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Ja Morant's dazzling passing in Memphis Grizzlies' win vs Jazz sets tone: 'Call 12'
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- Ja Morant's dazzling passing in Memphis Grizzlies' win vs Jazz sets tone: 'Call 12'
SALT LAKE CITY — As Bryn Ripley played her saxophone during the national anthem at the Delta Center on Wednesday night, Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz players stood still.
Except one.
Ja Morant anxiously rocked side to side with each passing note. As Ripley finished the anthem, he was the first player to rip off his Grizzlies jogging suit.
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The long wait was over. Morant made his first appearance in a Grizzlies regular-season game since Jan. 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers . The result was a 126-124 win over the Jazz.
Morant saved one of his best moments for last. With 44 seconds to play and Memphis leading by three points, the Grizzlies' All-Star dribbled the ball behind his back to slide by one defender, attacked the rim and finished around 7-foot-1 Walker Kessler with his left hand to put the game away.
Remember that phrase? It has been a while, but Morant refers to it as time to "call 12."
"My phone always in my pocket ready to answer," he said. "The ringer on, too."
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Ja Morant 's playmaking takes center stage
Morant finished with 22 points on 7-for-12 shooting, but that might not have been the best part of his game. He was a playmaking maestro, setting his teammates up for easy scoring opportunities with dazzling passes that shook the Utah defense.
Morant ended the game with 10 assists in 28 minutes. A few of those passes came when teammates were cutting to the basket, which is a new principle of the offense that could set him up for his best season as a playmaker yet. His assists per game were a career-high 8.1 during the 2023-23 season. That number could be in jeopardy this season.
"Right now, I feel like it's less pressure on me to (score) with the guys we got right now and how we're playing," he said.
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Grizzlies rookie center Zach Edey called it "fun" to be on the floor when Morant is orchestrating offense. At one point, Morant faced a double team at the top of the 3-point line, looked to his right and surprisingly fired a pass to an open Jay Huff under the basket that led to a foul.
How did Morant even know Huff was there? He was looking before the double team even came.
"Seeing that up close versus on TV, it's different," Huff said.
"It's a treat to watch and a treat to be a part of, for sure," Desmond Bane said.
Santi Aldama 's potential breakout performance
Huff and Santi Aldama were two of the biggest beneficiaries of Morant's playmaking. With Edey in foul trouble and Brandon Clarke struggling, Aldama led the Grizzlies with 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting.
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Along with his timely cutting in the fourth quarter, Aldama knocked down five 3-pointers on 10 attempts.
This is what he and the Grizzlies have been talking about when referring to his budding confidence through the preseason.
"I feel really confident in my game," he said. "Just trying to make the right read every single time. If you do that over and over, it's going to pay off."
EARLY ADJUSTMENTS: Memphis Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey fouls out of first career NBA game vs Utah Jazz
Aldama is filling in for Jaren Jackson Jr. , who is working his way back from a hamstring injury. If he continues to play like he did Wednesday, he'll continue to be in the game in the biggest situations even when Jackson returns.
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Bane, who scored 24 points and entered the league one year before Aldama did, is buying into the idea of a breakout season from his teammate.
"We been seeing that," Bane said. "People been asking me who I think gone take that leap in our new system with the way that we are playing. Santi got a chance to really blow up."
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com . Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant back as playmaker, Santi Aldama fills in
