Ja Morant’s first trip back to Memphis in a Blazers uniform ended early Thursday night, and not because of the score. The guard left Portland’s matchup with the Grizzlies with a left hamstring injury and did not return, cutting short what had been billed as the night’s biggest storyline after his offseason departure from Memphis.
By the time it was over, Memphis had turned the game into a blowout, rolling past Portland 124-103. Morant played 23 minutes and finished with 14 points, two rebounds and three assists.
The Grizzlies took control in a big way in the second half, outscoring the Blazers 66-45 after pulling away midway through the third quarter. Memphis improved to 5-0 behind a balanced attack, with eight players reaching double figures.
Rookie Cam Boozer set the tone with the first triple-double of his career, posting 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Ty Jerome was among the group in double figures as well, even if he settled for a season-low 10 points.
Portland leaned on Deni Avdija, who led the team with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Damian Lillard struggled to find his rhythm, finishing with nine points on 3-of-13 shooting as the Blazers dropped to 3-1.
Morant’s night carried extra weight because of what came before it. The No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft spent seven seasons with Memphis, appearing in 327 games and averaging 22.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists. His run there also included suspensions and ongoing injury issues that kept interrupting his availability.
He was dealt to Portland in the offseason for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, and his start with the Blazers had been strong before Thursday. Entering the game, Morant was averaging 16.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 26.7 minutes across his first three contests while shooting 58.8 percent from the field.
Portland’s next stop is Saturday against the Utah Jazz as it opens a four-game road trip, and Morant’s status for that stretch is now uncertain after the hamstring injury.
In Other News...
Blazers Suddenly Face A Ja Morant Problem They Couldnt Afford
The first real chapter of the Ja Morant era in Portland already came with a jolt, and not the kind the Trail Blazers wanted. Morant faced the Grizzlies for the first time since arriving in the trade that sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to Memphis, and the night ended early in the fourth quarter when he exited with a left hamstring injury.
Now Portland has a new problem on its hands: its biggest offseason swing comes with an immediate absence attached. Morant has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and is expected to miss at least four weeks, leaving the Blazers to adjust quickly while they wait to see how long their new centerpiece is actually on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Just Ran Into An Early Problem Fans Knew Was Coming
The unbeaten start is over for Portland after a lopsided loss to Memphis, and the old warning sign showed up quickly. The Blazers never found rhythm from deep, with Damian Lillard going 1-of-9 from three-point range and the team as a whole missing more often than not in a night where the perimeter shot simply would not cooperate.
For a Portland team that has leaned on spacing and shot-making, the bigger concern was how little relief it found when the outside looks stopped falling. The Blazers finished 12-of-49 from beyond the arc, and that kind of night turned a promising early-season run into a frustrating reminder of how fragile those margins can be. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Fans Have Another Robert Williams Concern To Watch
Robert Williams has already given Blazers fans enough reason to track every injury report, and the latest reminder came amid a busy night around the league that featured a few notable health scares. In Utah, rookie guard Darryn Peterson put up 18 points in 26 minutes during the Jazzs loss to San Antonio, only to sit the final seven minutes and overtime as head coach Will Hardy leaned on Brice Sensabaughs scoring late. Elsewhere, Nikola Jokic logged his 200th regular-season triple-double in a win over New Orleans, while Ja Morant left early with a left hamstring injury.
For Portland, the Williams item is the one that matters most, because his availability has been such a constant question mark since arriving. A sore knee kept him out of a game, and for a Blazers team trying to get a read on its rotation and frontcourt depth, every missed appearance adds another layer of uncertainty. The concern is not just whether Williams can return, but whether he can stay on the floor long enough to become the kind of stabilizing piece Portland was hoping for. [Read more 🡒]