Ja Morant stood at the end of the Memphis bench, cheering for his teammates while keeping his right arm hanging by his injured shoulder, as Memphis won 132-124 over the Pelicans on Friday night.
Morant got hurt when he collided hard with a legal screen set by Daniel Theis during the third quarter. The impact caused Morant to fall to the floor, and the officials initially called a foul on Theis, but reversed the decision after reviewing the play.
Morant walked to the locker room for an evaluation and later returned to the bench but did not re-enter the game. He used his left arm to point to teammates after they made crucial shots in the closing minutes.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins had no update on Morant’s condition after the game. About a year ago, a torn labrum in the same shoulder ended Morant’s 2023-24 season.
“Obviously, he took a nice shot there to the shoulder, but we’ll get more of an evaluation in the next couple of days,” Jenkins said, while also praising his team’s “great resolve” in holding off the Pelicans after Morant left.
“Losing somebody like that is never easy,” said Memphis guard Desmond Bane. “But we kept our composure and were able to make plays down the stretch.”
The Grizzlies were scheduled to have updates on all injured players by Saturday, ahead of their Sunday game against Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City.
Morant was able to dress himself at his locker after the game in New Orleans. He seemed to be in good spirits and did not wear a sling. However, he kept his right arm mostly still and at his side.
The 25-year-old Morant has averaged around 21 points per game this season, slightly below his career average of 24 points per game.
Earlier this season, Morant missed eight games due to a posterior hip subluxation and multiple Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains. The Grizzlies (22-10) went 5-3 during that time.
Morant scored 25 points in New Orleans, but had just one point in the second half before his injury. Still, the Grizzlies surpassed 130 points, one night after setting a franchise record with 155 points in a win over Toronto.
According to Bane, the Grizzlies’ current offensive style is “balanced, it’s together, it’s fast — all of those things.”
