The Memphis Grizzlies have officially listed Ja Morant as questionable for Saturday night’s critical Western Conference matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Both teams, tied at 44-29 and locked in a tight playoff race, will tip off Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Morant has missed the Grizzlies’ last six games due to a left hamstring strain with his last appearance coming on March 14 in a 133-124 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In that game, Morant posted a season-high 44 points along with eight rebounds, seven assists, and a steal while shooting 77.3% from the field and 90% from the free-throw line
Morant received a questionable designation for the first time since his injury, signaling a potential return. Memphis has not made a final decision, but the team is expected to determine his status closer to tip-off.
Through 43 games this season, Morant is averaging 22.3 points, 7.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. His shooting splits sit at 44.9% from the field and 29.1% from beyond the arc — both marks slightly lower than previous seasons, representing his lowest statistical output since the 2020-21 campaign.
The Grizzlies enter the game on the heels of a 125-104 loss to the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (61-12) and have gone 5-5 over their last 10 games.
On Friday, the organization made headlines by firing head coach Taylor Jenkins, who had served in the role since 2019 and led the team to three consecutive playoff appearances. Memphis named Tuomas Iisalo as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
The coaching change adds another layer to an already high-stakes final stretch for the Grizzlies. With just nine games remaining in the regular season, Memphis is tied with the Lakers for the fourth seed in the Western Conference and sits only two games ahead of the Golden State Warriors (42-31), who currently occupy the seventh seed and a Play-In Tournament position.
The Lakers, meanwhile, are navigating injury concerns of their own. They listed guard Austin Reaves as questionable with a right ankle sprain following his strong performance in Thursday’s 119-117 loss to the Chicago Bulls, where he tallied 30 points, three assists, two blocks, and a rebound on 10-for-17 shooting and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
Reaves, 26, is in the midst of a breakout season. He is averaging 19.9 points, 5.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.4% from the floor and 35.8% from three. Over his last 10 outings, his numbers have surged to 25.9 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds on 50.8% shooting.
The Lakers have cooled off after an eight-game winning streak in early March, dropping four of their last six games. Their recent road games have featured dramatic finishes, including a buzzer-beating tip-in from LeBron James to beat the Indiana Pacers and a halfcourt game-winner from Josh Giddey to lift the Bulls over Los Angeles.
Saturday’s matchup could carry significant postseason implications with both teams eyeing home-court advantage in the opening round.
Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist who serves as ClutchPoints’ Orlando Magic reporter and NBA writer. Julian has 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in NBA, NFL and Gaming coverage.
