Watching Ja Morant Fly Again

It was hard not to see, and to feel, the joy. To judge from the swell of sound at the end of the Memphis Grizzlies’ last-second win over the New Orleans Pelicans, as cries of “Defense!” gave way to a low roar, it was hard even for some in the opposing New Orleans crowd. Joy is infectious, and it tends to spread when Ja Morant is on the court. Earlier this month, during his first game back after a twenty-five-game suspension from the N.B.A., Morant puffed on an inhaler, then gave his team life, scoring twenty-seven of his thirty-four points in the second half, including the two that won the game. Loping up the court, with seconds left and the score tied, he lowered his dribble to face off against Herb Jones, the New Orleans Pelicans’ standout defender. He sped up, feinted, and spun as he drove into Jones, then he flew into the space that his spin had created. Midair, he switched the ball from his right hand to his left, then floated it toward the basket as he fell back to earth. The shot dropped through the hoop, the buzzer sounded, his teammates surrounded him and celebrated. Morant flashed a smile.