The Memphis Grizzlies (47-32) defeated the Charlotte Hornets (19-60) 124-100 on Tuesday, April 8, behind Ja Morant’s 28 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.
In a concerning moment, Memphis guard Jaylen Wells was taken from the court on a stretcher and transported to the hospital after a hard fall on a fast-break dunk. Wells collided midair with Charlotte’s K.J. Simpson and landed on his head, leading to a Flagrant 2 foul on Simpson, who was ejected from the game. Wells was down for eight minutes before being loaded onto the stretcher with his head immobilized.
Desmond Bane added 19 points, while rookie Zach Edey posted a double-double with 17 points and 19 rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 14 points as Memphis stayed in the hunt in the tightly packed Western Conference standings, where teams from third to eighth place were separated by just two games heading into Tuesday’s action.
For Charlotte, Miles Bridges scored 14 points in the loss, while 16-year veteran Taj Gibson played in his 999th career regular-season game.
Morant, who missed Saturday’s win in Detroit due to food poisoning, was on fire in his "homecoming" game in Charlotte, just 107 miles from his hometown of Dalzell, South Carolina. He thrilled the crowd with an alley-oop dunk late in the first quarter and continued to put on a show throughout the game.
The Grizzlies jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, with Bane scoring five of the game’s first seven points, and never trailed. Charlotte had some success from beyond the arc, converting 15 of 32 three-pointers, with LaMelo Ball hitting 5-of-10.
Next up, the Grizzlies will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, while the Hornets will visit the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
