Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant left their 131-114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers early Wednesday night with a hamstring injury after missing a dunk.
Morant tried to get up and knock down an alley-oop attempt in the third quarter of the match at the FedEx Forum. But after sailing well above the rim, Morant flew under the rim and landed awkwardly on the baseline as the Lakers grabbed the rebound and pushed the play the other way.
No foul was called and Morant came up very slowly. He limped as he called for a submarine, then walked into the tunnel.
The Grizzlies initially said Morant was questionable to return to the game with a hamstring injury. He was seen riding a stationary bike in the arena tunnel late in the fourth quarter, but he did not return. He finished with twenty points, five assists and four rebounds.
Details about his injury are not yet known. It is unclear whether he will miss any more time.
Morant is back this season after a rough 2023-24 campaign. He was first suspended for 25 games after a series of weapons incidents, and then he missed most of the year after going down with a season-ending shoulder injury suffered during practice. He played only nine games.
Morant entered Wednesday’s game averaging 20.7 points, 9.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season. The 25-year-old will be in the second year of a five-year, $197 million deal with the Grizzlies this fall.
Although they lost Morant early, the Grizzlies had little trouble getting past the Lakers on Wednesday night. After taking a six-point lead at halftime, Memphis led throughout the second half en route to the 15-point victory. Both Jaylen Wells and Josh Jackson Jr. finished with 20 points each, and Scottie Pippen Jr. added 14 points and six rebounds off the bench. The win moved the Grizzlies to 5-4 on the season.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 39 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He also shot 6-of-11 from the three-point line in the loss, dropping the Lakers to 4-4. It was the 1,500th game of James’ career. Austin Reaves added 19 points and D’Angelo Russell finished with 12 points. The Lakers lost four of their five games on their current road trip after starting the season with three straight wins. They host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
The Grizzlies host the Washington Wizards on Friday.
This post will be updated soon with more information.
