The Memphis Grizzlies needed something special on opening night and they got it from the most likely source. Ja Morant’s heroics pulled off a 116-114 road win over the Utah Jazz to start the regular season. Rookie big man Zach Edey got heckled by the home crowd but the visitors occupied the celebratory locker room. Morant did not want to stay in Utah too long though, and let his teammates know it. Jaren Jackson Jr. was even called out on social media.
“Hurry tf up,” Morant demanded.
That post on X (formerly Twitter) was in response to Jackson Jr.’s “We’re so back” message to Grizzlies fans. It took about 15 minutes for Morant to lose patience with how the night was dragging on going by each tweet’s time stamps.
Head coach Taylor Jenkins and the active players were obligated to go through the postgame media scrums. Morant knows the drill even after sitting out most of last season. Still, an out-injured Jackson Jr. (hamstring) was apparently taking too long to complete the postgame process for someone who did not need to shower.
Ja Morant’s go-go Grizzlies like the new-look offense
Morant contributed 22 points and 10 assists on 7-for-12 shooting in 28 very encouraging minutes for the Grizzlies. Jackson Jr. finished with no excuses for missing the bus considering the injured big man watched the entire game from the sidelines. However, Morant could not be faulted for being anxious after spending most of the year doing rehab instead of running the show.
Grind City Media’s Michael Wallace got immediate reactions.
“I was just excited to be back out there,” Morant said. “These guys trust and believe in me every time I’m out there on the floor, so it’s only right I go out there and play free.”
The Grizzlies are about to go through a six games in nine days stretch. Rest and recuperation are two key components of a successful season. Good luck getting Morant to slow down though. The only person able to do that during the season-opening win was Jenkins whenever Morant was substituted out for a breather.
“He only played 28 minutes tonight, but those were hard-playing 28 minutes,” Jenkins admitted. “That was the biggest takeaway from this summer is the investment in his body, knowing we’re going to continue to push him even more than we’ve done in the past. He responded in game one. We’re going to need it for many, many more games moving forward.”
