On Thursday, the Memphis Grizzlies faced a brutal setback as their star guard, Ja Morant, fell down on the court and was forced to leave the third game of the playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Morant got a concerning hip injury late in the second quarter after a hard fall under the basket, which cost him the rest of the game.
Following the recent playoff games, the Grizzlies are struggling on the court and finding it hard to win. Morant’s absence brought more complications for them. They had been ahead by 29 points in the first quarter, but after the unfortunate moment occurred, the momentum shifted to their opponent, pushing them to the loss by 114-108.
In the postgame press conference, Grizzlies interim head coach Tuomas Lisalo stated, Morant will be having more evaluations on Friday, adding, “and then we’ll know more.”
Ja Morant’s Injury: Downfall For Grizzlies In Game 3
With a few minutes left in the first half, Morant was faced with this unwanted trouble during a fast break for Memphis after the Thunder turnover, and Scotty Pippen Jr. passed him the ball. As he went for the shoot, the Thunder’s shooting guard Luguentz Dort collided with him in the air. As a result, Morant fell heavily, missing his free shots, and left the game immediately. The referees considered this a regular foul. At that point in time, Memphis was leading by 67-40.
In the absence of their key player, the Grizzlies found it hard to hold their momentum. Despite Luke Kennard coming down on the court, their offense could not find the flow, and the defense was not impressive. Coach Lisalo said, “It was drastic from the end result. But not only the energy, but also the execution.”
Morant secured 15 points and five assists in 20 minutes before his injury. However, his availability is a big concern for his team, which still remains questionable, and it depends on the results of his tests scheduled for Friday. This setback brings huge trouble for the Grizzlies as they are already facing considerable challenges, including the recent firing of their head coach, Taylor Jenkins. As the Thunder is one win away from grabbing the entire series, Morant’s availability would play a crucial role in the Grizzlies’ survival.
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