Ja Morant caps 34-point effort with game-winning buzzer-beater vs. Pelicans in sizzling return from 25-game ban

Grizzlies star guard rallied Memphis from a 19-point halftime deficit and hit a game-winning floater at the buzzer to beat New Orleans Pelicans 115-113 on Tuesday.

[{"selector":"#anim-0c88bc85-d4dd-4705-a2f6-d6e7b8cb8adb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9a94c8eb-6457-4588-8496-4dbafadfdc3e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.28741%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Morant scored 34 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in his first game back from an NBA ban for multiple gun-related incidents.

[{"selector":"#anim-17eff031-31b2-4b66-b5e6-b4c0ddc6466d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ead44f22-ffb1-4393-98bf-3ceb1c5c64fa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.28741%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

He started slowly for the Grizzlies in a first half that saw the Pelicans run out to a 60-41 lead after a 23-0 second quarter.

[{"selector":"#anim-f31af6e3-7ff0-45bd-9a67-1bb759fa4ddb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-57b80ece-ea42-4f77-93f1-2bcadb0200e9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.28741%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Memphis cut the Pelicans' lead to 87-77 after three. They chipped away in the fourth before Morant took over the final minutes.

[{"selector":"#anim-4c63a224-717f-4d96-ba60-fa99bdd4a2a5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b0c0d8a6-7030-42dc-bdaa-78f82ab2f0a3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.28741%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Memphis took its first lead since the first quarter when Morant hit a floater with 1:20 left.

[{"selector":"#anim-aa2080d1-b5a7-4de4-87d5-85b091fee1f8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-203d094b-79c5-4776-8a0f-f96f2a94a3f8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.28741%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Morant drove for a knifing layup between Herbert Jones and Zion Williamson to take the lead at 113-111 after Jonas Valanciunas tied it.

[{"selector":"#anim-17142604-1320-400c-8699-3771e166c6fd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9061c9b2-5452-4d59-a208-8201b4ee79e4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.28741%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Morant stole the ball in the backcourt and beat Jones from the 3-point line to score the game-winner.

[{"selector":"#anim-40dbb67a-430d-4e80-98c8-a9d34233cba5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3b5ff433-5402-48dc-a18f-55ebf6d206bf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-99.28741%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Also See:

[{"selector":"#anim-a5dd5711-498d-4f38-ba5d-22988bd6651a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b5531709-97dd-4c73-a692-c36182303de8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-95.69892%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d26e25e7-17b2-407e-956e-8eba86479293","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5f8419fb-3433-41d9-b355-265d66b20329","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 200.20577%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more