner.
“Though we competed really hard…we went down eight…Ja made a tough shot at the end…I think we’re further along than we were two or three weeks ago.” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/aMw0eePFdV
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 4, 2025
Heat’s Bam Adebayo on the final play of the heartbreaking loss
It was also a great effort from Heat captain Bam Adebayo who had 26 points on 11 of 26 shooting from the field, two of four from deep with seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. He would agree with Herro that Morant made a “tough shot” and also with Spoelstra that “we preach that never to leave a guy on an island.”
“He made a tough shot at the end of the day, but, you know, we got to get activated,” Adebayo said to ClutchPoints while also downplaying that blame should be on Ware. “You know, we preach that to never leave a guy on an island, especially when it’s four seconds left, that’s when you know it’s time to make a play. But Ja made a tough play tonight.”
Asked Bam Adebayo about Ja Morant’s game-winner and Kel’el Ware being on an island.
“Ja made a tough shot at the end of the day, but we got to get activated. We preach that to never leave a guy on an island…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/aeALyGE7FN
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) April 4, 2025
At any rate, there are now five games left as Miami is 35-42 which puts them ninth in the Eastern Conference where the team will next face the Milwaukee Bucks.
The post Heat’s Erik Spoelstra reflects on system error on fatal Ja Morant buzzer-beater appeared first on ClutchPoints.
