Memphis Grizzlies offer update on Game 2 status of Ja Morant

Star point guard Ja Morant will miss Game 2 of his team's first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers due to the hand injury he suffered in the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies' Game 1 home loss.

The update was not unexpected. Morant said after Sunday's defeat that he was not sure if he would be able to play in Wednesday's Game 2 considering the immediate pain he was experiencing after the initial injury. Without him, Memphis is in danger of exiting with a whimper in the first round of these playoffs after a promising regular season.

Per StatMuse, the Grizzlies are 37-24 without Morant since he was drafted in 2019, although they were a much less impressive 11-10 during the 2022-23 season.

Memphis is already missing pivotal frontcourt cogs Steven Adams (knee) and Brandon Clarke (Achilles). Adams has been inactive since Jan. 22 while Clark tore his Achilles on Mar. 3.

The Grizzlies won't find a sympathetic ear from the Lakers, though, as Los Angeles has dealt with their own injury woes over the past couple of seasons. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have missed substantial time the past couple of seasons, including when Davis suffered a groin injury during the 2021 postseason.

Per Oddschecker, the Lakers (-275) are the favorite to win this first-round series against Memphis, with the two most popular bets being a win in six games (+235) or a sweep (+370).