Ja Morant is officially back.
The Memphis Grizzlies star returned from a 25-game suspension and had an immediate impact in his first NBA game of the 2023-24 season.
On the road versus the New Orleans Pelicans, Morant capped off a 24-point comeback with a game-winning shot to seize a 115-113 result on Tuesday.
JA MORANT CAPS THE @memgrizz 24-POINT COMEBACK WITH THE #TISSOTBUZZERBEATER!
34 points for Ja in the thrilling W.#TimeDefinesGreatness pic.twitter.com/qa3tEPQwry
With a few seconds left on the clock, Morant was one-on-one with Pelicans standout defender Herbert Jones. Morant spun his way to the rim and got the bounce over Jones, with Dyson Daniels’ help defense arriving too late.
It marked a sensational game for Morant, as he dropped 34 points on 12 of 24 shooting to go with eight assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block in 35 minutes. He missed all five of his 3-point attempts but went 10 of 12 at the foul line.
The Grizzlies found themselves trailing by 24 after being outscored 39-16 in the second quarter, with Brandon Ingram leading the Pelicans with 34 points on 11 of 18 shooting. Zion Williamson played just 25 minutes, logging 13 points on 5 of 12 shooting, four assists and three rebounds.
Morant, the No. 2 overall pick in 2019 and subsequent Rookie of the Year, had been suspended for a combined 33 games since he first was caught flashing a gun on a social media livestream on March 4. He did so again a few weeks later, ultimately resulting in the long suspension.
Tuesday’s win moved the Grizzlies to 7-19 as Morant’s suspension, coupled with several injuries to key players, dealt a severe blow early on to an expected contending team out West.
Morant and Co. will look to keep the momentum going on Thursday when Memphis meets the Indiana Pacers.
