Ja Morant returned to Memphis for the first time since his suspension on March 4 and got a standing ovation from the Grizzlies fans.
The superstar guard joined his teammates on the bench for the game vs the Dallas Mavericks and he was in street clothes, as the Grizzlies had ruled him out for the contest.
Grizzlies fans gave Ja Morant a huge ovation when he walked into the arena 👏
It’s good to see Ja back on the floor 🌟pic.twitter.com/soufEdunsJ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 21, 2023
Morant’s suspension has come to an end, therefore he is now working on returning to form and re-join Memphis’ rotation. Having missed the last nine games, the young guard will need some time to find his rhythm.
“We’ll see when he gets back in the team environment,” head coach Taylor Jenkins said Saturday night before the Grizzlies beat Golden State 133-119. “Our anticipation is he’s at least out for Monday. We’ll cross the bridge on Wednesday as we get a little bit closer.”
Memphis went 6-3 during Morant’s absence and his return is set to happen during the upcoming two-game home series with the Houston Rockets.
Ja Morant had been suspended since March 4 due to a social media post where he live-streamed himself holding what appeared to be a gun at a nightclub. As the NBA had announced, Morant was suspended eight games for conduct detrimental to the league.
Ja Morant is averaging 27.1 points and 8.2 assists per game, while the Grizzlies are second in the West standings with a 44-27 record, 3.5 games behind the West leaders Denver Nuggets (48-24), who have already clinched their spot in the postseason.
