Ja Morant returned to action in the NBA London Game after missing the NBA Berlin Game on Thursday.
LONDON (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant started against the Orlando Magic on Sunday and was on a minutes restriction after a six-game absence because of a right calf injury.
“We’ll try to maximize his minutes and try to do it in a smart way,” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said at a pregame news conference at London’s O2 Arena.
The two-time All-Star missed the first of the two-game NBA Europe series when the Magic beat the Grizzlies 118-111 in the NBA’s first regular-season game in Germany.
Iisalo said the medical update he received about the two-time All Star was positive a day after Morant practiced with the team.
“We’ve discussed this several times this season, when you miss a bunch of games, it’s not so easy to (go) right away into big minutes,” Iisalo said of his expectations for Morant.
In Berlin, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was disappointed that Morant couldn’t play because the guard “has a tremendous following globally.”
The 26-year-old Morant, who has been the subject of trade speculation, did not speak to the media Saturday after practice.
Morant is making about $39.4 million this season and is in the third year of a five-year, $197.2 million contract. He’s averaging 19 points and 7.6 assists per game this season — 22.4 points and 7.4 assists for his career.
He has missed Memphis’ last six games. Morant’s most recent appearance was when he played 31 minutes in a 128-121 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 2.
Trade talk
The Grizzlies, who have lost seven of their past nine games, aren’t stressed about trade rumors, Iisalo said.
“We are just focused on doing the work and doing our daily job,” he said. “Anybody who is here and sees the atmosphere that we have and the focus and the effort that guys are putting (in) sees that we have a great group. We are focused on the next game and making today count as much as possible by having great focus and great effort — that’s the one that we can control.”
Iisalo was also asked about his relationship with Morant: “We have a very good working relationship and every day here we both look to get better.”
Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells said Morant brings positive energy to the locker room.
“He’s a great leader. You can see him on the bench, he’s cheering us on,” the second-year guard said when asked about Morant trade talk. “Doesn’t really matter what happens on the outside — it’s always about what happens on the inside. As a team, we don’t really care about it. It comes with the job. It’s not really a big deal.”
