NBA Injury Report: Ja Morant out, Steph Curry probable and more updates on Tyrese Haliburton and Lauri Markkanen | March 5, 2023

Ja Morant is involved in the latest and perhaps biggest controversy in the NBA this season. After losing to the Denver Nuggets two nights ago, he posted a video of himself flexing a gun.

The Memphis Grizzlies promptly suspended him for two games. He will not be available tonight against the LA Clippers or on Tuesday versus the LA Lakers.

The basketball superstar released a statement after officially receiving his punishment:

“I take full responsibility for my actions last night. 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.”

After losing to the Denver Nuggets (45-19), the Grizzlies (38-24) are now six games behind the top of the Western Conference. The surging Sacramento Kings (37-26) are now just 1.5 games behind Memphis for the second seed.

Ja Morant, an NBA All-Star the past two seasons, is averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 53 games.

Tyus Jones is expected to play the starting point guard without Morant.

Meanwhile, Steph Curry could return to action tonight in a marquee matchup against the LA Lakers. The two-time NBA MVP has not seen action since a 119-113 win over the Dallas Mavericks last February 4.

Curry has missed the Golden State Warriors' last 11 games where the defending NBA champs have gone 7-4. They are currently on a five-game winning streak and are bound to get stronger once Curry suits up.

After the All-Star break, Curry and the Warriors were reportedly targeting tonight as the date for his return from a leg/shin injury. Fortunately, he hasn’t had any setbacks leading up to the game against the Lakers, which will set the stage for his availability.

The Bay Area team is in the midst of a hotly-contested battle for at least a top-six spot in the Western Conference. They are in fifth place with a 34-30 record, just two games ahead of the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves (34-32).

Unless something drastic happens between the Warriors’ morning shootaround and pregame warmups, the NBA’s all-time three-point shots leader should be in uniform.

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Tyrese Haliburton: Sore right calf; Injured since: March 2, 2023

Tyrese Haliburton sat out last Thursday’s 110-99 loss to the San Antonio Spurs due to a sore right calf. He has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls.

Haliburton has missed 13 games this season and could add to that total unless his status changes by game time. The newly-named NBA All-Star has been one of the biggest reasons why the Indiana Pacers are one of the surprise teams this season.

The Pacers’ (28-36) chase for at least a play-in spot will be dictated by Tyrese Haliburton’s health. They’re currently two games behind the Washington Wizards (30-33) for the 10th and final ticket to the NBA play-in tournament.

Andrew Nembhard could return to the starting lineup if Tyrese Haliburton is unavailable.

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Lauri Markkanen: Lower back soreness; Injured since March 3, 2023

The Utah Jazz have placed NBA All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen on the injured list. He is suffering from lower back soreness and has been ruled out tonight versus the OKC Thunder.

Markkanen has missed just six of Utah’s 64 games but will be kept out despite the Jazz being in the midst of a tight battle for a play-in spot. Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Olynyk, and Talen Horton-Tucker should see more minutes without “The Finnisher.”

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