NEW ORLEANS — Ja Morant finished off a stirring, 34-point season debut with a spinning dribble in the lane to set up a game-winning floater as time expired in the Memphis Grizzlies‘ 115-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.
The Grizzlies, who entered on a five-game skid and were 6-19 during Morant’s 25-game suspension for twice displaying a gun on social media, trailed by 24 in the first half but took a 113-111 lead on Morant’s inside basket with 1:22 to go.
The Pelicans tied it and the teams exchanged missed 3-pointers before Morant finished it off at the horn, leaving much of the crowd stunned as he and his teammates celebrated under the basket.
“I’ve been putting work in, man,” Morant said. “I ain’t play a game in eight months. Had a lot of time to learn myself. A lot of hard days where I went through it. But you know, basketball is my life — what I love, therapeutic for me. And I’m just excited to be back.”
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins designed the winning play for Morant and called the two-time All-Star’s execution of it “a special play by a special player.”
Morant’s point total was the most in NBA history by a player coming back from an absence of at least 25 games.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 24 points and Desmond Bane had 21 for Memphis, which snapped the Pelicans’ four-game winning streak.
Brandon Ingram scored 34 points for New Orleans, but Zion Williamson‘s time on the court was limited by foul trouble and he finished with just 13 points.
Morant was booed heartily by partisan Pelicans fans during pregame introductions and when he handled the ball on the opening possession.
Those boos died down as the game wore on, and a section of visiting fans near the Memphis bench made themselves heard as Morant scored eight points — twice hitting difficult driving shots as he was fouled — in a span of 1:20 early in the third quarter.
“My one expectation was for him to have fun,” Jenkins said. “That’s how you want Ja to play, is play fast and free with the dynamic abilities.”
Although Morant looked winded at times and didn’t hit many jumpers, his ability to drive into the paint — and finish — looked undiminished. His repertoire included crossover dribbles to set up high floaters in the lane, finger rolls and double-pump bank shots while hanging in the air.
Memphis got back into the game with an 11-0 run that began late in the first half and continued into the third quarter to make it 60-47.
Soon after, Morant made a floater off the glass while being fouled by Herbert Jones, and he followed that up by converting a spinning dribble in the lane into a layup as he was fouled, cutting it to 69-62.
The game was competitive from there on, with Morant continuing to find ways to prevent New Orleans from relaxing.
Jonas Valanciunas had 22 points and 14 rebounds for New Orleans. CJ McCollum added 18 points on six 3s.
New Orleans went on a 28-2 run during which McCollum made four 3s and Ingram drove the lane for a soaring right-handed dunk.
Ingram closed out the spurt with two free throws that made it 53-31.
New Orleans led 60-41 at halftime after Memphis’ Vince Williams Jr. beat the horn with a corner 3.
Although they play in the same division, it was just the seventh time Morant and Williamson — the top two NBA draft choices in 2019 — had appeared in the same game, mostly because of Williamson’s health issues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.