Latest Injury Updates for Clint Capela, John Collins

You could be forgiven for thinking the game and season were over last night when Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela went down with a knee injury. Thanks to the bench mob's defense, and a classic performance from Trae Young, the Hawks came from 14 down to beat the Cavaliers.

For as joyous as the night was, everyone was still worried about Capela. Luckily, today we found out the hyperextended knee wasn't as serious as first believed. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Capela could be back in as little as one week (best case scenario). See the tweet below.

MRI on Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela's right knee revealed no structural damage and he's expected to be evaluated again in a week, sources tell ESPN. He will clearly miss significant time in this Hawks-Heat playoff series, if he's even able to return before it's over.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 16, 2022

The good news kept coming. Within an hour, we found out that John Collins will attempt to play tomorrow in Game 1 of the series with the Miami Heat. Collins has been out since March 11 with a nasty sprained finger and fascia tear in his foot. However, he had missed six consecutive games between February 13 and March 3 with the same injuries.

Four days ago, I detailed the mixed messaging coming from all levels of the Hawks organization. While the sporadic updates had been trending in a positive direction, I didn't expect Collins to be back by tomorrow. That's incredible news for the Hawks and their high-flying forward.

John Collins will attempt to make a comeback in Game 1 vs. the Heat, per @ShamsCharania

Collins has been injured since March 11 pic.twitter.com/3FV4k2c0Wj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 16, 2022

Last night's game was exhilarating. It reminded Hawks fans of the euphoric playoff run last summer. Besides Trae Young's legendary season, which warrants First Team All-NBA selection, there has not been much for Hawks fans to cheer about. Hopefully, last night's comeback victory was the beginning of another special postseason run.

Check back tomorrow morning for our gameday preview. As always, stay locked into Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

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