Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins revealed that All-Star guard Ja Morant will be a game-time decision for the team’s Game 2 matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
“He’s going to be a game-time decision,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said of Ja Morant.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 18, 2023
Officially, the Grizzlies have listed Morant as questionable for the game on their injury report. The team still will be without Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke and Jake LaRavia for Game 2. Adams and Clarke are both expected to miss the entire postseason.
.@memgrizz status report, First Round Game 2 vs @Lakers:
QUESTIONABLE
Ja Morant – RT Hand SorenessOUT
Steven Adams – RT Knee PCL Sprain
Brandon Clarke – LT Achilles Tear
Jake LaRavia – RT Calf Soreness— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) April 18, 2023
This is a bit of a positive update for the Grizzlies, as Morant’s status has been up in the air since he was hurt in Game 1. It seems like there is at least a chance he’ll be able to tough things out to play in Game 2.
Memphis certainly wants to avoid falling behind 2-0 in the series with the Lakers after struggling down the stretch in Game 1. The Lakers really pulled away from Memphis after Morant exited the game.
Morant exited the game with 5:48 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Lakers were leading at the time, 105-101, but they ended up winning the game 128-112, outscoring the Grizzlies 23-11 the rest of the way.
Prior to the injury, the former No. 2 overall pick put up 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Memphis has experience without Morant in the playoffs, as he missed the end of the team’s second-round series with the Golden State Warriors last season.
It’s truly unfortunate that Morant is dealing with another injury, but the Lakers would have a much better chance to win if the two-time All-Star sits out on Wednesday night.
Tyus Jones, who is one of the better backup point guards in the league, is the obvious choice to replace Morant if he can’t play in Game 2.
This season, Jones has thrived when asked to fill in for Morant. In 20 games without the All-Star guard, Jones is averaging 16.8 points, 8.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. While he isn’t as good a scorer as Morant is, Jones is a steady point guard and a willing passer, as evidenced by his assists numbers.
Game 2 between the Lakers and Grizzlies is scheduled to tip off at 4:30 p.m. PST from FedExForum in Memphis on Wednesday, April 19.
