Memphis Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard won't play in Game 6 vs Lakers
The Memphis Grizzlies will be without Luke Kennard for Game 6 on Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. He's out due to a left shoulder soreness.
Kennard didn't shoot during the media viewing portion of Friday morning's shootaround. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said the team wanted to be smart, but he also revealed that Kennard was still dealing with shoulder soreness.
Kennard is averaging 7.2 points and shooting 50% on 3-pointers in 21.3 minutes per game in the first-round series. Even though his scoring hasn't been to the same level as his regular season numbers in Memphis, Kennard's impact has been noticeable. The Lakers have stayed attached to him at the 3-point line and limited his open looks, and that has given other players more room and space to operate.
Memphis won Game 5 in large part due to lineups that contained Kennard. He was a team-high plus-26 while playing 17 minutes, 39 seconds in Wednesday's 116-99 win.
The Grizzlies had success on Wednesday using a small-ball lineup that included Kennard. His absence could lead to more minutes for Dillon Brooks, John Konchar, Tyus Jones and David Roddy. Another name that Jenkins mentioned is Ziaire Williams.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Luke Kennard injury update, out for Memphis Grizzlies vs Lakers Game 6
