There are few things in sports that are scarier than a player suffering a non-contact injury. Unfortunately for Knicks fans, that happened to their team’s best player on Thursday night, as Kristaps Porzingis hurt his left knee during the team’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.
It was a rather innocuous play, as Porzingis was attempting to defend Nets forward Rondae-Hollis Jefferson. The two did not bang knees or anything like that, but rather, Porzingis appeared to land awkwardly and hurt his left leg.
The Knicks’ star big man immediately requested that he be pulled from the game.
KP has left the game at the moment with an apparent leg injury, non-contact. Here’s the play: pic.twitter.com/35aERmVLqE
— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) December 15, 2017
He knew something didn’t feel right from the moment he landed and hobbled over to the bench before making his way into the team’s locker room.
Porzingis just asked out of the game, #Knicks call time and Kristaps walks to the bench grimacing a little.
— Shlomo Sprung (@SprungOnSports) December 15, 2017
Kristaps Porzingis left the court with an apparent knee injury.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 15, 2017
It took a few minutes after Porzingis was in the back, but it was eventually determined that he would not return to the game due to a sore left knee.
Kristaps Porzingis (sore left knee) will not return.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) December 15, 2017
The good news is that framing it as a sore knee could mean that the team just determined that it would be best suited letting Porzingis hang out in the back and rest. If that’s the case, this is nothing more than a precautionary move. Hoops fans know the worst-case scenario with non-contact knee injuries, so hopefully that doesn’t happen to one of the most dynamic young players in the NBA.
UPDATE: The Knicks can breathe a (very) minor sigh of relief, as Porzingis told Ian Begley of ESPN that he can stand without any help and that he’s not in “significant pain.”
Kristaps Porzingis says that he isn’t in significant pain at the moment and it’s a good sign that he’s standing on his own. He’s uncertain about playing Saturday but he says he’ll know more after being examined tomorrow.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 15, 2017
Obviously we don’t know anything until Porzingis gets his knee looked at by a doctor, but this is about as good as news as the Knicks can receiver in the immediate aftermath.
