Jazz’s Collin Sexton Ruled Out vs. Grizzlies with Hamstring Injury

The Utah Jazz suffered a major injury blow early in Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, as point guard Collin Sexton went down with a left hamstring injury in the first quarter.

Per Sarah Todd of the Deseret News, Sexton has been ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Sexton played just four minutes before being forced to exit the game. He missed both his shot attempts and recorded an assist as well as a turnover. His absence was sorely felt by Utah, as the team faced a 14-point deficit at the end of the first quarter.

The 24-year-old has started 14 of the 46 games he appeared in entering Wednesday, posting averages of 14.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 24.5 minutes per game. He is in his first year with Utah after agreeing to a sign-and-trade this past offseason.

Sexton had spent the first four years of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who drafted him with the eighth overall pick in 2018. He improved his scoring average in each of his first three seasons, averaging a career high 24.3 points in 2020-21. Unfortunately, his 2021-22 campaign was limited to 11 games after he suffered a torn Achilles.

Utah entered Wednesday’s matchup with a 29-30 record, which ranked 10th in the Western Conference. The team has lost four of its last six games.

If Sexton is forced to miss time, Jordan Clarkson will take on more ball-handling duties and Talen Horton-Tucker will see more playing time off the bench in Utah’s backcourt.