Ja Morant a question mark as Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks vie for 8th seed
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Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for a dunk on Jimmy Butler of the Golden State Warriors in the first half of the NBA play-in tournament game at Chase Centre.
PHOTO: AFP
MEMPHIS – The Memphis Grizzlies need one victory to reach the National Basketball Association (NBA) play-offs and there is no telling whether their best player will be on the floor.
Star point guard Ja Morant missed practice on April 17 because of a right ankle injury, and will be a game-time decision when Memphis host the Dallas Mavericks in their play-in game on April 18 (April 19, Singapore time).
The winners earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference play-offs and will face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. The season is over for the losers.
Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo is hopeful Morant’s ankle will improve leading up to tip-off.
“My feel with him is he’ll do absolutely everything in order to play,” he said. “If he’s physically able to do it, he will do it. It’s a legitimate game-time decision.”
Morant was injured during the 121-116 road loss to the Golden State Warriors in the first West game of the play-in tournament on April 15. He landed on the foot of Golden State’s Buddy Hield late in the third quarter and was in excruciating pain on the floor.
He stayed on to make a free throw to finish a three-point play, then exited before later returning in the fourth quarter.
Morant, who had 22 points, insisted after the contest that he would play on April 18. The real verdict will arrive when rosters are turned in before the game against Dallas.
“If he feels he’s good to go, we have full trust in him,” Iisalo added. “He’s also a very good judge of how and if he’s ready to go or not. I’m leaning on the experts in this situation, which clearly I’m not in the medical department.”
Memphis (48-34) looked headed to a high seed before encountering problems late in the season.
The Grizzlies lost 10 of their last 16 regular-season games and fired coach Taylor Jenkins during the struggles as they fell into the play-in round.
Dallas (39-43) enter the contest brimming with confidence after posting a dominant 120-106 victory over hosts Sacramento Kings in their play-in game on April 16.
Anthony Davis stood out with 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots in just his 10th game for the Mavericks since being acquired in the deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
It is difficult to say who are the favourites in the post-season atmosphere, but the Grizzlies may have an edge.
Memphis won three of the four regular-season meetings, including a 132-97 whipping of the visiting Mavericks on April 13. Five days later, both teams will be in do-or-die mode.
“We know how talented that group is and they have a great home court,” Dallas’ Klay Thompson said. “We’re going to go to Memphis and lay it all out there and that’s all we can ask.”
In the other final play-in game on April 18, the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks duel in Georgia for the final berth in the Eastern Conference play-offs.
The winners will face the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
Atlanta earned home court over Miami by virtue of finishing the season 40-42, three games better than the Heat. All four games in the Hawks-Heat season series were won by the home team with double-digit margins. REUTERS
