Grizzlies star Ja Morant leaves the win against the Lakers early due to a hamstring injury after a missed dunk

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

Morant tried to rise and block an alley-oop attempt in the third quarter of the matchup at FedEx Forum. But after sailing well over 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 foul was called and Morant was very slow to get back to his feet. He limped as he called for a submarine and then went into the tunnel.

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

Details of his injury are not yet known. It is unclear whether he will miss further time. The Grizzlies next host the Washington Wizards on Friday.

Morant is back this season after a difficult 2023-24 season. After a series of shootings and off-field incidents, he was initially suspended for 25 games, then missed most of the year after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury sustained during practice. He played in 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 is in the second year of a five-year, $197 million contract with the Grizzlies this fall.

Despite losing Morant early, the Grizzlies had little trouble getting past the Lakers on Wednesday night. After building a six-point lead at halftime, Memphis led the entire second half en route to a 17-point win. Both Jaylen Wells and Josh Jackson Jr. finished the game 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 3-point line in the loss, which dropped the Lakers to 4-4. It was 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 next host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).