Ja Morant Is Back
Ja Morant. The guy who flashed a gun in his car live on social media after exiting a nightclub is back with the Memphis Grizzlies and his season debut did not fail to impress.
Ja Morant finished off a stirring, 34-point season debut with a spinning dribble in the lane to set up a game-winning floater as time expired in the Memphis Grizzlies' 115-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.
Right before this game, the Grizzlies were on a five game skid and needed some help for sure. They trailed by 24 in the first half but took a 113-111 lead on Morant's inside basket with 1:22 to go.
The Pelicans tied it and the teams exchanged missed 3-pointers before Morant finished it off at the horn, leaving much of the crowd stunned as he and his teammates celebrated under the basket.
"I've been putting work in, man," Morant said. "I ain't play a game in eight months. Had a lot of time to learn myself. A lot of hard days where I went through it. But you know, basketball is my life -- what I love, therapeutic for me. And I'm just excited to be back."
The Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said that this was a special play by a special player.
Morant's point total was the most in NBA history by a player coming back from an absence of at least 25 games.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 points and Desmond Bane had 21 for Memphis while Brandon Ingram scored 34 points for New Orleans, but Zion Williamson's time on the court was limited by foul trouble and he finished with just 13 points.
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