Is Ja Morant playing tonight against OKC Thunder? Latest on Grizzlies star's status for Game 3, NBA playoffs (Apr. 24)

For Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies, Game 3 is a must-win situation in their first-round series against the OKC Thunder. A loss on Thursday night would not only be an embarrassment on their home floor, but it would also send the Grizzlies to the insurmountable 0-3 hole that no team has ever climbed out of.

Grizzlies fans, then, will be happy to know that Morant is expected to play when the series shifts to FedEx Forum on Game 3. As per Thunder beat writer Rylan Stiles, there are only two Grizzlies players on the injury report for this game — and Morant is not one of them.

According to Stiles, Brandon Clarke (knee) and Jaylen Wells (wrist) won't be suiting up against the Thunder in Game 3. On the other side, Ousmane Dieng (calf) and Nikola Jovic (knee) will be out on Thursday.

As far as Memphis is concerned, every available player has a dire need to figure out how to outplay OKC on both ends of the floor. Game 1 was a staggering 51-point loss absorbed by the Grizzlies, while Game 2 was a 19-point blowout.

In the first game of this series, Morant was the only starter in double figures as he put up 17 points on 1-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Though the two-time All-Star improved his production to 23 points in Game 2, the Grizzlies still could not overcome the defensive intensity and offensive brilliance of the top seed Thunder.

Ja Morant on Grizzlies' performance in series vs. Thunder: "We'll be better"

After the game, Morant gave his outlook on the Grizzlies' performance in Game 3, which will be played in front of their own home crowd:

"We've just got to be better," Morant said as per Jordan Davis of The Oklahoman. "I'll be better. We'll be better."

At the very least, Morant feels that the Grizzlies' flow on offense showed improvement in Game 2, pointing out that his teammates' passes were "on time and on target."

Morant, however, will need some more efficient scoring from the rest of the team if they are to have any hope of extending the series. In Game 2, only Jaren Jackson Jr. (26 points, 10-for-17) had a truly prolific performance that did not entail more misses than makes.