NEW ORLEANS— Ja Morant stood near the end of the Memphis bench, cheering on his teammates while leaving his right arm down below his injured shoulder, as the Grizzlies defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 132-124 on Friday night.
Morant was injured as he collided with a strong but legal screen put by Daniel Theis in the third quarter. The contact sent Morant sprawling to the floor, prompting referees to initially whistle Theis for a foul before reversing the ruling after video review.
Morant headed to the locker room to get evaluated, then returned to the bench but not to the game. He used his left arm to point joyously at teammates who made crucial shots in the final minutes.
Taylor Jenkins, the Grizzlies’ coach, had “no update” on Morant’s status following the game. Morant’s 2023-24 season was cut short nearly a year ago due to a damaged labrum in the same shoulder.
“Obviously, he took a nice shot there to the shoulder, but we’ll get more of an evaluation in the next couple days,” Jenkins said, before complimenting his team’s “great resolve” in holding off the Pelicans after Morant was injured.
“Losing somebody like that is never easy,” Memphis guard Desmond Bane said. “But we kept our composure and were able to make plays down the stretch.”
The Grizzlies expected to obtain updates on all injured players by Saturday before their game against Western Conference leader Oklahoma City on Sunday night.
Morant was able to dress himself at his locker following the game in New Orleans. He appeared to be in excellent spirits and was not wearing a sling. But he also kept his right arm largely still and at his side.
Morant, 25, has averaged 21 points this season, which is somewhat lower than his career average of 22.4.
Earlier this season, Morant missed eight games due to a posterior hip dislocation and several Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains. The Grizzlies (22-10) went 5-3 during that time.
Morant scored 25 points in New Orleans, but had only one point in the second half before being injured. Nonetheless, the Grizzlies broke the 130-point mark one night after scoring a franchise record 155 points in a win over Toronto.
According to Bane, the Grizzlies’ current offensive rhythm is “balanced, it’s together, it’s fast — all of those things.”