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Memphis Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo had to concede a concerning fact about Ja Morant's injury after the team's 114-106 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the West First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on Thursday night.
Before Morant went down, the Grizzlies possessed a 27-point lead over the Thunder at home. At first, it seemed like the team would defend homecourt and get a game to reduce their opponent's series lead to 2-1.
Then the injury happened. With three minutes left, Morant was mid-air as he collided with Thunder guard Lu Dort and fell down hard to the ground. This resulted in him suffering a hip injury as he could not play for the remainder of the game.
Despite the team's efforts to win without their star guard, the Grizzlies couldn't hold on to their lead, which used to be as many as 29 points. Iisalo reflected on why this happened after the game, per team reporter Damichael Cole.
“Tuomas Iisalo said the Ja Morant injury “quite drastically” changed the energy and execution,” Cole wrote.
What's next for Ja Morant, Grizzlies
That definitely was the case for Tuomas Iisalo and the Grizzlies, falling apart in the second half without Ja Morant against the Thunder.
This resulted in Oklahoma City completing a 29-point comeback, the second largest in NBA playoff history and the largest before halftime. This now puts the Grizzlies' back against the walls, trailing 3-0 in the series as they must win to keep their season alive.
Five players scored in double-digits on Memphis' behalf. Scotty Pippen Jr. led the way with 28 points, five rebounds and five assists. He shot 8-of-16 from the field, including 6-of-10 from downtown, and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Jaren Jackson Jr. came next with 22 points and seven rebounds, Morant had 15 points and five assists, while Santi Aldama provided 14 points and six rebounds.
The Grizzlies will look to avoid elimination when they host the Thunder in Game 4. The contest will take place on April 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
