Morant named player of week fresh off suspension

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant was named Western Conference player of the week on Tuesday afternoon after leading a struggling Memphis squad to its first three-game winning streak this season.

Later in the evening, Morant scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Grizzlies to a fourth straight win, a 116-115 overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Morant made his season debut last Tuesday against the Pelicans, returning from a 25-game suspension with a 34-point performance that included a game-winning floater at the buzzer. He collected 20 points and 8 assists in his next game against the Indiana Pacers and then 30 points and 11 assists against Atlanta on Saturday.

He averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds across his first three games.

Morant was suspended after brandishing a firearm in an Instagram Live video in May, two months after he served an eight-game suspension for a similar incident in March. His absence had derailed the Grizzlies’ season, as they entered Morant’s debut 6-19.

Morant, 24, has won three player of the week awards in his career.