Ja Morant “happy to be back” after successful season debut, returning from injury in Grizzlies win

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Ja Morant's ability to take over a game hasn't waned.

Morant didn't miss a beat as he led the Memphis Grizzlies to a victory 126-124 season-opening win about the Utah Jazz on Wednesday evening. The two-time NBA All-Star finished the game with 22 points on 7 of 12 shooting, 10 assists and five rebounds in just 28 minutes. It was the 24th game of his career in which he scored at least 20 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.

“My job as a point guard is to control the game,” Morant said. “I hate it when I let the other team's point guard take control of the game. I’m trying to do everything I can to make sure it’s in our favor.”

His performance follows a 2023-24 season marked by controversy and injuries. The The NBA suspended him for the first 25 games for showing a gun on his friend's Instagram account. Then, after appearing in just nine games, Morant suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

The long rehabilitation process he went through after shoulder surgery made Morant realize how much basketball meant to him while he was away. After regaining full basketball eligibility in mid-July, he was excited to get back on the court Wednesday.

The moment was everything he expected and wanted.

“I was just excited to be back out there,” Morant said. “These guys trust and believe me every time I’m on the floor, so it’s only right that I go out there and play freely.”

Morant's activity on both ends of the court helped the Grizzlies survive a fourth-quarter surge by the Jazz. He delivered timely baskets or assists whenever Memphis needed an answer. Defensively, he worked to be disruptive and prevent the Jazz from gaining sustained momentum down the stretch.

Morant counted every minute he spent on the floor.

“He only played 28 minutes tonight,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “But that was a tough 28 minutes.”

Morant's goal is to become more productive and efficient the more reps he gets. It's an extension of the work he did over the summer to improve his game and increase his impact on the field.

“The biggest takeaway from this summer is investing in his body, knowing we will continue to push him even harder than we have in the past,” Jenkins said. “He reacted in the first game. We will need it for many more games.”

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