Memphis was already without key players — Mike Conley was out with a foot injury, and Tony Allen remains sidelined.
Now this: Center Marc Gasol left the game with a sprained ankle and did not return to action against the Clippers Saturday.
There is no word yet on if he could miss more time.
This was a big blow to the Grizzlies, who came into the night the two seed in the West. If Memphis loses the game, then the Grizzlies, Clippers, and Spurs would all be tied at 54-26 with Houston just half a game behind. The Western Conference remains incredibly bunched in the middle of the pack.
Without Gasol, especially for a couple games, Memphis could slip down as far as the six seed, losing home-court in the first round. The Grizzlies have just two more games, against Golden State and Indiana (a team fighting for its own playoff chances in the East).