Looking to avoid a sweep against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Memphis Grizzlies were potentially going to be without star guard Ja Morant for Game 4 after suffering an injury that worsened his condition in Game 3.
Morant had already been battling an ankle issue from the Grizzlies' play-in win over Golden State, vowing to fight through the pain to keep Memphis alive. But a new setback struck when, midway through the second quarter of Game 3, Morant went up for a dunk off a fast-break pass from Scotty Pippen Jr.. As he elevated, Thunder guard Lu Dort lost his footing underneath him, undercutting Morant mid-air.
Morant stayed down, was helped off the floor, but insisted on shooting his two free throws — both of which he missed — before heading straight to the locker room, not returning for the second half. He finished with 15 points and 5 assists in just 16 minutes.
At the time of his injury, Memphis was cruising, up 27 points. Then the collapse came: after a 74-point first half, the Grizzlies managed just 18 third-quarter points and 13 in the fourth, as Oklahoma City stormed back.
Facing elimination, Grizzlies fans are on the edge of their seats wondering if Morant will be able to go with the team's playoff life on the line.
Is Ja Morant playing today? Game 4 injury update for Grizzlies vs. Thunder
The Grizzlies announced that Ja Morant is listed as OUT for the elimination Game 4 on Saturday in Memphis. They won't have their star against the Thunder with the season on the line.
Morant’s absence heading into a do-or-die Game 4 is another brutal twist in a season full of them.
- Memphis was already hammered by two blowout losses in OKC.
- They then blew a 29-point lead at home in Game 3.
- Overall, they’ve been outscored by 76 points across three games.
Interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo, thrown into the fire after the Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins just nine games before the playoffs, now faces the nearly impossible: winning without his superstar, against the deepest roster in the West.
Incredibly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — an MVP finalist — hasn't even dominated this series. Yet it hasn’t mattered.
- Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren combined for 50 points in Game 3.
- Alex Caruso added 10 points and four steals, three of them critical in the fourth quarter.
The Thunder’s balance, length, and defensive switchability have overwhelmed a Grizzlies team that's simply too undermanned to keep up.
Memphis entered the postseason already limping — literally and figuratively. Firing their head coach. Question marks in the locker room. Injuries stacking up. And now, on the brink of a sweep, no Ja Morant to bail them out.
Their collapse wasn't about if it would happen. It was always about when.