All-Star Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has suffered a bone bruise in his right knee and is considered “doubtful” to play for the rest of the NBA playoffs, the team announced in a press release. Memphis anticipates that Morant will fully recover from the injury during the 2022 offseason.
How long the playoffs are going to last for Memphis had already been an open question after a Morant-less version of the team fell to the Warriors in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Monday night. Golden State currently leads Memphis 3-1.
With Morant now sidelined, the Warriors seem primed to make their first Conference Finals since 2019. Granted, the Stephen Curry-led Warriors have memorably surrendered a 3-1 series edge once before, but the odds of that happening without the opposing team’s best player seem slim.
Morant had by far been the Grizzlies’ top scorer in the series, averaging 38.3 PPG on 50.6% field goal shooting, plus 8.3 APG and 6.7 RPG in his three healthy games.
This had been a special season for Morant. In addition to making his first All-Star team, the 6’3″ third-year point guard was recently honored as the 2021/22 Most Improved Player after guiding Memphis to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the West. Across 57 healthy regular season games for Memphis, Morant averaged 27.4 PPG, 6.7 APG and 5.7 RPG, with shooting splits of .493/.344/.761.
The former Murray State guard left during the final quarter of Game 3 (another Warriors win) due to what at the time was deemed to be right knee soreness. Additional imaging conducted by the Grizzlies later revealed the bone bruise.
Game 5 in the series will be played in Memphis on Wednesday, presumably with backup point guard Tyus Jones continuing to start for Morant.
“DirtyDra” n “PollutedPoole”
Danger – Danger – Danger – Danger
Take a lap. All that talking you’ve done is confirmation that ur ignorant and consumed by warrior hate. Good luck in the next decade being a knick fan
Are you really serious about that Al? I love your posts and when you talk about the college guys coming up and I get a good viewpoint on the Knicks when reading your material. But do you really believe that Jordan Poole is a dirty player?
I get the Draymond Green narrative, but seriously Jordan Poole? He has the most respectful, hardworking, unassuming, and deferential character on the floor. I seriously disagree with your assertion, and I’m not sure you’re in total agreement with it either.
Hell yeah. A tap on the knee led to a bone bruise.
I think Al is making a ‘Lost in Space’ reference. Kinda funny.
Poole tried but is not good at playing rough.
The intent was there tho.
Obvsly the original deeper bruise came a while before, maybe weeks ago, but playing on it does it no good.
bone bruise,
It’s also called a bone microfracture.
According to Grizzlies fans, Poole’s light foul has broken Morant bone.
According to MD, Morant bone bruise has nothing to do with Poole’s foul.
Bone Bruise may incur a couple of minutes before Poole’s foul.
According to MD, Linda J. Vorvick,
Bone Bruises are often caused by falls or car accidents.
Linda J. Vorvick, MD, , Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Again, great information.
Great information.
Bone bruise eh. Pretty sure a super light graze of Pooles hand doesnt cause a bone bruise. Could be when he clacked knees. Could be when it seemed to jam as he backed up hard on it before Poole touched it…
Me thinks the injuries nature is why they were being so shady with it since it doesnt support the story that Poole hurt him! What a bunch of amateurs. Grow up and get healthy for next year kids you had a good run!
I don’t blame JaMorant because it was his coach claiming it. Same Coach last night pretending Breen’s block was a foul. I have no respect for the coach when he knew the injury had 0 to do with Poole but still wanted to get Poole suspended.
Ja DID post the “broke the code” tweet though. He fueled a lot of the nonsense. Deleting it only underscores the core lie Memphis was pushing.
He is young and impressionable. Probably all he heard in the locker room by the coach. Jenkins is not a honest coach now with the 2 minute report proved Green did not foul.
While I don’t think the foul on Ja was intentional….I’m just sad cause this ruined a good match up and now the warriors advance unless they full on collapse. I get injuries are part of the game…but as a neutral fan I want to see best vs best for all the games.
Yes absolutely. Seems a little tarnished when you don’t go up against the other teams best lineup.
In the back of my mind if the Suns and the Warriors Advance, I’m hoping Phoenix rolls out their best 10 guys so if Golden State pulls it off, it will be against the Suns best efforts. Definitely a lot more satisfying, and avoids a heck of a lot of “ya butts” over the summer and beyond.
Really though how many post seasons are anything besides which teams stay healthiest? Its the age old aspect of health luck that makes or breaks title runs. GSW had a number of mostly healthy runs, and then got bit bad in 2019…
Man. Poole is super strong.
MRI was taken in the morning May 8.
Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant underwent an MRI but declined to share what the test revealed.
In an effort to suspend Jordan Poole.
If you really want to suspend someone, you need transparency.
Suspend Jenkins for being a punkass trick.
The Grizz are 20-5 without Morant so its not like they curl up in the fetal position and cry when he is out. If it were 2-2 I would give a punchers chance.
That was against the Mavs missing Porz and Luka, OKC twice, the Wolves before they figured things out. PHI missing everyone to covid, POR, SAC… it was during the hard covid times and they caught some soft soft targets.
Its the luck of the schedule, but that is why the team where Ja is obviously the most talented player was as expected better on defense when he was out. Also better on offense without him? Yeah blowing out the OKC B squad by 74 without him will do that!
Seems as if injuries play a huge role in every NBA playoff season. Warriors still have a long way to go as do the other teams still hanging around.
Keep your fingers crossed that the injury bug doesn’t hit your/our locker room as well, and in the Warriors and other teams case, again.
Yup. Kerr’s COVID infection is a definite concern for the Warriors and their fans.
Talking about Gary Payton. In my opinion his influence on the floor is massive.
GPII gets re evaluated next Wed after game one of WCF, Iggy this Wed, and Kerr should clear protocols by Mon so around the start of the WCF.
Mike Brown just has to win 1 in 3…
I’m concerned that Kerr won’t be the only GSW to enter health and safety protocols this week.
Memphis and Morant had a great season and have nothing to be ashamed off. They have so much to look forward to in the future.
So Poole bruised his knee bone when he “pulled his leg?” Seems like an injury you can only get when you bang you knee on something like for example another persons knee.
You can also get it on the end of the bone at the joint if you jam your leg super hard.
Love the way Morant plays but wonder how many of these types of injuries are in his future. Love how he drives the lane and pushes tempo, but the young man is rather slight of build
The biggest danger with his play style is turned ankles and fractured wrists.
You forget how easy it is to come down wrong on a knee, especially in traffic. But your point is well taken
Lol to all the dumb Grizzlies fans saying his injury was caused by Poole. Wrong!
It made it worse. Right!
Not how bone bruises work.
He just hates the warriors like many around here that only post hateful things about any warrior player. Playing the victim card like the warriors some how hurt them personally.
ARC you’re right Except that x%percent doesn’t hate the Warriors and doesn’t post anything hateful about Warrior players. You just make stuff up about people that are even the slightest bit critical about your beloved Warriors.
ha ha Yes he calls Green a dirty player and claimed Poole intended to hurt Ja but according to you that is not be hateful. You call Green a dirty player.
That’s because Green is a dirty player but I’ve never shown the slightest bit of hated towards Curry or Thompson. I also said that Poole doesn’t strike me a dirty player.
So you are saying x% is your burner account? That is sad to have a burner account of this comment board.
Nope
Why is it when I said he and you use you. So it shows its a burner account. You got busted. How many other burner accounts you have here?
I dont know if its a good or bad thing that I rightly called it possibly a bone bruise, just by seeing it lol. Same with the Payton injury time table…I’ve been injured way too many times
Anyway, even though bone bruises can take a long time, depending on severity, and sometimes are more painful than more serious injuries, he is lucky to have avoided something worse b/c the way he stopped awkwardly usually leads to worse
I havent been a fan of Memphis’ rotation decisions the last couple of games, while GS has done a good job with theirs, so it was going to be tough for them in what should have been a really close series. As I said before the series, I thought GS has more than they’ve previously had in this matchup, and I thought Otto Porter, Poole, and Bjelica would be really useful for them
That sucks. Watching Morant play is fun. The Grizzlies are fun. Great séries against MIN. Against GSW was pretty good too.
Too bad for us NBA fans…..
Dra’s history is well known. young players are going to emulate him. Again Dra’s play was far worse than Brooks. He was lucky on the outcome. Brooks play shows why you don’t do what Dra does. Cause it can be a serious outcome.
Yet Poole didn’t get the message. And goes after the guy that lit him up for 47. And was about to do it again.
Going after Ja’s knee while up by 20. Means PollutedPoole is a Coward. Any real ballers know this. Apparently key punchers don’t.
The offensive machine that is the Warriors. Needs “DirtyDra n PollutedPoole” to get wins. That’s the real story.
More rambling from Alfredo
Literally no one:
NykAL: blah blah blah blah blah blah. Etc etc
Two guys who got my sweat towels …….
If you can’t agree that Poole yanked his knee. Then you can’t have a debate. If you think being up by 20 is not a sign. Then you never balled. All three plays were unnecessary. And all three can be considered dirty. Imo all three are dirty.
So then look at INTENT. DirtyDra is just a SUCIO. We all know who he is. Brooks was getting payback. DirtyPoole was yanking for what? Seems there are plenty Yankers here and few ballers.
Please Al. You sound stupid. Everyone has watched the video. If Poole yanked Morant’s leg, he would have strained knee ligaments. The Doctors and MRI say he doesn’t have strained knee ligaments. Morant isn’t that delicate. Poole didn’t injure him. Are you New Yorkers that weak?
No, just this guy. Fragile.
Many thanks Mr Poole for your dirty play, now we can’t see the best players in the series & your dirty team that is sooo boring to watch will live to play another round, were btw the league will do again all possible for you to win it again, right?
No. Anything Poole did didn’t cause a bone bruise.
Its the excuse ElDon makes when all evidence shows he is just a warrior hater trying to blame Poole. Waiting for Muarry Polvich to come out and say El Don the lie detector says you LIED.