Ja Morant is one step closer to winning a lawsuit against the teenager who he punched during an altercation in a pickup basketball game two years ago ... a judge just ruled the NBA superstar was acting in self-defense when he hit the minor.
Joshua Holloway, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, sued Morant back in Sept. 2022, alleging the Grizzlies point guard roughed him up while the two were competing on a basketball court at Ja's Eads, Tenn. home.
Holloway claimed that during an in-game argument, he threw a ball at Morant and accidentally hit him in the face. He alleged Morant then became enraged, and socked him with a closed fist.
Morant, however, later argued he was acting in self-defense ... explaining during December court proceedings that he was simply trying to protect himself from harm.
On Monday, after mulling over all the testimony for weeks, a Shelby County judge handed down a 44-page ruling ... and concluded Morant was, indeed, acting in self-defense.
The suit will continue to move forward despite the ruling -- a trial is currently still slated for April -- although Morant is now believed to be in the driver's seat for a victory following the judge's decision.
"We're disappointed," Holloway's attorney, Rebecca Adelman, told ESPN of the ruling on Tuesday, "and we will continue to take the steps necessary to protect and advocate for Joshua."
Morant served a 25-game ban to start this season over multiple gun-related incidents. He did return following the suspension, but after only nine games, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
The 24-year-old is expected, however, to make a complete comeback in the 2024-25 season.