Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant suffered a hamstring injury after missing a dunk against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, 131-114.
In the third quarter of the matchup at the FedEx Forum, Morant attempted to stand up and attempted to knock down an alley-oop attempt. But when the Lakers got the rebound and pushed the play the other way, Morant flew over the rim and then under the rim, landing awkwardly on the baseline.
No foul was called and Morant was very slow to get up. He limped to the submarine and walked into the tunnel.
The Grizzlies initially said they doubted Morant would be able to return to the game due to a hamstring injury. He was spotted sitting on an exercise bike in the stadium tunnel late in the fourth quarter, but did not return. He had 20 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
The specifics of his injury are not yet known. It’s unclear if he will miss any extra time. The Grizzlies are scheduled to host the Washington Wizards next Friday.
Morant returns this season after a difficult 2023-24 season. He was first suspended 25 games for a series of shooting incidents and off-court incidents, and missed most of the year after going down at the end of the season with a shoulder injury suffered in practice. He appeared in only 9 games.
Morant entered Wednesday’s game averaging 20.7 points, 9.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season. The 25-year-old signed the second year of a five-year, $197 million contract with the Grizzlies this fall.
Even though they lost Morant early, the Grizzlies had little trouble getting past the Lakers on Wednesday night. Memphis took a six-point lead into the first half and then led the entire second half to a 17-point victory. Jaylen Wells and Josh Jackson Jr. finished with 20 points each, and Scottie Pippen Jr. added 14 points and six rebounds off the bench. With this win, the Grizzlies recorded 5 wins and 4 losses on the season.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 39 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. He also shot 6 of 11 3-pointers in the loss, dropping the Lakers to 4-4. It was James’ 1,500th career game. Austin Reaves added 19 points and D’Angelo Russell finished with 12 points. After starting the season with three straight wins, the Lakers have now lost four of five games on the road. They are scheduled to host the Philadelphia 76ers next Friday.
