A terrifying scene unfolded in Charlotte on Tuesday night as Memphis Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells suffered a frightening fall in the second quarter of their matchup against the Hornets.
Wells was running a fastbreak for a dunk when a trailing K.J. Simpson crashed into him from behind mid-air, causing him to land awkwardly. He barely managed to brace his fall with his hand before hitting his face hard on the court.
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The broadcast showed Wells lying motionless before being taken off the floor on a stretcher. Later, Fred Wells, Jaylen’s father, shared a hopeful update via X (formerly Twitter), saying his son had regained consciousness and was even asking about the score of the game, which the Grizzlies led 62-44 at the time.
“Jaylen is awake and alert. Wanted 2 know the score! Swollen wrist. Face, jaw and back pain. About to get X-ray and CT,” Fred wrote.
Simpson was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game.
NBA insider Shams Charania later gave an official injury update, reporting that Wells had fractured his right wrist.
“Memphis Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells is awake, alert and moving his extremities after being taken off court in a stretcher tonight in Charlotte, his agent Aman Dhesi tells ESPN,” Charania tweeted. “Wells has sustained a broken right wrist, Dhesi said, and will continue receiving medical care.”
The Grizzlies went on to take the win, 124-100. Jaylen Wells, who started the game, had three points, five rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes.
Jaylen Wells’ rookie season likely over
With under a week left in the regular season, Jaylen Wells’ impressive rookie year is likely over with his broken right wrist. According to Cleveland Clinic, wrist fractures often require up to six weeks in a splint, with full recovery potentially stretching to three months after that.
Wells had been one of the standout rookies this season, taking on a major role for a contending Grizzlies team and putting up averages of 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 79 games.
The Grizzlies still have three games remaining: a Thursday clash with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a Friday matchup against the Denver Nuggets and a Sunday showdown with the Dallas Mavericks.
Though Memphis has already secured a play-in spot, they remain in the hunt for homecourt advantage in the tightly packed Western Conference race — where seeds No. 3 through No. 8 are currently separated by just two games.
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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro
