Is Ja Morant playing tonight against New Orleans Pelicans? Latest injury update for Grizzlies' star (Jan. 24)

Ja Morant's availability for Friday's night game could be in jeopardy after the latest update. The Memphis Grizzlies host the New Orleans Pelicans at FedEx Forum at 8 p.m. ET in the second game of the week for the Pelicans after Wednesday's duel against the Milwaukee Bucks was postponed due to a snowstorm.

Morant, who is dealing with an illness, is questionable for this matchup between two teams in the middle of four-game winning streaks. He wasn't included on the injury report ahead of this game and was expected to play, but the situation changed overnight. Santi Aldama is also questionable with an illness while Jake LaRavia (low back), Cam Spencer (left thumb) and Vince Williams Jr. (right ankle) were all ruled out for this matchup.

Ja Morant was in danger of missing a prior game due to an illness. On Jan. 13, he was listed as questionable to face the Houston Rockets. He still played that game and scored 29 points for the Grizzlies, but the Rockets left the arena with the 120-118 win.

This will be one of three games scheduled for today alongside the Charlotte Hornets vs. Portland Trail Blazers (7 p.m. ET) and Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers (8 p.m. ET).

How does Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies arrive at this game?

The Memphis Grizzlies are having a remarkable 2024-25 NBA season, boasting a 29-15 record, enough to rank third in the Western Conference standings behind the OKC Thunder and the aforementioned Rockets. Following a season where injuries and Ja Morant's 25-game suspension derailed their performances, they are back on track, showing the world that they have what it takes to compete in the West.

They will try to win their fifth consecutive game after wins over the San Antonio Spurs twice, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Charlotte Hornets, respectively. A win today would make them the second team in the West and the fourth in the league with 30 wins.

On the other side, the New Orleans Pelicans are seemingly finding themselves and are in the middle of a four-game winning streak, too. However, they only won eight games before entering that positive streak. It's hard to imagine them making a run for the playoffs, but if they keep this level of playing, they could make some noise down the stretch.

Ja Morant averages 21.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game this season, shooting 44.7% from the field.