Morant a game-time decision vs. Lakers with soft tissue bruise in hand
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has a soft tissue bruise in his hand and will be a game-time decision for Wednesday's playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach Taylor Jenkins said Tuesday, according to The Daily Memphian's Drew Hill.
Morant originally suffered the injury April 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks and aggravated it Sunday, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
The injury is characterized as a "pain tolerance" issue, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported earlier Tuesday in an appearance on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back."
Morant left Game 1 after landing awkwardly on his hand following a collision with Lakers star Anthony Davis when the latter attempted to draw an offensive foul. Morant's hand was already wrapped in tape from the original injury.
X-rays on the hand came back negative after Game 1, according to MacMahon. However, the 23-year-old described his status for Game 2 as "in jeopardy," MacMahon added.
The Grizzlies guard averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in the regular season. He missed 21 games due to various lower-body injuries and an eight-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the league.