LONDON — Ja Morant’s time in a Grizzlies uniform might be short, but with trade winds swirling around him, he gave Memphis fans at least one more sunny memory in his return from injury Sunday.
Morant led all players with 24 points and 13 assists in 28 minutes of a dominant 126-109 Grizzlies win over the Orlando Magic in London.
His coach showered him with praise. The opponents pointed to Morant as the difference in the game.
And Morant pointed, with words, to the Grizzlies’ tattoo on his back as evidence of what he wants for his career.
But none of it is likely to change his fate. Maybe it won’t happen by the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but Memphis is listening to offers and is likely to move him when the right one comes.
“If anybody in here knows me, I’m a very loyal guy,” Morant said after Sunday’s game. “I got a logo on my back, so that should tell you exactly where I want to be.”
Morant had missed the previous six games with a bruise on his right calf, but at least a portion of his extended absence looked, from the outside, as if it was connected to reports that the Grizzlies were listening to trade offers for the player they drafted No. 2 in 2019 and is a two-time All-Star, but has been plagued by injuries and multiple suspensions for his conduct.
It was clear Wednesday, when Morant spoke to reporters for the first time since those reports broke, that he was not happy with being sucked into a trade rumor. He was short and sarcastic with his responses, saying he was “hopeful” to play in Thursday’s game in Berlin but then was ruled “out” just a few hours later.
That was not the case after Sunday’s performance.
“Just to be able to play basketball, it’s very therapeutic for me, and I know what I’m capable of out there on the court,” Morant said. “I was able to show that (Sunday) and receive the love from people who saw me play for the first time. It was big-time, walking off and representing Memphis. That’s what it’s all about.”
Morant was also asked about young fans who look up to him. He said, “I don’t think I ever lost them, honestly. Every time I go around them, they act the same way. They’re full of energy, super excited, and I act the same way. That’s why they’re excited to see me.”
On Wednesday, when asked about his fans, Morant snapped that reporters should be more worried about how he feels about the trade rumor.
You might call Sunday at O2 Arena “hopeful” or “inspired.” Or, perhaps, the start of a pleasant goodbye following a tumultuous few years. Only Morant can say, but the 20 points and 10 assists on 5-of-7 shooting he put forth in the first half — looking sharp as he attacked the rim, dished to teammates and knocked down shots — were pleasing to anyone watching.
Save for, probably, the Magic.
“I mean, he had 20 and 10 in the first half,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “His intensity, his energy level when he gets on the court … (he showed why) he’s been an All-Star.”
Morant entered Sunday shooting career worsts from the field (40 percent) and 3-point range (21 percent) but finished the game against Orlando connecting on 7 of 13, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. He also made 7 of 9 from the foul line. The sold-out London crowd went wild when Morant canned his first shot of the game — a 3-ball. Morant also added five rebounds and contributed a steal.
The Grizzlies outscored Orlando by an astounding 26 points when Morant was on the court.
“His energy was contagious,” Memphis coach Tumoas Iisalo said. “He did a great job quarterbacking the team. Setting up guys for success early in the game, pushing the pace, sharing the ball, which snowballed into a great team effort, also. Gives the group a ton of confidence to have him back.”
Morant, a Nike ambassador, had an event sponsored by the shoe and apparel giant in his honor in a building across from the arena, on London’s southeast side Saturday evening, called “House of Ja.” He said sitting the game in Berlin — at Uber Arena, where local fans went wild for Orlando’s Franz and Moritz Wagner — he “dissected” what he saw from the bench and felt that energy when he was on the court Sunday.
“Once we got going as a team, and I got going, the crowd got a little more into it, which we kind of feed off as a team,” Morant said. “I was just telling the team that it was a great thing to experience. … I feel like that’s a big thing that we’ve seen in Berlin and here. I definitely feel like it’s great for basketball.”
The Grizzlies (18-23) led by as many as 33 points and received 53 points from their bench, including 21 from reserve big man Jock Landale. The Magic (23-19) entered Sunday as winners of three of their last four games.
Both teams are expected to remain in London overnight and return to the United States on Monday.
