The Memphis Grizzlies (44-28) are in the middle of a tight battle in the upper echelon of the Western Conference. They're currently the fourth seed and just a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets (45-28). However, they're also only a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers (43-28).
The Grizzlies have been fighting this battle shorthanded recently, as star guard Ja Morant (hamstring) missed the last five games. They've gone 2-3 over that span, but their two wins were against the Utah Jazz (16-57) and Miami Heat (31-41), both losing teams.
The 25-year-old is an essential piece to Memphis' operation, and the club needs him back as soon as possible.
However, Morant won't return against the Oklahoma City Thunder (60-12) on Thursday, via Grizzlies PR. The team announced he with miss a sixth straight game with a left hamstring strain.
As a result, two-time All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. will be the team's lone star against the Western Conference leaders.
Status Report: @memgrizz at @okcthunder, March 27: pic.twitter.com/qmXZDNmFJC
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) March 26, 2025
The Thunder contest will be Morant's 30th missed game of the season. The Murray State alum is averaging 22.3 points on 44.9 percent shooting with 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 30 minutes.
Although the Grizzlies could slide in the standings if Morant misses more time, they likely won't rush him back to not risk a setback before the playoffs. They'd face the Lakers in the first round if the season ended now, who beat them in six games in the 2023 Western Conference Quarterfinals.
After Thursday's game, the Grizzlies will return home to host the Lakers on Saturday before playing the Boston Celtics (53-19) on Monday.
Related: Grizzlies Make Ja Morant Injury Announcement Before Heat Game
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This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 4:12 PM.