Sat Dec 27 00:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the text:
Memphis Grizzlies Get Holiday Boost: Morant and Coward Set to Return Against Bucks
MEMPHIS, TN – In a much-needed holiday gift for Memphis Grizzlies fans, star point guard Ja Morant and starting guard Cedric Coward are both expected to play in the team’s December 26th matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, the team announced.
Morant has been sidelined for the past four games due to a left ankle sprain, while Coward missed Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz due to heel soreness, marking his first absence of the season.
While their return will undoubtedly bolster the Grizzlies’ lineup, both players will be on a minutes restriction. Coach Tuomas Iisalo emphasized the need to carefully manage their workload, focusing on finding optimal substitution patterns to maximize their impact while preventing overexertion.
“Obviously we can’t go very high minutes with (Morant),” Iisalo said. “Make sure that he can find a rhythm on the court, but at the same time that we don’t go through long stretches that he can push it to the maximum.”
Morant’s return provides a significant boost to the Grizzlies’ point guard depth, allowing them to rotate him and Cam Spencer, who has been one of the team’s most consistent performers this season, at the primary playmaker position.
The return of Coward is also crucial given recent injuries to wing players Vince Williams Jr. and John Konchar. Coward’s presence will allow the Grizzlies to reestablish their preferred wing pairing of Coward and Jaylen Wells.
The Grizzlies (current record not available in the text) will look to capitalize on the return of their key players as they face a tough Milwaukee Bucks team on Tuesday.
First Piper 