Alijah Arenas Shakes Defender in First USC Game After Near-Fatal Crash

Alijah Arenas hit the hardwood for the first time since almost losing his life in a fiery car crash, and the 5-star recruit didn't waste any time reminding fans he was back, pulling off a filthy behind-the-back move, sending the defender stumbling, and finishing with a slick layup!

The move brought the fans to their feet ... just 5 minutes and change into USC's game against Northwestern.

Arenas has been sidelined since the summer with a knee injury -- which came after surviving a terrifying Tesla Cybertruck crash in April -- that left him trapped in a burning vehicle, which he escaped, thanks to a group of good Samaritans.

Alijah sustained serious injuries and was placed in a medically induced coma at the hospital.

Six months ago, even playing again felt uncertain ... but on Wednesday, there AA was, under the bright lights.

The son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas made his entrance last in player introductions ... bursting through smoke as dad watched courtside alongside Nick Young. JJ Reddick and Chris Paul were also in attendance.

The shots didn’t all fall ... Arenas finished with eight points, two rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes, going 3-for-15 from the field.

“The results are not shocking to me,” USC coach Eric Musselman said after the game. “He can create his own shot and he should be a high school senior -- reclassified, missed an entire summer and then you’re throwing him in the middle of Big Ten play, so he doesn’t have nonconference play and all that stuff just based on injury and it’s a difficult thing for any super talented player to go through.”

USC lost 74-68 ... but the night was more about Arenas' getting back on the court, as opposed to wins and losses.