Yes Morant is back. Lest anyone be left in any doubt, the Memphis star scored 34 points this Tuesday in his first game in eight months. The point guard has served a 25-game suspension imposed by the NBA for carrying a weapon. The player's return was crucial for the Grizzlies to get back to winning ways after a streak of five straight losses. Tonight they defeated Zion Williamson's New Orleans Pelicans, Morant's draft partner in 2019, 115-113 as visitors.
The 23-year-old Morant scored the game-winning basket when the score was tied at 113 with 10 seconds left. The point guard showed his usual cool and determination to make the point that sent everyone to the locker room. There was no mention that this was their first game since late April when Memphis was defeated by the Lakers in the playoffs. Despite missing all five three-point attempts tonight, he made 12 of 24 and was particularly confident penetrating and attacking the paint. That's how he won the game.
“I did my homework,” Morant said after the game. “I didn't play for eight months and during that time I had a lot of time to study. There have been a lot of very hard days, but I have no doubt that basketball is my life. “It’s therapy for me,” the two-time All-Star added.
New Orleans fans greeted Morant with boos. It was a cold reception for the point guard, who was punished by the league in June for appearing with a gun in a video posted to Instagram. The NBA imposed an exemplary penalty on the star, who missed about a third of the season that began in late October. The punishment applied to repeat offenders. On March 4, he showed off a gun in a live video on his social network account, where he is followed by eight million people. It sparked unanimous condemnation in the American basketball world. Morant was suspended for eight games on this occasion.
The boos for Morant died down as he warmed up. At the start of the third period, he scored eight points in less than 90 seconds. The spectacle attracted stars from the University of Louisiana team, one of the best in college football, to the stadium. Memphis trailed on the scoreboard in the first half of the game. They lost by 24 points. In the second, Morant made it clear why his team missed him so much, sinking to the bottom of the West with seven wins and 19 losses, ahead of only Portland and Utah. Jaren Jackson scored 24 points and Desmond Bane 21, contributing to the win.
The Pelicans, who had gone four games without a loss, remain in seventh place. This Tuesday they let a 19-point lead with which they started the second half of the game slip away. Brandon Ingram had a big night with 34 points. Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas scored 22 points and grabbed 14 boards for the locals, and CJ McCollum hit six of nine triples and added 18 points. Zion Williamson, the number one pick in the 2019 draft, only had 13 points left in 25 minutes of play. His playing time was limited by foul problems. But tonight it was Ja Morant.
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