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Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant will likely miss Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinal series against the Warriors, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said Sunday.
Speaking with reporters during an afternoon press conference, Jenkins revealed that Morant is getting a further evaluation on his knee and plans to undergo further treatment in the coming days. However, the Grizzlies coach wasn’t optimistic about having his All-Star back by tip-off on Monday night.
Morant limped off the floor with a right knee injury during Memphis’s 142–112 loss to Golden State in Saturday’s Game 3. He was later seen hobbling around postgame, though no official diagnosis was provided by the Grizzlies.
The circumstances that led to Morant’s injury came under scrutiny following the final buzzer, as clips began to circulate of Warriors guard Jordan Poole appearing to grab and yank at the 22-year-old’s right knee while trying to strip the ball. On Sunday, Jenkins made clear that he believed the injury was the direct result of Poole’s actions.
Morant seemed to be on the same page as his coach, tweeting out a video of the play and writing that the Warriors guard “broke the code.” He later deleted the tweet.
Poole maintained after the game that the grab was not intentional and that he was not a dirty player.
“It was a basketball play when we doubled him,” Poole said, per ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “And I hit the ball, and I was going for the ball. I mean, obviously, you don’t want to see anybody get hurt. I’m not even that type of player. I respect everybody.”
With Morant unlikely to play, the Grizzlies will face an uphill battle on the road in Game 4. Already trailing 2–1 in the series, Memphis will need its supporting cast to step up in a major way to replace the firepower of its high-flying All-Star.
