MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- — Ja Morant scored 35 points, including a key basket with 32.9 seconds to play, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the New Orleans Pelicans 128-122 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

Morant's basket gave the Grizzlies a 122-118 lead. Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Morant hit free throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory.

Jaren Jackson finished with 18 points and six blocks. Caldwell-Pope finished with 15 points. Rookie Cedric Coward hit all five of his shots from the field for 14 points. Coward was perfect from the free-throw line going 4 for 4. It was the first time a rookie with at least 10 points had a perfect night shooting in his debut since Thabo Sefolosha in 2006.

Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 27 points, nine rebounds, five steals and five assists. Herbert Jones, Jordan Poole and rookie Jeremiah Fears, the seventh pick in last summer's draft, finished with 17 points each.

A 27-6 Memphis rally in the third quarter erased New Orleans' lead. That was part of a 41-22 period for a 97-89 Memphis lead entering the fourth.

The game featured the top two picks in the 2019 NBA draft — Williamson, picked first, followed by Morant for the Grizzlies at No. 2.

New Orleans is trying to turn around a 21-61 season where it finished 14th in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Memphis was coming off a first-round elimination in the postseason by eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City.

Memphis, already short on players because of injuries, dealt with foul trouble in the first half, which helped the Pelicans build a 67-56 lead at the break.

Memphis took over the game in the third quarter with a major run that erased the a quick start by New Orleans.

Up next

Pelicans: Host the Spurs in the home opener on Friday night.

Grizzlies: Host the Heat on Friday night.

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Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Yves Missi vs. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Ja Morant gains possession)	0	0
11:47	Jaren Jackson Jr. bad pass (Yves Missi steals)	0	0
11:43	Jordan Poole makes 9-foot driving floating jump shot	0	2
11:21	Ja Morant makes 19-foot step back jumpshot	2	2
11:09	Ja Morant personal foul	2	2
11:00	Zion Williamson misses 12-foot step back jumpshot	2	2
10:57	Jaylen Wells defensive rebound	2	2
10:56	Jordan Poole personal foul	2	2
10:42	Jaylen Wells misses 27-foot three point jumper	2	2
10:40	Herbert Jones defensive rebound	2	2
10:33	Jordan Poole makes 28-foot three point jumper (Yves Missi assists)	2	5
10:19	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope misses 19-foot pullup jump shot	2	5
10:17	Grizzlies offensive team rebound	2	5
10:11	Ja Morant misses 28-foot three point pullup jump shot	2	5
10:07	Zion Williamson defensive rebound	2	5
10:04	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shooting foul	2	5
10:04	Zion Williamson misses free throw 1 of 2	2	5
10:04	Pelicans offensive team rebound	2	5
10:04	Zion Williamson misses free throw 2 of 2	2	5
10:02	Ja Morant defensive rebound	2	5
9:49	Jaren Jackson Jr. offensive foul	2	5
9:49	Jaren Jackson Jr. turnover	2	5
9:38	Jaylen Wells personal foul	2	5
9:31	Jock Landale blocks Zion Williamson 's 5-foot driving layup	2	5
9:31	Pelicans offensive team rebound	2	5
9:27	Jordan Poole makes 30-foot three point jumper (Zion Williamson assists)	2	8
9:15	Ja Morant makes 11-foot driving floating jump shot	4	8
8:55	Olivier-Maxence Prosper enters the game for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	4	8
8:55	Santi Aldama enters the game for Jaren Jackson Jr.	4	8
8:48	Herbert Jones makes 23-foot three point step back jumpshot (Trey Murphy III assists)	4	11
8:46	Grizzlies Full timeout	4	11
8:36	Herbert Jones personal foul	4	11
8:25	Herbert Jones blocks Santi Aldama 's 22-foot three point jumper	4	11
8:19	Zion Williamson defensive rebound	4	11
8:14	Trey Murphy III makes 16-foot pullup jump shot (Jordan Poole assists)	4	13
8:03	Ja Morant bad pass (Zion Williamson steals)	4	13
7:57	Jordan Poole misses 27-foot three point shot	4	13
7:53	Jock Landale defensive rebound	4	13
7:43	Olivier-Maxence Prosper makes 1-foot dunk (Jaylen Wells assists)	6	13
7:31	Yves Missi traveling	6	13
7:31	Saddiq Bey enters the game for Zion Williamson	6	13
7:22	Santi Aldama offensive foul	6	13
7:22	Santi Aldama turnover	6	13
7:07	Herbert Jones makes 24-foot three point jumper (Trey Murphy III assists)	6	16
6:55	Jaylen Wells makes 25-foot three pointer	9	16
6:35	Saddiq Bey misses two point shot	9	16
6:35	Grizzlies defensive team rebound	9	16
6:35	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope enters the game for Jaylen Wells	9	16
6:35	Javon Small enters the game for Ja Morant	9	16
6:35	Jaren Jackson Jr. enters the game for Jock Landale	9	16
6:23	Santi Aldama misses 22-foot three point jumper	9	16
6:18	Herbert Jones defensive rebound	9	16
6:12	Herbert Jones misses 25-foot three point pullup jump shot	9	16
6:06	Yves Missi offensive rebound	9	16
6:06	Yves Missi makes tip shot	9	18
5:56	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope misses 25-foot three point jumper	9	18
5:52	Trey Murphy III defensive rebound	9	18
5:48	Trey Murphy III makes two point shot (Jordan Poole assists)	9	20
5:39	Javon Small bad pass (Herbert Jones steals)	9	20
5:28	Jordan Poole makes 11-foot driving floating jump shot	9	22
5:15	Jaren Jackson Jr. misses 25-foot three point jumper	9	22
5:12	Herbert Jones defensive rebound	9	22
4:57	Trey Murphy III makes driving layup	9	24
4:57	Grizzlies Full timeout	9	24
4:57	Cedric Coward enters the game for Olivier-Maxence Prosper	9	24
4:57	Hunter Dickinson enters the game for Herbert Jones	9	24
4:57	Jordan Hawkins enters the game for Yves Missi	9	24
4:45	Jaren Jackson Jr. misses 25-foot three point jumper	9	24
4:41	Jordan Hawkins defensive rebound	9	24
4:20	Trey Murphy III misses 28-foot three point shot	9	24
4:20	Pelicans offensive team rebound	9	24
4:20	shot clock turnover	9	24
4:08	Jaren Jackson Jr. makes 5-foot two point shot (Javon Small assists)	11	24
3:56	Hunter Dickinson bad pass (Cedric Coward steals)	11	24
3:50	Trey Murphy III shooting foul	11	24
3:50	Jaren Jackson Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2	12	24
3:50	Zion Williamson enters the game for Jordan Poole	12	24
3:50	Jeremiah Fears enters the game for Trey Murphy III	12	24
3:50	Jaren Jackson Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2	13	24
3:30	Jeremiah Fears makes 9-foot two point shot	13	26
3:15	Jaren Jackson Jr. makes 7-foot driving floating jump shot (Santi Aldama assists)	15	26
3:15	Hunter Dickinson shooting foul	15	26
3:15	Jaren Jackson Jr. makes free throw 1 of 1	16	26
3:03	Zion Williamson misses driving layup	16	26
3:00	Zion Williamson offensive rebound	16	26
2:59	Santi Aldama blocks Zion Williamson 's 3-foot driving layup	16	26
2:56	Jaren Jackson Jr. defensive rebound	16	26
2:50	Hunter Dickinson blocks Santi Aldama 's 2-foot driving layup	16	26
2:47	Jaren Jackson Jr. offensive rebound	16	26
2:40	Jaren Jackson Jr. misses 22-foot three point jumper	16	26
2:40	Grizzlies offensive team rebound	16	26
2:40	Olivier-Maxence Prosper enters the game for Santi Aldama	16	26
2:36	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope misses 22-foot three point jumper	16	26
2:35	Zion Williamson defensive rebound	16	26
2:35	Cedric Coward personal foul	16	26
2:22	Jordan Hawkins lost ball turnover (Cedric Coward steals)	16	26
2:20	Cedric Coward makes two point shot	18	26
2:20	Jeremiah Fears shooting foul	18	26
2:20	Pelicans Full timeout	18	26
2:20	Cedric Coward makes free throw 1 of 1	19	26
2:09	Hunter Dickinson makes 13-foot two point shot (Jeremiah Fears assists)	19	28
1:48	Olivier-Maxence Prosper misses 25-foot three point jumper	19	28
1:46	Pelicans defensive team rebound	19	28
1:46	Jaylen Wells enters the game for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	19	28
1:46	Ja Morant enters the game for Jaren Jackson Jr.	19	28
1:46	Jock Landale enters the game for Javon Small	19	28
1:39	Hunter Dickinson offensive foul	19	28
1:39	Hunter Dickinson turnover	19	28
1:26	Olivier-Maxence Prosper makes 1-foot driving dunk (Ja Morant assists)	21	28
1:03	Hunter Dickinson misses 12-foot jumper	21	28
1:01	Ja Morant defensive rebound	21	28
48.9	Ja Morant makes 24-foot three pointer	24	28
38.7	Jeremiah Fears misses two point shot	24	28
36.1	Ja Morant defensive rebound	24	28
32.8	Jaylen Wells makes 25-foot three point shot (Ja Morant assists)	27	28
14.1	Jaylen Wells personal foul	27	28
14.1	Zion Williamson makes free throw 1 of 2	27	29
14.1	Jaren Jackson Jr. enters the game for Olivier-Maxence Prosper	27	29
14.1	Yves Missi enters the game for Hunter Dickinson	27	29
14.1	Herbert Jones enters the game for Jordan Hawkins	27	29
14.1	Zion Williamson makes free throw 2 of 2	27	30
0.6	Ja Morant misses 17-foot step back jumpshot	27	30
0.1	Grizzlies offensive team rebound	27	30
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	27	30

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

FedExForum

Memphis, TN

Date & Time

12:00 AM, October 23, 2025

Coverage

GCSEN, Pelicans.com, NBA League Pass, FanDuel SN SE

Attendance

17,794

Referees

Courtney Kirkland, Ray Acosta, Danielle Scott

2025-26 Southwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
San Antonio	36	16	.692	W4
Houston	32	19	.627	W1
Memphis	20	31	.392	L2
Dallas	19	33	.365	L7
New Orleans	14	40	.259	W1

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Morant scores 35 points, Memphis uses a third-quarter rally to beat New Orleans 128-122

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