Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant scored 45 points on Saturday. However, his effort wasn’t enough against the Los Angeles Lakers. Memphis was ultimately defeated by a final score of 111-101 in Game 3 of the series. To make matters worse, Morant suffered an injury scare late in the game, per Dr. Evan Jeffries on Twitter.
“Ja Morant appeared to have a left calf cramp at the end Let’s hope it wasn’t a strain,” Jeffries wrote on Twitter.
The hope for the Grizzlies is that the scare was nothing more than a cramp. Morant’s status was already in question heading into Game 3 against the Lakers. Memphis needs Ja Morant on the court in Game 4 as they look to even the series at two games apiece.
Anthony Davis led the charge for the Lakers in Game 3, posting a 31-point, 17-rebound double-double. LeBron James added 25 points and nine rebounds.
The best individual performance of the game came via Ja Morant though. The Grizzlies guard, in addition to scoring 45 points as aforementioned, tallied 13 assists and nine rebounds. He shot 13-26 from the field and 6-10 from beyond the arc. Morant was on a mission, and kept the Grizzlies in the game despite being down big early.
One interesting storyline will be whether or not Dillon Brooks, who was ejected for a dirty foul on LeBron James, will face a suspension. It seems unlikely that Brooks would be forced to miss any time, but given the fact that Draymond Green was recently suspended for a dirty foul it cannot be ruled out.
And if Brooks is forced to miss a game, Ja Morant’s presence would be even more pivotal for the Grizzlies. We will provide updates on Morant’s status as they are made available.
