NEW ORLEANS – While fans reeled from what they’d just witnessed, Ja Morant trotted towards the locker room, chest out and proud.

“I kept receipts, too,” Morant said, turning left down a hallway.

Why wouldn’t he after buying Memphis a sliver of hope Tuesday night with a spinning game-winner that lifted the team to a 115-113 triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans? The Grizzlies rallied from a 24-point deficit, tied for the second-largest comeback in the NBA this season, behind 34 points from a man playing his first game in eight months after serving a 25-game suspension.

“It felt different out there, having our guy back, our leader,” guard Desmond Bane said.

“I kept receipts, too.” – Ja Morant pic.twitter.com/NksfPhsbrp

— Michael C. Wright (@mikecwright) December 20, 2023

Season debut

The ultimate demonstration of Memphis’ faith in Morant came during a timeout with 9.6 seconds left and the game deadlocked at 113-113.

Just before the start of the fourth quarter, a fatigued Morant snuck into the tunnel near the bench to take puffs off an inhaler as his father, Tee, sat a few feet away in a raucous crowd that included LSU’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Calves nearly cramping, Morant offered a suggestion for the final play.

“Do you want to run a post-up for Jaren [Jackson Jr.]?” Bane recalled the point guard asking.

“He told me, ‘(expletive) no, you’re getting the ball,’” Morant said, describing his teammate’s response.

The result: the 24-year-old’s game-winner with Herbert Jones and Dyson Daniels guarding.

JA MORANT CAPS THE @memgrizz 24-POINT COMEBACK WITH THE #TISSOTBUZZERBEATER!

34 points for Ja in the thrilling W.#TimeDefinesGreatness pic.twitter.com/qa3tEPQwry

— NBA (@NBA) December 20, 2023

The sequence underscored the immense belief the team still has its leader, even after his lengthy absence and all the negative attention that came with it.

Make no mistake: He started slow, scoring seven points in the first half with three assists as the Pelicans built a 24-point lead. Morant didn’t turn on the mojo until the third quarter with 13 points and four assists in that frame alone, before cranking out another 14 in the fourth on 5-of-8 shooting. Morant scored Memphis’ final six points.

Still, it was clear early that the team wasn’t quite ready for Morant’s explosive speed and style of play. The point guard dished eight assists but he could’ve tallied more had teammates not mishandled a couple of passes they weren’t quite prepared for.

What he learned while away

We’ll see.

Morant mentioned grasping some “eye-opening” realizations through the suspension that changed his outlook on life. But he declined to delve into specifics regarding moves made to curb the behavior that sent him to the sideline twice over the span of four months.

As Morant said, “The change will be in my decision-making, and how I go about my daily life of being an NBA player, a father, a role model, a brother, a son.”

Morant also discussed “protecting my peace.” That could mean he’s learned through therapy better ways to cope with the stress he talked about last March in Memphis coming off the initial eight-game suspension levied by the league.

No matter what he says, Morant acknowledges his actions carry all the weight.

Perhaps that’s the most important lesson Morant took from this ordeal.

“[My support system] showed me a lot of support. They got on my a– a little bit, too,” he said. “I felt like it was needed, not only during this process for me, but them as well to obviously learn from me. A lot of us make mistakes. I can see how [the situation] changed them as well. I don’t wish it happened, but it definitely took me, my family, my team to the next level.”

State of the Grizzlies

Morant expressed guilt regarding the team’s current plight, but there’s nothing he could have done about this rash of injuries.

New addition and 2022 Kia Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart (foot) has missed 15 straight games, while sharpshooter Luke Kennard (knee) has been sidelined the past 15 contests and 18 total. Veteran guard Derrick Rose (hamstring) sat out Tuesday’s contest for his 11th absence.

They should all return soon, but key bigs Steven Adams (knee) and Brandon Clarke (Achilles) are out for the season.

So, with Morant back, the Grizzlies need to start stacking wins to get back into the race for a shot at the Play-In Tournament. Memphis is 13th in the Western Conference (7-19), 6 1/2 games behind Phoenix for 10th and the last Play-In berth.

With 56 games remaining, the Grizzlies could make a legit run at making their fourth consecutive postseason appearance. But it’s worth noting that, of the 152 previous teams in NBA history that won six or fewer of their first 25 games, just two (the 1952-53 Baltimore Bullets and the 1984-85 Cleveland Cavaliers) made the playoffs.

To equal last season’s 51-31 record, Memphis needs to finish 44-12. That might be too lofty, given such a slim margin for error even with Morant back.

This won’t be easy.

Morant’s next steps

The best way for Morant to work himself back into optimal game shape is to just play. But the Grizzlies will keep a watchful eye on how they handle the superstar’s minutes these next few outings in what’s expected to be a brief acclimation process.

Morant played nearly 35 minutes against New Orleans.

“I’m gonna be mindful of how many minutes he plays early on as he gets his game legs underneath him,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “I’ll be mindful of what kinds of stints [he plays]. I’ve got a feel for that.”

Pay extra attention moving forward to the intricacies of Morant’s game to see whether the guard used the time away wisely. Throughout the suspension, Morant practiced and traveled with the team, while participating in morning shootarounds.

The two-time All-Star used the time to add to his bag, according to Jenkins.

Morant spent a good portion of the suspension working with assistant Blake Ahearn. The two implemented minor tweaks that involved the guard’s base, footwork, shot prep and hand placement.

“The results they’ve been tracking the last two and a half months have been great,” Jenkins said.

The two-time All-Star put some of that work into practice against the Pelicans.

Look for Morant to continue his push for improvement off the court, too. He met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before returning and wants to continue the dialogue.

“He told me to enjoy the moment and just stay locked in,” Morant said. “I plan on talking to him more often even though I’m back playing just to continue to build that relationship with him.”

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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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