NEW YORK – Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant left the Barclays Center field in a wheelchair Monday night after spraining his left ankle in the second quarter of Memphis’ 116-111 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets.
X-rays on Morant’s ankle showed no fracture, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and he is expected to undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins did not have an official update on Morant’s status after the game, but said that Morant would be further evaluated and that there would likely be an update Tuesday from Boston, where the Grizzlies will play Celtics on Wednesday.
“So hard to see Yes go down,” Jenkins said. “I know he will bounce back and it will be fine. We will get more updates as we go on, but so far it is good.”
The six-foot guard was injured trying to block Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot’s shot from Nets and landed awkwardly at the foot of Luwawu-Cabarrot.
Morant put no weight on his left leg as he jumped to the sidelines before collapsing next to the Grizzlies’ couch. He rolled to the ground in pain as the training staff approached him.
After a few minutes, an employee brought a wheelchair, and Morant’s teammates helped him in. Morant was immediately driven to the locker room and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, Morant returned to the Grizzlies’ couch with a protective boot on his left leg. He stumbled into the team circle during timeouts, handing out high-fives to his teammates.
“What a great show for him to be out there,” Jenkins said. “He was fully involved on the bench, in the time-outs. By being fully integrated with the guys, you help push us towards this victory. … You can really test a moment like that, but our guys just kept fighting. “
After the game, Morant tweeted the quote, “Every setback is a set-up for a comeback. God wants to get you out better than before”, adding “did you hear”.
“every setback is a set-up for a comeback. God wants to get you out of it better than before.”
you heard 🙏🏽🖤– Yes Morant (@JaMorant) December 29, 2020
The reigning Rookie of the Year has made an impressive start in the first two games of the Grizzlies, averaging 36 points and 8 assists.