The Memphis Grizzlies have been without their star point guard Ja Morant since November 26th when he suffered a knee sprain in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. When Morant suffered the injury, many expected the Grizzlies to fall on tough times.
Morant is the engine that makes the Grizzlies go. He is a dynamo offensively, averaging 24.1 points and 6.8 assists per game. The scoring, along with the 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, would both be career-highs for the Murray State product.
Instead of allowing Morant’s injury to derail the season, the Grizzlies have come together and played excellent basketball. Multiple players have stepped up to help replace his production and the team has won plenty of games as a result.
Memphis has played 12 games without Morant and has two five-game winning streaks in that stretch. They have pushed their record to 19-12 during this stretch, currently sitting in the fourth spot in the Western Conference, 2.5 games clear of the fifth-place LA Clippers.
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While they have played well, they are looking forward to getting Morant back in the lineup. Could that happen soon? According to Marc Stein, it could be as early as tonight’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Stein shared that Morant has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game, giving him a chance to get on the court for the first time in over three weeks. In addition to the knee sprain, Morant had a stint in the league’s health and safety protocols.
This is the second matchup that the Grizzlies and Thunder would have this season. The first one came with Morant on the sidelines but was a historic night.
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Memphis defeated Oklahoma City 152-79 in the game, setting the record for the largest margin of victory in league history. The Thunder now holds the record for largest home and road losses in league history.
While a repeat of that performance is highly unlikely, the Memphis Grizzlies would be very happy to get Ja Morant back in the lineup. If he doesn’t suit up tonight, the next chance for him to return would be on Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors.
