Last night’s Mavs clash brought a huge sigh of relief for the Grizzlies. They finally snapped their four-game losing streak with an eleven-point blowout victory, thanks to Ja Morant’s dominant 31-point performance. However, there were multiple occasions during the game when Ja looked in visible pain. Of course, he has been playing through a lingering shoulder injury for quite some time and is yet to recover completely. And the high flyer made a shocking confession after the big win that almost landed him in major trouble.

During the postgame interview with Cassidy Hubbarth, Morant revealed that he was playing through serious pain, “I still am. I’m ready to go sit down.” When asked to elaborate on the amount of pain he was in, Ja was a bit hesitant, “I don’t know if I should say it on TV, but I got some help. I will say that.”

It is unclear what Ja meant by his statement, but it looked like he was trying his best to avoid punishment from the NBA. Maybe a potential fine. Well, it is not uncommon for players to take injections to alleviate the pain during injury. Even Joel Embiid reportedly did it for his knee before he got shut down for the season. Maybe Ja has been doing the same for his shoulder, which is what he referred to as “help.”

Of course, he made it clear after Wednesday’s Thunder encounter how much he has been hurting. When asked how it felt to be back in the lineup after missing two games, Ja bluntly said, “Terrible… I should have been out, but I was out there, so, regardless of out, in, there’s going to be something said.” Yes, he believed he needed more rest to let his shoulder heal. However, the team’s current circumstances have not allowed him to do so.

Ja Morant credits Teammate for Motivating him to “Go Harder” amid Injury woes

Well, whatever Ja has been doing to play through the pain worked last night, as he looked unstoppable on offense. And supporting him all the way was his running mate, Desmond Bane, who went off for 27 points and sixteen rebounds. Sure enough, Morant had nothing but praise for Bane after the game, “Big time love. You know he’s been one of the main pieces for us outside of you know JJJ (Jaren Jackson Jr.) when I’ve been out and I can’t do nothing but appreciate Des man.”

Moreover, he revealed that he has had multiple one-on-one conversations with Desmond and how he has boosted Ja’s confidence by telling him that he’s the ‘one’. “That’s just the confidence and how much he believe in me and it just make me wanna go harder and prove him right every time.” Ja added. As of now, the Grizzlies have dropped to the fourth seed in the West and need Ja in the lineup consistently to avoid falling further. Hopefully, he will find a permanent solution to his injury soon so that he can focus solely on the team’s championship goals.