Donovan Mitchell praised Ja Morant for record-breaking performance in loss: 'He doesn't quit'

The Memphis Grizzlies lost Game 2 to the Utah Jazz, but Ja Morant's impressive performance earned him the respect of his opponents.

Morant scored 47 points in the 141-129 loss, which is a postseason record for the Grizzlies. It's also the postseason record for 21-year-olds, as Morant managed to break LeBron James' previous record of 45. After the game, Utah guard Donovan Mitchell called Morant "a hell of a player" and said that he was not surprised by Morant's record-breaking night.

"Honestly, it's not that surprising," Mitchell said. "He's a gamer. He goes out there and competes. ... Tonight, he was aggressive from the jump. At a young age, for him to be able to have that is definitely special. That's something that I respect about him and about his game. He doesn't quit."

But the 2020 Rookie of the Year downplayed his historic performance, saying that the only thing that really matters is whether or not the Grizzlies won the game.

"We lost," Morant said. "Obviously it wasn't enough."

Despite Morant's disappointment at the loss, the Grizzlies are likely happy to be leaving Utah with the series tied. As the eighth seed, many assumed that Memphis would get swept or barely put up a fight but instead it looks like we're in for a competitive series.