Jaren Jackson Jr. almost cost the Memphis Grizzlies the win on Tuesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. He had a chance to seal the victory in regulation but missed a free throw with 0.4 seconds left. NBA fans mocked "JJJ" for his blunder, but he made up for it in overtime to give the Grizzlies a 116-115 win.
With the Pelicans ahead 103-102, Jackson was fouled by Jonas Valanciunas in an inbound alley-oop attempt with 0.4 seconds remaining. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year made the first free throw, but his second fell short as the buzzer sounded.
NBA fans on social media were quick to blast Jaren Jackson Jr. for his costly miss at the charity stripe. One said:
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"I just seen sh*t stains in Jaren Jackson's shorts bro."
Another fan just went off on Jackson for winning the DPOY last season, which was completely unrelated to his missed free throw:
A likely Pelicans fan was not happy with the late foul call on Valanciunas:
"That trash is rigged, NBA has to replace the refs."
Another was furious at the referees for some "bad calls" at the end of the game:
"2 terrible calls. Not swallow the whistle but there was literally no fouls on those plays."
Here are the rest of the reactions on X to Jaren Jackson Jr.'s free throw miss:
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Jaren Jackson Jr. redeems himself in overtime
After Jaren Jackson Jr.'s miss at the free throw line, the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans went to overtime. It was another back-and-forth battle between the two teams, but Jackson saved the day in the clutch.
He hit two crucial shots late in the fourth quarter to help Memphis win their fourth straight game. Jackosn made a driving layup with 1:17 remaining to give the Grizzlies a two-point lead. He followed up with a driving hook in their next possession to make it a four-point game.
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane finished it off with a slam and free throws, respectively. The Grizzlies improved to 10-19 for the season and have not lost since Morant returned from his 25-game suspension.
Jackson ended the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Morant had 31 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. Bane added 27 points, four rebounds and seven assists.
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