The misery doesn’t end for the Memphis Grizzlies. Hours after the heart-breaking update about the franchise spearhead Ja Morant, the team has yet another setback. The veteran guard Marcus Smart, who has turned up the heat in the last two games, succumbed to an injury on Tuesday night in the game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Grizzlies’ management shook the NBA world after dropping the shocking Morant’s season-ending update. The 24-year-old star sustained a Labrun tear on his right shoulder during a practice session. He was advised to fix it with surgery because of the severity and also to keep the future of the franchise in check.
Marcus Smart dislocated his finger
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Marcus Smart moved to Memphis after a surprise trade from the Boston Celtics. At that time, the team had a lot on its plate, dealing with Ja Morant‘s 25-game suspension. As a veteran of the team, he had a lot to provide to the team in the initial part of the season.
Status alert: Marcus Smart (finger) headed to locker room Tuesday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 10, 2024
Unfortunately, the team also had a poor start, struggling to win games. And, on top of it, he also missed a few games, because of his ankle injury. However, after returning to the court, Smart has been in hot form. Especially, the star turned it around in his last two outings against the Las Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.
Tonight, he once again continued from where he left off in the Suns game, dropping 23 points in 21 minutes. During the third quarter, he dislocated his finger while burying a triple. The star was immediately rushed back to the locker room. There isn’t any official word regarding the severity of the injury.
Marcus Smart drains the 3 with a dislocated finger 😫🤯 pic.twitter.com/wgA0G4QbsU
— NBAĆentel (@TheNBACentel) January 10, 2024
The Grizzlies’ official X revealed that the star won’t return for the remainder of the game and confirmed that it was a right finger injury.
Read More – Ja Morant Reaction to Season Ending Injury Has Fans Deeply Saddened: “This Sh** Ain’t Real Man”
Despite being short-handed, the Grizzlies went on to beat the in-form Dallas Mavericks with a 103-12o blow-out win.
Shorthanded Grizzlies tackle the Mavs
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Currently, the Grizzlies have three major players out, recovering from injuries. Morant, Smart, and Derrick Rose. While there are chances for Rose and Smart to dive back into the season, Morant is already out through the back door.
In the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. tonight, the bench had the team’s back this time. Apart from Smart’s 23 points and Desmond Bane’s 32 points, the bench in total dropped 43 points.
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic‘s collective 64 points went in vain, as the Grizzlies’ defense turned out to be too good, restricting the remaining Mavs’ offense.
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What do you make of the current state of Grizzlies following the two injury blows? Let us know in the comments below.