Grizzlies' Jackson reflects on season debut: 'I couldn't help but laugh'

As he clocked into an NBA game for the first time since tearing his left meniscus in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World last August, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. was all smiles.

"As soon as I checked into the game, I couldn't help but laugh a little bit," Jackson said following Wednesday's 117-105 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "Just being out there in general was a win for me."

Within a minute of coming off the bench midway through the first quarter, the 6-foot-11 big man unfurled a three. The long-range heave caromed off the rim, then high off the backboard before passing through the hoop - officially opening Jackson's scoring ledger on the season.

"Thank God that joint rolled in," Jackson said of the lucky shot.

The 21-year-old finished with 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the floor and 6-of-6 from the foul line, eight rebounds, and four blocks - all in just under 18 minutes. "A big win," Jackson said, despite the loss.

Second-year Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins liked what he saw in Jackson's long-awaited season debut.

"Defensively, blocking shots, going for rebounds, communicating out there, being part of his growth there on the defensive end. Being an anchor for us," Jenkins said. "And offensively, just making the simple play but doing it with aggressiveness and force, and I really loved what he did. He attacked the game.

"He's put in a lot of work, and the biggest thing was, he was out there having fun, and I know he is going to continue to build on this one moving forward."

With 15 regular-season games remaining, Jackson has relatively little runway to get back into game shape before the postseason starts. Still, the Grizzlies - now 29-28 (.509) and holding the Western Conference's eighth seed by just a game over the Golden State Warriors - will be counting on their dynamic third-year player as they look to navigate this season's new play-in tournament format.