After missing eight games due to a hip injury, Ja Morant officially made his return to the field in Memphis on Monday evening.
The Grizzlies guard also looked back to his old self almost immediately.
Morant dropped 22 points with 11 assists as he led the Grizzlies to a dominant 123-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at FedExForum. Morant threw behind-the-back passes and despite the fact that it was a dunk attempt that sidelined him last time, he didn’t hesitate to make a huge one-handed jam.
Morant, a two-time All-Star, has missed the last eight Grizzlies games due to a hip injury. He first suffered the injury in a fall on November 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers and was initially listed as week-to-week. He tried to complete an alley-oop against the Lakers, but shot past the rim and landed awkwardly right on his hip.
Morant suffered a posterior hip subluxation without dislocation, which allowed for a quicker return despite what was a scary moment. The injury was a setback for Morant after he missed all but nine games last season due to suspension and injury. Fortunately for Morant and the Grizzlies, the injury did not result in an extended absence.
In eight games prior to his absence, Morant averaged 20.6 points, 9.1 assists and five rebounds while shooting 44.8% from the field and 25.8% from three-point range.
The Grizzlies led all the way Monday night en route to the 25-point win. They opened the game with a 15-4 burst and then built a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter without much trouble. Jaren Jackson added 21 points and six rebounds, and Jay Huff scored 12 points off the bench. The Grizzlies are now 11-7 on the season with the win, which marked their third straight.
Shaedon Sharpe led Portland with 15 points, and Deni Avdija added 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench. The Trail Blazers shot just 8 of 46 from behind the arc as a team. They have now lost three of their last four and are 7-11 on the year.
Morant and the Grizzlies host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
