How Ja Morant’s gun-related suspension affects Kings, Suns, Warriors in NBA playoff race
A viral video that appears to show Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant brandishing a firearm in a nightclub sent shockwaves through the NBA on Saturday with repercussions that could affect the Western Conference playoff race.
The Grizzlies have suspended Morant for at least two games after he was seen holding what looked like a gun in an Instagram Live video, the latest in a series of reported gun-related incidents involving the 23-year-old All-Star point guard.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” Morant said in a statement. “I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down. I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being.”
The NBA has launched an investigation into the incident, which could result in additional discipline. The news came on the same day the Grizzlies announced Brandon Clarke will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles and Dillon Brooks was given a one-game suspension after receiving his 16th technical foul.
Morant, who is averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists, will miss Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers and Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He will return no sooner than Thursday when the Grizzlies play host to the Golden State Warriors. Memphis will then play the Dallas Mavericks on March 11 and March 13, Miami Heat on March 15, San Antonio Spurs on March 17, Warriors on March 18 and Mavericks on March 20.
The Grizzlies (38-24) currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, but that may not be the case when Morant returns. The Sacramento Kings (37-25) have won five in a row to get within one game of the Grizzlies. The surging Phoenix Suns and Warriors are four and five games back, respectively, with a chance to catch the Grizzlies over the final five weeks of the regular season. The Mavericks are just one game behind the Warriors for the No. 6 seed.
Kings coach Mike Brown was asked about his thoughts on the situation in Memphis and the potential impact on the playoff race prior to Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center.
“I don’t think about that at all because that’s what they have to deal with and I’m sure (Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins) would feel the same if it was us in that situation,” Brown said. “That’s something they’ll have to deal with, whatever that means at the end of the day, and I’m just going to concentrate, like I tell our guys, on us and us getting better at what we do, especially during this stretch of the year.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2023 at 7:13 PM.
