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The Memphis Grizzlies suffered their second straight loss on Wednesday night after falling to the Portland Trail Blazers in a 115-99 blowout at Moda Center.
It was a tough loss for the Grizzlies as they had to battle Portland without Ja Morant, who missed his third straight game due to a lingering hamstring issue.
Memphis provided an update on Morant’s injury status heading into Friday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers and unfortunately, it wasn’t good news.
Morant has officially been ruled out for Friday’s contest as he continues to nurse what is now becoming a troubling hamstring injury. This will mark the two-time All-Star’s fourth straight game on the sidelines.
What makes this news even more disappointing is the fact that Morant currently has no firm timetable to return. This has led to more than a few fans to get upset on social media.
“DAMN!” a reaction on X read.
“bra gave us 3 good games then dipped,” said another.
“Drops 44 and has to miss the next 10 games,” accused a user.
“NBA sucks with injuries,” a fan wrote.
“They really won’t let bro play,” posted another.
“Fix his knee hamstring shoulder whatever and end the season. He doesn’t want to play anyway,” reacted a reader.
Morant will now miss his 28th game of the season for Memphis, and it’s possible that more could be forthcoming.
As of writing, the Grizzlies are fifth in the West with a 43-27 record. They are, however, in real danger of falling into the Play-In tournament if they fail to finish within the top six. The seventh-seeded Clippers are currently 3.5 games behind Memphis, making Friday’s showdown even more compelling.
Morant’s next chance to play will be on Tuesday against the Utah Jazz. The former Rookie of the Year winner is currently averaging 22.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, which represent his lowest level of production since his sophomore year.
NBA Star Ja Morant Breaks Silence on Injury Controversy
Ja Morant started the 2024-25 season slow scoring the ball, as he was on track to finish with his lowest scoring average since his second year in the league. While that still might be the case, Morant has completely stepped up his game since the All-Star break, averaging 27.1 points and 7.5 assists as he’s gearing up for a playoff run with the Memphis Grizzlies.
However, one thing that is getting in between Morant and playoff success for the Grizzlies is his lack of availability. While Morant has played in 11 games since the break, he’s also missed five, including the last three for the team. As his injury problems have been a topic of discussion this year, Morant broke the silence and addressed anyone who might be speculating otherwise.
After a social media user highlighted Morant reposting a tweet from Atlanta Hawks star Jalen Johnson saying, “I just wanna hoop man…,” Morant responded to the user who speculated the Grizzlies are holding him back on the court.
“clear evidence you just think you know sumn like everybody else & be wrong,” Morant shared to his X account. While Morant has appeared in just 43 of Memphis’ 70 games this season, he makes it clear in this statement that the team isn’t holding him back from getting on the floor against his decision.
Morant’s consecutive missed games streak sits at three right now but will have a chance to return for the Grizzlies on Friday when they travel to face the Clippers in Los Angeles. The tip-off for that game is set for 10:30 p.m. EST.
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