Is Ja Morant playing tonight against Sacramento Kings? Latest on Grizzlies star’s status (March 17)

Ja Morant is on the Memphis Grizzlies’ inactive list ahead of Monday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. Morant will not play because of hamstring soreness. The former All-Star is also dealing with a shoulder issue, another cause the Grizzlies are holding him out.

Morant did not play on Saturday when the Grizzlies defeated the Miami Heat 125-91. He did not play because of shoulder soreness. Two nights later, NBA.com reported hamstring soreness as the reason for which he will sit out his second straight game.

The missed game against the Kings will be the point guard’s fourth in March. He has not been available in 25 of the Grizzlies’ 68 games.

---

What happened to Ja Morant?

Ja Morant didn’t look like he dealt with any discomfort in his last outing. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, he erupted for a season-high 44 points behind 17-for-22 shooting. He added eight rebounds and seven assists in the Grizzlies’ 133-124 loss.

On a night Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. struggled to help with the load on offense, Morant played a yeoman’s role in 35 minutes. The impressive showing against the team with the best record in the NBA came with a cost. He is now trying to recover from a nagging shoulder soreness and a new hamstring issue.

---

When will Ja Morant return?

After the visit to Sacramento, Memphis will continue a five-game road trip to Portland. The Grizzlies could reactivate Morant for the duel with the Trail Blazers.

---

Grizzlies need their franchise cornerstone to host a first-round playoff series

The Memphis Grizzlies badly need Ja Morant healthy in the fiercely contested battle for playoff positioning. After the win against the Miami Heat, Memphis improved its record to 43-25 for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. If it can hold on to the No. 4 spot, it will host a first-round series against the No. 5 team.

However, nailing the No. 4 seed remains a tall task, particularly if Morant is not healthy. Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the LA Lakers (41-25) are only one game behind the Grizzlies. The Golden State Warriors, 12-1 since Feb. 13, surged to the No. 6 slot following the arrival of Jimmy Butler.

The Grizzlies have roughly a month left to stay within the top 4 of the Western Conference. Holding off the Lakers and the Warriors or moving up to overtake the Denver Nuggets (43-25) and Houston Rockets (43-25) will be tough without Morant.