The Memphis Grizzlies will be without their star Ja Morant for two games in Los Angeles, the first of which is against the Clippers on Sunday.
After Morant appeared in an Instagram Live video in the early hours of Saturday while at a nightclub with what appeared to be a gun in his hand, the NBA imposed a two-game suspension on him.
Morant won’t play for the first time since Feb. 5 and will also have to miss Tuesday’s game against the Lakers. He just finished a game in which he scored 27 points in a 113-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Since February 7, Morant has averaged 26.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game in Memphis’ 6-3 record. The Grizzlies lost on Friday to the Nuggets, who are currently in first place in the Western Conference, putting them in second place.
The fact that forward Brandon Clarke is out for the season after suffering an Achilles injury during Friday’s game adds to the Grizzlies’ problems. Additionally, guard Dillon Brooks will be suspended for Sunday’s game after receiving his 16th technical foul, which is the most in NBA history.
The Clippers are coming into Sunday’s game with a five-game losing streak, the most recent of which was a heartbreaking 128-127 loss to the Sacramento Kings on the road on Friday. With seven seconds remaining, Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis hit two free throws, and Los Angeles’ Paul George missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
After missing the entirety of the previous season following knee surgery, Kawhi Leonard was unable to play in Friday’s game due to load management.
Russell Westbrook scored 28 points in his fifth Clippers game, but his new team hasn’t won since he started playing. After losing 176-175 in double overtime to the Kings at home in Westbrook’s debut with the Clippers, this was the Clippers’ second tough-luck defeat of the season.
The Clippers’ Norman Powell, a sharpshooter, could be out for a long time. He didn’t play against the Warriors on Friday because he injured his shoulder.
Sr. Marcus Morris Ivica Zubac has also missed the Clippers’ game on Friday because of an elbow injury, and he has also missed four of the last five games because of a strained right calf.
The Clippers and Grizzlies will meet for the first time in just one month of the regular season. Additionally, they will meet in consecutive games on March 29 and 31 at Memphis.
