Grizzlies Star Ja Morant Exits Thunder Game with Concerning Injury

Two-time All-Star Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant departed his team's ongoing matchup against the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder with a troubling injury.

Morant, the high-flying (and subsequently oft-hurt) superstar whose career has been marked by controversy and health issues over the last few years, seems to have fallen a bit hierarchically among the league's rising stars.

All-NBA Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a finalist for his first MVP award this year, has surpassed Morant as the NBA's premiere young Western Conference point guard on a small-market contender.

With Memphis leading the Thunder by a massive 67-40 margin, Morant was undercut by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Luguentz Dort on a drive.

Morant had been performing admirably, with 15 points accrued on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor and 2-of-4 shooting from the foul line in just 15:32 of action. The 6-foot-2 vet had also notched five assists and a rebound.

Per Underdog NBA, Morant made for the home locker room at FedEx Forum after suffering a hip injury in something of a must-win Game 3 on Thursday.

After finishing as the Western Conference's top seed with one of the best records in league history, 68-14, the Thunder had emphatically shellacked Memphis in each of their first two games of the series.

Oklahoma City leads the series 2-0. No team in NBA history has ever managed to claw its way back after trailing 0-3 in a best-of-seven playoff series, though just 34 of 459 teams have managed to even rally from an 0-2 series hole.

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That the Grizzlies were up big with the series finally in Memphis had been a surprising if welcome development. Morant's absence, however, could help Oklahoma City get back into the game.

It's been a bumpy month-and-change for Memphis.

The team fired its six-year head coach Taylor Jenkins with just weeks remaining in the regular season, and subsequently limped into the postseason.

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Jenkins was replaced by assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo, the 2024 EuroCup Coach of the Year, on an interim basis.

At the half, the Grizzlies were leading the Thunder, 77-51. Memphis starting shooting guard Scotty Pippen Jr. had notched a whopping 23 points in just the first half. Thunder All-Stars Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams led the way for the other side, with 18 points apiece.

More Memphis Grizzlies News:

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Grizzlies Star To Miss Remainder of NBA Season

Grizzlies' Ja Morant Hit With Massive $75K Fine Over Finger Gun Celebration

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