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Ja Morant on crowded baseline area: ‘I just think player safety should be first and foremost’

SAN FRANCISCO — Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies’ sensational rookie, made his return Monday night against the Golden State Warriors after missing four games with back spasms stemming from a collision two weeks ago with a cameraman along the baseline.

Morant, the Rookie of the Year favorite, led his team to a 110-102 victory and finished with a game-high 26 points and seven assists. The explosive guard even had a few thunderous dunks and a two-handed rim-rattler in traffic that put the Grizzlies up eight with a minute left to seal the win.

Following the contest, Morant acknowledged that instead of solely focusing on being the best version of himself, he occasionally found himself thinking about the proximity of camera operators while driving in the paint.