As expected, Ja Morant provided the Memphis Grizzlies the spark for the team that greatly needed it heading into Tuesday's matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on the road. To say that Morant came up huge for the Grizzlies in his first game back after missing the first 25 Memphis games of the season would be an understatement.
Morant put the Grizzlies on his back in the dying seconds of regulation and buried the game-winner that sealed the deal for Memphis, which came away with a 115-113 victory. It was a clutch performance for Morant that also saw him tie LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers for the most go-ahead baskets in the final two minutes of a game in the 2023-24 NBA campaign (via NBA World).
Most Go-Ahead FGM in the final 2 minutes this season:
4 — Stephen Curry (24 GP)
3 — Ja Morant (1 GP)
3 — LeBron James (25 GP)
Didn't take long.
When it was all said and done on the court, Morant finished with a team-high 34 points on 12-for-24 shooting from the field and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line. It was like he did not miss a beat despite his lengthy absence due to the suspension handed to him by the NBA for his off-the-court transgressions.
The Grizzlies, who went 6-19 during the games that Morant missed this season, have plenty of ground to cover to get themselves in the playoff picture in the Western Conference. The win against the Pelicans was a great start for Memphis, which will next take on the Indianapolis Pacers at home on Thursday.