Is Ja Morant playing tonight against Orlando Magic? Latest on Grizzlies star's status for back-to-back (Oct. 26)

Ja Morant will play Saturday against the Orlando Magic. The Memphis Grizzlies star is not on the injury report for this back-to-back after logging only 23 minutes in the team's 128-108 blowout loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday. After sustaining an ankle injury in preseason, Morant has been healthy and available for Memphis.

In his season debut, he put up 22 points, five rebounds and 10 assists in 28 minutes, leading Memphis to a 126-124 win over the Utah Jazz. Morant had a relatively quiet night against Houston, tallying 24 points and two assists with six turnovers on 47.1% shooting.

He initially played well, but his impact faded as the game progressed. The Rockets' defense slowed him down, leading to his inefficient numbers. Ultimately, the Grizzlies' loss.

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Ja Morant plays limited minutes, coach Taylor Jenkins reveals reason

Ja Morant played only 23 minutes in Friday's contest. Coach Taylor Jenkins rested him for long stretches, even when the Rockets made game-altering runs that saw Memphis blow a 12-point first-half lead. In real-time, it was confusing why Jenkins decided to bench Morant so often, but he cleared the air on the rotation patterns.

He told reporters that Morant's lack of reps during preseason was one of the reasons he was kept on the bench during Friday's contest, especially in the second half. Morant also attested to that. Jenkins said his star point guard asked to be subbed out.

Ja Morant is coming off an injury-riddled year. He saw on-court action 10 months after a shoulder injury ruled him out when the preseason began in the first week of October. He got injured again in the first game and didn't play until the preseason finale about two weeks ago.

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How to watch Orlando Magic vs. Memphis Grizzlies?

NBA TV will televise the Orlando Magic vs. Memphis Grizzlies game. Local TV operators FanDuel Sports Network - Southeast will provide coverage in Memphis and FanDuel Sports Network Florida. NBA League Pass will be the online streaming option for this contest for fans outside Memphis and Orlando. The game begins at 8:00 p.m. ET at FedExForum.