Memphis Grizzlies players commented on Ja Morant’s injury after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3
After getting destroyed by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first two games of the series, the Memphis Grizzlies were looking to make a statement and pick up a much-needed win at home in Game 3.
Unfortunately, after taking a commanding lead, everything changed for Memphis.
The Grizzlies stormed out to take as much as a 29-point lead in the first half of Thursday’s game against the Thunder, but one play changed the course of the game. Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant went up for a fastbreak dunk when Thunder guard and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Lu Dort dangerously undercut him.
Morant took a very scary fall on the play, ultimately exiting Thursday’s game early and did not return. At the time of Morant’s injury, the Grizzlies led by 27, but by the final buzzer, the Thunder came back to win 114-108.
After the loss, multiple Grizzlies players admitted how much Morant’s injury impacted the game.
“He’s the head of the snake,” Scotty Pippen Jr. said about Morant. “When you lose someone like that, it definitely alters and shifts the whole team.”
Pippen Jr. stepped up big time on Thursday night, dropping 28 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals on 8-16 shooting from the field and 6-10 from beyond the arc, but the Grizzlies not having Morant certainly sparked Oklahoma City’s comeback.
“Obviously, it’s always tougher when you don’t have somebody like Ja. He’s our best player,” Santi Aldama said. “Not really an excuse or reason, you just gotta win the game regardless… It’s tough to see somebody go down like that, especially Ja. He brings the energy… but at some point we just gotta win the game.”
Of course, it is hard for any team to continue to play well after their star player goes down with an injury, but the Grizzlies blowing a 29-point lead is inexcusable.
The Grizzlies will have another opportunity at home against the Thunder on Saturday for Game 4, as they look to avoid the series sweep, although Morant’s status will certainly be uncertain.
Lu Dort Breaks Silence on Injuring Ja Morant After Thunder-Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies held a 29-point lead in the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night. Still, the Thunder won.
Oklahoma City stormed back to overcome a massive first-half deficit, but the momentum shift can be pinpointed to one specific event.
The Grizzlies led by 27 points with just over three minutes left in the second quarter, but as star point guard Ja Morant went up for a fastbreak dunk, Thunder guard Lu Dort undercut him. Morant was forced to leave the game and did not return with a hip injury.
After the game, Dort talked about the play that ended Morant’s night, and potentially his season, pending a nerve-racking update.
“Tough one,” Dort said. “Obviously I hope he’s okay. I was running back, making a hustle play for my team. I was running quick, stopped on a dime. I didn’t know he was behind me, and 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 okay. I didn’t mean to hit him like that.”
Of course, Dort has already gotten plenty of hate on the internet for the reckless play that injured Morant, but the Thunder guard assured that he tried to tell the star point guard that it was unintentional.
“They can say whatever,” Dort said. “Just know it was big that he still got up and shot the free throws. When he was at the line, I dapped him up and I apologized obviously. It’s never good when a good player like that goes down. But people can say whatever they want.”
Dort’s play was extremely reckless, and even if it was unintentional, there should certainly be consequences for it. The Grizzlies were in position to walk out of Game 3 with a 2-1 series deficit, but are now just one game away from getting swept instead.