Is Ja Morant playing against the Lakers? Latest injury update on Grizzlies star ahead of matchup (24th April 2023)
Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies came up short with their comeback late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 on Saturday, after being down 26 points in the first quarter. The Grizzlies are now down 1-2 in the series against the LA Lakers.
For Game 4, Ja Morant is listed as probable as he is still tending to his right wrist injury. However, Morant is still expected to suit up for a crucial Game 4 matchup.
On his return to the lineup on Saturday, Morant started off slow as he was still shaking off some rust with some discomfort on his right wrist. But as soon as Morant saw one go in, the ring got bigger and bigger for him as he started to find some rhythm with his shots.
Ja Morant exploded in the fourth quarter for 24 points on 9-12 shooting, including 4-6 from 3-point range. The two-time All-Star came into Game 3 on the road and dropped 45 points on 50% shooting, including 60% from 3-point range.
Ja Morant on his return and missing an opportunity to win Game 3 against the Lakers
After landing awkwardly on his right wrist during Game 1, it was uncertain whether Ja Morant was going to be eligible to play for the rest of the first-round series.
But after an impressive outing on his return, Morant spoke about how it felt in finally returning on the court.
"I feel pretty good man," Morant said. "Obviously, there's some stuff you gotta go through and tolerate. I love being out there for my team any chance I get, especially when we're going to battle. I don't wanna just leave them out there by themselves, not being able to be out there with them."
Even though the Grizzlies guard put on an incredible display by posting 45 points, his scoring alone was not enough to lead his team to a win. Morant shared his thoughts on what happened in the loss.
"100%, I think we won by double digits in the last three quarters," Morant said. "So, obviously that first quarter pretty much hurt us. Felt like we kind of got some open looks and shots didn't fall. I feel like we allowed that to let them get out in transition. We gotta play how we played in those last three quarters. They go on a run, we go on a run of our own."
After acknowledging that the team's poor start in the first quarter came back to haunt them in the end, the Lakers should expect a Grizzlies team with a different energy in Game 4.
With Ja Morant being expected to play for Game 4, the Grizzlies can bring the momentum back in their favor by tying the series at 2-2 before Game 5 in Memphis, where home court advantage is theirs.