MEMPHIS, Tenn: Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant suffered a hip injury during the second quarter of Thursday night’s Game 3 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The injury occurred with 3:15 left in the second quarter when Morant went up for a fast break layup and was undercut by Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, resulting in a hard fall. Officials reviewed the play but ruled it a common foul. Morant stayed down for several moments, got up to shoot free throws, missed both, and limped to the locker room his jersey off and pain visible.
Although eligible to return, Memphis ruled him out at halftime due to the hip injury. Morant had scored 15 points and dished out 5 assists in just 16 minutes.
Thunder vs Grizzlies Score:
At the time of Morant’s exit, the Thunder vs Grizzlies score stood heavily in favor of Memphis, who led 77-51 at halftime marking a dramatic turnaround after losing the first two games. However, the Thunder started the third quarter with a 22-9 run, quickly chipping away at the lead.
This game comes after the last game, where Oklahoma City dominated and secured a 2-0 series lead. In fact, the Thunder have now won 11 straight games against Memphis, including regular season and playoffs six of those wins coming by double digits.
Thunder vs Grizzlies Prediction:
Heading into Game 4, many analysts will be reevaluating their prediction especially if Ja Morant is unable to return. With OKC’s strong recent record and the Grizzlies battling injuries, the pressure is on Memphis to hold home court and avoid going down 3-1 in the series.