Having star guard Ja Morant back and healthy bodes well for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies opened the season Wednesday night with a 128-122 home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans — and Morant played the role he and the Memphis fans relish. He took over in the final minutes of a close game, scoring 11 of his game-high 35 points in the last 4:16 to turn a 2-point deficit into a win.
Morant’s floater off the glass with 33.2 seconds to go put the Grizzlies up 122-118 and they were able to hold off Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.
Memphis will remain at home to play the Miami Heat Friday.
Oft-injured the past two seasons, Morant was the difference for the Grizzlies, who overcame a 15-point first-half deficit. He made it happen despite missing each of the team’s five preseason games with an ankle injury.
“It’s a different game when you have Ja back out there,” Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama said. “It’s like a different sport. He’s one in a million. He’s one of those guys.”
Morant was 13-of-20 from the field and added three rebounds and three assists. He tweaked his left ankle, the same one he injured during the preseason, late in the fourth quarter, but remained in the game.
Morant said it felt as though he had been sidelined longer than he actually was. He missed being out there with his teammates.
“Obviously,” he said. “I haven’t played since the last time I was here (a first-round playoff series in April against Oklahoma City). I was ready to go.”
The Grizzlies also got a solid contribution from their other star, Jaren Jackson Jr., who missed a majority of the preseason with a right toe injury. Jackson fought through foul trouble to finish with 18 points, eight rebounds and six blocks.
If Morant and Jackson can remain on the court, the Grizzlies will be a formidable Western Conference team despite the departure of their third star, Desmond Bane, in an offseason trade with Orlando.
“Those guys are world-class players, so they always help our chances of winning,” Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “We try to think about the situation that whoever we have is whoever we need.”
Miami dropped its opener Wednesday, 125-121, to Bane and the Magic. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was pleased overall with what he saw in the opener despite the result.
“Through three quarters, we put up a good amount of points and we (were) doing it in a little bit easier way than we have,” Spoelstra said. “Guys are gaining confidence (and) the ball was moving great. Even there at the end, though, we got some great looks. This whole thing could look different if two or three of those threes went down. Those were good looks.”
The Heat led by eight with 7:49 to go, but they couldn’t maintain the upper hand. Miami was unable to make a field goal during a nearly five-minute stretch.
Norman Powell led the Heat with 28 points while Davion Mitchell added 16 points and 12 assists. Bam Adebayo contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Miami did not have the services of Tyler Herro, the team’s leading scorer last year. Herro underwent surgery on his left ankle Sept. 19.
