Apr 24, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) lays on the court after being fouled during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game three for the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Scotty Pippen Jr.'s Honest Statement on Ja Morant's Injury

Originally posted on Memphis Grizzlies on SI
By Farbod Esnaashari | Last updated May 1, 2025 4:55 AM ET

The 2024-25 NBA season was a tough one for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. The point guard found himself in and out of the lineup throughout the entire season due to a plethora of injuries.

Unfortunately for Morant, the most critical injury occurred at the worst time possible during Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. To make matters worse, that injury wasn't his fault at all, and it was more on Lu Dort.

Oh man. Ja Morant down on the court in pain after being undercut by Lu Dort. pic.twitter.com/MfQN5Xv79p
— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) April 25, 2025

The Grizzlies were up by 27 points at the moment of Morant's injury in Game 3, and it felt like the team had something to look forward to. Before the Grizzlies knew it, they were eliminated in four games.

Roughly a week later, during an episode of FanDuelTV's Run it Back show, Grizzlies point guard Scottie Pippen Jr. revealed how much Morant's injury impacted the team.

“I think we all felt pretty well," Pippen Jr. said. "You know, we were winning at home. Obviously, in the playoffs, I feel like home court advantage is one of the biggest things. In OKC, obviously, we had a 50-point loss — that was crazy. But second game, we came and got better. The third game, we were up, Ja goes down. And then even the fourth game, we still competed."