Grizzlies hope Ja Morant is healthy as they face Rockets / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports Credit Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

One peril of the closing stretch of the regular season for playoff teams is the risk of injury disrupting the squad's cohesion, a troublesome reality for the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry.

The Memphis Grizzlies hope to have dodged a similar problem as All-Star guard Ja Morant, a league Most Valuable Player candidate, departed in the fourth quarter Friday -- apparently for precautionary reasons -- with knee pain.

The Grizzlies ultimately fell to the Atlanta Hawks 120-105, but they remain hopeful that Morant will be available Sunday for a road matchup against the Houston Rockets.

Even if Morant is available, the Grizzlies are in the process of adjusting their playing rotation. Memphis swingman Dillon Brooks recently returned after being sidelined two months with an ankle injury.

With Brooks back in the lineup, rookie Ziaire Williams moved to the bench after averaging 9.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 27 games as a starter. Brooks has averaged 12.0 points and 3.0 assists while shooting 35.9 percent in the three games since his return.

"I'm not looking at rotations as the reason why we lost," Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said following the setback to the Hawks.

Even though Atlanta was without Trae Young, the Grizzlies fell to 7-4 since the All-Star break and haven't played with the same rhythm that caught the NBA off guard prior to the break.

"You've got to flush it but you've got to understand that we're not playing at our standard," Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane said. "We've got to be better. I feel like ever since we got back from the All-Star break we haven't been consistent playing at the level we know that we can. We've got to find our stride going into the playoffs."

Houston, 3-21 since winning consecutive games in mid-January, blew a 12-point fourth-quarter lead Friday in falling at home to the visiting Indiana Pacers 121-118. The Pacers grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in the game and scored 38 fourth-quarter points.

The conclusion sullied what was another spirited performance from the youthful Rockets. Christian Wood posted his 30th double-double in 62 games and added a career-high seven assists to his 32 points and 13 rebounds.

Mix in a combined 39 points and 10 assists from the starting backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green, and 15 points off the bench from rookie center Alperen Sengun, and Houston appeared to have concocted a formula for success.

"It's a disappointing loss, it really, really is," Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. "It's disappointing. Just keep learning with this group. Just keep learning.

"I'm disappointed for our guys, I'm disappointed because I really thought we played well enough to win. It just didn't work out for us. I haven't been like this all season so I'm allowed every once in a while to be super down. Yeah, they deserved this one."

The Grizzlies won two earlier meetings in Memphis this season, but the Rockets beat them in Houston 123-112 on March 6.

--Field Level Media

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