Here's The Play Where Ja Morant Likely Suffered Series-Ending Bone Bruise

2 min read • May 10, 2022

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NBA

Star point guard Ja Morant will likely miss the remainder of the playoffs with a bone bruise in his right knee, the Grizzlies announced Tuesday.

The announcement also confirms that Morant was not injured on the play where Jordan Poole grabbed and tugged on his knee in the fourth quarter.

Morant likely suffered the injury when he jumped to contest a Klay Thompson shot fake and went knee-to-knee with the Golden State sharpshooter at the start of the third quarter, as seen below.

Morant hyperextended his knee on the play, but remained in the game. He exited at the 6:19 mark in the fourth quarter, but was seen limping at several points in the game.

A bone bruise typically can be played through until soreness sets in.

There's no reason to doubt Morant's reported timeline for return, according to the Pro Basketball Docs. A bone bruise is typically a 3-to-4-week injury and there's no way to remedy it besides rest.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had a similar injury and missed the final four weeks of the regular season.

The Grizzlies will have to get by without Morant for the remainder of the series against the Warriors and likely the rest of any potential playoff run. They lost 101-98 in Game 4 without Morant and are down 3-1 in the series.

Injury Impact on Grizzlies

Backup point guard Tyus Jones played 41 minutes in the Grizzlies' first playoff game without Morant. He finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Desmond Bane was the second-leading scorer in the regular season, but has been slowed by lower back soreness in the postseason. He's averaged just 9.5 in four games this series after averaging 23.5 points per game in the series against the Timberwolves.

Jaren Jackson Jr. will also see increased shot opportunities with Morant out. He had 21 points in Game 4 on 7-21 shooting and was 0-7 from 3.

Grizzlies vs Warriors Game 5 Odds

Memphis is a 4 point underdog in Game 5 and the over/under is 218.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Grizzlies are now +1500 to win the series and +10000 to win the NBA Finals.