The NBA says no to the ‘Wild Wild West’, lays down marker in Ja Morant, Draymond Green episodes Premium

Ja Morant's return to the court after a 25-game suspension with a thrilling last-gasp bucket galvanised the Memphis Grizzlies into action.

The script could not have been written any better. Returning from a lengthy 25-game suspension for being filmed on two separate occasions displaying a gun, Ja Morant sunk a tough last-gasp bucket to give Memphis Grizzlies a thrilling 115-113 win over New Orleans Pelicans.

On the last play of the game, Morant provided the exclamation point when he drove through the lane, made a spin move, jumped and dropped a floater to deflate the Pelicans.

The clock ran out, and Morant was immediately surrounded by his jubilant teammates. The Grizzlies were over the moon to have their star back on the court, having slipped to a 6-19 losing record during his absence.

Morant finished the night with 34 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds — a spectacular effort which galvanised the Grizzlies into action when the side trailed the Pelicans by 24 points in the second quarter. After Morant’s return, the Grizzlies strung together four successive wins. There are still miles to go before the unit can think of making it to the playoffs, but hope abounds.

At the post-match media conference, Morant said, “It was the perfect ending to the day. Over this time [suspension period], I put a lot of trust in god. I’m letting him lead me.”

It has been an emotional rollercoaster for Morant’s family, too. “It’s a lot of emotions going through my whole family,” he said. “We were all pretty excited about my comeback, but also sad in a sense. Having my father courtside, seeing him root for me and my team — it was big for me.”

Morant believes that the team is now well poised to go on a grand run. “I do feel like with me being back, we should be a good team. We should keep doing the good things, but the number one thing is holding each other accountable on the court,” he said.