Ja Morant twists his ankle and briefly leaves the Memphis Grizzlies' game against the Mavs before returning

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was forced to withdraw from Monday night's first preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks after suffering an apparent ankle injury.

Morant's absence was short-lived. He returned after missing six minutes of play.

While Morant went back on defense, Mavs winger Naji Marshall attempted a diving pass that hit Morant's ankle. Then the Grizzlies all-star turned around and hobbled off the ground. Morant quickly asked for a substitution with 8:53 left in the second quarter.

Before leaving the game, Morant led the Grizzlies with six early points. He made only one of his five shots, but applied constant pressure at the rim, resulting in four free throws.

It's somewhat surprising that Morant returned in a preseason game more than two weeks before the season opener, but he didn't appear to be limited. Memphis often takes a cautious approach to injuries. Considering Morant is back in the game, it's an overwhelmingly positive sign.

Breathe in, breathe out, Grizzlies fans.

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant leaves game with apparent ankle injury