Memphis Grizzlies superstar point guard Ja Morant is expected to miss Game 4 of his team’s second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors Monday night, head coach Taylor Jenkins divulged on Sunday.
The injury occurred during Game 3, which the Warriors won in blowout fashion 142-112, after Warriors guard Jordan Poole grabbed Morant’s knee near half-court.
Morant limped off in the fourth quarter and didn’t return to the game and while he didn’t comment after the game, he tweeted that Poole “broke the code” as accusations flew around the league that the Warriors’ defender intentionally injured him.
Ja Morant reacted to Jordan Poole grabbing his knee.
(via @JaMorant) pic.twitter.com/9XhvkPfYxG
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 8, 2022
“It was a basketball play when we doubled him,” Poole said. “And I hit the ball, and I was going for the ball. I mean, obviously, you don’t want to see anybody get hurt. I’m not even that type of player. I respect everybody.”
Morant has been sensational during this second-round series despite the Grizzlies trailing 2-1 heading into Game 4. He dropped 34 points with seven assists and three steals in 36 minutes in Game 3, which followed a monster 47-point effort in Memphis’ Game 2 victory over Golden State.
The Grizzlies, who finished second in the Western Conference this season, certainly seem up against it now against the high-powered Warriors without Morant.
After his 27.1 points per game over nine postseason outings, Desmond Bane is second on the Grizzlies in scoring with 19.0 points per game.
