Ja Morant believes the Memphis Grizzlies would’ve been more competitive against the Oklahoma City Thunder if he hadn’t hurt his hip during Game 3 of their first-round best-of-seven series.
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Morant sustained the hip injury on a scary fall after being undercut by Oklahoma City Thunder swingman Luguentz Dort when Memphis were up 27 points in the second quarter. The two-time NBA All-Star missed the rest of Game 3 and Game 4.
“I had ’em figured out,” Morant said via Jonah Dylan of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Going out Game 3, not being able to play, was frustrating because that win right there could’ve made this totally different. I feel like we’d be on the way to OKC, series tied 2-2 right now.”
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“I felt like every injury I had this year was out of my control. I didn’t have an injury this year where I was pretty much in control. I got a ball thrown at my ankle, I landed on somebody’s foot one time, I got hit out of the air twice. That’s not what you can prepare for, what you can control,” he added about his injuries this season. “Outside of those injuries, I feel like I had one of my healthiest seasons ever. I had no back problems, no knee pain throughout the whole season. And that’s what I can control.”
Memphis Grizzlies News: Ja Morant responds to being in the trade rumors
After another early exit, the Memphis Grizzlies will have plenty of conversations about the team’s future. Many analysts believe the team might have to consider trading Ja Morant this offseason.
Morant is not bothered by the trade rumors and said he is only focused on recharging his batteries and getting better this upcoming offseason.
“My job is to play basketball,” Morant said. “I try to stay out of those convos as much as possible. Continue to leave it to the higher-ups. I feel like if I get into that, it’s a lot more that comes my way.”
