Thursday was supposed to bring basketball fans around the world the start of the 2020 NCAA Tournament. Of course, the coronavirus pandemic put an end to sports indefinitely and effectively canceled March Madness as a result.
As Americans and individuals around the world limit social interactions to slow the spread of the virus, many are attempting to find ways to stay busy. Sports fans have resorted to pulling up old highlights of games and individual performances to cope with no live events.
To help with this matter, the NBA announced on Wednesday that they teamed up with Turner Sports to provide free access to League Pass for all fans until April 22. The free preview of League Pass includes full length and condensed replays from this season, along with classic games.
With basketball at a standstill, that got us thinking about one spectacular performance last year in the NCAA Tournament when Ja Morant led No. 12 Murray State to an 83-64 upset victory over No. 5 Marquette in the first round.
Morant recorded 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds in the win for his third triple-double of the 2018-19 season. It was just the ninth triple-double in NCAA Tournament history at the time and the first since Draymond Green accomplished the feat in 2012 with Michigan State.
Morant captivated the country each time he stepped onto the court with Murray State and he dazzled on the national stage.
His elite court vision was on display all game long, along with his spectacular handles. By the middle of the second half, with Murray State up by double figures, the game turned into an impromptu party for the Ohio Valley Conference champions.
Of course, who could forget this dunk?
.@JaMorant caught a body in the 1st round vs. Marquette last March Madness 😤 pic.twitter.com/ojTQd9ydni
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 19, 2020
The performance by Morant in the tournament would solidify his place as the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. In any other year without Zion Williamson, Morant would have easily been the top pick.
It was an incredible ride for Morant at Murray State that would end in the following round against No. 4 Florida State but his performances won’t be forgotten.
Morant picked up right where he left off this season with the Memphis Grizzlies and has his team on the verge of a playoff berth, once the NBA resumes play.
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