Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant did not practice on Thursday ahead of an NBA play-in game against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday (8:30 p.m., ESPN).
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said Morant will be a “gametime decision.”
“My feel with him is he’ll do absolutely everything in order to play,” Iisalo said. “If he’s physically able to do it, he will do it. It’s a legitimate gametime decision.”
Morant injured his ankle with 4:25 left in the third quarter during Tuesday’s loss against the Golden State Warriors after landing on the foot of Buddy Hield. The play was reviewed for a possible flagrant, but the officials determined that there was no hostile act.
Morant returned in the fourth quarter with 9:26 remaining and played the rest of the game. While the Grizzlies star was healthy enough to play, he was visibly limited. Morant took his final shot with 3:44 left in the fourth quarter.
After the game, Morant told reporters “I’m playing” when asked about Friday. Morant and the Grizzlies’ medical staff will evaluate his status until the game
“If he feels he’s good to go, we have full trust in him,” Iisalo said. “He’s also a very good judge of how and if he’s ready to go or not. I’m leaning on the experts in this situation, which clearly I’m not in the medical department.
Injuries limited Morant’s availability throughout the season. He played in 50 regular season games, averaging 23.2 points and 7.3 assists.
If Morant is unable to go, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Desmond Bane would handle most the primary playmaking opportunities.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
