Ja Morant hand injury update: Grizzlies star's status 'up in air' for Game 2 vs. Lakers

As the Grizzlies fell to the Lakers in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Ja Morant was unable to finish the game due to a hand injury.

With under five minutes remaining in the game, Morant exited after aggravating a right-hand injury on a hard fall. He immediately ran to the locker room and, despite returning to the bench, did not return to the court as LA pulled away.

Thanks to a late-game 15-0 run, the Lakers were able to swipe Game 1 on the road behind career performances from Rui Hachimura, who finished with 29 points off the bench, and Austin Reaves, who closed the game out for the Lakers with 14 points in the fourth quarter.

How severe is Morant's hand injury and will he miss any time beyond Game 1? The Sporting News has you covered with the latest updates below.

MORE: What we know about Anthony Davis' arm injury

What is Ja Morant's injury?

Morant suffered a right hand injury back on April 7 against the Bucks. He was defending Jae Crowder on a drive and jammed his hand, heading to the locker room after the play.

Since that injury, Morant has played with his right hand heavily taped. In Game 1 against the Lakers, the star guard suffered a setback as he fell awkwardly after trying to finish over Anthony Davis.

Ja Morant goes up against Anthony Davis, comes down and hurts his right hand on this play.

He is heading to the locker room 🙏pic.twitter.com/pmiHH19Vo7

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 16, 2023

Morant underwent various tests and imaging, none of which revealed an injury to his right hand or wrist. After sustaining the injury in Game 1, Morant told reporters that the pain level in his right hand was a 10 and he was unable to use it.

MORE: Is Steven Adams playing in the 2023 NBA Playoffs?

How long will Ja Morant be out?

After Game 1, Morant was asked about his status for the upcoming game, which he admitted was "in jeopardy," according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

On Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there is "significant doubt" that Morant would be available for Game 2. On Tuesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Morant's status for Game 2 "remains up in air" but is more of a pain tolerance issue as there is no structural damage.

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

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins declared Morant as a "game-time decision" at practice on Tuesday.

The Grizzlies are required to provide a status update on Morant ahead of Wednesday's Game 2. Check back for updates as they become available.

Grizzlies vs. Lakers playoff series schedule

After playing in Game 1 on Sunday, Memphis and LA will have two days of rest before taking the floor again for Game 2. The teams will get another two days of rest when the series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3.

* if necessary