Grizzlies' Ja Morant Believes He Had Thunder 'Figured Out' Ahead of Injury in Game 3

The Memphis guard thinks the team could have tied the series 2-2 if Game 3 had been different.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant watches from the bench on April 26, 2025. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder flat-out swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the pair's first-round playoff series, but Grizzlies guard Ja Morant still believes his team could have sent things to a Game 5 were it not for a "frustrating" Game 3.

"I had them figured out," Morant told reporters on Sunday, per Memphis Commercial Appeal's Jonah Dylan. "Going out Game 3, not being able to play was frustrating because that win right there could've made this totally different. I feel like we'd be on the way to OKC, series tied 2-2 right now."

Morant was undercut by the Thunder's Luguentz Dort while going up for a dunk late in the second quarter of Game 3 and hit the hardwood pretty hard on his way down. At the time, the Grizzlies were up 67–40. The guard then exited the contest with what would be deemed a hip injury, and the Thunder would eventually pull off a huge rally for the win.

After brutal 51-point and 19-point defeats in Games 1 and 2, it actually did seem like the Grizzlies could have pulled off a miraculous series comeback, to Morant's point. The team lost Game 3 by just five points, despite their early lead, then brought it within two for their Morant-less Game 4. But alas, it still wasn't enough.

Sometimes the playoffs are all about momentum, so a crucial Game 3 win—with or without Morant—really could have made all the difference. And it is always possible that, should the guard have had one or two extra possessions in that contest or the next, things truly could have been different for Memphis. But at this point, we'll never know. Plus, it's hard to argue OKC's domination.

The Thunder now advance to the Western Conference semifinals, where they will face the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Clippers series, currently tied 2-2.

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