Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant posted a faith-filled message to Twitter in the wee hours of the morning Tuesday after leaving Monday’s game with an ankle injury.
In the 21-word tweet, Morant wrote, “Every setback is a setup for a comeback. God wants to bring you out better than you were before.”
Although Morant left the Barclays Center in a wheelchair, initial X-rays revealed no fractures, according to a report from ESPN. The reigning Rookie of the Year is expected to undergo an MRI sometime Tuesday.
The Memphis Grizzlies ultimately succeeded in an overtime win of 116-111 over the Brooklyn Nets.
“So tough to see Ja go down,” said Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins. “I know he’s going to bounce back and be fine. We’ll have more updates as we’re going through, but, so far, so good.”
Memphis is scheduled to play the Boston Celtics Wednesday.
What happened?
Morant was attempting to block Nets forward Timothe Luwawu-Caborrot from making a shot when he landed on his opponent’s foot. Immediately after, the 6-foot-3 point guard hobbled to the Grizzlies’ bench, where a staffer ultimately brought over a wheelchair.
The 21-year-old athlete was taken to the locker room, where he was ultimately ruled unable to play for the remainder of the game.
About halfway through the fourth quarter, Morant, wearing a protective boot, returned to the bench. During timeouts, he limped into team huddles.
Jenkins called Morant’s presence on the court “a great display.”
“He was fully involved on the bench, in the timeouts,” he said. “Being fully integrated with the guys help[ed] push us to victory. … A moment like that can really test you, but our guys just kept fighting.”