Ja Morant ‘Likely’ to Miss Game 4, Grizzlies HC Taylor Jenkins Says
Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will likely not be able to play in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinal series. Coach Taylor Jenkins stated Sunday .
Speaking with reporters during an afternoon press conference, Jenkins revealed that Morant is getting a further evaluation on his knee and plans to undergo further treatment in the coming days. The Grizzlies coach was not optimistic about Morant being back before tip-off Monday night.
Morant limped off the floor with a right knee injury during Memphis’s 142-112 loss to Golden State in Saturday’s Game 3. The Grizzlies later saw him hobbling around after the game, but no official diagnosis was given.
The circumstances that led to Morant’s injury came under scrutiny following the final buzzer, as clips began to circulate of Warriors guard Jordan Poole appearing to grab and yank at the 22-year-old’s right knee while trying to strip the ball. Jenkins stated that he believed that the injury was caused by Poole’s actions ..
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Morant seemed to be on the same page as his coach, tweeting out a video of the play and writing that the Warriors guard “broke the code.” He later deleted the tweet.
Poole maintained after the game that the grab was not intentional and that he was not a dirty player.
“It was a basketball play when we doubled him,” Poole said, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “And I hit it, and I was going after the ball. You don’t want anyone to get hurt. I don’t even consider myself that type of player. I respect everybody.”
With Morant unlikely to play, the Grizzlies will face an uphill battle on the road in Game 4. The Grizzlies are already trailing by 2-1 in the series. Memphis will need to be able to replace its All-Star player, Morant.
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