Grizzlies star Ja Morant leaves win over Lakers early with hamstring injury after missed dunk

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant left their 131-114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers early Wednesday night with a hamstring injury after he missed a dunk.

In the third quarter of the matchup at FedEx Forum, Morant tried to get up and throw down an alley-oop attempt. 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 game the other way.

No fouls were called and Morant was very slow to get up. He limped as he called for a submarine and then entered the tunnel.

The Grizzlies initially said Morant was doubtful to return to the game with a hamstring injury. He was seen sitting on an exercise bike in the tunnel at the arena late in the fourth quarter, but he did not return. He finished with 20 points, five assists and four rebounds.

The details of his injury are not yet known. It is unclear if he will miss any additional time. The Grizzlies host the Washington Wizards next Friday.

Morant is back this season after a rough 2023-24 campaign. He was first suspended for 25 games after a series of weapons and off-field incidents, then missed the majority of the year after being sidelined with a season-ending shoulder injury suffered in practice. He only played in 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.

Even though they lost Morant early, the Grizzlies had little trouble getting past the Lakers on Wednesday night. After taking a six-point lead into halftime, Memphis led the entire second half en route to the 17-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 pushed 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 3-point line in the loss, dropping the Lakers to 4-4. That marked the 1,500th. game in 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 next Friday.