SALT LAKE CITY (AP) \u2014 Ja Morant\u2019s ability to take over a game hasn\u2019t diminished.<\/p>\n
Morant didn\u2019t miss a beat in leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 126-124 season-opening victory<\/a> over the Utah Jazz<\/a> on Wednesday night. The two-time NBA all-star finished with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 10 assists and five rebounds in only 28 minutes. It was the 24th game of his career where he had at least 20 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.<\/p>\n \u201cMy job as a point guard is to control the game,\u201d Morant said. \u201cI hate if I let the other team\u2019s point guard control the game. Whatever I can do to make sure it\u2019s in our favor, I try to do.\u201d<\/p>\n His performance comes on the heels of a 2023-24 season marred by controversy and injury. The NBA suspended him<\/a> for the first 25 games for flashing a gun on his friend\u2019s Instagram account. Then, after appearing in just nine games, Morant suffered a season-ending shoulder injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n The long rehabilitation process he went through following shoulder surgery made Morant appreciate how much basketball meant to him while it was gone. Once he was cleared for full basketball activities again in mid-July, he looked forward to stepping back out on the court on Wednesday.<\/p>\n The moment was everything he expected and wanted.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just excited to be back out there,\u201d Morant said. \u201cThese guys trust and believe in me every time I\u2019m out there on the floor, so it\u2019s only right I go out there and play free.\u201d<\/p>\n Morant\u2019s activity on both ends of the floor helped the Grizzlies weather a fourth-quarter rally from the Jazz. He came up with timely baskets or assists whenever Memphis needed an answer. Defensively, he worked to be disruptive and keep the Jazz from permanently seizing momentum down the stretch.<\/p>\n Morant made every minute he was on the floor count.<\/p>\n \u201cHe only played 28 minutes tonight,\u201d Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. \u201cBut those were hard-playing 28 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Morant\u2019s goal is to be even more productive and efficient as he gets continued reps. It\u2019s an extension of the work he put in over the summer to improve his game and heighten his impact on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the biggest takeaway from this summer is the investment in his body, knowing we\u2019re going to continue to push him even more than we\u2019ve done in the past,\u201d Jenkins said. \u201cHe responded in game one. We\u2019re going to need it for many, many more games moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n