Despite being the No. 2 Seed in the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies did not have the best start to their playoff series. Whereas, the Los Angeles Lakers, who were considered one of the worst teams earlier this season, left the NBA world stunned. Nevertheless, the Grizzlies will obviously get another chance to redeem themselves in Game 2, which will take place on Wednesday night. However, a mid-game mishap involving Ja Morant left his team with a huge disadvantage that could work out in the Lakers’ favor.

LeBron James‘ Lakers undoubtedly put up an impressive game against the Grizzlies. However, it was Austin Reaves who ended up stealing the spotlight with his 14-point performance in the last quarter of the game.

Ja Morant’s availability for Game 2 may be good news for LeBron James and the Lakers

Ja Morant has had to go through his fair share of trouble this season. From allegedly threatening a teenager to seemingly dangling a gun on IG Live, the 2x All-Star found himself neck-deep in controversies. After facing severe backlash for his actions and going through an eight-game suspension, Morant eventually returned to the court and joined his teammates. However, trouble seems to knock on Morant’s door once again as the Grizzlies prepare for Game 2.

During the fourth quarter of the game, Morant collided with Anthony Davis while going for a dunk. The Grizzlies star immediately lost his balance and fell to the floor, following which fans witnessed him writhing in pain while clutching his hand. After the 128-112 loss to the Lakers, Morant talked to NBA Insider Tim MacMahon, who gave an injury update to the fans. MacMahon took to Twitter and stated that Morant’s availability for the next game is a question.

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Furthermore, in a follow-up tweet, he wrote, “[It is] tough, man, especially with everything I’ve been through pretty much this season. My main focus was to be out there for my guys. It’s another incident where that’s pretty much in jeopardy.”

Controversies that threatened Morant’s reputation

Several weeks ago, The Washington Post shocked the NBA world with reports of his alleged violence against a teenager. According to the police records that WP acquired, Morant was accused of repeatedly punching a 17-year-old teen and pulling out a gun to threaten him. Shortly after that, social media users witnessed Morant flashing a gun during a live session at a club. The incident took place hours after the Grizzlies lost to the Denver Nuggets.

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Consequently, the franchise suspended Morant while the league launched an investigation to look further into the matter. Morant eventually made a comeback during the game against the Houston Rockets on March 22.

Do you think LeBron James and the Lakers can take advantage of the unfortunate situation the Grizzlies find themselves in? Let us know in the comments.