Ja Morant's first meeting with Memphis in a Portland uniform ended early, with a left hamstring injury cutting short his reunion against the team that traded him in June. The Trail Blazers ruled their new guard out during the fourth quarter of Thursday's 124–103 home defeat, turning a heavily anticipated matchup into an immediate question about his availability.
Morant left with 7:46 remaining and finished with 14 points, two rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes. He shot 6-of-14 from the floor, including 2-of-5 from three, according to his NBA player update. Portland had been level at 58–58 at half-time, but Memphis won the second half 66–45. The official NBA game centre records the Grizzlies' 124–103 victory.
Portland coach Micah Nori said Morant felt a twinge and was undergoing evaluation after the game, as reported by Reuters. There was no confirmed recovery timetable as of Friday evening, 30 October, Adelaide time. Being ruled out of one game does not establish whether he will miss the next one.
The timing stings because Morant had started to settle into a different sort of job. Across his first three regular-season games with Portland he averaged 16.3 points and 6.3 assists, with a 23-point outing against the Lakers on Tuesday. He no longer has to manufacture every possession: Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson give Portland other guards who can initiate attacks. That depth now becomes more than a luxury.
Morant had spent seven seasons in Memphis before the June trade that sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray the other way. The meeting carried an obvious personal edge, but the Grizzlies controlled the second half and moved to 5–0. Rookie Cameron Boozer recorded 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in his first NBA triple-double, a reminder that Memphis has begun its own new chapter at pace.
Portland's next test comes quickly. The NBA schedule has the Trail Blazers visiting Utah on Saturday, 31 October, US local time, before trips to Denver and Phoenix. Whether Morant travels or plays will depend on the club's medical assessment, not the emotion of a reunion that finished too soon.
For now, the sensible basketball question is how Portland distributes the ball if Morant needs time out. Lillard and Holiday offer established decision-making, while Henderson represents a younger option. That is a rotation question, not a declaration that any one player has inherited Morant's minutes. The next injury update should tell Portland far more than Thursday's final score did.
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