The long-awaited return of Ja Morant to the Memphis Grizzlies lineup was ultimately overshadowed by a Utah Jazz comeback and a career night from a young star. In a high-scoring affair at FedExForum on Friday, December 12th, the Jazz rallied from a 12-point deficit to defeat the Grizzlies 130-126, spoiling Morant’s first game back after a 10-game absence due to a right calf strain.
Morant, who received a thunderous ovation during his pregame introduction, showed flashes of his All-Star form, finishing with 21 points and 10 assists in a restricted 25 minutes. However, his post-game mood was anything but celebratory. He bluntly assessed the team’s performance, stating, “We should’ve won. We played soft. They outrebounded us, we let guys come off the bench and make a difference, we let their star guys pretty much be comfortable.” His critique was backed by the numbers, as Utah dominated the glass 58-49, leading to a decisive 24-14 advantage in second-chance points.
The Jazz’s victory was fueled by a spectacular performance from second-year guard Keyonte George, who erupted for a career-high 39 points. Lauri Markkanen provided strong support with 26 points, while veteran Kevin Love came off the bench to hit four crucial three-pointers, finishing with 20 points. The game turned on a massive 29-7 run by Utah that began midway through the third quarter, completely flipping the script on what had been a promising night for Memphis.
While Morant’s return was the headline, the Grizzlies’ brightest spot was the continued stellar play of backup guard Cam Spencer. The second-year pro was flawless from the field, scoring 20 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting from three-point range, adding four assists. Spencer has now scored in double digits in nine consecutive games, averaging 15.8 points and 5.1 assists over that span and making a compelling case for increased minutes. Despite his offensive explosion, Spencer echoed his star teammate’s defensive concerns, saying, “I was focused more on the defensive end, trying to get stops. Felt like we were very poor on that end of the floor.”
The loss drops the Grizzlies to 11-14 on the season, while Utah improves to 9-15. For Memphis, the defeat highlighted ongoing issues, particularly on defense and the glass, especially with 7-foot-3 center Zach Edey sidelined. Teammates were thrilled to have Morant back—”When he’s on the court, it’s great,” said Jaren Jackson Jr.—but integrating him into the flow and shoring up the team’s weaknesses remains the immediate challenge. The performance of Keyonte George, meanwhile, signals the emergence of a potent new scoring threat for the Jazz in what has been a difficult season.