The Memphis Grizzlies’ first-round NBA playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder has gone from bad to worse, with Ja Morant reportedly set to miss Game 4 on Saturday.
Morant suffered a left hip contusion in the Grizzlies’ 114-108 Game 3 loss to the Thunder in Memphis, where the Grizzlies surrendered a 29-point lead to drop to 0-3 in the series.
The Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 63-31 in the second half without Morant. Interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo said Morant’s injury and subsequent exit ‘quite drastically’ affected the Grizzlies, ‘not only the energy, but the execution.’ No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit and the odds of the Grizzlies fighting back to take the series is going to be that much harder without their superstar guard.
Here’s everything you need to know about Morant’s injury and his status ahead of Game 4:
Ja Morant injury: What happened?
The incident happened with 3:15 remaining in the second quarter as the Grizzlies led 67-40. Scotty Pippen Jr. deflected a pass from the Thunder’s Jalen Williams and completed a behind the back pass to Morant on a fast break. Morant attempted to dunk the ball, but he was undercut by Luguentz Dort and he fell hard on his side.
Morant laid on the floor at FedExForum in pain as the crowd booed the play.
Dort was called for a shooting foul. Morant missed both free throws and checked out of the game. He was later ruled out with a hip injury. Morant had 15 points and five assists in 16 minutes.
Ja Morant injury update: Will he play in Game 4?
Game 4 between the Grizzlies and Thunder is set for Saturday, but Morant will not be suiting up. The Grizzlies have internally ruled him out of Game 4 with a hip injury, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Morant was previously listed on the injury report with an ankle sprain last week, but played through the injury in the play-in tournament to secure a playoff berth for the Grizzlies.
Lu Dort: ‘I hope he’s OK’
Dort later explained that the play was inadvertent. ‘I was slipping. I tried to make a play on the ball, but we just ran into each other, and he fell down. But I hope he’s OK. I didn’t mean to hit him like that,’ Dort said postgame.
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