Grizzlies’ Marcus Smart, Santi Aldama get key injury updates

The Memphis Grizzlies have a big Western Conference clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday in a meeting of the two top seeds in the West. It will be a major test for the Grizzlies, but they’re going to be a little short-handed. The Grizzlies got an update on both Santi Aldama and Marcus Smart regarding their injury status for the Thunder matchup.

In a Saturday update, the Grizzlies announced that both Marcus Smart and Santi Aldama were ruled out against the Thunder due to injury. The Grizzlies have been hampered by injuries all season, and they will be down two of their top rotation guys against a major Western Conference foe.

Marcus Smart is ruled out with a finger injury that he suffered back on Dec. 21 against the Atlanta Hawks. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks. In Aldama’s case, he’s dealing with an ankle injury that he suffered against the Raptors on Dec. 26. He is going to be week to week moving forward.

It’s a major blow for a Grizzlies team that has surged in the West standings as they’ve started to get healthy. Smart is a key veteran presence and Aldama is having a breakout season. Smart had dealt with injury issues earlier this season, but had since returned to the lineup.

In addition to Smart and Aldama, the Grizzlies will also be without star point guard Ja Morant due to injury. That puts the Grizzlies at a major disadvantage against the Thunder.

This season, Aldama has appeared in 31 games, including 11 starts, at a little over 25 minutes per game. He had been averaging a career-high 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists with splits of 50.8 percent shooting from the field, 38.8 percent shooting from the three-point line and 76.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Smart has appeared in 18 games, including six starts, at a little over 21 minutes per game. He had been averaging 9.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals with splits of 37.3 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 83.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.