Ja Morant starts year off right, takes over late for Grizzlies

SALT LAKE CITY — Ja Morant’s ability to take over a game hasn’t diminished.

Morant didn’t miss a beat in leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 126-124 season-opening victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. The two-time NBA All-Star finished with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 10 assists and 5 rebounds in only 28 minutes. It was the 24th game of his career where he had at least 20 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds.

“My job as a point guard is to control the game,” Morant said. “I hate if I let the other team’s point guard control the game. Whatever I can do to make sure it’s in our favor, I try to do.”

Morant’s performance came on the heels of a 2023-24 season marred by controversy and injury. The NBA suspended him for the first 25 games for flashing a gun on his friend’s Instagram live account. Then, after appearing in only nine games, Morant sustained a season-ending shoulder injury.

The long rehabilitation process he went through after shoulder surgery made Morant appreciate how much basketball meant to him while it was gone. Once he was cleared for full basketball activities again in mid-July, he looked forward to stepping back out onto 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 in me every time I’m out there on the floor, so it’s only right I go out there and play free.”

Morant’s activity on both ends of the court helped the Grizzlies weather a fourth-quarter rally from the Jazz. He came up with timely baskets or assists whenever Memphis needed an answer. Defensively, he worked to be disruptive and keep the Jazz from permanently seizing momentum down the stretch.

Morant made every minute he was on the court count.

“He only played 28 minutes tonight,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “But those were hard-playing 28 minutes.”

Morant’s goal is to be even more productive and efficient as he continues to get reps. It’s an extension of the work he put in over the summer to improve his game and heighten his impact on the court.

“That was the biggest takeaway from this summer is the investment in his body, knowing we’re going to continue to push him even more than we’ve done in the past,” Jenkins said. “He responded in game one. We’re going to need it for many, many more games moving forward.”