Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant left Game 1 vs. the Lakers on Sunday after injuring his right hand, but it appears he avoided a major injury. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports X-rays and tests determined Morant does not have any fractures in his hand resulting from the play.
Still, Morant’s status for Game 2 remains unclear as Charania reports his injury is primarily one where Morant has to overcome pain tolerance.
Morant suffered the injury after falling on his hand while driving to the basket and colliding with Lakers forward Anthony Davis. After Game 1, Morant said he believed his status for Game 2 was “in jeopardy,” and he was in so much pain that he couldn’t “undo a balled-up pair of socks,” according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
No breaks or fractures in Grizzlies star Ja Morant's right hand, sources say. His status remains up in air for Game 2 vs. Lakers with what's believed to be a significant pain tolerance injury. Reporting from Run It Back on @FanDuelTV: pic.twitter.com/MKqhnPamfY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 18, 2023
Morant played 30 minutes for Memphis on Sunday, totaling 18 points, six rebounds and two assists. He left the game with the Grizzlies down four points with just under six minutes to go and Los Angeles outscored Memphis by 12 points the rest of the way.
During the season, Morant missed 21 games due to a variety of reasons, and the Grizzlies went 11–10 in those games. If the All-Star point guard can’t go, backup Tyus Jones, who scored nine points in 25 minutes on Sunday, would most likely get the start.
