Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant left their 131-114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers early on Wednesday night with a hamstring injury after he missed a dunk.
Morant, in the third quarter of the matchup at FedEx Forum, tried to rise up and throw down an alley-oop attempt. But, after sailing well above the rim, Morant flew underneath the rim and landed awkwardly on the baseline as the Lakers grabbed the rebound and pushed play the other way.
No foul was called, and Morant was very slow to get up. He was limping as he called for a sub, and he then walked off into the tunnel.
The Grizzlies initially said Morant was doubtful to return to the game with a hamstring injury. He was spotted sitting on an exercise bike in the tunnel at the arena late in the fourth quarter, but he didn’t return. He finished with 20 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Specifics of his injury are not yet known. It’s unclear if he’ll miss further time. The Grizzlies will host the Washington Wizards next on Friday.
Morant is back this season after a rough 2023-24 campaign. He was first suspended for 25 games after a string of gun and off-court incidents, and then he missed the majority of the year after going down with a season-ending shoulder injury he sustained in a practice. He played in just nine games.
Morant entered Wednesday’s game averaging 20.7 points, 9.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season. The 25-year-old is in the second year of a five-year, $197 million deal with the Grizzlies this fall.
Though they lost Morant early, the Grizzlies had little issue getting past the Lakers on Wednesday night. After taking a six-point lead into the break, Memphis led the entire second half en route to the 17-point win. 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 pushed the Grizzlies to 5-4 on the season.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 39 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He shot 6-of-11 from the 3-point line in the loss, too, which dropped the Lakers to 4-4. It marked 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 out the season with three straight wins. They’ll host the Philadelphia 76ers next on Friday.