Ja Morant may have one less problem to worry about.

A judge has ruled he acted in self-defense when he punched then-17-year-old Joshua Holloway during a pickup basketball game played on a private court in Morant's parents' Tennessee home in  2022.

Holloway, who now plays college basketball at Samford University, is suing Morant for assault.

Morant argued that he was defending himself after Holloway checked the ball to him using a one-handed baseball-style pass that hit him in the face.

The judge agreed, stating Holloway was the only "provocateur," and everyone else just wanted to play basketball.

"A provocateur generally cannot invoke self-defense; if you start a fight, then you should be ready to finish," Judge Carol Chumney wrote.

Holloway can still proceed with his lawsuit against Morant, but he is now unlikely to win.