Latest news with #JaMorant
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ronald Acuña Jr. homers in return from injury, does Ja Morant grenade celebration
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. couldn't have scripted his return any better. Acuña, who earned the 2023 NL MVP award after becoming the first player to record at least 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases in a season, suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on May 26, 2024. Acuña went down after he appeared to twist awkwardly while on the base path, marking his second major knee injury in four seasons. Friday's matchup between the Braves and the San Diego Padres marked Acuña's first game back on the field in nearly a year. Acuña led off for the Braves in the bottom of the first inning and went yard on the first pitch from Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta. Acuña dropped his bat and took a page out of Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant's book. Acuña did Morant's grenade celebration, throwing an imaginary grenade and covering his ears as the crowd erupted in applause. HE IS Acuña Jr. homers on the first pitch he sees! — MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2025 Acuña's 467-foot homer marked the Braves' only run of the entire game. They ultimately lost 2-1 to the Padres and dropped to 24-26 on the season. Acuña made headlines earlier this month after making a controversial social media post, where he accused Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker of having a double standard. Acuña was critical of Snitker in a viral post on April 19 when he didn't remove Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic from the game for not hustling after he didn't run out a ball and was tagged out at second. "If it were me, they would take me out of the game," Acuña wrote. Ronald Acũna Jr. hit the Ja Morant grenade celebration after his home run 🔥💣 — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 23, 2025 He deleted the post and issued an apology to Snitker and his team, admitting that he was frustrated with being away from the team while working his way back from injury. 'I was just frustrated with my situation in the sense of my being able to return to the team,' said Acuña. 'I'm coming off a second major injury. I'm in Florida away from my teammates, the team is struggling. Those were sort of the things that were frustrating me. … I wanna be here (in Atlanta) my whole career. So just seeing the team and my teammates going through that and not being able to help and not being able to be with them was where the frustration was coming from.' Contributing: Scott Boeck The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ronald Acuña Jr. homers in return, does Ja Morant grenade celebration
New York Post
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Ronald Acuna provides instant thrill in long-awaited Braves return
It was quite a welcome back for Ronald Acuña Jr. on Friday. During his first big league game in nearly a year after suffering an ACL tear last May, Acuña, 27, belted a home run into the left field stands on the first pitch he saw to open scoring for the Braves against the Padres. As he trotted toward first base, Acuña used Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant's signature celebration, which mimics throwing an imaginary projectile and covering his ears. Morant re-shared the video of the home run on his X account with a fire emoji. 3 Acuna used the same celebration as Ja Morant. Acuña's homer in the first inning was the only score for the Braves, who wound up losing to the Padres, 2-1. Shortly before being called back up to the Braves, Acuña homered in his first rehab game for the Braves' Florida Complex League team on May 13. The four-time All-Star has been sidelined since last May when he tore his left ACL while taking a lead off second base during a game against the Pirates. 3 Ronald Acuna Jr. hits a home run in the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Atlanta. AP Acuña's injury in 2024 was the second ACL injury of his career, as he tore the same ligament in his right knee during a game against the Marlins four years ago, causing him to miss significant portions of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The outfielder managed to fully bounce back from his first ACL tear, earning 2023 NL MVP honors after batting .337 and becoming the first 40-40 player since Alfonso Soriano in 2006. Braves manager Brian Snitker was elated to have his franchise cornerstone back on the team. 3 Ronald Acuna Jr. reacts after hitting a lead off home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Truist Park on May 23, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images 'He's one of those players that you better not go get a beer or whatever because you might miss something really cool, you know?' Snitker told reporters before Friday's game. 'I mean, he's that type of force, I think, in the game. I think he's going to energize everybody. Going to energize the fans. Going to energize his teammates.' Teammate Austin Riley also showed excitement that the three-time Silver Slugger winner has returned. 'It's huge,' Riley told reporters. 'The talent is there. The energy he brings, having Ronald up there at the top of the lineup. … He can change a game at any point.'
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Ronald Acuna Jr. smashes a home run in first plate appearance after injury, celebrates with Ja Morant grenade
Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. returns with a bang, mimics Ja Morant's grenade celebration after crushing home run (Getty Images) After nearly a year of rehab and scrutiny, Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. returned to the diamond in the most dramatic fashion possible—by smashing a leadoff home run on the very first pitch he saw. The 2023 National League MVP didn't just make a statement; he roared back with a bang that shook Truist Park and possibly the entire Braves organization. Ronald Acuna Jr . celebrates epic home run return with Ja Morant-style grenade move, Braves fans go wild Facing San Diego Padres starter Nick Pivetta on Friday night, Ronald Acuña turned on a 93 mph four-seam fastball and crushed it 467 feet to left-center. The ball left his bat at an eye-popping 115.5 mph. According to MLB's Sarah Langs, the shot was the second-longest and third-hardest-hit first-pitch leadoff homer since 2015. It was a jaw-dropping reminder of what the Braves had been missing—and perhaps, a sign of what's to come. As the crowd erupted in pure joy, Acuña celebrated with a nod to NBA star Ja Morant by performing his signature "grenade celebration," hurling imaginary words and blocking out the noise. The move wasn't just a tribute—it was a message. Acuña, like Morant, has faced backlash for being unapologetically himself. Whether it's his swagger, his showmanship, or even public spats with his manager on social media, Acuña has never been afraid to stir the pot. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo During his recovery, he drew criticism from some—including former Brave Jeff Francoeur—who implied the team didn't need him. But on Friday, Acuña answered without a word. The towering homer and explosive return silenced doubters and reignited hope in a Braves offense that had been struggling. Heading into the game, Atlanta held a 24-25 record and trailed the division lead by 7.5 games. The timing of Acuña's return couldn't be more critical. With the season nearing its halfway mark, the Braves need a spark. And if Friday night was any indication, Acuña might just be the firestarter this team desperately needed. As Morant once said, 'I'm going to take my words, I'm going to throw them out there, and then I'm going to block out the noise.' Acuña didn't just echo those words—he lived them. Also Read: When does Ronald Acuña make his long-awaited Braves return, and what impact could it have? Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Here's what went wrong in Memphis Grizzlies' Game 4 loss, NBA playoffs exit vs OKC Thunder
There was little room for error for the Memphis Grizzlies. No Ja Morant. No Jaylen Wells. A vaunted Oklahoma City Thunder defense 48 minutes away from an opening-round sweep in the NBA playoffs. Mistakes had no place in the equation of a potential Game 4 victory to extend the team's season one more game. But like the series' first three games, there were too many mistakes — 22 of them to be exact, skewering a Grizzlies performance that was full of intensity. Advertisement The Grizzlies took Oklahoma City to the wire despite a series-high 38 points from Thunder MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, falling 117-115 and bowing out of the postseason. Here's where things went wrong on April 26: Turnovers, turnovers and more turnovers Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo put it simply after the game: "Turnovers hurt the chances of winning." Memphis started fast, just as it did building a 29-point lead in Game 3, but then came the turnovers. Deflected passes, picked pockets, missteps out of bounds. The Grizzlies turned it over 22 times in Game 4 and OKC capitalized, outscoring them 32-9 on points off turnovers. Advertisement The errors and free possessions negated better shooting performances from Memphis. It shot 46.2% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range, compared to the Thunder's 43.6% and 20%, respectively. But OKC took 14 more shots, in large part due to the turnovers. "They score a lot of turnovers," Jaren Jackson Jr. said after the game. "If you turn the ball over against a team like this that's already efficient as it is, it's gonna be hard to win." Jackson was one of three Grizzlies players with five turnovers in Game 4. He took a lot of the blame for the team's woes in that area, as did Scotty Pippen Jr., who led the team in scoring for the second game in a row, finishing with 30 points, but also had five turnovers. "We were talking about how different the last two games would've been if we limited our turnovers," Pippen said. "I feel like going forward in the offseason, that's something we gotta work on." Grizzlies stars struggle without Ja Morant Morant's absence certainly played a role in the Grizzlies' final game, but his teammates did not fill the gaps. Advertisement "I gotta be better," Jackson said. "I think if I'm better today, we win this game and same with the other games, honestly." Jackson finished with 12 points on just 3-for-12 shooting from the field, and had four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Desmond Bane scored 23 points, but was similarly inefficient, going 9-for-21 from the field and turning it over five times. The Thunder sent well-timed double teams at Jackson, and Bane was swarmed by OKC's ball-pressuring guards. "I'm putting it on myself to continue to bring that to the team because they deserve to get the best version of me out there," Jackson said. "They brought a lot of defensive pressure. I gotta be ready for that and be able to make adjustments. You gotta have the little things down playing a team like this." Advertisement Wendell Shepherd Jr. is The Commercial Appeal's high school sports beat writer. Reach Wendell at or on X @wendellsjr_. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Turnovers plague Memphis Grizzlies in NBA playoffs vs OKC Thunder
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ja Morant Makes Major Decision for Mavericks Game
The Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks will face off in a win-or-go-home Play-In matchup on Friday at the FedExForum. The Grizzlies lost 121-116 to the Golden State Warriors in the seven vs. eight-seed game on Tuesday, while the Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 120-106 in the nine vs. 10-seed game on Wednesday. Ja Morant's status has been in question since he sprained his ankle on Tuesday. The two-time All-Star scored 22 points (9-18 FG, 4-9 3 PT) with six rebounds, four assists, and one steal across 39 minutes in the contest. Advertisement However, there was a positive Morant update hours before Friday's game, via Shams Charania. Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant dribbles the basketball as Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware looks Navarro-Imagn Images "In the 24 hours after that ankle sprain against the Warriors, Ja Morant had an MRI on Thursday," he said. "It revealed no structural damage, but he has a severe ankle sprain is my understanding. He underwent an injection as well on Thursday for the swelling and the pain in that ankle." "But he's telling people around the Grizzlies he's going to be playing tonight, he's determined to play," he continued. "Like Tim McMahon just said, doubt he plays if this is a regular season game. This is a single-elimination game for the Grizzlies. The team will evaluate him pre-game tonight, so I think around 40-60 minutes [left on] the clock we will know if Ja Morant will play." Morant averaged 23.2 points on 45.4 percent shooting (30.9 percent 3 PT) with 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists across 50 regular season games. Advertisement Whoever wins Friday's game will be the Western Conference's eighth seed and face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. Related: Ja Morant Facing Backlash for Gesture During Heat Game Related: Grizzlies Announce Ja Morant News Before Lakers Game
