Former MSU Star's Stellar Season Interrupted By Injury

Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. exited Monday's game against the Atlanta Hawks after suffering an ankle injury.

In the first minute of the contest, Jackson went up to contest a layup from Hawks guard Dyson Daniels. The Memphis forward successfully contested the shot, but when landing, he rolled his left ankle while landing on Daniels’ foot.

The Grizzlies were already without superstar guard Ja Morant, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury. So missing Jackson, who has been on an offensive tear, didn’t end well for Memphis.

Despite the best efforts of Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane, who recorded 35 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, the Hawks etched out a 132-130 win. Hawks guard Caris LeVert made a shot at the buzzer for the win.

The paint presence of Jackson would’ve made it much tougher for LaVert to get a good look at the basket in the final seconds. The Grizzlies allowed an astonishing 82 points in the paint to the Hawks, a season-high for Memphis.

The Grizzlies find themselves on a recent slide, losing three straight games and seven of their last ten. After controlling the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference for a short time, Memphis has fallen to the No. 4 seed, with the rise of the Denver Nuggets and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers.

The Grizzlies announced Jackson to be "week-to-week" on Tuesday. Memphis will need him back in the lineup to be the consistent defensive anchor it needs. Jackson Jr. is in play for his second Defensive Player of the Year award and a potential All-NBA team appearance.

Jackson has appeared in 59 games this season but will need to play a minimum of 65 games to qualify for postseason awards due to new rules regarding the CBA, which were put in place in order to discourage players and teams from utilizing load management.

Jackson was a key member of the last Michigan State team to make a run to the Final Four in 2019. He is also the last lottery pick for the Green and White, but that could change soon as Spartans guard Jase Richardson is projected to be a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.