After serving his sentence, Ja Morant scored a game-winning buzzer-beater to help the Memphis Grizzlies defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 115-113.
Since the star point guard for the Grizzlies appeared to flash a gun on Instagram Live twice in the span of two months, the NBA has suspended him for eight games for the first incident and 25 games without pay for the second. As a result, the Grizzlies have been without Morant for the entire season.
While being hounded by his teammates, Morant said to TNT Sports, “I’m a monster.” “I’ve been working hard, I haven’t played in eight months, I’ve spent a lot of time discovering who I am, and I’ve had a lot of difficult days, but basketball is my passion and my life.”I like it therapeutically, and I’m happy to be back.
Superstar LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers tweeted before of the game, “Go be GREAT again!!” on X, previously Twitter.
One of the league’s most captivating players, Morant swung into the lane, hung in midair, angled the ball between two opponents, and then sank it off the backboard to win the game.
The 24-year-old ended with six rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a game-high 34 points.
Following the game, Morant remarked that his teammates had been his “brothers” throughout his ban.
“We worked together,” he said. “We spent a lot of time together during this process and they helped me out a lot, saying positive things to me, they told me to stay true, keep working, and it showed right there them believing in me and it shows how excited everyone is for me to be back.” “Hard practices, light practices, treatment, and flights.”
Given that they are now five and a half games off of an automatic playoff berth, the Grizzlies can probably feel optimistic that Morant’s return will serve as the spark for a better run.
Desmond Bane contributed 21 points and four assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 points and pulled down six rebounds to support Morant on the night.
Despite Brandon Ingram’s 34 points, six assists, and four rebounds, the Pelicans were unable to stop the Grizzlies from ending their four-game winning run.
The Grizzlies will play the Indiana Pacers in Memphis on Thursday night, while the Pelicans will travel to Ohio to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on the same day.
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