Ja Morant exited Tuesday’s play-in game, just as the Memphis Grizzlies were on the verge of erasing a double-digit Golden State Warriors lead, but he came back with a chance to finish the job.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, as the Warriors held on for 121-116 victory to claim the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
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The Grizzlies star came down awkwardly on the foot of Warriors guard Buddy Hield on an and-1 in the third quarter and badly rolled his ankle. He remained in the game to shoot his free throw — not doing so would have prevented him from reentering the game — but he was limping and grimacing in pain.
Memphis immediately committed a foul to stop play and took Morant out after he made the free throw.
Morant wasn’t on the floor to open the fourth quarter, but he returned several minutes later, still not looking 100% but able to at least make a jump shot in his second possession back. He toughed it out until the final whistle, which wasn’t in the Grizzlies’ favor.
Ja Morant left the play-in game at the worst possible time for the Grizzlies. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Ezra Shaw via Getty Images)
With Morant on the court, Memphis fought back from a 20-point deficit and even took the lead briefly in the fourth quarter, but a Stephen Curry-led rally allowed the Warriors to survive and set up a first-round matchup against the No. 2 Houston Rockets as the No. 7 seed. Morant finished with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting with three rebounds, three assists and five turnovers.
The Grizzlies will now head home to Memphis, where they will face either the Sacramento Kings or Dallas Mavericks on Friday for a chance to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. They can only hope Morant’s ankle will be up for both.