Ja Morant nearly becomes season leader for most go-ahead shots in final 2 minutes in awe-inspiring return

Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant didn’t skip a beat in his season debut on Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Morant hit a series of clutch shots, including a buzzer-beating floater to give Memphis a 115-113 win. In doing so, he nearly became the NBA season leader in go-ahead shots in the final two minutes.

Morant finished with a team-high 34 points, six rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block on 50.0% shooting. This included him hitting three go-ahead shots in the final two minutes.

Per StatMamba, Morant is tied for second in go-ahead shots in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter this season. The two-time All-Star trails only Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry, who has made four such shots through his first 24 games. However, Curry has played 23 more games than Morant.

Some were skeptical whether the Grizzlies star would show rust after being suspended for the first 25 games of the season for a gun-related incident. But after his dazzling debut, it seems safe to say that he is already up to speed.

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Ja Morant on his impressive season debut

Following his dominant season debut against New Orleans, Ja Morant touched on all the hard work he put in ahead of his return. He added that he is thrilled to be back with his team.

“I’ve been putting work in, man,” Morant said. “I ain’t play a game in eight months. Had a lot of time to learn myself. A lot of hard days where I went through it. But you know, basketball is my life — what I love, therapeutic for me. And I’m just excited to be back.”

The Grizzlies struggled mightily during Morant’s suspension, going just 6-19. Memphis entered Tuesday on a five-game losing streak, while New Orleans was riding a four-game winning streak. So, both teams saw their streaks snapped.

The Grizzlies (7-19) will look to keep their positive momentum going on Thursday when they host the Indiana Pacers (13-12).

Meanwhile, the Pelicans (16-12) will look to get back on track on Thursday on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers (15-12).

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