Halfway through the third quarter of the Play-In game between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies, Ja Morant hurt himself when he came down awkwardly and rolled his right ankle.
Fans immediately feared the worst and thought they could lose Morant.
He stayed in the game but was clearly still in pain, and he talked about his ankle after the Grizzlies’ defeat.
The big question was this: Will Morant be with his team when they play again on Friday?
“I’m playing. That’s basically the answer I’m giving. It ain’t nothing different,” Morant said, per Will Guillory.
Ja Morant on his status ahead of Friday's do-or-die game:
"I'm playing. That's basically the answer I'm giving. It ain't nothing different."
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) April 16, 2025
The Grizzlies were taken down 121-116 by the Warriors.
That means the next game is do-or-die, and if the Grizzlies lose again, their season will be over.
They aren’t sure who they will be battling against yet, but it’ll be either the Sacramento Kings or the Dallas Mavericks.
Both of those teams can put up a real fight, and that is why the Grizzlies hope Morant is at 100 percent.
And if they win the eighth seed, they will definitely require Morant’s skills as they try to fight the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Morant has been prone to more injuries this year and has played in 50 games.
During those games, he averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game on 45.4 percent from the field.
Morant is saying that he will play on Friday, but he doesn’t sound like he’s 100 percent healthy and ready to go.
A lot can change between now and Friday.
Perhaps Morant will get better and will really be prepared to play, or he could get worse, or team doctors could prohibit him from playing.
Right now, he says he is set to suit up on Friday, and now Memphis fans are waiting.
NEXT: Ja Morant Has Honest Admission About His NBA Fine
