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Injury Update: Ja Morant Expected to Miss Game 4
Following a lot of controversy and dialogue surrounding Ja Morant and his knee injury, it was reported by head coach Taylor Jenkins that the star point guard is expected to miss Game 4 in Golden State. Down 2-1 in the series, having been blown out in Game 3, the Memphis Grizzlies will once again have to find success without Ja Morant.
The Memphis Grizzlies were dominant in the regular season without Ja Morant; however, the playoffs are often a much different dynamic. While the team was able to survive a subpar series from Morant in the opening round vs. Minnesota, they have largely been reliant on his dominance to hang with Golden State so far in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. If he does indeed miss time, it will be a big blow for the Grizzlies.
The Athletic's Anthony Slater announced that the NBA would not be taking any action against Jordan Poole, who some believe injured Morant with his reach in; however, other angles and expert medical opinions have concluded Poole's reach in could not have caused Morant's knee injury, that likely occurred prior to Poole's reach.
With Golden State ahead 2-1 in the series, the team will look to capitalize on what could be a depleted Memphis Grizzlies team without their best player. While it is always unfortunate to see a player get hurt, it is especially disheartening when a player of Ja's caliber goes down during a playoff series. While it is unclear what the extent of his injury is, it seems as if he will not be ready for Game 4.
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