The Thunder might the undisputed frontrunners of the Western conference, yes. It seems tough for anyone to match their beat at the moment. But the only team giving them a run for their money this season are the Memphis Grizzlies, sitting in 2nd with a 35/16 record. They’re 9/1 in their last 10, and you can bet your life savings that they won’t leave the paint without the Thunders’ head on a stick, as the best of the West take each other on tonight.

As usual, Grizzlies’ talisman Ja Morant has taken the centre stage by storm. I know 20.7 PPG and 7.5 APG is pretty solid in itself, but even the Grizz faithful know about Ja’s influence on their performances. Injuries haven’t come by easy this season for the Memphis team though. Despite dealing with it remarkably due to their squad depth, who knows what the league’s outcome would’ve been with a fully fit Grizzlies squad. But will their Morant be playing tonight?

Grizzlies injury report and predicted lineup

While usually showing peak levels of fitness, Ja Wick’s succumbed to the injury demon as of late, picking up multiple injuries over the last 3 months- the latest one being soreness in the right shoulder.

While playing against the New Orleans Pelicans, Morant collided with a hard screen, with his right shoulder taking a bulk of the impact. On his way for yet another MOTM performance with 25 points till then, he had to leave the court. This might’ve led to the shoulder being a bit sore in the subsequent practice sessions, which caused him to miss the next few games. But he came back with a bang- 25 points and 11 assists to obliterate the Spurs 128-109. Despite his recent injuries, he’s expected to drop another masterclass by featuring at the FedExForum tonight.

Memphis’ biggest rival has been injuries this season. They’re already in a comfy sport to make it to the playoffs- but that’s where the good teams stand satisfied, not the great ones. Shooting guard Desmond Banes has been suffering with an ankle injury, while point guard Cam Spencer’s season has been more of a thumbs down, as he’s set to be sidlined idefinitely after undergoing a surgery for his left thumb (no pun intended). Newbie no. 1 Marvin Bagley III is still suffering from a knee injury sustained against the same opponents in December, while newbie no. 2 Johnny Davis’ status is listed as ‘questionable’. As of now, the rest of them (Davis exception) are out for the Thunder game.

That being said, this is the Grizzlies’ predicted lineup against the Thunder:

All of the Association’s eyes will be set on the ForExForum tonight- from the stadium to the random-most TV in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Can Ja Morant help the Grizzlies ship sail on with Taylor Jenkins at the wheel, or will the Loud City faithful inspire the Thunder continue to bulldoze through the NBA’s finest as they’ve been doing all season?