Grizzlies star Ja Morant out after suffering non-contact knee injury vs. Hawks

Grizzlies star Ja Morant left Memphis' loss to the Atlanta Hawks early on Friday night after appearing to suffer a knee injury.

Morant, late in the first quarter at FedEx Forum, seemed to plant wrong on his left leg while pulling the ball back out to the wing. It didn't look as if Morant's left knee made contact with anyone.

He started hopping around while trying to pass, and then went to the ground on the baseline.

Morant eventually needed help to get off the floor, and went to the locker room while putting barely any weight on his left leg.

The team quickly announced that Morant suffered a left knee injury, and would not return. He returned to the bench later in the contest wearing sweatpants, and underwent an MRI after the game. The team said he suffered a left knee sprain, though did not provide specifics.

Morant finished the night with two points, one rebound and one assist in nine minutes.

Morant was averaging a career-high 25.3 points and 7.1 assists headed into Friday’s game. The 22-year-old is in the third year of his $39.6 million rookie deal with the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies lost to Atlanta 132-100 after a brutal third quarter in which they put up only four points in the first six minutes of the period. The Hawks outscored Memphis 43-18 in the third en route to the 32-point win, their seventh straight.