Ja Morant injury: Game 2 vs. Lakers 'in jeopardy' after hard fall in Game 1 Grizzlies loss
Ja Morant is not optimistic about his chances for Game 2.
The Memphis Grizzlies All-Star left Sunday's Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with a hand injury and didn't return. Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, he told reporters after the game his status for Game 2 is "in jeopardy." He described his pain level as a "10."
"Feels like it's one thing after another," Morant said.
The Grizzlies star had a tumultuous regular season in Memphis that included a leave of absence after he posted video of himself flashing a gun in a strip club. The Grizzlies secured the No. 2 seed in the West despite Morant missing 21 games. But they lost home-court advantage to the Lakers on Sunday with the 128-112 loss.
Morant left the game after a hard fall on his right hand with 5:48 remaining in the game. He attacked the basket and fell to the court after making contact with Anthony Davis on an offensive foul. He immediately ran to the locker room.
Ja Morant quickly went to the locker room after this play.
(🎥: @espn)pic.twitter.com/ihuaqEUmrs— theScore (@theScore) April 16, 2023
He returned to the bench before the end of the game with a wrap on his hand, but he didn’t play again. Head coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters after the game that X-rays were negative. That was before Morant told reporters his status for Game 2 was "in jeopardy."
Game 2 takes place on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT) as the Grizzlies look to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole at home.
