New detail surfaces about Ja Morant’s hand injury

Feb 12, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Ja Morant hurt his hand on Sunday when he took a hard fall in the Memphis Grizzlies’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, but apparently the injury is not an entirely new one.

Morant underwent X-rays after exiting Sunday’s game. The tests revealed that he did not sustain a fracture or broken bone in his right hand. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Morant aggravated a soft tissue bruise that stemmed from a previous injury that occurred in the final week of the regular season.

An MRI yesterday showed an aggravation of the bruising in the soft tissue in Ja Morant’s hand, an injury originally suffered vs. Bucks in last week of regular season. He did some shooting and dribbling today. https://t.co/9piyi1mlMx

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 18, 2023

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant will be a game-time decision 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). He later spoke with reporters and did not sound optimistic about his chances of playing in Game 2.

The issue for Morant will reportedly come down to pain tolerance, so there is a chance he could suit up on Wednesday. He may feel more urgency to play after the Grizzlies were blown out in Game 1.