Grizzlies Give Major Update on Ja Morant's Hand Injury

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The Memphis Grizzlies lost Game 1 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, and they also had a major injury scare with star point guard Ja Morant. Entering the game with tape on his hand due to a previous injury, Morant seemed to re-injure that same hand in Sunday afternoon's loss.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins gave a major update after the game, revealing that X-rays on Morant's hand came back negative, and he will be evaluated over the next two days. This is major news, because while Jenkins admitted that Morant is in some pain, the initial X-rays have come back negative.
“He’s in some pain,” Taylor Jenkins said of Ja Morant. The Grizzlies’ medical staff is evaluating Morant’s hand and wrist. He was already dealing with an injury to that hand. https://t.co/VwDpo8LJZ6
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 16, 2023
Morant played 30 minutes in Sunday afternoon's loss, but was on the bench in the final minutes after exiting the game with that hand injury. While it is too early to determine if this will impact Morant's Game 2 status, the X-rays coming back negative is very encouraging, even despite the star guard being in some pain.
The Grizzlies will continue to evaluate Morant and treat his injured hand in between now and Game 2. One of the game's best competitors, Morant certainly will do all he can to make himself available for his team. This is a concerning development, but some concern has certainly been eased with the X-ray news.
The Grizzlies cannot afford to drop both games at home before heading to Los Angeles, making Game 2 that much more important.
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Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.