In Game 3 of the 2024-25 NBA playoffs, the Memphis Grizzlies were ready to bring their all against the Oklahoma City Thunder match up. While the Grizzlies were determined for the long awaiting win, their star player, Ja Morant perhaps was a bit too determined to take the Grizzlies to the top, with the painful injury he faced during the game. A very difficult game for the Grizzlies, ending with them being left in a tough position. Here’s the update of the star player and the position of the Memphis Grizzlies
Game stats of the Grizzlies vs Thunder
The 2024-25 NBA playoffs were commencing with Game 3 and the Memphis Grizzlies were soaring through their third game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, leading the game by 27 points in the time frame Ja Morant left. Continuing the match, the point lead was now 29 by the Grizzlies and that seemed to be the highest lead of the night.
While the lead seemed to put the Grizzlies on the momentum for a possible win, the team came to a crash and the Oklahoma City Thunder took advantage, ending the game with an unexpected comeback of a 114-108 win. The finale of the game marked a third playoff win for the Thunder against the Grizzlies, meaning the end of the Grizzlies.
How Ja Morant got removed off court
Putting all his effort in the 16 minutes he played on court; Ja Morant scored 15 points and had 5 assists before he left due to his injury. The 3:15 remaining time of second quarter of the game against the Thunder marked an unfortunate incident with Ja Morant’s hip contusion. Aiming for the basket on a 2-on-1 breakaway, the star got a slide under by the Thunder guard, Luguentz Dort, thus leaving the court after attempting two free throws he missed.
What was supposed to be a fragrant foul for Dort, was labelled only a common foul. Showing visible pain with his position on crutches, the Grizzlies interim coach, Toumas lisalo commented on Morant’s status saying, “He’s going through further evaluations tomorrow … Then we’ll know more.” More, relating to Ja Morant’s presence in Saturday’s elimination game.
Ja Morant has missed multiple games in the regular NBA season due to injuries, and another game miss is a possibility. Feeling bad about the injury, Dort apologized to Morant and expressed to the media that, “It’s a tough one … I was running back, making a hustle play for my team. I was running quick … I didn’t know he was behind me and I was slipping, so I still tried to make a play on the ball. … I hope he’s OK. I obviously didn’t mean to hit him like that.”
Is this the end for the Grizzlies in the playoffs?
Third time was certainly not a charm for the Memphis Grizzlies with the major setbacks they faced against the Thunder. Game 1, marked as the worst playoff loss in NBA history, had the Grizzlies come home with a 131-80 loss. Game 2 was slightly better but still a loss with a 118-99. The recent game came as a surprise with the Grizzlies leading with 29 points to then lose with 6 points. The end of the season for the Grizzlies has come with the 3-0 win to the Thunder.
The Grizzlies showed great performance on the court during the 2024-25 NBA season; however, their season ends with this disheartening game against the Thunder. Assumptions of whether Morant’s injury was their ticket to an elimination is difficult to stand on, with their stats during the past two games already being disappointing. However, Morant was on fire in the first minutes of Game 3, and many people are experiencing a “what if” moment. Farewell to the Grizzlies for the season, exciting times are ahead from the team next season.
