Ja Morant scored 28 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 124-100 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
The win moved Memphis to 47-32 on the season, keeping them in a tight Western Conference playoff race where five teams are separated by just two games.
Morant, playing just over 27 minutes in his return from a bout with food poisoning, added five rebounds and eight assists while converting four of ten from beyond the arc.
Desmond Bane contributed 19 points and hit three of five from deep as Memphis opened the game on a 7-0 run and never trailed.
Rookie center Zach Edey finished with 17 points and a game-high 19 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, while Jaren Jackson Jr. added 14 points and went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
The victory was overshadowed by a frightening injury to starting forward Jaylen Wells, who broke his right wrist and was taken off the court on a stretcher following a collision with Charlotteās KJ Simpson.
Wells had just completed a fast-break dunk when he was undercut mid-air by Simpson, who was called for a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game.
The 21-year-old forward remained on the floor for eight minutes as medical staff secured his head and arm before he was transported to a local hospital.
It was Wellsā 74th start of the season, and he had recorded three points, five rebounds, and two assists in just over 11 minutes before the injury.
Charlotte, now 19-60, played without several key rotation players including LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Tre Mann, and Jusuf Nurkic.
Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 14 points but shot just 4-of-13 from the field and turned the ball over three times.
Josh Okogie and Tidjane Salaun added 12 and 13 points respectively, while veteran Taj Gibson made his 999th regular-season appearance in the league, scoring six points in 14 minutes.
The Hornets shot 45.7% from the floor and made 11-of-38 from deep, with Nick Smith Jr. and Salaun combining for five of those makes.
The Grizzlies dominated the rebounding battle, finishing with a 52-38 advantage including nine team boards and 14 offensive rebounds.
Memphis also forced 15 Charlotte turnovers and converted them into transition opportunities, scoring 33 points in the first quarter alone.
Off the bench, Santi Aldama and Scotty Pippen Jr. each scored in double figures, with Aldama hitting three triples and Pippen adding two of his own.
The Grizzlies closed the game with 18 made three-pointers and shot 84.6% from the foul line, led by Jacksonās perfect night at the stripe.
With the win, Memphis remained in the eighth spot in the West but are now tied with Minnesota, Golden State, and the Clippers at 47 wins.
