The Memphis Grizzlies were kneeling and praying for their teammate Jaylen Wells, who needed to be stretchered off the court on Tuesday after a hard foul during a dunk had him fall face first onto the hardwood.
Wells was going for a transition dunk when Charlotte Hornets guard KJ Simpson ran underneath his legs on an attempt to stop the easy bucket. With Wells already in the air, Simpson’s actions proved costly as he swept Wells’ legs, causing him to flip in mid-air before falling down hard on his head.
Simpson’s actions were clearly not intentional, as he quickly went to check on Wells before medical staff rushed to him underneath the basket to assess the situation, which was very serious.
Intentional or not, Simpson was ejected after referees reviewed the play and upgraded his common foul to a Flagrant 2.
The crowd at Spectrum Center in Charlotte was silent, as medical staff tended to Wells. They determined he needed to have his head and neck stabilized as they placed him on a stretcher to leave the arena.
The crowd cheered as Wells was wheeled off the court, and he raised a hand to show that he was aware and moving.
Everyone on the court was in shock, but the Grizzlies’ side saw many kneeling and praying for Wells. Players like Ja Morant also had towels over their heads as they looked on.
During the second half of the game, Wells’ father, Fred, said his son was “awake and alert.”
ESPN also reports that Wells’ agent, Aman Dhesi, said that the rookie suffered a broken wrist in the fall.
Wells has had a great rookie campaign, aiding in the Grizzlies’ run to a good playoff contender out of the Western Conference. He’s averaged 10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists over 26 minutes per game entering the game against the Hornets.
The shooting guard is also a very good defender, which has led to more playing time for Memphis this season. He was drafted in the second round (39th overall) after splitting his college career between Sonoma State and Washington State.
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