Ja Morant made his return to the lineup after missing eight games due to a right hip injury. He scored 22 points and had 11 assists, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 123-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.
Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Santi Aldama posted a double-double with 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, while Brandon Clarke contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. The Grizzlies won their third straight game and their seventh in the last 10.
Deni Avdija led Portland with 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Shaedon Sharpe scored 15 points. However, Anfernee Simons, who scored 25 points in Portland’s win over Houston on Saturday, struggled with shooting. He was 2-for-14 and finished with just five points. The Trail Blazers shot only 33.3 percent from the field and made just eight of their 46 3-point attempts.
Morant injured his hip during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 6 but looked like he hadn’t missed any time. He scored or assisted on six of the Grizzlies’ first seven field goals, helping them build an early double-digit lead. He also made behind-the-back assists and threw down a windmill dunk off a fast break assist from Scotty Pippen Jr.
At halftime, Morant was the only player in the game with double-digit points. He had 20 points and six assists. Memphis shot 49 percent in the first half, including 53.3 percent from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Portland struggled with shooting, hitting just 36 percent from the field and making only three of 20 3-point attempts.
The Grizzlies, who never trailed in the game, extended their lead to 27 points early in the fourth quarter after Jackson’s left-handed dunk. Memphis won its second straight game in wire-to-wire fashion for the first time since November 2022.
This victory marked Memphis’ second big win over Portland this season. They had defeated the Trail Blazers 134-89 on Nov. 10 in Portland, with Morant not playing in that game.
Portland was shorthanded, missing Donovan Clingan, who had 19 rebounds in their win over Houston on Saturday, due to a left knee injury. They were also without other key players, including DeAndre Ayton, Scoot Henderson, and Kris Murray. Ayton missed his seventh straight game because of a right finger sprain.
Marcus Smart returned for the Grizzlies after missing four games due to illness. He came off the bench in the first quarter, marking his first time playing as a reserve since March 16, 2021.
