By Reuters
Utah Jazz sharpshooter Joe Ingles has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will undergo surgery.
The Jazz said an MRI revealed the torn ACL but no other structural damage and surgery will take place “in the next several weeks”. The Australian is out indefinitely, but he undoubtedly is lost for the season.
The injury occurred in the second quarter of Sunday’s 126-106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. His left knee buckled as he drove to the basket.
In his eighth season with the Jazz, the 6-foot-8 Ingles is averaging 7.2 points, 3.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game.
The 34-year-old is Utah’s all-time three-point leader, making 1071 shots from long distance during his career. He is a 40.8 per cent career shooter from three-point range but has converted a career-low 34.7 per cent this season.
In 590 career games (313 starts), Ingles has averages of 8.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
The Jazz are 30-21 on the season, have lost five in a row and are in fourth place in the NBA’s western conference. They next play on Wednesday, when they host the Denver Nuggets.
It is possible Ingles has played his last game in Utah. He is on the final year of his contract and will become a free agent after the season, or his expiring contract could be valuable in a trade.
He was part of the Australian men’s basketball team’s historic bronze-medal run in Tokyo last year.
Reuters