“It’s not a joking matter that Ja’s hurt, but all the rest of it is total BS” - Former NBA MVP dismisses claims that Jordan Poole had malicious intent against Ja Morant

Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry has said that his teammate Jordan Poole had no malicious intent in his tussle with Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant. Poole appeared to put his hand on Morant's knee and pull away at it during the Conference Semifinals series.

Speaking about the incident, Curry said that Poole's act should not be compared with Dillon Brook's flagrant foul in Game 2. Curry said:

"It's unfortunate that's the conversation right now. Obvisouly nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, but there's nothing malicious about what Jordan did. There's no comparison to what Dillon did or Draymond, like, nothing in that vain. It’s not a joking matter that Ja’s hurt. But all the rest of it is total BS in terms of the conversation right now."

Morant had 34 points in the game before exiting the court due to injury as Warriors won 142-113, with Curry dropping 30 points while Poole contributed 27.

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Ja Morant's MVP-caliber season

Morant against the New York Knicks

Ja Morant ended the regular season as one of the candidates for the MVP award. He has been the go-to man for the Grizzlies this season, proving his quality with his incredible performances

Morant averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists during the regular season. He shot the ball at better than 34% from beyond the arc, over 49% from the field and a shade over 76% from the free throw line, impressive numbers for a third-year player.

Ja Morant has had six games with at least 40 points this season and has racked up 24 games with 30 points. He has one triple-double and 10 double-doubles as well. These numbers warranted him his first NBA All-Star selection. Morant is on track for an All-NBA selection as well if he continues these performances.

Morant's high-flying athleticism and performances have earned him comparisons with Allen Iverson and Derrick Rose. That's because of Morant's explosivness and his shooting prowess, especially from beyond the arc.

While the Grizzlies don't necessarily have the right pieces to win a championship right now, they have a player good enough to lead a championship-winning team.