Ja Morant battles through ankle sprain as Grizzlies clinch 8-seed playoff spot


MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Ja Morant shook off a sprained right ankle to deliver 22 points and nine assists, leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 120-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night and securing the final spot in the NBA playoffs.

With the win, Memphis clinched the Western Conference's eighth seed and will face top-seeded Oklahoma City in a best-of-seven series starting Sunday on the Thunder's home floor.

Morant, who suffered the injury Tuesday in the Grizzlies’ play-in opener at Golden State, had been listed as questionable leading up to the game. Speaking at the postgame press conference, Morant revealed he underwent an MRI and received a pain-killing injection on Thursday, followed by another injection before taking the court Friday.

“It was tough, but I knew what was at stake,” Morant said. “I had to be out there with my guys.”



Morant Pushes Through Injury to Lead Grizzlies in Playoff Opener

MEMPHIS — Ja Morant wasn’t even sure he’d suit up until 30 minutes before tipoff, but when game time came, there was no question where he’d be.

“The doctors gave me all the help I needed in the simplest terms,” Morant said after the game. “I wanted to be on the floor. I wanted to play this game and get the win.”

Despite dealing with a sprained ankle, Morant started strong with a highlight-reel, one-handed dunk that had teammate Desmond Bane shouting “Showtime!” as Morant rose to eye-level with the rim. He finished with 16 points in the first half and ended the night with 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in 33 minutes of play. Though he occasionally limped to the free-throw line, it was clear his presence made all the difference in Memphis’ wire-to-wire victory.

“I couldn’t feel it... so I was out there,” Morant said of his ankle.

Asked whether he would continue taking pain-killing injections through the first round, Morant responded, “That’s a question for somebody else. I’m going to be out there regardless.”

Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo praised his star guard’s resilience: “I’ve learned not to doubt him too much. He comes up with some stuff that I’m not sure there’s any other human being on the planet that can do.”

On the other side, Anthony Davis led the Mavericks with 40 points and nine rebounds but exited the game in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a right calf injury. He briefly returned but didn’t finish the game. Afterward, he sat in the locker room with his leg wrapped in ice.

“We had our chances. Obviously, a tough loss,” Davis said. “I tried to fight through it, knowing it was a win-or-go-home situation.”

Klay Thompson added 18 points for Dallas in the loss.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 24 points and said the focus now shifts to the bigger picture.

“A series is a series,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to stay level-headed. Whether you win a game or lose a game, it really doesn't matter until it’s over.”

Memphis will look to build on this momentum as it heads deeper into the first round, seeking to break its recent struggles against the Thunder, who’ve beaten the Grizzlies nine straight times.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.