The Memphis Grizzlies announced Monday that star guard Ja Morant suffered a Grade 1 right calf strain in the first quarter of Saturday’s loss at Cleveland and will miss at least two weeks.
Morant left the contest with 6:01 remaining in the opening quarter after scoring 7 points in six minutes on 2-of-2 shooting. The guard sat out the previous game Wednesday against the Boston Celtics due to a sore right ankle.
Morant’s latest setback comes with Memphis mired in a four-game losing streak, having dropped eight of its past nine contests ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center.
A two-time NBA All-Star, Morant, 26, is currently averaging career lows in minutes (28.8) field goal percentage (35.9%), 3-point field goal percentage (16.7%) and rebounds (3.5), while averaging a career-high 3.8 turnovers per game.
The Grizzlies suspended Morant for conduct detrimental to the team following an Oct. 31 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, after he engaged in a postgame exchange with coach Tuomas Iisalo. Morant returned to the lineup on Nov. 3 against Detroit.
In the third year of a five-year, $197.2 million contract signed in 2022, Morant has played in just 59 games over the past two seasons due to injuries and a pair of suspensions stemming from incidents involving guns.
