Ja Morant Uncertain for Grizzlies vs. Thunder Game 4 After Hip Injury from Hard Fall

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is uncertain for Saturday's potential elimination game against the Oklahoma City Thunder after being ruled out for the remainder of Thursday's game with a hip injury.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported Morant "was spotted on crutches in the tunnel by Memphis' bench during the fourth quarter."

"He's going through further evaluations tomorrow," said Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo, per MacMahon.

Morant suffered the injury in the second quarter after being undercut by Thunder guard Lu Dort and taking a hard fall in the paint.

Morant has dealt with injuries on-and-off during the season. Right hip soreness in November kept him out for eight straight games. An AC joint sprain sidelined Morant for five consecutive contests in late December and early January.

Lingering right shoulder soreness has permeated since, notably costing him two straight games in early March. He returned on March 5 in a 120-103 road loss to the Thunder but admitted postgame that he shouldn't have played.

Morant notably suffered a season-ending subluxation during a January 2024 practice, forcing him to miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

So he's been dealing with a host of physical ailments but has still remained productive, averaging 23.2 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds this year for the Grizzlies.

Without Morant, the Grizzlies have turned to Luke Kennard to fill the void in the backcourt. The onus falls more on Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. to assume more usage in Morant's absence as well.

If Morant misses any time moving forward, the Grizzlies could be in trouble in their first-round series against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, which entered Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead.