Memphis Grizzlies fans collectively held their breath when Jaylen Wells took a nasty tumble with 1:10 left in the second quarter. The rookie swingman got up for a dunk and was undercut by Charlotte Hornets guard KJ Simpson. Wells stayed on the floor for a while before leaving the game on a stretcher.
Wells left the game with three points, five rebounds, two assists, and one steal on 1-for-4 shooting from the field in 11 minutes. As he left the court, Wells received applause from the crowd, and he slowly raised his hand to assure fans he was alright.
Simpson was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for “unnecessary and excessive contact” against Wells, so he was ejected from the match.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Wells was “awake, alert, and moving his extremities” after the incident. However, he will continue to receive medical care after sustaining a broken right wrist.
Memphis Grizzlies News: Ja Morant reacts to Jaylen Wells’ injury
Despite Wells leaving the game, the Memphis Grizzlies played good basketball, well enough to secure a 124-100 win over the Charlotte Hornets since six players notched double-digit points. It was just one of several big NBA scores on Tuesday.
When looking at the live scores, Ja Morant led with 28 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and four three-pointers on 10-for-21 shooting from the field. Desmond Bane, Zach Edey, Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Scotty Pippen Jr. added 19, 17, 14, 11, and 10 points. Morant reflected on Wells’ injury after the game.
“First thing I seen was blood, I got a weak stomach,” Morant said via Grind City Media. “It’s just tough. Especially for somebody, you know, who’s playing a lot of minutes and being real productive for us on both ends. We just gotta stay with him and keep praying for him.”
