The Golden State Warriors claimed rare back-to-back wins with Wednesday's 127-125 victory at the Dallas Mavericks but the game was marred by controversy after Kevon Looney's third-quarter uncontested dunk.

Stephen Curry scored 20 points with 13 assists as the reigning NBA champions secured consecutive wins on a road trip for the first time this season at American Airlines Center.

But the Mavs were left raging after Looney's uncontested dunk with 1:54 left in the third quarter from a Warriors inbound after a timeout, which Dallas had thought was their ball, meaning they subsequently lined up on the other half of the court.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban said they would contest the result of the game due to the incident which he labelled the "worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA" on Twitter.

Despite that, the Mavs could have won the game on merit, with Luka Doncic missing a two-point attempt under pressure from Draymond Green with 3.2 seconds left at 125-122.

That came after Curry's bounce-pass set up Green's three-point play, before the reigning NBA Finals MVP glided in for a two-point shot to open up the three-point buffer with 8.1 seconds to play.

Doncic, in his return after missing five games with a thigh injury, scored 30 points with seven rebounds and 17 assists. Doncic shot 11-of-27 from the field and six-of-10 from the stripe.

In Kyrie Irving's absence, 20-year-old guard Jaden Hardy was outstanding with six three-pointers in his 27 points.

The win is a major boost for Golden State's playoff hopes, moving to sixth in the West with a 38-36 record, while the Mavs drop to ninth with a 36-37 record, having lost five of their past seven games.

It was Golden State's first road win when trailing after the first quarter, having entered the game with a 0-20 record.

Morant and KAT make successful returns

Ja Morant made his successful return for the Memphis Grizzlies off the bench for the first time in his career as they won their fourth straight game, beating the Houston Rockets 130-125.

Morant returned after his NBA-imposed eight-game suspension with 17 points and five assists, receiving a standing ovation from the home fans upon his injection into the game.

Jaren Jackson Jr scored a season-high 37 points with 10 rebounds and Desmond Bane added 20 points as the Grizzlies clinched the Southwest division.

It was a night of returns as Karl-Anthony Towns was back for the first time since November due to a calf strain, scoring two game-winning free-throws with 3.6 seconds left as the Minnesota Timberwolves won 125-124 over the Atlanta Hawks.

Lakers stay right in playoff hunt

The Los Angeles Lakers ensured they remained firmly in the congested race for Western Conference playoff and play-in tournament spots with a 122-111 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Anthony Davis scored a team-high 27 points including 20 in the second half, with nine rebounds, while Austin Reaves backed up Sunday's 35-point game with 25 points and a career-high 11 assists.

Devin Booker scored 33 points on 11-of-16 field shooting with six rebounds but seven turnovers for the Suns, who remain fourth in the West but with a 38-34 record.

The Lakers move up to 10th, just behind the Mavs in ninth, with a 36-37 record and LeBron James not far from a return from injury.

Ja Morant says he still had "mixed emotions" upon his return for the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday following an eight-game suspension.

Morant had not played since March 3, missing nine games in total, following an incident where he displayed a gun in a Colorado nightclub on an Instagram Live video, but returned off the bench in the 130-125 win over the Houston Rockets.

The Grizzlies guard received a standing ovation from the Memphis guard upon checking into the game with 3:05 left in the first quarter in a show of support. He finished the game with 17 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals from 24 minutes.

Morant spent 11 days at a Florida counselling facility after stepping away from the Grizzlies to "get help" following the incident, with the NBA later imposing the suspension.

In the lead-up to the game, the All-Star had revealed the whole incident and fallout had taken its toll on him mentally and emotionally, which he reiterated after his return despite the support of the Grizzlies fans.

"It felt good," he told ESPN after the game. "Still a little bit of mixed emotions, but I was excited to be back. I love these guys, I love our fans, I love the organisation for their continued support throughout this process I'm going through. They helped me a lot.

"I was excited to be back. Happy we were able to get a win. Just got to continue what I've been doing and be ready to go each and every night."

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said pre-game that the decision to play Morant off the bench was about helping him work his way back into playing shape, having not been able to work out during his stay in Florida. Morant had started the first 240 games of his NBA career.

Morant had been left out of Monday's 112-1208 win over the Dallas Mavericks, where he sat on the bench and also received warm support from the home crowd, following the conclusion of his suspension to build up his conditioning.

"This was something he brought to the table as well as had been on my mind," Jenkins said. "We collectively thought this was the best strategy, at least for the first one or two games and then we'll kind of re-evaluate after that."

"Obviously, we don't have a long runway until the end of the regular season, but we want to be smart with that layoff that we're not doing anything to jeopardise his health."

The Grizzlies' win combined with the Mavericks (36-37) losing 127-125 to the Golden State Warriors clinched the Southwest Division for Memphis (45-27).

"It's big time," Morant said. "We love that we won the division, but we're trying to win a championship, so we've got to continue to do the little things that were helping us win games and continue to do the things that we've been doing good."

Memphis Grizzlies franchise player Ja Morant faced the media on Tuesday to discuss what he had learned from his eight-game suspension.

Morant, 23, has missed nine games since showing off a gun while intoxicated on an Instagram live video in the early hours of the morning in a Colorado nightclub.

A league investigation found him guilty of bringing the league into disrepute and "holding a firearm in an intoxicated state", but did not find any evidence that the gun belonged to him, or that he took it on the team plane or any NBA facilities.

After serving an eight-game suspension from the NBA, Morant missed his ninth in a row on Monday as he worked his way back into playing shape, and he is expected to return on Wednesday at home against the Houston Rockets.

Speaking to the media about his time away from the team, where he spent 11 days at a Florida counselling facility, Morant stated he has no problem with alcohol and has been focusing on positive ways to deal with stress.

"Obviously, I took that time to better myself, get in a better space mentally," he said. "It's an ongoing process, a continued process for me. 

"I've been there for two weeks, but that doesn't mean I'm completely better. So that's an ongoing process for me that I've still been continuing since I've come out.

"Obviously, I've made mistakes in the past that caused a lot of negative attention – not only to me, but my family as well, my team, the organisation – and I'm completely sorry for that.

"So my job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smart, and don't cause any of that no more.

"I don't have an alcohol problem, never had an alcohol problem. I went [to Florida] for counselling to learn how to manage stress, cope with stress in a positive way instead of ways I've tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes."

When asked if he planned to dial back his nightlife activities, Morant said "clubbing and all is not on my mind at all right now".

"Right now for me, it's just keeping the main thing, the main thing, and continuing to go through my process of becoming a better me," he said. "I feel like if I do that, not only will it help me, but it'll help everybody around me as well."

While he received a raucous ovation from the home fans in Memphis when he returned to the bench on Monday, Morant admitted he is "uncomfortable" with how crowds may react to him.

"It's a lot, man," he said. "A lot of people don't know what's going on – not in my shoes right now with everything that's been going on as of late. Obviously, I take responsibility for decisions I've made that pretty much hurt me to the core.

"Like I said, it not only affected me, but it affected everyone around me… and caused me not to be out there on the floor. Which, one thing I love to do the most is play basketball. 

"So it's a lot, but like I said before, it's an ongoing process with everything I've been doing the past two weeks, and I'm going to continue to do that to get through everything I need to be healthy."

Dallas Mavericks' All-Star Kyrie Irving took the opportunity in his post-game media appearance to share support for recently suspended Memphis Grizzlies franchise player Ja Morant.

The comments came after Monday's 112-108 road loss in Memphis, where Irving and Morant were seen embracing after the final whistle.

Morant had missed his ninth game in a row following an incident at a Colorado nightclub where he was seen on an Instagram live video flashing a gun to the camera.

An investigation by the NBA found the Grizzlies star guilty of bringing the league into disrepute by "holding a firearm in an intoxicated state", but there was no evidence the weapon belonged to him, or that he brought it onto the team plane, or any NBA facilities.

He was suspended for eight games, and missed Monday's contest also as he works his way back into game shape.

Irving said he understands what Morant is going through, and that he feels the public and media have treated him unfairly.

"I believe any hardship in life builds character," Irving told reporters. "When you’re dealing with particular hardships in the public eye, especially with the media being attracted to just keeping up with what we’re doing, or what’s the next kind of grab or story.

"I don’t want to assume anything by every media member, but that’s just the way it seems for me and my perspective, which is there was an overload of judgement on Ja. 

"There was an overload of judgement on what I had going on, and there’s usually an overload of judgement from the public court of opinion."

He went on to discuss the "initial shock" Morant must have faced "dealing with the public opinion and all of the extra hoopla that comes with it".

"But then there’s a real human being dealing with emotion," he said. "I care about that aspect. That’s where I’m putting my energy. 

"I wished his family well wishes, I wished him well wishes, and I just pray for his peace of mind.

"I was happy to see him out there today, and I just want him to make it through. He has a long career ahead of him. I don’t think anybody should be controlling but him."

Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks shared that he feels Morant has nothing to prove to the rest of the group when he returns to action, saying "hell no" to the thought of the All-NBA talent coming off the bench as he works his way back.

"He's proved everything from the jump," he said. "Love him as a brother. He’s the one who really put this city on the map. 

"We were a low-market team, just roaming around the NBA. Now we're one of the most talked about teams in the NBA. We have a pride in the sense of a chip on our shoulder every single game.

"He doesn't have to prove anything to us. We have his back and he has our back."

Irving ended up leaving the arena in a walking boot, which he called "precautionary" to protect his previously injured and now swollen toe after Brooks fell on it in the third quarter.

"I just gotta make it back home to Dallas and start my recovery work and do everything I can to prepare for the next day and a half," he said. "Take time, rest and exhaust all my options to be ready to play the next game. 

"I was really worried about my ankle being sprained, but once we came back here. It wasn't, it was just a re-aggravation of that same spot on the top of my right foot... It went in a position where I could only re-aggravate my big toe. Again, unfortunate, but just looking forward to the next 48 hours."

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins is "hopeful" All-NBA point guard Ja Morant will make his return on Wednesday after completing an eight-game suspension.

Morant, 23, was suspended after a March 3 road game against the Denver Nuggets for "conduct detrimental to the league".

The NBA was forced to investigate after Morant appeared to brandish a gun on social media while at a nightclub.

Morant was "holding a firearm in an intoxicated state", the NBA said, but it did not prove the gun was owned by the Grizzlies star, or that he took it on the team flight or into any league facility.

When asked prior to Monday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, Jenkins said Morant had "a good first day back" with the team, which included addressing his team-mates and coaches after spending a brief stint in counselling.

Despite missing Morant's 27.1 points, 8.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game, the Grizzlies have gone 5-3 during his eight-game absence.

It was a similar story last season when they went 20-5 in the 25 games their star spent on the sidelines.

"What the group's done in his absence has been phenomenal from a defensive standpoint, offensive standpoint, execution standpoint, togetherness standpoint," Jenkins said. 

"That's obviously our expectation with Ja reintegrating with the team. He's been connected with us player-wise, staff-wise, he knows what we're doing.

"He's excited to be a part of the group and get back and help his team [reach] our ultimate goal.

"I think it's going to be a seamless reintegration. We know how important he is to us. We know how important he is, he knows how important his team-mates are to him."

At 43-27, Memphis are tied for the second seed in the Western Conference, and they have 12 games remaining to overtake the Sacramento Kings, or even make a run at the top-seeded Nuggets (48-24).

Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said a frank halftime discussion among his players was the catalyst for the biggest comeback in the NBA this season.

Trailing by 29 points in the third quarter of Friday's contest against the San Antonio Spurs, the Grizzlies produced a resounding fightback to earn a 126-120 overtime triumph.

Still down by nine in the final minute of regulation play, a 9-0 stretch in a dramatic finale sent the game into additional time.

Jaren Jackson Jr put up 28 points for the Grizzlies, who set a franchise record with their comeback.

Asked what sparked the revival, Jenkins said: "It really started at halftime. 

"We didn't watch any film. I just opened up the floor to the players to talk and said, 'What do you got for me?' 

"Four or five guys spoke up and said it was unacceptable what we were doing in the first half.

"We were too casual, we weren't communicating, we weren't executing our coverages, we weren't playing with physicality, we weren't trusting the pass."

The Grizzlies are now 4-3 without their All-Star guard Ja Morant, who served the seventh of an eight-game ban for "conduct detrimental to the league".

Jackson said the turnaround was reward for the Grizzlies' perseverance.

"We came in at halftime, regrouped, talked about it," Jackson said. 

"Just came out firing (in the second half). You chip away long enough, you're going to make some noise."

The Grizzlies sit third in the Western Conference with a 42-27 record.

Ja Morant says he made a "bad mistake" but now realises what he has to lose following a series of poor off-court decisions leading to his eight-game NBA suspension.

The NBA announced the suspension without pay for Morant on Wednesday for carrying a gun in a Denver nightclub in an incident that the Memphis Grizzlies guard posted in an Instagram Live video earlier this month.

Morant, who has been away from the Grizzlies since the March 4 incident and underwent counselling during his absence, will receive credit for the five games he has already missed and will be eligible to return for Memphis' March 20 home game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The latest incident is the latest in a pattern of behaviour from Morant, who met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday after the league's damning condemnation of his "irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous" conduct.

"I realise what I have to lose, and for us as a group, what we have to lose," Morant during an interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose. "It's pretty much just that being more responsible, more smarter and staying away from all the bad decisions.

"I feel like in the past we didn't know what was at stake. And now finally me having that time to realise everything, have that time alone, I realise that now."

Morant showed remorse for his actions at the nightclub, clarifying that he did not own the gun in the video, while adding that the behaviour did not represent him truly.

"It's not who I am," Morant said." I don't condone it or any type of violence, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a bad mistake.

"I can see the image that I painted over myself with my recent mistakes. But in the future, I'm going to show everybody who Ja really is, what I'm about and change this narrative that everybody got."

Morant has spent time away from the Grizzlies since the incident reflecting on his behaviour, including undertaking a counselling program in Florida.

"I feel mentally good that I haven't been in many years," Morant said. "I'm in a space where I'm very comfortable.

"I was constantly talking to therapists. I've been doing Reiki treatment. I've been doing anxiety breathing, different stuff to help me manage that and release all that stuff from my body.

"I made a terrible mistake being inside a club and went Live. I put myself in a bad position."

The Grizzlies have gone 3-3 in Morant's absence, sitting third in the Western Conference with a 41-27 record.

Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant has been suspended a total of eight games without pay for carrying a gun into a Denver nightclub earlier this month, the NBA announced on Wednesday. 

Morant, who has been away from the Grizzlies since the March 4 incident and underwent counselling during his absence, will receive credit for the five games he has already missed and will be eligible to return for Memphis' March 20 home game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The decision was announced after Morant met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in New York on Wednesday. 

Although Morant was not charged by Colorado authorities with any crime and the NBA said its investigation could not determine whether the gun belonged to him or was brought by him into the club, Silver concluded that the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year's conduct was detrimental to the league when announcing the extended penalty. 

"Ja's conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous," Silver said in a statement.

"It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him. He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behaviour.

"Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident and that he understands his obligations and responsibility to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA community extend well beyond his play on the court."

Morant was seen holding the gun as he conducted an Instagram Live session from the nightclub hours after the Grizzlies' 113-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 3.

The Grizzlies announced the next day that the two-time All-Star would be away from the team indefinitely as the NBA undertook an investigation of the incident.

The 2019 number two overall pick issued a written apology for his actions shortly afterwards and entered a counselling programme in Florida last week for what he said was to "take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being".

Morant, who ranks fifth in the NBA in assists per game and ninth in scoring, was previously involved in another off-court incident following a game against Indiana on January 29 that resulted in several of the star guard's acquaintances being banned by the NBA from attending Grizzlies home games.

In that event, members of Morant's group reportedly confronted representatives of the Pacers' travelling party after the game, and a red laser was pointed from an SUV believed to be carrying Morant towards Indiana players and coaches as they made their way to the team bus. 

Morant is averaging 27.1 points and 8.2 assists in 53 games this season for a Memphis team who hold the second-best record in the Western Conference.

Memphis lost their first two games during Morant's current hiatus but have since won three straight, following up a 131-110 victory over defending NBA champions the Golden State Warriors on March 9 with a home-and-home sweep of Dallas. 

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has entered counselling in Florida, with the timeline for his return to action still uncertain.

Morant remains away from the Grizzlies following an incident in early March where he posted an Instagram Live video that appeared to show him flashing a handgun inside a Colorado nightclub.

Glendale police confirmed it had decided not to lay charges on Morant for the incident, citing a lack of evidence, while the NBA's investigation is ongoing.

According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon, Morant sought out counselling as part of his efforts – as Morant had previously put in a statement: "[T]o get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."

The Grizzlies made it three wins in a row despite Morant's absence on Monday as they beat the Dallas Mavericks 104-88 at American Airlines Center.

After the game, Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins said: "Outside of what I have said in the past, being respectful to the nature of the situation, I think I said on the outside that he is taking time and responsibility to get better himself so that he can be better for our team. I am not going to really comment further until there are other updates necessary."

Jenkins also confirmed he has been in regular communication with the player, saying: "Yes, he and I have been communicating every couple of days trying to get him in the appropriate space, but also just keeping him up to speed on what the team is doing, and how he is doing as well."

On a return date, he added: "Not ready to comment. We need to get through the next couple of days he is out, at least for the Miami [Heat] game [on Wednesday], and then we will know more beyond that."

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins says there is still no timeline on Ja Morant's return to the side as he takes time to "get better personally".

Morant remains away from the Grizzlies following last week's incident where he posted an Instagram Live video that appeared to show him flashing a handgun inside a Colorado nightclub.

Glendale police confirmed on Wednesday they had decided not to lay charges on Morant for the incident, citing a lack of evidence, while the NBA's investigation is ongoing.

The Grizzlies confirmed on Wednesday that Morant, who had already missed two initial games following the incident, will be away from at least four more games.

Morant had put out a statement last week, apologising for the incident and adding he would take time away from the Grizzlies "to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being".

Prior to Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors, Jenkins was asked about the steps Morant would need to take to return to the side.

"I can't share details," Jenkins told reporters. "There's definitely steps that are going to have to be met, both personally and professionally, as he deals with some stuff personally to get better.

"Obviously the expectations on the team, he's got some things that he's going to have to clear to know what the expectations are when he does return."

Morant's absence comes at a difficult time for the Grizzlies, who have lost their past three games, slipping to third in the Western Conference with a 38-26 record. They are also without key center Steven Adams with a knee injury.

The Grizzlies point guard will miss games against Western Conference contenders Golden State (Thursday) and the Dallas Mavericks (Saturday and Monday) followed by the Miami Heat (Wednesday).

"He's out at least the next four games," Jenkins said. "I know everyone wants to know what's this going to be, it's the hot topic for sure but he's taking time.

"His responsibility to get better personally is a big factor in all of this. Also it's his responsibility to the team, it's something we're addressing with him, he's fully on board with and he's been communicative with our group."

Jenkins added that the franchise had made attempts in the past to help Morant avoid situations like this.

"We have had conversations in the past trying to guide him and help him continue to evolve as a person and as a player," Jenkins said. "Obviously this came to a head the other day. It put this process into action.

"The hope was that this would have never happened, and everything was as good as it should be, but there have been dialogues about what he's got to do better and this just came to a head then."

Police confirmed Ja Morant will not be charged after appearing to flash a gun at a Denver nightclub while the Memphis Grizzlies revealed he will remain away for at least their next four games.

Morant had been under investigation by the Glendale Police Department (GPD) on whether he broke the law in last week's incident where he posted an Instagram Live video that seemed to show him brandishing a gun inside a nightclub.

In a statement the GPD said it "was not able to determine that probable cause existed for the filing of any charges".

The GPD said it did not receive any calls for assistance at the nightclub that evening, nor were disturbances reported.

"Although the video was concerning enough to prompt an investigation, there was not enough available evidence to charge anyone with a crime," the statement said.

It is not against the law to carry a gun in Colorado, but there are exceptions to the rule, one of which being you must not be in possession of one while under the influence of alcohol. Morant was not seen to be drinking during the footage.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies confirmed the extension of Morant's time away from the team, having initially stated he would miss at least two games. Morant said in a statement he would use the time to "get help".

The 2022 NBA Most Improved Player missed those initial games on Sunday and Tuesday, in losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers respectively.

The 23-year-old All-Star will miss upcoming games against the Golden State Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks (home and away) and the Miami Heat.

The Grizzlies are third in the Western Conference with a 38-26 record, with Morant averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game this season.

Police are investigating whether Ja Morant broke the law when he appeared to be pictured holding a gun in a Colorado nightclub last weekend.

Morant was suspended by the Memphis Grizzlies after he posted an Instagram Live video which seemed to show him brandishing a gun.

The Glendale Police Department confirmed to the Associated Press that the incident is being investigated.

It is not against the law to carry a gun in Colorado, but there are exceptions to the rule, one of which being you must not be in possession of one while under the influence of alcohol.

Morant, the 2022 NBA Most Improved Player, was not seen to be drinking during the footage.

In a statement released to ESPN shortly after his suspension was confirmed, Morant apologised for his actions, saying he took "full responsibility".

"I'm sorry to my family, team-mates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organisation for letting you down," Morant added.

"I'm going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins addressed Ja Morant's suspension prior to Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, highlighting his star point guard's "difficult decisions and poor choices".

Morant, the reigning Most Improved Player and All-NBA Second Team selection, was suspended by the team on Saturday after appearing to show a gun on camera while in a nightclub. It is the latest in a string of questionable incidents from Morant.

In May last year, he tweeted "it's free to see how hollows feel" as a threat to an online troll, and just over a month ago members of his entourage were banned from the Grizzlies' home arena after Indiana Pacers staff reported to the league that they believed someone in Morant's car pointed a laser attached to a gun at them.

Days after the laser situation, he was also named in a police report after a 17-year-old kid claimed Morant punched him multiple times and then retrieved a gun from his house as a threat after a pick-up basketball game escalated to violence.

When asked about Morant's nightclub video, Jenkins was clear that the team was disappointed with his actions.

"Very tough moment, for sure," he said. "He understands he's made some difficult decisions and poor choices in the past that he's got to account for.

"He's definitely embracing the mistakes that he's made, but only time will tell. We're going to support him and we're going to hold him accountable to make those changes."

When asked for a specific date that Morant would rejoin the team, Jenkins said there is no "definitive timeline", calling it "an ongoing healing process".

"We love him, we want what's best for him, we support him," he said. "It's going to be a difficult process, but we've got a great group to get through this.

"This is a tough time for a young kid that's got to grow and get better. He's got huge responsibilities – not just for the team, for the city – but I know how he's built with that care factor and what steps he's now taking. 

"It's a step in the direction of really being the best version of himself. [He is] a generally amazing person, great family person, a father, brother, son, member of our community.

"My hope is that he just gets better. He knows he's got a lot of love and support."

Ja Morant apologised after an incident at a nightclub on Saturday led to the Memphis Grizzlies slapping him with a two-game suspension.

The point guard is under investigation by the NBA after appearing to show a gun during an Instagram Live video.

Morant will miss at least two games, the Grizzlies announced, with the 23-year-old to be absent for Sunday's meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers and the showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers two days later.

In a statement released to ESPN shortly after his suspension was confirmed, Morant apologised for his actions.

"I take full responsibility for my actions last night," he said.

"I'm sorry to my family, team-mates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organisation for letting you down.

"I'm going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."

Ja Morant will miss at least the next two Memphis Grizzlies games, the team announced.

The point guard is under investigation by the NBA after he appeared to show a gun during an Instagram Live video at a nightclub on Saturday.

Morant's social media activity came a few hours after the 113-97 defeat to the Denver Nuggets, and he will now miss Sunday's meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers and Tuesday's face-off against the Los Angeles Lakers.

A statement from the Grizzlies read: "The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that Ja Morant will be away from the team for at least the next two games."

Earlier on Saturday, NBA spokesman Mike Bass confirmed the league was looking into the incident.

Last month, the NBA launched an investigation into a separate situation involving associates of Morant and members of the Indiana Pacers' travelling party in January.

It was alleged a red laser was pointed at the Pacers' team bus from a car Morant was a passenger in, with the Indiana group concerned the light may have come from a gun.

The NBA could "not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon", the league finding "no evidence".