The Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller sustained a sprained left ankle during the fourth quarter of Monday night’s 121-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He did not return.
Charlotte Hornets’ Brandon Miller first tweaked his ankle in front of the team’s bench when he stepped on a player’s foot
Hornets head coach Charles Lee said it’s unclear how long Miller will be out. Lee said Miller first tweaked his ankle in front of the team bench when he stepped on someone’s foot.
A short time later, Miller then landed awkwardly while making a driving layup to cut Philadelphia’s lead to 97-91 with 8:20 left in the game. Officials stopped play because of his injury.
Miller, 22, expressed frustration as he limped off the court and headed straight to the locker room. The second-year wing out of Alabama ended his outing with 12 points in 31 minutes of action.
INJURY UPDATE: @hornets guard Brandon Miller left in the 4Q of tonight’s game vs PHI with a left ankle sprain. He will not return.
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) December 17, 2024
The Tennessee native finished 4-of-9 (44.4%) shooting from the field, 2-of-7 (28.6%) from 3-point range, and made two free throws. He also missed four of the Hornets’ first five games to begin the season.
Through 22 games (all starts), Miller has averaging career highs of 21.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 34.4 minutes per contest while shooting 40.6% from the floor, 35.3% from deep, and a career-best 89.4% at the foul line.
Per Basketball-Reference, Miller ranks ninth in 3-pointers (85), fifth in 3-point attempts (241), 12th in 3-pointers per 36 minutes (4.0), and third in 3-point attempts per 100 possessions (26.5).
Hornets had all five of their starters for the first time all season for at least three quarters against the 76ers
For at least three quarters on Monday, Charlotte had all five of its starters on the floor together for the first time this season following the return of LaMelo Ball, who had missed the past seven games with a calf injury.
Charlotte entered training camp with plans to start Ball and Miller alongside Miles Bridges, Josh Green, and Mark Williams. However, Williams began the season injured, and Miller, Bridges, and Ball also missed time with injuries.
The Hornets are now currently 7-19 and sit 13th in the Eastern Conference standings. They need a healthy starting five if they hope to get back in the playoff hunt. Charlotte trails the 12th-seeded Sixers by two games.
According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI), the Hornets are projected to finish 13th in the conference at 28-54 (.341). Charlotte has a 0.6% chance to make the playoffs and a 3.4% probability to reach the play-in tournament.
The Hornets visit the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
The post Hornets’ Brandon Miller Suffers Ankle Sprain Against 76ers appeared first on Sportscasting | Pure Sports.