The 901: Ja Morant, Grizzlies prove every second counts; AutoZone Liberty Bowl kicks off

Good morning, Memphis, where Mississippi State and Texas Tech tangle tonight in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on a weather day that evokes spring.

But, first, let's revisit the Grizzlies' thrilling victory over an elite Western Conference opponent on their home court.

With less than 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker drained a 3-pointer to put the Suns up by one point against the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies got the ball with 5 seconds left on the clock. And then Ja Morant went to work.

Morant drove to the basket, hung in the air, and shot a layup off the glass over Booker and Mikal Bridges — ending the game with a Grizzlies win at Footprint Center, 114-113, our Damichael Cole reports.

Penny Hardaway’s take on COVID-19

Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway said his players are taking the COVID-19 vaccination issue much more seriously since it was a factor in the team’s cancellation of a game against the University of Tennessee, our Jason Munz reports.

Hardaway said the team has since recovered and is set to face Tulane Wednesday.

“We don’t know if we’re going to have everybody there,” Hardaway said during his weekly radio show. “But, we’re going to have enough to be able to play.”

Not all players are vaccinated and, last week, U of M athletic director Laird Veatch acknowledged only 11 of the 17 players on the team were vaccinated.

What to know about the AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Mississippi State and Texas Tech face off at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Tuesday evening.

The battle for the bowl win means a bit more to Mississippi State coach Mike Leach than anyone on the field as he was fired from Texas Tech in 2009.

“They still owe me for 2009, the last time they won nine games, so maybe they’ll deliver the check,” Leach said earlier this month. “So we’ll see what happens (at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl).”

It will also be the first time the Bulldogs have been featured in the Liberty Bowl since 2013, when then-quarterback Dak Prescott helped lead a 44-8 win over the Rice Owls with a five-touchdown performance.

The bowl game, first played in 1959, begins Tuesday at the Liberty Memorial Stadium at 5:45 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN.

Memphis movies and TV projects for 2022

“Elvis,” “Teenage Tupelo,” “Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America,” are among a few movies and TV shows connected to Memphis.

Around eight projects are planned for a 2022 appearance on the theater or home screen.

Our John Beifuss provides the full list on what they are about and when they are expected to release in his latest story.

New Tennessee laws in the new year

Back in July of this year, more than 200 bills took effect — most with measures cracking down on COVID-19 restrictions and incentives for Ford Motor Co.

Now, a series of new initiatives are set to take effect Jan. 1, ranging from streamlining disciplinary actions toward disorderly students, granting compensation for college athletes and restricting pharmacy benefit management companies from steering patients toward pricey prescription drugs and pharmacies, our Yue Stella Yu reports.

Read the list of new laws taking effect in the new year.

Germantown’s Bella Viaggia Furs to close

For almost 80 years, Bella Viaggia Furs sold thousands of fur coats across the Mid-South to customers like Elvis Presley and Diane Smith, a civic leader and wife of FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith.

Now, the Germantown business is set to close, our Dima Amro reports.

"I hate to do it, but there isn't any other way," owner Michele McDonagh said.

"My health is not like it was when I took over 18 years ago and we looked at the pandemic and how it has affected us and is still affecting us today, so we ultimately made the decision to close it."

The 901 was written today by Ray Padilla, the digital producer for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at raymond.padilla@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @Ray_Padilla_.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: The 901: Ja Morant, Grizzlies win over Phoenix suns in final seconds