Ja Morant’s first game against the Memphis Grizzlies since the blockbuster trade had the kind of edge you’d expect right up until the moment it turned. Then, in the early part of the fourth quarter, everything changed.
Morant came out of the game after injuring his left hamstring and headed to the locker room, never making it back onto the floor. He finished with 14 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, shooting 6-for-14 from the field and 2-for-5 from three in the 124-103 loss.
The Trail Blazers’ head coach Micah Nori said the injury happened after Morant felt something in the leg.
“He felt a twinge. I was trying to take a foul to get him out.
But we were forcing turnovers, so then we had to take a few more runs with him than I wanted him to,” said the Trail Blazers’ head coach Micah Nori after the game. “But it was probably a twinge on the way down, but I’ll be able to tell you more tomorrow afternoon when we take a better look at it.”
Nori added that the situation was new for him in dealing with Morant.
“This is the first time I’ve been around him when he’s had something, and he’s said he felt something. He said he felt a twinge, so I was just trying to get him out.
I haven’t talked to him since. There’s always a concern, but I hope it’s nothing major, obviously.”
Before the game, Morant already looked locked in. He was given the chance to pick the team’s warm-up song and went with NBA YoungBoy’s “Cross Me.”
Ja Morant was allowed to choose the Blazers’ warm-up song ahead of today’s game against the Grizzlies.
He picked “Cross Me” by NBA YoungBoy 👀
(h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA )
- NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 30, 2026
Once the game got going, he kept that same energy. Morant was trash-talking throughout the night, and after one play he called former teammate Cedric Coward “food.”
Ja Morant scores on Cedric Coward, points at him, and tells the crowd, “He’s food.” 👀
(h/t @ShowCaseShabazz )
- NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 30, 2026
If the left hamstring injury is ultimately diagnosed as a strain, Morant could be out for several weeks. For now, the next update is expected tomorrow afternoon when the team takes a better look at it.
The loss also brought the Trail Blazers back to earth, as they fell for the first time this season. They’re now 3-1 and will face the Utah Jazz on Friday, October 30.
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Ja Morant Overshadowed A Big Grizzlies Breakout In Portland
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Still, the closing stretch carried a different kind of concern for Memphis. Ja Morant exited in the fourth quarter with left hamstring issues and was being evaluated after the game, a development that can quickly overshadow even a strong road victory. Portland got solid work from center Donovan Clingan, who finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and five blocks, but the Trail Blazers never found enough offense to keep up once Memphis took control. [Read more 🡒]