Magic's Glen Davis breaks foot
Magic forward Glen Davis broke his left foot. (Ray Amati/Getty Images)
By Ben Golliver
Big Baby could be done for the season.
Magic.com reported that Orlando forward Glen Davis broke his left foot during a 113-97 loss to the Knicks in New York on Wednesday night.
Davis, who was in the midst of his finest season as a pro, was likely lost for the rest of the season when he fractured his left foot early in the game. The team found out about the news of the crippling injury midway through Wednesday’s game, sapping the life out of the squad.
"Injuries are a part of it and unfortunately it happened to (Davis)," said [Jameer] Nelson, a fellow co-captain. "I just wish him the best. I gave him a hug, but there’s really nothing you can say to a man like that. I told him I’m here for him and I just hope everything goes well for him."
"It’s really unfortunate because I know that he looked forward to this year," [coach Jacque] Vaughn said. "This was new territory for him (being a captain and a starter). So it’s really unfortunate for him to be hurt this year for multiple times."
On Thursday, the Orlando Sentinel pegged Davis' recovery timeline at eight-to-12 weeks.
The Associated Press reported more reaction from Magic guard J.J. Redick.
''You never want to see a teammate injured,'' Orlando guard JJ Redick said. ''We have played without him before and we just have to continue to roll with the punches, and guys are going to have to step up.'
Davis, 27, is averaging 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds this season, both career highs. He was Orlando's second-leading scorer, behind Arron Afflalo, and second-leading rebounder, behind Nikola Vucevic. His injury will likely lead to an increased role for rookie Andrew Nicholson, but Vaughn has gone deep into his bench all season long and could decide to spread out the playing time among his young reserves.
The Magic sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with a 14-31 record. The loss to the Knicks marked their seventh consecutive defeat during what has been Year One of a rebuilding season following the blockbuster trade of All-Star center Dwight Howard last summer. There are still 11 full weeks until Orlando's final regular-season game of the season. Of course, given their positioning relative to the playoff picture, there's no reason to rush Davis back into the lineup for meaningless games down the stretch.
