Watch: Ja Morant switches hands mid-air as he emphatically dunks over CJ McCollum

Memphis Grizzlies All-Star point guard Ja Morant put on a show on Tuesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. Morant finished with a game-high 36 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

He also had a few highlight-worthy plays. This included an impressive dunk in the third quarter where he switched hands mid-air to complete the dunk over Pelicans guard CJ McCollum.

Morant also had a perfectly timed steal in the second quarter where he choreographed a pass without even looking.

Ja Morant on Memphis Grizzlies’ disappointing second-half performance versus New Orleans

Memphis Grizzlies All-Star point guard Ja Morant

Despite Ja Morant’s impressive performance, the Grizzlies still lost to New Orleans 113-102. Memphis led 60-59 at halftime before scoring just 42 points in the second half, which made the loss even more frustrating for Morant.

Following the game, Ja Morant spoke about his team’s offensive struggles.

“We’ve just got to be able to finish in the paint and knock down open looks,” Morant said. “That’s pretty much what we’ve been doing all season, which made us a good team offensively."

As for the Pelicans, they were missing All-Star forward Zion Williamson, who was out with a right foot contusion. However, veteran guard CJ McCollum stepped up to lead New Orleans with 30 points and nine assists.

“You’ve got to tip your cap,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Obviously, they’ve got some lethal scorers in McCollum, Ingram and their teammates did a good job tonight."

The loss drops the Grizzlies down to 9-6 and sixth in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have improved to 8-6 and are seventh in the West, just half a game behind Memphis.

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Jaren Jackson Jr. makes his season debut, Desmond Bane out two-three weeks for Memphis

Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane

Despite losing to New Orleans, there were some positives for the Memphis Grizzlies. Forward Jaren Jackson Jr. made his season debut after missing the start of the season due to right foot surgery. Jackson finished with seven points, six rebounds, and five blocks, however, he shot just 3-for-14 (21.4%) and 0-for-7 (0.0%) from three.

Unfortunately, for Grizzlies fans, most of the excitement surrounding Jackson’s return was also dampened following the news regarding shooting guard Desmond Bane’s toe injury. Bane is expected to miss the next two to three weeks with a Grade 2 right big toe sprain.

This comes as Bane was in the middle of a breakout season. Bane is averaging career-highs of 24.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.8 three-pointers per game while shooting a career-best 45.1% from deep.

He was also starting to gain some buzz as a potential first-time All-Star. So with Bane sidelined for the next few weeks, the Grizzlies will need someone else to help Ja Morant carry the load offensively.

The Grizzlies’ next game will be on Friday at home against the OKC Thunder.