Extent of Ja Morant’s hand injury revealed

Feb 2, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) reacts after a play during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Ja Morant suffered a hand injury late in the Memphis Grizzlies’ Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, and it sounds like he got at least some good news after undergoing tests.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that X-rays on Morant’s right hand came back negative. The injury is being treated more as a pain tolerance issue, though Morant described his pain as a 10 out of 10 following Sunday’s game.

No breaks or fractures in Grizzlies star Ja Morant's right hand, sources say. His status remains up in air for Game 2 vs. Lakers with what's believed to be a significant pain tolerance injury. Reporting from Run It Back on @FanDuelTV: pic.twitter.com/MKqhnPamfY

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 18, 2023

“I’m told there are no breaks and no fractures in Ja Morant’s hand. It’s, as of right now, being treated as more of a pain tolerance injury,” Charania said. “It’s something that they’re going to continue to monitor. … His status is still very much up in the air for Game 2 on Wednesday.”

Morant suffered the injury when he took a hard fall in the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies’ 128-112 loss to L.A. (video here).

It is certainly good news that Morant avoided any structural damage, but the update he provided following Sunday’s game did not sound promising. The injury is to Morant’s shooting hand, so it could significantly impact his play if he is in pain.