Grizzlies' Ja Morant Likely to Miss Remainder of Playoffs with Knee Injury

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is expected to miss the remainder of the 2022 NBA playoffs with a knee injury, the team announced Tuesday.

That said, he is expected to make a full recovery. 

Morant was absent for Memphis' Game 4 loss to the Golden State Warriors because of a right knee injury. The injury happened in Game 3, potentially when Jordan Poole caught Morant's knee while going for a loose ball.

However, Morant may have initially hurt the same knee after contesting Klay Thompson's three-point attempt and making contact with him in the third quarter.

Regardless of the mechanism of injury, the Grizzlies lost 101-98 on Monday night to fall behind Golden State 3-1 in the Western Conference semifinals with their best player out. Given the Warriors' slim margin of victory, it's fair to argue Memphis could've evened things up if it had been at full strength.

Now, Taylor Jenkins' squad truly faces an uphill battle against the Warriors with Morant absent. Reeling off three straight wins will be no easy feat, and it becomes nearly impossible with the reigning Most Improved Player sidelined.

Morant was excellent in the regular season, averaging 27.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds, and his performance in the playoffs has been just as good.

Thanks in part to the injury to the 2022 All-Star, though, a great season for the Grizzlies might be heading toward a disappointing outcome.