Ja Morant drops 22 points and throws down a huge dunk against the Trail Blazers after suffering a hip injury

After missing eight games with a hip injury, Ja Morant officially returned to the court Monday night in Memphis.

The Grizzlies guard also returned to his old self almost immediately.

Morant dropped 22 points with 11 assists to lead the Grizzlies to a dominant 123-98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at FedExForum. Morant was throwing behind-the-back passes and even though it was a dunk attempt that put him out of action last time, he didn’t hesitate to hit a massive one-handed jam.

Morant, a two-time All-Star, has missed the last eight Grizzlies games with a hip injury. He first suffered the injury in a fall on November 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers and was initially listed as week-to-week. He tried to complete an alley-oop against the Lakers but shot over the edge and landed awkwardly right on his hip.

Morant suffered a posterior hip subluxation without dislocation, allowing for a quicker return despite a frightening moment. The injury was a setback for Morant after he missed all but nine games last season due to a suspension and injury. Fortunately for Morant and the Grizzlies, the injury did not result in an extended absence.

In eight games prior to his absence, Morant averaged 20.6 points, 9.1 assists and five rebounds while shooting 44.8% from the field and 25.8% from 3-point range.

The Grizzlies led the entire team on Monday night en route to a 25-point win. They opened the game with a 15-4 lead and then easily built a 20-point lead a few minutes into the fourth quarter. Jaren Jackson added 21 points and six rebounds, and Jay Huff added 12 points off the bench. With the win, the Grizzlies are now 11-7 on the season, marking their third straight win.

Shaedon Sharpe led Portland with 15 points, and Deni Avdija added 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench. The Trail Blazers shot just 8 of 46 from behind the arc as a team. They have now lost three of their last four games and are 7-11 on the year.

Morant and the Grizzlies host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.