On Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers could get a key player back in the mix. As for the Memphis Grizzlies, they’ll be down one of their top stars as Ja Morant continues to deal with a hip injury.
According to the Grizzlies’ injury report, Morant is out for the Wednesday night matchup in Memphis.
The veteran All-Star’s status doesn’t come as a surprise, considering Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins offered an update on Morant ahead of the team’s Tuesday night matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
According to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Comercial Appeal, Jenkins revealed that Morant recently got imaging done, and the results were described as “really good.”
Still, that doesn’t indicate Morant is on his way back too soon. The Grizzlies still consider the high-flying star week-to-week for the time being.
Earlier this month, the Grizzlies paid a visit to the Sixers in South Philly. At the time, Morant was available. The star checked in for 31 minutes. He made 46 percent of his shots and knocked down six free throws. Morant finished the game with 18 points. He had a double-double after notching 12 assists.
The Grizzlies dominated the shorthanded Sixers, issuing them a 17-point loss. Since then, Morant has appeared in just two games for Memphis.
Leading up to the matchup in Philly, Morant averaged 20 points and nine assists across five games. After taking care of business against the Sixers, Morant produced an average of 23 points and seven assists over the next two games against the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Memphis’ November 8 outing against the Washington Wizards was the first time Morant missed some action this year. Wednesday’s game will mark his sixth missed game in a row.
As dominant as Morant has been since his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2019-2020, the veteran guard has struggled with availability lately. After appearing in 61 games during the 2022-2023 season, Morant saw the court for just nine games last year.
This season, he’s been a part of just eight of the Grizzlies’ 14 matchups. While he’s expected to recover and make a return, Morant won’t be facing the Sixers again this season.
The Grizzlies and the Sixers will tip at 8 PM ET on Wednesday.
