After missing eight games due to a hip injury, Ja Morant officially made his return to the court on Monday night in Memphis.
The Grizzlies looked back to his old self almost immediately, too.
Morant dropped 22 points with 11 assists while leading the Grizzlies to a dominant 123-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at FedExForum. Morant was throwing behind-the-back passes and, despite the fact that it was a dunk attempt that sidelined him the last time, he didn’t hesitate to land a massive one-handed jam.
Morant, a two-time All-Star, has missed the last eight Grizzlies games with a hip injury. He first sustained the injury on a fall Nov. 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 overshot the rim and landed awkwardly right on his hip.
Morant sustained a posterior hip subluxation without dislocation, which made for a quicker return despite what was a scary moment. The injury marked a setback for Morant after he missed all but nine games last season due to suspension and injury. Thankfully for Morant and the Grizzlies, the injury didn’t result in a lengthy 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 3-point distance.
The Grizzlies led the entire way on Monday night en route to the 25-point win. They opened the game on a 15-4 burst, and then built up a 20-point lead without much issue just minutes into the fourth quarter. Jaren Jackson added 21 points and and six rebounds, and Jay Huff put up 12 points off the bench. The Grizzlies now sit at 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’ve now lost three of their last four, and sit at 7-11 on the year.
Morant and the Grizzlies will host the Detroit Pistons next on Wednesday night.
