The Memphis Grizzlies (44-28) are in the middle of a tight battle in the upper echelon of the Western Conference. They’re currently the fourth seed and just a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets (45-28). However, they’re also only a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers (43-28).
The Grizzlies have been fighting this battle shorthanded recently, as star guard Ja Morant (hamstring) missed the last five games. They’ve gone 2-3 over that span, but their two wins were against the Utah Jazz (16-57) and Miami Heat (31-41), both losing teams.
The 25-year-old is an essential piece to Memphis’ operation, and the club needs him back as soon as possible.
However, Morant won’t return against the Oklahoma City Thunder (60-12) on Thursday, via Grizzlies PR. The team announced he with miss a sixth straight game with a left hamstring strain.
As a result, two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. will be the team’s lone star against the Western Conference leaders.
The Thunder contest will be Morant’s 30th missed game of the season. The Murray State alum is averaging 22.3 points on 44.9 percent shooting with 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 30 minutes.
Although the Grizzlies could slide in the standings if Morant misses more time, they likely won’t rush him back to not risk a setback before the playoffs. They’d face the Lakers in the first round if the season ended now, who beat them in six games in the 2023 Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Grizzlies Make Ja Morant Announcement Ahead of Thunder Game
Oklahoma City enters Thursday’s game amid a seven-game winning streak and they have also been victorious in nine of their last 10 games.
They will look to extend their winning streak on Thursday against a Grizzlies team that has won six of their last 10 matchups and are coming off a dominant victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
Unfortunately for Memphis, they will once again be without their superstar point guard Ja Morant in Thursday’s contest in Oklahoma City as he is still dealing with a hamstring strain.
This will mark the fifth consecutive game that Morant has missed due to the hamstring injury.
Morant’s injury is a massive blow for the Grizzlies especially as they face off against a red-hot Thunder team on Thursday that is led by star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Of course, Morant has missed a large amount of time this season due to injuries as he has played in just 43 of the Grizzlies’ 72 games this season.
This has been a growing theme for the star guard over the last few seasons as he played in just nine games last season due to injuries and a suspension.
For the Grizzlies, Morant will not be the only player that will be sidelined against the Thunder as Marvin Bagley III has also been ruled out due to him still being in concussion protocol.
Memphis has also upgraded Lamar Stevens as questionable due to a should injury that has kept him sidelined for the Grizzlies’ last three games.
Fans can catch Thursday’s game between the Grizzlies and Thunder at 8:00 p.m. EST.
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