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Grizzlies’ Ja Morant gets 100% real on how he managed ankle injury vs. Mavericks

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Troy Finnegan | Last updated Apr 19, 2025 1:58 AM ET

The Memphis Grizzlies needed two cracks at it in the NBA Play-In Tournament, but they eventually got the job done in comfortable fashion with a 120-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night in Memphis.

Over the days leading up to the do-or-die game, the status of star point guard Ja Morant was in jeopardy. Morant suffered a nasty ankle injury in the first play-in game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. He was able to finish out that game, but it was most likely due to the adrenaline.

The star guard entered this game as a game-time decision, but he eventually ended up playing after receiving an injection before the game. Once the contest finished up, he hilariously revealed how he managed to play through the injury despite plenty of pain and swelling on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt.

"Couldn't feel it, that's why I was out there."

Ja Morant on pushing through an ankle injury in the play-in win vs. Dallas.@notthefakeSVP pic.twitter.com/T6loH7bsPs

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 19, 2025

“I couldn’t feel it, that’s why I was out there,” Morant said with a laugh.

Whatever Morant did, he may need to do it again to continue putting on a show like he did in this one. During the first half, the Murray State product flew in from the top of the key for a monster putback dunk that got the FedExForum rocking.

Morant was on a triple-double pace at halftime with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists. He didn’t quite match those numbers in the second half of the blowout victory, but he still finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.

Morant’s ankle is going to continue to be a factor throughout the rest of this Grizzlies playoff run, no matter how long it lasts. He doesn’t have much time to rest and heal, as the eighth-seeded Grizzlies will take on the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs tipping off on Sunday afternoon.

In order for Memphis to have a chance at pulling off a historic upset, it will need Morant to bring his A-game to the party. That won’t be easy considering the state of his ankle and with less than 48 hours until Game 1, but maybe he will be able to manage it again and give his squad a shot at advancing.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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