Memphis Grizzlies rookie forward Jaylen Wells left the court on a stretcher Tuesday in Charlotte after he fell face-first to the floor following a foul while completing a second-quarter dunk.
Wells was in the clear and going up for a jam when Charlotte Hornets guard KJ Simpson upended him from below. Wells came down hard, and medical personnel immediately raced out to check on him.
Players from both teams knelt in prayer as the medical staff tended to Wells, who eventually was loaded onto a stretcher and wheeled away.
The referees upgraded the call against Simpson to a flagrant-2 foul, ejecting him from the game.
Wells’ dunk gave Memphis a 62-44 lead with 1:10 to play in the second quarter. Desmond Bane hit the technical free throw in Wells’ place, and the Grizzlies retained the ball.
Wells had three points, five rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes before exiting the game. The 21-year-old Washington State product began the night averaging 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists through 78 games (73 starts) for the Grizzlies.
