2 weeks Ago
SAN FRANCISCO — As Ja Morant stood in the tunnel next to the Memphis Grizzlies’ bench, he kept pushing off his right ankle, hoping something would change. After every few steps, he’d shake his head. Trainers kept coming over to him, trying any method they could to relieve his soreness.
Cameras from the TNT broadcast even caught him taking what appeared to be a few painkillers. Advertisement Morant eventually returned, but he wasn’t the same player who had closed out so many fourth quarters for Memphis in the past. With their leader hobbled, the Grizzlies couldn’t pull off a 20-point comeback and lost 121-116 to the Golden State Warriors in Tuesday night’s Play-In Tournament game.
The Grizzlies head home for a Friday night matchup against the winner of Wednesday’s Dallas Mavericks-Sacramento Kings game to determine the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. The loser’s season will be over.
Coming up short against the Warriors was tough enough, especially considering the turmoil Memphis has dealt with over the past month, but the uncertainty surrounding Morant’s injury only adds to the mounting pressure of Friday’s win-or-go-home game. “It’s tough. This one definitely hurts,” said Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, who had 30 points in Tuesday’s loss.
“You never want to be in a situation where you lose a game and your season is over. It definitely hurts, but we’ve got to flip the page and get ready for our next opponent.” Morant’s injury came with 4:25 left in the third quarter as Memphis was building momentum and putting pressure on a Warriors squad that dominated most of the first half.
Morant drove to the basket and rose for a floater as two Warriors players converged on him. On his way down, Morant landed on Warriors guard Buddy Hield’s foot and appeared to turn his right ankle. Morant stayed on the floor for a few minutes, clutching his ankle before limping to the bench.
Ja Morant went down with an apparent ankle injury 🙏 pic.twitter.com/IPnUoMM9Fz — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2025 Morant converted the ensuing free throw, cutting the Warriors’ lead — which once was as high as 20 points — down to 82-81.
As Morant left the court following his free throw, there was an undeniable sense in Chase Center that this could be the knockout blow. But Memphis kept fighting. The Grizzlies even grabbed the lead a few times before Morant limped back onto the court.
Morant hit a couple shots, but he did all he could to avoid landing on his injured ankle. It was clear his burst wasn’t the same. He couldn’t push off his right foot to get past defenders.
He couldn’t be the fearless shotmaker the Grizzlies needed. Advertisement Meanwhile, on the other end, Golden State’s star tandem of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler were having perhaps their greatest collective performance since they joined forces in February. Butler finished with 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Curry added 37 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter.
Morant had 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting, with only seven of those points coming in the second half. His limitations couldn’t have been more apparent on the Grizzlies’ most pivotal possession of the game. Memphis got the ball with 5.
4 seconds remaining and an opportunity to tie the game with a 3-pointer. Memphis designed a play out of the timeout to get Bane the shot, but Golden State sniffed it out and took Bane away as an option. As the inbounder, Santi Aldama, looked elsewhere to get the ball in, Morant struggled to create separation from Warriors defensive specialist Gary Payton II.
Without anyone to pass to and with no timeouts remaining, Aldama was called for a five-second violation. After the game, Morant said he was nothing more than a decoy on the play. GRIZZLIES GET CALLED FOR A 5-SECOND VIOLATION AND TURN IT OVER 🚨 pic.
twitter.com/taDBGZDuT1 — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2025 It was another gut-wrenching sequence for a team that’s become all too familiar with these bitter moments of defeat. “Guys were really competing.
We had a very good halftime talk with the guys where the basic idea was we have more to give,” Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “Unfortunately, it’s been the story ..
. we play a hell of a game and are unable to close it.” Iisalo compared Morant’s fourth-quarter return to Isaiah Thomas’ legendary 43-point performance in the 1988 NBA Finals, when Thomas fought through a sprained ankle against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The stakes weren’t the same for Morant, but seeing the face of the franchise battle through pain with the season on the line was undeniably inspiring to his teammates. He wasn’t at his best, but Morant helped make life easier for them because of the attention he commands when he has the ball — even in a compromised state. Advertisement But the ripple effect from this injury goes well beyond Tuesday night’s result.
Morant will have just two days to recover before the Grizzlies’ most important game of the season. How will this affect his mentality? How will it affect his teammates? How will the Grizzlies respond if Morant can’t perform at the level they need from him? Memphis is already dealing with a depleted roster that’s missing its best perimeter defender, Jaylen Wells, and its best frontcourt option off the bench, Brandon Clarke, because of season-ending injuries. Memphis made a point of limiting Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
’s minutes all season with the mindset of keeping them healthy for the postseason and to uplift the talent it has on the bench. Jackson and Bane both played 39 minutes on Tuesday and Morant played 35 despite the injury. Although he continued to limp around after the game in the visitors’ locker room, Morant remained defiant when asked about his status for Friday night.
“I’m playing. That’s basically the answer I’m giving,” Morant said. “It ain’t nothing different.
” Morant’s brash confidence is always a constant for the Grizzlies, but it’s tough to imagine this team doesn’t feel a bit shaken after everything it has experienced over the past month. Memphis was the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in early March.
Since then, the team: Now add Morant’s injury to the list as Memphis clings to its final hope of making the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the West, with the potential reward being a first-round matchup against the 68-14 Oklahoma City Thunder. “It’s just frustrating because of how far we fell,” Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr.
said. “I wouldn’t say we were confident in where we were at, but the fall has been pretty hard on the team. .
.. It’s definitely doable, but we put ourselves in this spot.
” Advertisement It seems like anything that can go wrong will with the Grizzlies. They’ve remained resilient despite all the chaos surrounding them. But it’s fair to wonder if they’ll have anything left come Friday night.
They have no choice but to pick up the pieces and figure it out before then. “The season will be over if you don’t,” Morant said. “It’s simple.
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