The Memphis Grizzlies have hit a bit of a late-season rough patch.
Losers of seven of their last 10, the Grizzlies, who currently sit in eighth place but are in a virtual tie for the sixth spot, which would mean avoiding having to participate in the NBA play-in tournament, are struggling to keep pace with some of their Western Conference competition.
Memphis’ 110-108 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday was its first win in its last five games, and the team received some bad news on Saturday about the hero from that victory—star point guard Ja Morant, who hit the game-winner as time expired.
Ahead of the team’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, 20 minutes after the Grizzlies announced that Morant was listed as questionable against the Pistons, the team announced via X that Morant actually wouldn’t be available.
“Status Update: Ja Morant (Illness) is out tonight at Detroit,” the team announced.
Morant, who’s been in the headlines pretty often over the last week for using gun-gesture celebrations during games and was fined $75,000 after defying the NBA’s warning to stop doing so, has been Memphis’ best player this season.
The 25-year-old former No. 2 overall pick is averaging a team-high 22.9 points and 7.3 assists per game while adding 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per outing and shooting 45.5% from the field and 30.3% from 3-point range.
Without Morant, the Grizzlies will have to rely on forward Jaren Jackson and guard Desmond Bane, who are second (22.3 ppg) and third (18.7 ppg), respectively, on the team in scoring to provide the offense.
Morant was Memphis’ leading scorer in each of its last three games (26, 36 and 30 points), but Bane and Jackson each led the team in scoring during its previous seven games.
