When Will Ja Morant Return From Hip Injury? Grizzlies Make Sad Announcement After Memphis Star’s Fall vs OKC

“I’m not trying to dunk at all. Y’all think I’m lying. I’m dead serious.” Ja Morant took a public vow in December of not using his most impressive skill: Dunking. Reason? A mid-air hit by Lakers’ Christian Koloko a month earlier that caused Ja to miss eight straight games with pelvic muscle strain and a partial posterior hip subluxation. The high flyer realized that dunking although breathtaking, was too risky. However, his vow did not last for too long.

Creature of habit, Ja continued posterizing his opponents whenever he saw the opportunity. However, the same habit has gotten him into massive trouble tonight. During the second quarter of Game 3 against the Thunder, Scotty Pippen Jr. initiated a fastbreak after intercepting a pass. Seeing Lu Dort closing in to block the shot, Pippen passed the ball to a trailing Morant. Ja’s eyes lit up as he saw the rim and he took off for a dunk attempt. Unfortunately, Dort turned to contest the shot and lost his footing, falling right into Morant’s lower body and sweeping his feet from underneath him. Ja landed hard on the deck, with his hip catching the brunt of the fall. He was hurt.

Despite the tremendous pain, Morant somehow attempted the two resulting free throws from Dort’s foul. But the injury was clearly bothering him, as he missed both shots. He immediately subbed out of the game with a disappointed look on his face. Turns out, the high flyer was done for the night. Per Grizzlies’ latest announcement, Morant injured his hip during the fall. It could be the same injury that forced him to miss eight straight games during the regular season.

That means Ja’s absence could extend longer than just tonight’s game. His next chance to suit up will be on Saturday for Game 4, but it will depend on the severity of his injury.

Medical expert analyses Ja Morant’s injury as Grizzlies crumble without him in Game 3

Soon after Ja’s nasty fall took him out, renowned Dr. Brian Sutterer analysed the injury based on the visuals. “You see how firmly the front left portion of his hip lands on the hard court. Now this is actually a good thing because he’s not landing with any direct load through a joint… Everything seems to be taken by the brunt of the front of his hip… This seems to be just a direct contusion on the front of his hip.”

Yes, Sutterer believes Morant might have avoided major injury by the way he landed. Had the impact been on a particular bone or a joint, it could have led to a more serious issue. However, there is still a possibility of a fracture, which could rule the Grizzlies star out going forward. Brian continued, “Best case scenario here is we’re dealing with just a contusion or a bruise in the muscle. If that’s all that we see it’s just an extensive bone bruising, I would not expect Ja to be ruled out.”

So, Grizzlies fans would be praying that it’s just a contusion and nothing more because without Ja, they might have zero chance of making a comeback in this series. Even tonight, the Grizzlies crumbled without him. Before Ja got injured, his team was well in command, leading the Thunder by 27 points. The high flyer had 15 points and five assists. But soon after he left, the OKC team capitalized on the opportunity and initiated their comeback. Slowly but steadily, they closed the massive gap and toward the end of the final quarter, they finally took the lead.

The Grizzlies had no answer for the epic turnaround. Without Ja in the lineup, their offense looked weak and the visitors ended up winning by six points, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Well, the season might already be done for the Grizzlies as no team has ever made a comeback from that deficit. If Ja remains sidelined for Game 4, the little hope that’s left will also diminish. Do you agree?