Injured Porter Jr. out for Game 6 against Grizzlies

SAN FRANCISCO >> Otto Porter Jr. sat out with a foot injury in the Warriors' Game 6 against Memphis on Friday.

Porter injured his foot during the blowout Game 5 loss Wednesday in Memphis and did not return for the second half. The Warriors had to do without Porter's presence as one of the team's better rebounders, who was starting to find his shooting touch again.

Acting head coach Mike Brown said in pregame availability that Nemanja Bjelica, Kevon Looney and Jonathan Kuminga could be used more to fill Porter's minutes. When Grizzlies star Ja Morant was active, Bjelica saw limited minutes because he could be a defensive liability against Morant's athleticism. But his playmaking, shooting and size is a potential advantage with Morant out.

After being out-rebounded Wednesday for the first time this series, the Warriors hoped to re-establish their dominance on the boards against a Memphis team that came into the series as one of the best rebounding teams in the league.

Looney has 48 rebounds in

these playoffs, but most importantly has been strong at boxing out to give his teammates space to rebound. The team that has dominated the glass has been able to generate strong transition offense, a staple of each team's attack.

The Grizzlies were without Morant for a third straight game with a right knee bruise he sustained late in the Warriors' Game 3 win.

Andre Iguodala, who hasn't played since Game 3 of the firstround series against the Denver Nuggets, was declared out for the remainder of the series with a neck injury.

Porter did some court work Friday morning during Golden State's shootaround, according to Brown. That activity included agility exercises and some shooting.

Porter, along with Andrew Wiggins, combined for 54 rebounds in the first five games of the series, during which Golden State has outrebounded the Grizzlies 196-174. The Warriors have also outscored Memphis by nine points when Porter is on the court, by far the best mark by any of Golden State's players.

“He's probably been one of the most important players in this series,” Looney said. “Every time he's on the court, he makes a difference, he makes an impact on both sides of the court. He allows us to unlock a lot of different lineups with his size and his shooting.”

Porter is averaging 6.2 points and 4.6 rebounds off the bench in the series. He's dealt with a series of injuries throughout his career, but the flare-up of soreness in his right foot appears to be a new issue. The last time he had an injury to his right foot was in 2018.