Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Memphis Grizzlies listed star Ja Morant as “doubtful” for their must-win game four against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs on Saturday. The Grizzlies did not confirm an ESPN report that Morant would definitely miss the contest because of the left hip contusion he suffered late in the second quarter of game three, when he struck the Thunder’s Luguentz Dort as he soared toward the basket and fell face-first onto the court. Morant stayed in the game long enough to take his free throws but then departed.
With him sidelined, the Thunder made a stunning 29-point comeback to beat the Grizzlies 114-108 and take a 3-0 stranglehold on the best-of-seven Western Conference series. No NBA team has come back from 0-3 down to win a playoff series.
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It’s not the first time this season Morant has battled a hip injury stemming from a fall. He missed eight games with a hip subluxation and pelvic muscle strains after a collision in the air during a November 6 game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He sprained his right ankle in the Grizzlies’ loss to the Golden State Warriors in the first Western Conference play-in game. But he received pain-killing injections and played as Memphis beat Dallas in their second play-in game to clinch a playoff berth.
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