Grizzlies' Ja Morant says off-the-court issues impacted season after blowout loss to Lakers

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The Memphis Grizzlies were trounced Friday night by the Los Angeles Lakers, putting an end to a rocky season that saw star player Ja Morant suspended for eight games in March. 

Morant had multiple off-the-court incidents appear in the news before he was suspended after appearing to brandish a gun at a Denver area nightclub. 

Ja Morant, #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies, warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during round One Game Six of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2023, at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California.  (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Grizzlies still managed to earn the two-seed in the Western Conference, but injuries and a rebuilt Lakers team did them in, losing in six games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. 

After the blowout loss on Friday night, Morant took ownership of a disappointing season, pointing to off-the-court distractions. 

LAKERS OBLITERATE GRIZZLIES 125-85, ADVANCE TO 2ND ROUND

"I've just got to be better with my decision-making," Morant said, according to ESPN. "That's pretty much it. Off-the-court issues affected us as an organization pretty much. Just [need] more discipline."

While Morant did not face any criminal charges for the incident in Denver, the NBA suspended him for eight games without pay for "conduct detrimental to the league" following an investigation. 

It came after multiple allegations involving Morant. 

Ja Morant, #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies, reacts during Round 1 Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 16, 2023, at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.  (Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Indiana Pacers claimed that