The Grizzlies beat the Pelicans 115-113 on the road to end a five-game losing streak, and the gunshot Morant finally unlocked it after a 25-game suspension. To be honest, a superstar is a superstar, and Morant blew the Pelicans out in his season debut. He finished with 34 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals on 12-of-24 shooting from the field and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. In the final moments, Morant deserved the title of waist king, and he broke through and turned to score a layup to complete the whistle shot.
Morant really used his influence to the extreme, and he completely saved the Grizzlies. In the first half, the Grizzlies were in a very average state, especially in the second quarter McCollum, Ingram scored 20 points in a row with full firepower, and the Pelicans once led by 24 points. It can be said that the game has lost its suspense, but the Grizzlies came back in the second half. Biyombo turned into a cake eater, Morant scored a dragon with a fast attack, and scored 2+1 twice Unstoppable. Avi Bain also provided fire support, and the Grizzlies eroded the margin to 10 points.
Thankfully, Ingram made a timely effort and the Pelicans continued to lead by 14 points heading into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, Jalen Jr. blew the horn of counterattack, he scored seven points in a row, Bane hit another three-pointer, and the Grizzlies chased down only four points. Then the two sides faced off, and the score difference has been hovering between 3-4 points. And Morant became the grim reaper, his performance in the last 3 minutes was simply inexplicable, the fast break made two free throws, and the single Jones shook off the mid-range shot to help the Grizzlies take a one-point lead. In the middle of life and death, Morant killed the game with a breakaway pull-up layup and a turnaround layup.
In addition to Morant, Bane scored 21 points, and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. The Pelicans also did their best, with Ingram having 34 points, 6 assists and 2 steals, Zion 13 points and 4 assists, Varland having 22 points and 14 rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting, and McCollum 18 points. That's what we've been talking about about absolute talent. Whether a rookie can become a superstar or not, in fact, can be seen in the first year. Fat Tiger went on a killing spree in his first year in the league, and the only thing that could stop him was health.
This year's champion Wembanyama, he also performed well in the league. So it's reasonable for many people to question the Rockets' top spot, Jalen Green. Because in the past, everyone said that there must be water in the eyes of the champions, but the premise is the inside line. Because the easiest thing to water in the eyes of all the rankings is the inside line, but the defender often can't water. It's just that Jalen Green seems to be an exception, and his ball quotient is too low. Green is the 2021 No. 1, while Morant is the 2019 No. 1.
The two have actually played each other in the past two seasons, and Jalen Green started the first step, and his ability and waist strength are not inferior to Morant. But why did Jalen Green make no progress in the third grade, and there was regression. It's the problem from the ball quotient, and the consistency of the shot. Jalen Green has always been known for being inefficient, averaging 17. per game this season5 points 45 plates 32 assists and a shooting percentage of just 402%。In his rookie season and sophomore year, he didn't shoot more than 43 percent.
On the other hand, Morant had 17+7+3 in his first year as a rookie, with a shooting rate of 48%+34%. Also in his third year, Morant averaged 27+5+6 per game, shooting 49%+34%. A real superstar, he can play no matter what. Because capable people are not buried, they can often seize opportunities. Only those who really have limited abilities will blame the coach and their teammates for stealing the show. Just like in previous years, as long as Jalen Green played poorly and had a low shooting percentage, he was scolding Porter Jr. for influencing Green, and Silas didn't give him a chance. Jalen Green's performance this year has disappointed the Rockets to the bottom, and after watching Morant's performance, the management will recognize that it has been realized, and Green just can't do it, and there is no reason. Knowing this, he signed Alexander's name in 21, and the Rockets are now one short of scoring.