- Morant returned to an NBA court Tuesday night after serving a 25-game suspension
- He scored an outstanding game-winner to give the Grizzlies a victory over New Orleans
- provides the latest international sports news
Ja Morant made an emphatic return to NBA action on Tuesday night when he scored the game-winning goal to give the Grizzlies a 115-113 victory over the Pelicans.
Morant, who took the court for the first time this season after a 25-game suspension for shooting, scored 34 points in his season debut.
He capped his stirring performance with a swirling dribble in the lane and set up a game-winning floater as time expired Tuesday night.
Morant finished the night with 34 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
The Grizzlies, who were on a five-game losing streak and were 6-19 when Morant was suspended for his social media antics with guns, trailed by 24 points in the first half but went within 113 with 1:22 left on Morant's inside basket. 111 take the lead.
Ja Morant made an emphatic return to NBA action, giving the Grizzlies a win over the Pelicans
Morant finished the night in New Orleans with 34 points, six rebounds and eight assists
The Grizzlies trailed by 24 points in the first half, but Morant inspired them to victory in the second half
The Pelicans tied the score and the teams traded missed three-pointers before Morant scored the game-winner.
Morant was loudly booed by partisan Pelicans fans during his pregame introductions and also when he passed the ball on the first possession.
Those boos died down as the game wore on, and a section of the visiting fans near the Memphis bench made their voices heard when Morant exploded for eight points in a 1:20 span early in the game – hitting difficult shots twice, because he was fouled in the third quarter.
Among the spectators in attendance for Morant's comeback was LSU Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, who sat in the front row next to Tigers star receiver Malik Nabers on the New Orleans bench.
Although Morant appeared out of breath at times and didn't make many jumps, his ability to drive into the paint – and finish it – seemed undiminished.
His repertoire included crossover dribbles to place high floaters in the lane, finger rolls and double-pump bench shots while suspended in the air.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 points and Desmond Bane 21 for Memphis, which also helped end the Pelicans' four-game winning streak.
Brandon Ingram scored 34 points for New Orleans, but Zion Williamson's playing time was limited due to foul trouble and he finished the game with just 13 points.
Footage from inside the arena shows he was booed as he was introduced to the crowd
Morant was singing with friends when he was caught holding up a handgun during a livestream video
Despite playing in the same division, it was only the seventh time that Morant and Williamson – the top two NBA draft picks in 2019 – appeared in the same game, largely due to Williamson's health issues.
After the game, Morant said: “I'm a dog, I'm a dog.” I put work into people. I haven't played a game in eight months and have had plenty of time to learn on my own.
“I've been through a lot of hard days, but basketball is my life, what I love, therapeutic for me and I'm just excited to be back.”
When asked about the decisive play, he replied: “I really didn't want the coach to take a timeout.” That's why I told him… yes, that's the play I wanted to perform right there.
“They believed in me. “I actually wanted to take a trip to the post office, but they said no, so I had to deliver for them.”
Morant also praised his Grizzlies teammates for their support. He said, “These are my boys, my brothers.” We did the work together. Hard exercises. Light exercises. Treatment. Flights. We spend a lot of time together.
“They helped me a lot with this process.”
“I only said positive things, told myself to stay true and keep working, and they immediately showed that they believed in me, and that shows how excited everyone else is for me to be back.”