Sunday evening, the Memphis Grizzlies managed to rattle off their second-straight win and their third over their last four games, putting them in a position to come away from their current three-game road trip undefeated.
Yet, despite this wondrous news along with the fact that they've gone on to drop a collective total of 248 points against the Los Angeles Lakers and, most recently, the Phoenix Suns, easily one of the main talking points about their latest bout was how superstar Ja Morant was sidelined due to right shoulder soreness and was seen donning a sling on the bench.
A surprise add to the pre-game injury report, the point guard was ruled out within an hour till tip-off.
Fortunately, his absence didn't end up holding the club back from securing win number 13 on the year, as the likes of Desmond Bane (23 points), Marcus Smart (25 points), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (28 points) were able to hold down the fort and guide the Grizzlies across the triumphant finish line.
However, even with this fortunate turn of events, having Morant sidelined moving forward is far from an ideal scenario for this "now or never" squad. In other words, the quicker he can return to action the better it will be for Memphis moving forward.
Though perhaps not the feel-good answer many may have hoped for, following Sunday's outing coach Taylor Jenkins provided an update on the centerpiece's injury status.
Taylor Jenkins provides update on Grizzlies star Ja Morant's injury
"The soreness really crept up the other day on the road. We're still trying to get more evaluation so hopefully within the next day or two we have a better idea. Obviously [the] medical team felt it was best to put him in a sling just to be positive there but more evaluation [is] to come."Taylor Jenkins on Ja Morant
The "within the next day or two" timeline for receiving more details on the star's injury status is hoped to be closer to the former side of things, as the Grizzlies will be back on the hardwood yet again for game three of their road trip Tuesday night as they face a surging Dallas Mavericks team.
Without question, they'd love to have their franchise cornerstone available for such a bout.
On the year, Morant finds himself unsurprisingly posting impressive averages of 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds on 47.1 percent shooting from the floor.