Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant got honest about his injury scare after losing to the Golden State Warriors
The Memphis Grizzlies finished their 2024-25 regular season in seventh place in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record, landing in the play-in tournament and having to face the star-studded Golden State Warriors.
However, with a spot in the NBA playoffs on the line, the Grizzlies fell short.
Warriors stars Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler combined for 75 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists to take down the Grizzlies, securing their spot as the seventh seed in the playoffs and will move on to face the Houston Rockets in the first round.
In the third quarter of Tuesday’s loss, Grizzlies star Ja Morant went down with a scary ankle injury.
Morant showed strength by returning to the game after the injury, but struggled once he was back on the court, scoring just four points in nine fourth-quarter minutes, and did not look like himself in clutch time.
The Grizzlies are now moving on to face the loser of Wednesday’s Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks matchup, but Morant’s injury has left many fans worried about his status.
Luckily, Morant assured the media that he would be playing, but refused to say much more than that.
“I’m playing,” Morant said. “That’s basically the answer I’m giving. It ain’t nothing different.”
Morant finished Tuesday’s loss with 22 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 turnovers on 9-18 shooting from the field and 1-3 from beyond the arc, struggling to find a rhythm in their biggest game of the season.
Heading into a win-or-go-home game on Friday, the Grizzlies desperately need Morant healthy and playing at his best for a chance to punch their ticket to the playoffs.
Ja Morant returns after rolling ankle during Grizzlies-Warriors play-in game
Ja Morant exited Tuesday’s play-in game, just as the Memphis Grizzlies were on the verge of erasing a double-digit Golden State Warriors lead, but he came back with a chance to finish the job.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, as the Warriors held on for 121-116 victory to claim the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Grizzlies star came down awkwardly on the foot of Warriors guard Buddy Hield on an and-1 in the third quarter and badly rolled his ankle. He remained in the game to shoot his free throw — not doing so would have prevented him from reentering the game — but he was limping and grimacing in pain.
Memphis immediately committed a foul to stop play and took Morant out after he made the free throw.
Morant wasn’t on the floor to open the fourth quarter, but he returned several minutes later, still not looking 100% but able to at least make a jump shot in his second possession back. He toughed it out until the final whistle, which wasn’t in the Grizzlies’ favor.
With Morant on the court, Memphis fought back from a 20-point deficit and even took the lead briefly in the fourth quarter, but a Stephen Curry-led rally allowed the Warriors to survive and set up a first-round matchup against the No. 2 Houston Rockets as the No. 7 seed. Morant finished with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting with three rebounds, three assists and five turnovers.
The Grizzlies will now head home to Memphis, where they will face either the Sacramento Kings or Dallas Mavericks on Friday for a chance to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. They can only hope Morant’s ankle will be up for both.
