Ja Morant, who left Game 3 with a sore knee in the fourth quarter after an incident with the Warriors Jordan Poole, is unlikely to play in Game 4 on Monday with his team down 1-2 in the series, according to Grizzlies’ coach Tayler Jenkins.
Jenkins also said Poole grabbing the knee caused the injury, but the NBA league office has said there will be no punishment — no fine or suspension — for Poole.
This looks like the play Ja Morant got hurt. pic.twitter.com/J24ssu5i9P
— Drew Hill (@DrewHill_DM) May 8, 2022
“As I said last night, just trying to be matter of fact here, and this is what Ja says, what our medical team has said after reviewing the play, Ja was playing great, feeling great all game and that the grab of the knee is what triggered the potential injury and why we took Ja out of the game. Nothing’s changed from there,” Jenkins said, via the Associated Press. “That’s the play that triggered this and he’s got further evaluation going on. ... There’s probably a really good chance he doesn’t play tomorrow.”
The Grizzlies have not defined what the injury to Morant is, other than to say it’s a knee, something a little unusual. He left the arena after Game 3 with a noticeable limp, but the training staff had not put him on crutches nor was he wearing an obvious knee brace. While Jenkins said Morant is likely out, there is nothing official from the team. As we have seen these playoffs a couple of times, however the Grizzlies list Morant, he could still change status and play at the last minute.
The NBA has confirmed that it will take no action against Poole for the play.
After the game Poole said that he made a basketball going for the ball and that he had touched the ball the first time he went for the steal.
“It was a basketball play. I hit the ball [on his first swipe]. I was going for the ball...” Poole said. “I’m not even that type of player.”
The Grizzlies went 20-5 this season without Morant, but it’s one thing to do that in the regular season (against a largely soft competition) and another against Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the second round of the playoffs.
