Do you remember him?
He's the 2019 All-Round Pick, he's the future of the Grizzlies, he's a rising star in the NBA.
He is Ja Morant.
He once led the Grizzlies to a top-eight finish in the West by leading the Grizzlies to a top-eight finish in the playoffs, showing the world his talent and potential.
He was also once suspended for 25 games by the league because of the gungate incident, which put the Grizzlies in a difficult situation and disappointed and worried fans.
However, he did not give up on himself, did not give up on the team during the suspension, he has been training hard and waiting for the opportunity to come back.
On December 20, Beijing time, he finally waited for that day.
Against the Pelicans, Morant made a strong comeback and put up an earth-shattering performance, scoring 34 points, grabbing six rebounds, diching out eight assists, and scoring a last-minute whistle to help his team win 115-113.
It was his first NBA game in nearly eight months, and he exceeded all expectations.
It's a legendary revenge, it's a night of Morant's return.
Before the game, Grizzlies head coach Tyler Jenkins said he wouldn't let Morant play too long, but made it clear that Morant's playing time would not be limited in any way. Even though Morant has been training with the team throughout the suspension, there are still concerns about his form.
Morant certainly had moments when he looked exhausted, but after he survived, the results were legendary.
In the first half, the Pelicans seemed to be in complete control of the game, and they managed to limit Morant's scoring, closing the half with a 60-41 lead. Apparently, the Grizzlies lost their rhythm and trailed by as many as 24 points in the first two quarters. During that time, Morant played 16 minutes, scoring seven points and providing three assists, but also had two turnovers.
With the Grizzlies trailing by 19 points at halftime, it looked like Morant's night would end early. However, he did not give up.
In the third quarter, Morant gradually regained his form, his game rhythm returned, and the tacit understanding with his teammates was re-established. He helped the Grizzlies close the gap, scoring 13 points in the quarter, diching out four assists and grabbing three rebounds. At the end of the third quarter, the Grizzlies trailed by 10 points.
Morant was on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter and was back on the court after a short break of a few minutes. When Morant reappeared, the Grizzlies trailed 89-96.
Then, over the next 8:07, the Grizzlies went on a 24-17 scoring run. With 10 seconds left in the game, the two sides were tied and the Grizzlies won possession after a successful defense.
At this point, there is no suspense as to who will be Mr. Key.
In this last-minute single, Morant faced Herbert Jones, an NBA All-Star caliber defender. When he broke through to the basket, he was intercepted by another great defender, Dyson Daniels. However, that didn't bother Morant.
I saw Morant turn flexibly, step to the left, score a layup, and the ball went in and whistled. Morant was tightly surrounded by his teammates, while the crowd at the Pelicans' home stadium, Smoothie King, watched in disbelief, and it was a wonderful moment to watch again and again.
Asked after the game about his impressive performance, Morant told TNT reporters:"I'm a pit bull and I'm full of fighting spirit. I put a lot of effort into this every day. Basketball is my life, my love of life. Basketball is my antidote and I'm excited to get back on the court. ”
On this night, when the Grizzlies were in trouble early, Morant stepped up and put on a brilliant performance to successfully rescue the team from the predicament. While it's unclear whether he'll be able to continue that stellar performance and help the Grizzlies get off to a poor 6-19 start, he's improved his team's record to 7-19, which is certainly a good start.
In short, Morant's first game back was a very good one. He finished with 34 points, eight assists and six rebounds in 35 minutes, along with two steals. While he shot 0-of-5 from three-point range, he shot 50 from the field0%, and the free throw percentage is also as high as 833%。These stats all point to his excellent performance in the game.
Ja Morant is back, and he's already sent a strong signal to the NBA.
He's a tenacious bulldog, and it's a legendary revenge that belongs to Morant's return night.
Do you remember him?
Will you ever forget him?
Finally, give Morant a rating for his season debut: A+
Sports Premiere Creation Challenge