The status of Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant, who suffered a knee injury in the previous contest, for Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors has been a major storyline in the lead-up to the contest on Monday night. Just after the Warriors were dealt a major blow in the form of a positive COVID-19 test for head coach Steve Kerr, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins announced the final status of Morant for Game 4, as reported by Marc Jr. Spears of ESPN.

Per Spears, head coach Taylor Jenkins said that Morant will be out for Game 4 vs. the Warriors. It's not particularly surprising, given that the Murray State product was listed as doubtful and was spotted with a limp earlier on Monday while walking into the facility for the team's shootaround.

However, the Grizzlies' curious refusal to disclose the details of Morant's MRI had many wondering what their true intentions were- or if perhaps the 2022 Most Improved Player had an outside chance of suiting up for the NBA Playoff matchup.

It wasn't to be. Morant, who has averaged a whopping 38.3 points per game in the conference semifinals against the Warriors, will unfortunately be watching from the bench.

With both teams dealing with the absence of key figures to their success, Monday's game will require each to dig deeper.