Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Ja Morant returned to NBA action with a great performance.
CNN –
Ja Morant hit a game-winning buzzer-beater in his return from suspension to give the Memphis Grizzlies a huge 115-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Grizzlies were without Morant all season after the franchise's star point guard was penalized by the NBA for “conduct detrimental to the league” for displaying a weapon on Instagram Live twice in two months, resulting in eight games resulted in suspension for the first incident and 25 games without pay for the second.
Unsurprisingly, the Grizzlies have struggled in Morant's absence and are still just 7-19 in 13th place in the Western Conference after Tuesday's win.
“I'm a dog,” Morant told TNT Sports when he was bullied by his teammates. “I've worked hard, haven't played a game in eight months, had a lot of time to learn about myself and had a lot of hard days going through that, but basketball is my life and what I love. “
“It’s therapeutic for me and I’m just happy to be back.”
Before the game, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Be great again!!”
Morant, one of the most electrifying players in the league, hit the winning goal after spinning into the lane, hanging in the air and launching the ball between two opponents and away from the backboard.
The 24-year-old finished the game with a total of 34 points to go, six rebounds, eight assists and two steals.
After the game, Morant said his teammates supported him like “brothers” during his suspension.
“We did the work together,” he said. “Hard exercises, easy exercises, treatments, flights.
“We spend a lot of time together during this process and they helped me a lot, said positive things to me, they told me to stay true and keep working and that showed that they believed in me and it shows “How excited everyone is for me to come back.”
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Morant said his teammates were like “brothers.”
The Grizzlies will likely be confident that Morant's return will be the catalyst for a better run, as the team is now five and a half games away from an automatic playoff spot.
Morant was helped on the night by 24 points and six rebounds from Jaren Jackson Jr. and 21 points and four assists from Desmond Bane.
The Pelicans led with 34 points, six assists and four rebounds from Brandon Ingram, but that wasn't enough to stop the Grizzlies from ending the team's four-game winning streak.
The Grizzlies next take on the Indiana Pacers in Memphis on Thursday, while the Pelicans travel to Ohio to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers later that evening.