The shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies take on the surging Los Angeles Lakers at 11:00 AM on NBA TV Philippines.
What’s up with the Grizzlies?
A lot has been going on in Memphis.
In case you missed it, the big news from the Grizzlies is Ja Morant’s suspension from the team for appearing to hold a gun on Instagram Live. The Grizzlies star will be absent for the second straight game as the NBA investigates the off-court issue.
Aside from Morant, the Grizzlies were also missing several key players in their recent game versus the LA Clippers. It has been reported that Brandon Clarke will miss the remainder of the season because of an Achilles injury while Steven Adams remains out with an ailing knee. Dillon Brooks, meanwhile, served his one-game suspension for reaching the technical foul limit of the season.
Despite being shorthanded, the Grizzlies put on a show in Los Angeles, albeit in a losing effort. They dropped 51 points in the third quarter but ran out of steam in the final frame and endured a 135-129 defeat.
According to Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins, there’s no definite timetable yet for Morant’s return. The team earlier announced that he would miss at least two games but it seems he will be out for an extended period.
What’s up with the Lakers?
The big question concerning the Lakers is are they going to make the postseason.
The Lakers hold a 31-34 record (tied with Utah and Portland) as they sit outside the 10th seed. Though it looks bleak, there’s still a glimmer of hope to avoid another disappointing season. They’re currently making a strong push toward the play-in tournament, going 4-2 since the All-Star break.
The team has been shorthanded so far as LeBron James continues to miss due to a right foot injury and D’Angelo Russell is dealing with an ankle injury. But in the absence of two key players, Anthony Davis has stepped up to the plate and delivered.
Even though he has his own history of nagging injuries and sat out a handful of games, Davis has been on a tear. He scored a total of 77 points in his last two games while shooting at least 54 percent from the field.
Thanks to Davis, the Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors despite the return of their star Steph Curry.
LA’s playoff hopes now sit on the shoulders of Davis with only a handful of games left in the regular season.
