I can't help thinking "instant karma." Morant probably hurt it on
another play where Klay had the ball, Morant ran to Klay, jumped up high
and landed a bit awkwardly on that right leg. -AL

============================================================

Grizzlies coach: ‘Really good chance’ Morant misses Game 4 vs. Warriors
with knee injury
Ja Morant injured his knee in Game 3 of Grizzlies-Warriors; Memphis
coach Taylor Jenkins intimated that Jordan Poole injured Morant
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 7: Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant
struggles for the ball between Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole and
Andrew Wiggins in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of a second-round NBA
basketball playoff series at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on
Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 7: Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant
struggles for the ball between Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole and
Andrew Wiggins in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of a second-round NBA
basketball playoff series at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on
Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: May 8, 2022 at 2:48 p.m. | UPDATED: May 8, 2022 at 3:48 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/05/08/grizzlies-coach-really-good-chance-morant-misses-game-4-vs-warriors-with-knee-injury/

Ja Morant is unlikely to play in Game 4 of the Warriors’ playoff series
with the Grizzlies, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said Sunday.

Morant suffered a knee injury in the Warriors’ Game 3 win Saturday
night. He and Jenkins both highlighted a fourth-quarter play in which
Golden State guard Jordan Poole grabbed Morant’s knee during a trap at
half-court.

“From what I’ve been told there’s a really good chance he doesn’t play
tomorrow,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins reiterated his postgame statement that he and the Grizzlies
believe Warriors’ guard Jordan Poole caused Morant’s knee injury when he
grabbed and “yanked” it.

“This injury is caused by that play,” Jenkins said on Sunday with his
team now in a 2-1 hole in the series.

Jenkins said Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman has been in
communication with the NBA league office about the play. But the league
will take not suspend Poole for Game 4, which tips off at 7 p.m. Monday,
or fine him for the incident, according to multiple reports.

Morant made his feelings about the play clear, tweeting a video of the
play with the caption “broke the code,” a reference to Steve Kerr’s
comments in response to Dillon Brooks’ hard foul on Gary Payton II that
caused him to break his elbow in Game 2. Morant deleted the tweet
shortly after posting it.

Jenkins couldn’t expand on the nature of Morant’s injury, other than it
was a knee injury and that he is undergoing further evaluation on it.

Echoing Jaren Jackson Jr.’s response to Morant’s injury after the
Warriors’ Game 3 win, Grizzlies’ Tyus Jones said the play was “interesting.”

“I don’t think Poole, or anybody in this series for that matter, is
necessarily a dirty player,” Jones said. “It was an interesting play.
That’s all I can really say on that. It was not a normal play that
normally happens. But I don’t think he was trying to injure him by any
means.”

Though Kerr refrained from commenting on the matter, the Warriors
players defended Poole. Klay Thompson, saying on Saturday that there was
no malicious intent and “We’re not out here trying to hurt people. Or
club people in the back of the head on a fast break.”

Steph Curry equated it to “hot stove” contact and on Sunday, Otto Porter
Jr. said the team isn’t even thinking about the play anymore.

“Nah, we ain’t thought about it at all,” he said. “We’re just trying to
focus on Game 4. I don’t think there’s anything to talk about… .What
Jordan Poole did, he was just going for the ball, it is what it is.”

Morant’s teammates said his spirits were “high” but Jenkins said the
star guard wasn’t able to participate in any basketball activities on
Sunday.

Morant worked his way back from a knee injury to play for Memphis in the
first round against the Timberwolves. He played in only two of the
Grizzlies’ final 13 games of the regular season. The Grizzlies went 20-5
in games without Morant this year.

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“When he was on the court, you saw how much we relied on him,” Grizzlies
center Xavier Tillman said. “When he’s not on the court, it’s like, we
got you.”

But the Grizzlies’ success without Morant in the regular season happened
with sharpshooter Desmond Bane playing at full strength. The guard has
been dealing with a back injury for the semifinal series, and it’s
clearly holding him back. He shot 2-for-8 in the first two games, but
looked a little more healthy in Game 3, shooting 4-for-5 from 3. Bane
said after Saturday’s game that he was feeling better, but not 100 percent.

The Grizzlies also got center Steven Adams back from health and safety
protocols, and Adams could challenge the Warriors’ domination on the
glass thus far. The Warriors have averaged a playoff-leading 120 points
per game in these playoffs — bumped by a 142-point game on Saturday —
with quick transition offense off defensive boards.

Though the Grizzlies have had success without Morant, their star has
been their best player this series, averaging 38 points per game.

--
Shayna Rubin | Oakland Athletics reporter