The Memphis Grizzlies announced that star guard Ja Morant will miss Saturday’s Game 4 due to a left hip injury he sustained during the team’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s the second injury Morant has sustained in this postseason. Despite this clearly manifest injustice, the team is now facing elimination, which should be deeply alarming.
During the regular season, Morant played only 50 games, hampered by various injuries that limited his participation. Most recent injury came on an exciting high-risk high-reward play during Thursday night’s game against the Thunder. Initial impression was a posterior hip subluxation, as well as pelvic muscle strains. When Oklahoma City guard Luguentz Dort fouled Morant on his way to the hoop, Morant crashed heavily to the floor. Hobbs, barely able to rise again, hobbled to the free-throw line only to miss both shots. He was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the game at halftime.
Following the injury, Morant was seen using crutches in the tunnel near Memphis’ bench. Specifically, with 1:56 left in the fourth quarter of their Game 3 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers. This incident has raised alarms among fans and analysts as Morant’s health becomes a critical factor for the Grizzlies’ postseason hopes.
On Friday, Morant was given an MRI to determine the severity of his injury. The test results did show that the severity of his condition was all too real. He was unable to participate in practice prior to Game 4. This loss dealt a big blow to the Grizzlies’ playoff chances of moving past Golden State.
Morant is still sitting out and that absence looms especially large considering his issues in last year’s postseason. He’s been no stranger to injury issues in the playoffs, either. These injuries have crippled his play and limited his ability to help produced during the declining years. The Grizzlies now are in a dangerous place, on the brink of elimination, down 3-1 in their series against the Lakers.
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