Lakers News: Latest Ja Morant Injury Update Is Bad News For Grizzlies

The All-Star point guard departed Sunday's game with a right hand ailment.

After controversial Memphis Grizzlies All-Star point guard Ja Morant re-aggravated his already-injured right hand yesterday during his team's first playoff game against your Los Angeles Lakers, LA took advantage of his absence. The Lakers went 23-11 to secure the 128-112 victory with Morant sidelined.

Today, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN hopped on "NBA Today" with Malika Andrews, Zach Lowe, Chiney Ogwumike and former LeBron James championship teammate Richard Jefferson to discuss the latest intel on Morant's health going forward.

.@wojespn says there's "significant doubt" Ja Morant will be available for Game 2: pic.twitter.com/gWtDPgpOyJ

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 17, 2023

"So listen, first of all, let's start with this: Memphis is going to do everything they can," Wojnarowski said. "They'll hold this close to the vest between now and Wednesday night. It's a competitive advantage in the playoffs to not let your opponent know who may or may not be playing. But I think certainly for Ja Morant, he talked about it yesterday, how much pain he was in leaving the game. It was a hand that already was wrapped, and then [he] re-injures it." 

"[The] Grizzlies know that, if he doesn't play Wednesday, they have Tyus Jones, they have as good of a backup point guard [as there is] in the league. A player that can run their offense well enough to be competitive in the postseason," Woj noted. "They don't play again til Saturday in a game three in LA, that would give them five days' rest potentially with Ja Morant. But there's no question there is significant doubt... about Ja Morant being able to play, coming back on Wednesday. But certainly he'll get treatment, he'll get rest."

"When he measured the pain yesterday, he said, '10 out of 10,'" Wojnarowski acknowledged. "Typically players underplay injuries this time of year. Ja Morant didn't pretend to do any of that yesterday."

As Woj noted, the Grizzlies next play on Wednesday.

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