Grizzlies’ Wells Injured, Doncic Ejected in Wild NBA Night

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells suffered a concerning injury during Tuesday night’s NBA matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. Wells collided with KJ Simpson while attempting a dunk and fell hard to the court. He lay on the court for approximately eight minutes before being lifted onto a stretcher and transported to a local hospital.

Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo confirmed that all of Wells’ limbs were moving after the incident. “It puts everything into perspective when you see a situation like that and Jaylen in it,” Iisalo remarked.

The game was suspended for about 20 minutes while medical staff attended to Wells. As the players and coaches gathered to pray for his recovery, Wells’ father, Fred Wells, provided updates from the hospital, stating that Jaylen remained conscious and wanted to know the game’s outcome. However, he also reported that Jaylen’s wrist was swollen and he was experiencing pain in his face, jaw, and back.

Further evaluation led to suspicions of a concussion as they awaited the results of X-rays. Meanwhile, referees reviewed the play via video, resulting in KJ Simpson being ejected for an unsportsmanlike conduct foul while appearing visibly shaken by the incident.

Despite the grim circumstances, the Grizzlies went on to defeat the Hornets 124-100. Memphis currently sits in seventh place in the Western Conference but faces a tight race that could see them drop as low as eighth with only a few games remaining.

In a separate incident, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic was ejected during a heated game against the Oklahoma City Thunder early Wednesday morning in Finland. Doncic had just helped the Lakers take a 108-107 lead in the fourth quarter when he reacted to a comment from a fan, which referee J.T. Orr misinterpreted as taunting and issued Doncic his second technical foul, resulting in an ejection.

“If a fan says something to me, I respond, as I always do,” Doncic expressed his confusion about the ejection. “The referee had nothing to do with it. I don’t really understand the situation.”

Witnesses from the crowd reported that Doncic had responded to a remark made during the game, prompting the technical foul. According to Tony Brothers, the lead referee, Doncic used inappropriate language that led to both technical fouls.

Oklahoma City capitalized on the situation, securing a decisive 136-120 victory with just under eight minutes remaining in the game. Doncic played for 31 minutes, scoring 23 points and ranking as the third-leading scorer for the Lakers, who are currently in third place in the Western Conference as they prepare for the playoffs.

Following the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick lamented, “The game was great. Unfortunately, it didn’t peak in a way that all basketball fans would have wanted due to some individual decisions.”

The Lakers now have three regular-season games left, with their next match against the Dallas Mavericks, marking Doncic’s first return to Dallas since his trade earlier this year.

“I don’t really know what to expect. I’m looking forward to being in Dallas with the fans. I’m going to see my teammates again – my former teammates. It’s going to be very emotional,” Doncic predicted.

Meanwhile, Memphis has reported uncertainty regarding the availability of seven key players for their upcoming game against the Mavericks, scheduled for Sunday at 10:30 p.m. Finnish time.

The team disclosed they are dealing with various injuries. Memphis is likely to finish the regular season in eighth place in the Western Conference, and finishing seventh would require a victory over Dallas, as well as a win by the Utah Jazz against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Regardless of their final standing, the Grizzlies will not secure a direct playoff berth. Instead, they will enter the NBA’s play-in tournament, matching teams ranked seventh through tenth. The seventh and eighth place teams will face off, with the winner advancing to the playoffs, while the loser will compete against the winner of the game between the ninth and tenth places to secure another playoff berth.

Memphis is likely to meet the loser of the final regular-season game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers in their play-in opener scheduled for early Wednesday morning in Finland.

This week, Memphis faced narrow losses against Minnesota and Denver, significantly impacting their playoff position. Had they won both games, they could have secured a direct playoff spot.

Star player Ja Morant emphasized that the season is not over yet. “Everything from here is really important. You can play or you can just watch,” Morant reminded his teammates, conveying Iisalo’s message, “If there are five people and a bear is chasing you, what do you do? You try not to be the last one.” Morant reiterated the need for the team to rely on one another and avoid being the one to hold everyone back.