The Memphis Grizzlies have had an eventful season, to say the least, but they have managed to weather the storm thus far. While they are still battling for seeding ahead of the playoffs, that has taken a backseat with the recent news surrounding Ja Morant. Morant took time away from the Grizzlies following several off-court issues that threatened the Grizzlies’ season. Now, it appears that Morant has begun to put those issues behind him and is nearing a return to the court.
Ja Morant’s status for the Rockets at Grizzlies on March 24th
According to ESPN, Morant is expected to play in the Grizzlies’ game on Friday against the Houston Rockets. He played well in his Wednesday return against the Rockets and will play them again on Friday.
Memphis Grizzlies full injury report.
While Morant is expected to play, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke, and Vince Williams Jr. will all miss the game against the Rockets. Adams will be out for at least a month with a knee injury, Williams Jr. is out with a shoulder injury, and Clark is out for the season with an Achilles tendon tear.
Memphis Grizzlies’ next five games
While the Grizzlies have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, they still have an incentive to continue to play hard. The Sacramento Kings are just a game and a half behind them in the standings for the second seed, and the Grizzlies simply need to continue to play well with just 11 games remaining in the regular season or risk falling back to third.
If they are able to do so, they will lock down the second seed and could potentially challenge the Denver Nuggets for the best record in the West, though that might require the Grizzlies to win all of their remaining games. Here are the Grizzlies’ next five games:
Friday, March 24: Houston, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 26: at Atlanta, 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 28: Orlando, 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 29: Los Angeles Clippers, 8:00 p.m.
Friday, March 31: Los Angeles Clippers, 8:00 p.m.
All in all, it appears that Morant will be back for the Grizzlies’ game against the Rockets on Friday night. With fewer than a dozen games remaining in the regular season, the timing of his return should give him enough time to get reacclimated ahead of the playoffs.