The Golden State Warriors and the host Memphis Grizzlies renew their heated rivalry on Thursday night. Both teams are struggling in the Western Conference and are unsure of when ‘reinforcements’ might arrive.
Warriors vs. Grizzlies injuries: 4 Questionable, 6 Out
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Memphis Grizzlies
Although the Grizzlies expect Ja Morant to return by then, they have not provided an update on his leave of absence following a reported gun incident.
Morant did not play in either of Memphis’ two losses to the Clippers on Sunday and the Lakers on Tuesday, both of which occurred in Los Angeles.
The Grizzlies said Wednesday that Morant will sit out four games, with March 17 in San Antonio against the Spurs being his earliest possible return.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that the police in Glendale, Colorado have decided not to press charges against Morant.
Morant’s suspension from the team was extended after he ‘showed off’ a gun on Instagram Live over the weekend.
It has been reported that the star guard is undergoing treatment as part of a “ongoing healing process” under head coach Taylor Jenkins. The extent of Morant’s absence beyond the next four games is unknown. As a stopgap measure, Tyus Jones will get the nod at point guard.
| PLAYER | UPDATED | INJURY |
STATUS
|
| Vince Williams Jr. | Wed, Mar 8 | Shoulder |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 11
|
| Steven Adams | Wed, Mar 8 | Knee |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 11
|
| Jake LaRavia | Wed, Mar 8 | Back |
Game Time Decision
|
| Brandon Clarke | Sun, Mar 5 | Achilles |
Out for the season
|
Adams suffered a right knee sprain on January 22 and has been out of action ever since. In his absence, Xavier Tillman should keep getting the nod to start. Adams will get another opportunity to play this coming Saturday when the team takes on Dallas.
It’s possible that LaRavia will miss his third consecutive game due to back soreness on Thursday, but his status is currently unknown.
Meanwhile, Williams’s absence from the Memphis rotation won’t have much of an effect on fantasy basketball teams because of his small role in the team.
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Golden State Warriors
Meanwhile, the Dubs’ losing streak on the road currently stands at seven games.
It was hoped that Stephen Curry’s return from an 11-game absence due to a lower leg injury would help them overcome their road funk. Despite Curry scoring 27 and 40 points against the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively, the Warriors still lost both games.
From the field (51.2%) and beyond the arc (51.7%), Curry is averaging 33.5 points per game in his first two games back. I’m hoping he can do better against the Grizzlies next time.
| PLAYER | UPDATED | INJURY |
STATUS
|
| Kevon Looney | Wed, Mar 8 | Back |
Game Time Decision
|
| Andrew Wiggins | Wed, Mar 8 | Personal |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 11
|
| Andre Iguodala | Wed, Mar 8 | Hip |
Game Time Decision
|
| Jonathan Kuminga | Wed, Mar 8 | Hip |
Game Time Decision
|
| Gary Payton II | Mon, Feb 13 | Abdomen |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 24
|
| Ryan Rollins | Mon, Feb 6 | Foot |
Out for the season
|
Looney played just 11 minutes due to a back injury on Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder, but he plans to play through the pain on Thursday.
Since February 14, when Wiggins left the team to deal with a personal matter, the team has been without him and there is no word on when he will return. In his absence, Donte DiVincenzo should keep his starting job.
Despite suffering from a hip injury, Iguodala is expected to play in a third consecutive game. However, in his last two games, he has combined for only 1.0 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 rebounds in 13.0 minutes.
It is likely that Kuminga injured his hip against the Thunder, but he is still expected to play on Thursday. It’s unclear, though, if the second-year forward will keep his starting spot or be demoted to the bench in favor of Kevon Looney.
