Kristaps Porzingis limps off to the locker room with an apparent injury pic.twitter.com/2Q4jhgH93F
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) February 24, 2017
The most skilled player in the NBA suffered an injury on Thursday night. During New York’s nationally televised game in Cleveland, Kristaps Porzingis sprained his right ankle. He will not return to the game.
Kristaps Porzingis (sprained right ankle) will not return.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) February 24, 2017
The injury occurred late in the second quarter. By the time TNT showed Porzingis making his way to the locker room with a noticeable limp, it was halftime.
Porzingis limped back to the locker room in the final minute of the first half. https://t.co/sQpzGxtULp
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) February 24, 2017
It goes without saying, but the Knicks cannot afford to have Porzingis out for a substantial period of time. Porzingis has missed some time due to an injury this year, namely a sore Achilles. The Knicks have been able to survive … kind of – New York is currently 12th in the Eastern Conference, but they’re only four games back of the Detroit Pistons for the 8-seed.
Still, an extended absence would be really rough for a Knicks team that’s trying to fight for a playoff spot. The good news is that the team stood pat at the trade deadline despite a lot of smoke around a Derrick Rose for Ricky Rubio deal, so while some teams have to deal with getting new players into the fold, the Knicks have a little time for Porzingis to get back to full health. While the team does have some very serious concerns in its roster construction, at the very least keeping Rose means that the Knicks have continuity on their side.
It’s also possible that Porzingis just picked up a knock and he’ll be back on the court in no time. Either way, this is one to watch going forward.
