The Hornets announced on Thursday that forward Miles Bridges suffered a bone bruise in his right knee on Wednesday night against the Pistons.
According to the release, the injury occurred after he hyperextended his knee in the fourth quarter. Bridges will be out for the team’s game against the Pacers and will be reevaluated in two weeks.
The injury further depletes the Hornets’ rotation, as they’re already without starting center Mark Williams and backup Nick Richards.
According to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Taj Gibson, rookie Tidjane Salaun, Grant Williams and two-way player Moussa Diabate are among the top candidates to earn more minutes in the wake of all of the team’s injuries.
In eight games (all starts), Bridges is averaging 14.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He has been struggling with his shot, connecting on just 39.2% of his field goal attempts and 26.7% of his threes. The Hornets re-signed Bridges to a three-year, $75MM extension with no options this offseason.
At 3-5, the Hornets enter Thursday as the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They’ll continue to try to weather the storm of injuries this season in hopes of making the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy
Should have let him walk, draft Clingan and traded Mark Williams and Smith for a PF and a better SG prospect young starters